NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Fond du Lac, WI

Metro Market Score 63.5 (Difficult), ranked #294 of 378 metros. 291 establishments, 5,348 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Fond du Lac scores 63.5 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

60.0

LQ: 1.19

Rank #227 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

35.2

$36,241 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.6

Employment growth index

Rank #301 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

79.3

YoY wage change index

291 Retail Trade Firms in Fond du Lac

291

Establishments

+1.0% YoY

5,348

Total Employment

-2.0% YoY

$36,241

Average Annual Wage

+3.4% YoY

1.19

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Wisconsin

#13 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#1 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+17.9

worse than median (45.5)

Fond du Lac vs Wisconsin Statewide

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

Measure	Fond du Lac	WI Statewide
Overall Score	63.5 Difficult	33.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#294 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 Fond du Lac

Accommodation and Food Services 26.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 31.2 Other Services 31.2 Administrative and Support Services 33.5 Finance and Insurance 34.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 43.9 Information 47.4 Construction 61.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 62.6

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 Eau Claire 45.5 #87/378 Madison 45.9 #90/378 Oshkosh-Neenah 47.9 #107/378 Kenosha 49.2 #125/378

+ 2 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fond du Lac's 63.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fayetteville, NC 63.5 #292/378 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 63.5 #293/378 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 63.5 #291/378 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.6 #295/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 63.6 #296/378 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 63.3 #290/378 Knoxville, TN 63.7 #297/378 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 63.2 #289/378 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 63.2 #288/378 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL 63.1 #287/378

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 Fond du Lac's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (79.4) 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 Fond du Lac, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment