NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Roanoke, VA

Metro Market Score 44.9 (Moderate), ranked #82 of 378 metros. 1,085 establishments, 15,928 jobs.

Metro Market Score 44.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages

Few retail trade firms have established themselves in Roanoke yet. The concentration index of 30.2 is well below the metro median, while employment growth is positive (trend: 50.8). That combination points to a market still building out.

Industry Concentration

30.2

LQ: 1.05

Rank #114 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

29.9

$35,718 avg wage

Growth Trend

50.8

Employment growth index

Rank #187 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.7

YoY wage change index

1,085 Retail Trade Firms in Roanoke

1,085

Establishments

-1.0% YoY

15,928

Total Employment

-0.2% YoY

$35,718

Average Annual Wage

+2.7% YoY

1.05

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Virginia

#3 of 8

retail trade metros in state

Virginia state rank

#17 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-7.5

better than median (52.4)

Roanoke vs Virginia Statewide

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

Measure	Roanoke	VA Statewide
Overall Score	44.9 Moderate	41.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#82 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 Roanoke

Industry data for other sectors in this metro is not available in the current BLS release. This can happen when metro area boundaries are redesignated.

Retail Trade in Other Virginia Metros

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford 21.5 #1/378 Staunton-Stuarts Draft 36.9 #30/378 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 46.8 #97/378 Winchester 52.4 #166/378 Harrisonburg 53.9 #186/378 Lynchburg 57.5 #226/378 Charlottesville 59.8 #250/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Roanoke's 44.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Goldsboro, NC 45.0 #83/378 Huntsville, AL 44.8 #81/378 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 45.2 #84/378 Toledo, OH 45.2 #85/378 Cedar Rapids, IA 45.2 #86/378 Gettysburg, PA 44.5 #80/378 Dalton, GA 44.4 #79/378 Raleigh-Cary, NC 44.4 #78/378 Eau Claire, WI 45.5 #87/378 Baton Rouge, LA 44.2 #77/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Virginia

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 North Carolina 43.4 #25/51 Maryland 43.6 #26/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51 West Virginia 52.8 #47/51 District of Columbia 58.0 #50/51

Browse Retail Trade in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for retail trade across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

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 Roanoke's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (75.7) 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

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Roanoke, VA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment