NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Eau Claire, WI

Metro Market Score 45.5 (Moderate), ranked #87 of 378 metros. 578 establishments, 11,227 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Eau Claire's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 87.6. Combined with a 45.5 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

84.1

LQ: 1.32

Rank #318 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

33.3

$35,985 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 87.6

Employment growth index

Rank #48 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

62.2

YoY wage change index

578 Retail Trade Firms in Eau Claire

578

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

11,227

Total Employment

+2.0% YoY

$35,985

Average Annual Wage

+0.1% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Wisconsin

#7 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#1 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (45.5)

Eau Claire vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #1/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Eau Claire	WI Statewide
Overall Score	45.5 Moderate	33.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#87 of 378 metros	#1 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 Eau Claire

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.3 Accommodation and Food Services 27.7 Information 28.4 Administrative and Support Services 39.8 Construction 41.4 Finance and Insurance 49.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55.3 Other Services 57.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 62.1

Retail Trade in Other Wisconsin Metros

Racine-Mount Pleasant 31.0 #9/378 Wausau 34.6 #21/378 La Crosse-Onalaska 34.8 #24/378 Sheboygan 38.0 #36/378 Appleton 39.0 #46/378 Milwaukee-Waukesha 39.2 #47/378 Madison 45.9 #90/378 Oshkosh-Neenah 47.9 #107/378 Kenosha 49.2 #125/378 Green Bay 53.7 #183/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Eau Claire's 45.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Eagle Pass, TX 45.7 #88/378 Lexington Park, MD 45.8 #89/378 Toledo, OH 45.2 #85/378 Cedar Rapids, IA 45.2 #86/378 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 45.2 #84/378 Madison, WI 45.9 #90/378 Goldsboro, NC 45.0 #83/378 Oklahoma City, OK 46.1 #91/378 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 46.1 #92/378 Roanoke, VA 44.9 #82/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Wisconsin

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

Minnesota 39.6 #9/51 Michigan 40.5 #15/51 Iowa 40.8 #16/51 Illinois 48.1 #39/51

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 Eau Claire's retail trade sector, the industry concentration component (84.1) 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 Eau Claire, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment