NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Charlottesville, VA

Metro Market Score 59.8 (Challenging), ranked #250 of 378 metros. 668 establishments, 9,837 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 59.8
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Charlottesville's retail trade sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 19.1). That contraction, combined with a 59.8 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration
5.3
LQ: 0.86
Rank #20 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
65.1
$39,417 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 19.1
Employment growth index
Rank #307 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
89.6
YoY wage change index

668 Retail Trade Firms in Charlottesville

668
Establishments
-7.0% YoY
9,837
Total Employment
-2.1% YoY
$39,417
Average Annual Wage
+5.4% YoY
0.86
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Charlottesville vs Virginia Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Virginia overall. The state ranks #17/51 for entry risk.

Measure Charlottesville VA Statewide
Overall Score 59.8 Challenging 41.6 Moderate
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #250 of 378 metros #17 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 Charlottesville

Construction 52.9 Finance and Insurance 57.0 Information 57.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 57.3 Accommodation and Food Services 66.9 Other Services 68.6

Retail Trade in Other Virginia Metros

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford 21.5 #1/378 Staunton-Stuarts Draft 36.9 #30/378 Roanoke 44.9 #82/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 46.8 #97/378 Winchester 52.4 #166/378 Harrisonburg 53.9 #186/378 Lynchburg 57.5 #226/378

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 Charlottesville's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (81.0) 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.