NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Wheeling, WV

Metro Market Score 61.5 (Difficult), ranked #270 of 378 metros. 535 establishments, 7,937 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Market conditions for retail trade in Wheeling are tougher than average. The 61.5 market score reflects a combination of moderate wages, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #270 of 378 metros.

Industry Concentration

89.4

LQ: 1.36

Rank #338 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

14.6

$34,179 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 25.4

Employment growth index

Rank #283 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

65.8

YoY wage change index

535 Retail Trade Firms in Wheeling

535

Establishments

-1.7% YoY

7,937

Total Employment

-1.7% YoY

$34,179

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

1.36

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within West Virginia

#7 of 7

retail trade metros in state

West Virginia state rank

#47 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+7.4

worse than median (54.2)

Wheeling 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	Wheeling	WV Statewide
Overall Score	61.5 Difficult	52.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#270 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 Wheeling

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 14.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 36.8 Construction 38.0 Other Services 44.9 Information 45.2 Finance and Insurance 55.5 Accommodation and Food Services 64.0

Retail Trade in Other West Virginia Metros

Morgantown 31.9 #10/378 Huntington-Ashland 32.4 #12/378 Charleston 50.0 #140/378 Beckley 54.2 #191/378 Weirton-Steubenville 55.8 #207/378 Parkersburg-Vienna 59.2 #245/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Wheeling's 61.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bangor, ME 61.6 #271/378 Stockton-Lodi, CA 61.6 #272/378 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 61.6 #273/378 Burlington, NC 61.6 #274/378 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 61.4 #269/378 Traverse City, MI 61.3 #268/378 Florence, SC 61.9 #275/378 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 61.9 #276/378 Providence-Warwick, RI 61.1 #267/378 Vineland, NJ 62.1 #277/378

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 Wheeling's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (74.6) 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 Wheeling, WV-OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment