NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT

Metro Market Score 62.5 (Difficult), ranked #279 of 378 metros. 4,522 establishments, 75,044 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 62.5
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national retail trade average.

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Salt Lake City-Murray stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 98.4 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 80.8 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
10.1
LQ: 0.92
Rank #38 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
98.4
$49,293 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 36.0
Employment growth index
Rank #243 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
80.8
YoY wage change index

4,522 Retail Trade Firms in Salt Lake City-Murray

4,522
Establishments
+1.5% YoY
75,044
Total Employment
-1.0% YoY
$49,293
Average Annual Wage
+3.7% YoY
0.92
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Salt Lake City-Murray vs Utah Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Utah overall. The state ranks #13/51 for entry risk.

Measure Salt Lake City-Murray UT Statewide
Overall Score 62.5 Difficult 40.3 Moderate
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #279 of 378 metros #13 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Salt Lake City-Murray

Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.2 Accommodation and Food Services 44.2 Other Services 52.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 56.7 Construction 61.4 Finance and Insurance 61.8 Information 67.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 69.4 Administrative and Support Services 72.8

Retail Trade in Other Utah Metros

St. George 64.8 #309/378 Provo-Orem-Lehi 69.3 #331/378 Logan 70.1 #340/378 Ogden 74.6 #366/378

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Salt Lake City-Murray's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (98.4) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.