NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Charleston, WV

Metro Market Score 50.0 (Challenging), ranked #140 of 378 metros. 772 establishments, 10,343 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Retail Trade conditions in Charleston are mixed. The 50.0 market score puts it at #140 of 378, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

18.3

LQ: 0.99

Rank #69 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

59.0

$38,670 avg wage

Growth Trend

48.4

Employment growth index

Rank #196 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

76.2

YoY wage change index

772 Retail Trade Firms in Charleston

772

Establishments

+0.4% YoY

10,343

Total Employment

-0.2% YoY

$38,670

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within West Virginia

#3 of 7

retail trade metros in state

West Virginia state rank

#47 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-4.1

better than median (54.2)

Charleston vs West Virginia Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to West Virginia overall. The state ranks #47/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Charleston	WV Statewide
Overall Score	50.0 Challenging	52.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#140 of 378 metros	#47 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 Charleston

Construction 54.2 Other Services 62.1

Retail Trade in Other West Virginia Metros

Morgantown 31.9 #10/378 Huntington-Ashland 32.4 #12/378 Beckley 54.2 #191/378 Weirton-Steubenville 55.8 #207/378 Parkersburg-Vienna 59.2 #245/378 Wheeling 61.5 #270/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Charleston's 50.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Midland, MI 50.1 #141/378 Bend, OR 50.0 #139/378 Yuma, AZ 50.0 #138/378 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 50.1 #142/378 Enid, OK 50.1 #143/378 Montgomery, AL 49.9 #137/378 Odessa, TX 49.8 #135/378 York-Hanover, PA 49.8 #136/378 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 49.8 #134/378 Cincinnati, OH 49.8 #133/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering West Virginia

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

Pennsylvania 38.1 #6/51 Ohio 39.2 #8/51 Virginia 41.6 #17/51 Maryland 43.6 #26/51 Kentucky 46.4 #36/51

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 Charleston's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (51.6) 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 Charleston, WV MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment