NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

Metro Market Score 39.2 (Moderate), ranked #47 of 378 metros. 4,282 establishments, 75,060 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Milwaukee-Waukesha has a relatively low concentration of retail trade firms (index: 9.5) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

9.5

LQ: 0.92

Rank #36 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

43.1

$36,854 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 63.2

Employment growth index

Rank #140 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

75.1

YoY wage change index

4,282 Retail Trade Firms in Milwaukee-Waukesha

4,282

Establishments

+4.6% YoY

75,060

Total Employment

+0.1% YoY

$36,854

Average Annual Wage

+2.6% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#6 of 13

retail trade metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#1 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-6.3

better than median (45.5)

Milwaukee-Waukesha vs Wisconsin Statewide

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

Measure	Milwaukee-Waukesha	WI Statewide
Overall Score	39.2 Moderate	33.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#47 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha

Accommodation and Food Services 37.3 Construction 49.1 Other Services 51.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.9 Administrative and Support Services 54.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 58.5 Information 67.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.5 Finance and Insurance 74.4

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 Eau Claire 45.5 #87/378 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's 39.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Appleton, WI 39.0 #46/378 Gainesville, GA 39.0 #45/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378 Canton-Massillon, OH 39.6 #48/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378 Bloomington, IN 39.6 #49/378 Reading, PA 38.7 #42/378 Cleveland, OH 38.7 #41/378 Springfield, IL 40.0 #50/378 Chambersburg, PA 38.4 #40/378

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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's retail trade sector, the wage pressure component (75.1) 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment