NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA

Metro Market Score 69.9 (Difficult), ranked #337 of 378 metros. 403 establishments, 6,232 jobs.

Metro Market Score 69.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Wenatchee-East Wenatchee's retail trade sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 70.4 and rising pressure at 83.9. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

39.7

LQ: 1.09

Rank #150 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

70.4

$40,016 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 14.6

Employment growth index

Rank #324 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

83.9

YoY wage change index

403 Retail Trade Firms in Wenatchee-East Wenatchee

403

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

6,232

Total Employment

-2.5% YoY

$40,016

Average Annual Wage

+4.3% YoY

1.09

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Washington

#9 of 11

retail trade metros in state

Washington state rank

#20 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+0.7

worse than median (69.2)

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee vs Washington Statewide

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

Measure	Wenatchee-East Wenatchee	WA Statewide
Overall Score	69.9 Difficult	42.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#337 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 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee

Finance and Insurance 33.3 Administrative and Support Services 50.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 52.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 57.0 Accommodation and Food Services 61.1 Construction 76.9

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 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 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee's 69.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bozeman, MT 70.0 #338/378 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 70.0 #339/378 Logan, UT 70.1 #340/378 Dover, DE 69.8 #336/378 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 70.2 #341/378 Jacksonville, NC 69.7 #335/378 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 69.7 #334/378 Hammond, LA 69.7 #333/378 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 69.3 #331/378 Longview-Kelso, WA 69.3 #332/378

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 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (85.5) 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 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment