NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Huntington-Ashland, WV

Metro Market Score 32.4 (Favorable), ranked #12 of 378 metros. 1,401 establishments, 16,334 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth

Huntington-Ashland ranks in the top 10% for retail trade market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 32.4, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

59.0

LQ: 1.18

Rank #223 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

10.3

$33,661 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 95.8

Employment growth index

Rank #17 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

68.9

YoY wage change index

1,401 Retail Trade Firms in Huntington-Ashland

1,401

Establishments

+10.8% YoY

16,334

Total Employment

+6.2% YoY

$33,661

Average Annual Wage

+1.4% YoY

1.18

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within West Virginia

#2 of 7

retail trade metros in state

West Virginia state rank

#47 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-21.8

better than median (54.2)

Huntington-Ashland 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	Huntington-Ashland	WV Statewide
Overall Score	32.4 Favorable	52.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#12 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 Huntington-Ashland

Finance and Insurance 28.8 Other Services 33.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 37.0 Administrative and Support Services 46.0

Retail Trade in Other West Virginia Metros

Morgantown 31.9 #10/378 Charleston 50.0 #140/378 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 Huntington-Ashland's 32.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Rochester, MN 32.2 #11/378 Columbia, MO 32.6 #13/378 Tuscaloosa, AL 32.9 #14/378 Morgantown, WV 31.9 #10/378 Niles, MI 33.4 #15/378 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.0 #9/378 Columbus, GA 30.9 #8/378 Monroe, LA 34.0 #16/378 Spartanburg, SC 34.1 #17/378 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 34.2 #18/378

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 Huntington-Ashland's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (59.0) 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 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment