NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Bellingham, WA

Metro Market Score 58.5 (Challenging), ranked #237 of 378 metros. 719 establishments, 10,643 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Bellingham stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 83.9 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 72.5 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration

49.2

LQ: 1.14

Rank #186 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

83.9

$42,238 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 64.3

Employment growth index

Rank #136 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.5

YoY wage change index

719 Retail Trade Firms in Bellingham

719

Establishments

+2.6% YoY

10,643

Total Employment

+0.2% YoY

$42,238

Average Annual Wage

+2.1% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Washington

#2 of 11

retail trade metros in state

Washington state rank

#20 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-10.7

better than median (69.2)

Bellingham vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #20/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bellingham	WA Statewide
Overall Score	58.5 Challenging	42.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#237 of 378 metros	#20 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 Bellingham

Administrative and Support Services 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 50.5 Information 55.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 61.5 Other Services 70.1 Accommodation and Food Services 74.1 Construction 77.4

Retail Trade in Other Washington Metros

Walla Walla 51.0 #153/378 Kennewick-Richland 58.9 #242/378 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 60.7 #263/378 Yakima 67.8 #326/378 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 69.2 #329/378 Longview-Kelso 69.3 #332/378 Spokane-Spokane Valley 69.7 #334/378 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 69.9 #337/378 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 71.8 #348/378 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 74.0 #361/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bellingham's 58.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Battle Creek, MI 58.5 #238/378 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 58.5 #239/378 Morristown, TN 58.4 #236/378 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 58.6 #240/378 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 58.4 #235/378 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 58.7 #241/378 Savannah, GA 58.3 #233/378 Boulder, CO 58.3 #234/378 Fort Wayne, IN 58.3 #232/378 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 58.2 #231/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Washington

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

Idaho 40.1 #12/51 Oregon 42.9 #24/51

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 Bellingham's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (83.9) 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 Bellingham, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment