NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

Metro Market Score 71.8 (Difficult), ranked #348 of 378 metros. 439 establishments, 6,698 jobs.

Metro Market Score 71.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Wage costs in Mount Vernon-Anacortes's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 91.5 and rising pressure at 65.3. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

73.0

LQ: 1.24

Rank #276 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

91.5

$43,968 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 41.3

Employment growth index

Rank #223 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.3

YoY wage change index

439 Retail Trade Firms in Mount Vernon-Anacortes

439

Establishments

+1.9% YoY

6,698

Total Employment

-0.7% YoY

$43,968

Average Annual Wage

+0.7% YoY

1.24

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Washington

#10 of 11

retail trade metros in state

Washington state rank

#20 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+2.6

worse than median (69.2)

Mount Vernon-Anacortes vs Washington Statewide

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

Measure	Mount Vernon-Anacortes	WA Statewide
Overall Score	71.8 Difficult	42.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#348 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.2 Finance and Insurance 36.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 36.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 40.8 Administrative and Support Services 45.2 Information 47.3 Other Services 55.6 Accommodation and Food Services 65.8 Construction 71.4

Retail Trade in Other Washington Metros

Walla Walla 51.0 #153/378 Bellingham 58.5 #237/378 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 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 74.0 #361/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Mount Vernon-Anacortes's 71.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Grants Pass, OR 71.9 #349/378 Hot Springs, AR 71.6 #347/378 New Haven, CT 71.5 #346/378 Vallejo, CA 72.3 #350/378 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 71.2 #345/378 Lafayette, LA 71.2 #344/378 Anchorage, AK 72.7 #351/378 Dothan, AL 72.8 #352/378 Rapid City, SD 70.8 #343/378 Asheville, NC 72.8 #353/378

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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (91.5) 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment