NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Metro Market Score 60.7 (Difficult), ranked #263 of 378 metros. 9,624 establishments, 174,148 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 60.7
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

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue stands out for high retail trade labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 99.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 82.9 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
2.9
LQ: 0.84
Rank #11 of 378 metros
Wage Competitiveness
99.5
$53,888 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 38.4
Employment growth index
Rank #234 of 378 metros
Wage Pressure
82.9
YoY wage change index

9,624 Retail Trade Firms in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

9,624
Establishments
+0.8% YoY
174,148
Total Employment
-0.9% YoY
$53,888
Average Annual Wage
+4.1% YoY
0.84
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue vs Washington Statewide

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

Measure Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA Statewide
Overall Score 60.7 Difficult 42.0 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #263 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

Accommodation and Food Services 53.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.5 Administrative and Support Services 67.7 Finance and Insurance 69.0 Other Services 69.3 Construction 74.5 Information 75.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 78.2

Retail Trade in Other Washington Metros

Walla Walla 51.0 #153/378 Bellingham 58.5 #237/378 Kennewick-Richland 58.9 #242/378 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

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (99.5) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.