NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Flagstaff, AZ

Metro Market Score 67.0 (Difficult), ranked #241 of 298 metros. 510 establishments, 14,788 jobs.

Metro Market Score 67.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national accommodation and food services average.

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Flagstaff is a specialized hub for accommodation and food services, with a location quotient of 2.47 and industry concentration in the bottom quartile. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

99.0

LQ: 2.47

Rank #295 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

90.6

$32,649 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 96.0

Employment growth index

Rank #13 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

92.2

YoY wage change index

510 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Flagstaff

510

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

14,788

Total Employment

+6.9% YoY

$32,649

Average Annual Wage

+9.6% YoY

2.47

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Arizona

#4 of 7

accommodation and food services metros in state

Arizona state rank

#40 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (67.0)

Flagstaff vs Arizona Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Arizona overall. The state ranks #40/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Flagstaff	AZ Statewide
Overall Score	67.0 Difficult	46.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#241 of 298 metros	#40 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 Flagstaff

Administrative and Support Services 21.1 Construction 22.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 26.5 Information 27.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 32.0 Finance and Insurance 42.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.6 Other Services 53.3 Retail Trade 64.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Arizona Metros

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 55.9 #161/298 Yuma 64.5 #222/298 Tucson 64.6 #224/298 Sierra Vista-Douglas 69.8 #259/298 Prescott Valley-Prescott 71.3 #267/298 Lake Havasu City-Kingman 73.9 #277/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Flagstaff's 67.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 67.0 #240/298 Grants Pass, OR 67.1 #242/298 Charlottesville, VA 66.9 #239/298 Medford, OR 67.2 #243/298 Bloomington, IL 67.3 #244/298 Kingston, NY 66.7 #238/298 New Haven, CT 67.6 #245/298 Lawrence, KS 67.6 #246/298 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 66.4 #237/298 Santa Fe, NM 66.3 #236/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Arizona

State-level entry risk for accommodation and food services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

New Mexico 24.5 #3/51 Utah 36.5 #22/51 Colorado 46.9 #41/51 California 57.2 #47/51 Nevada 64.0 #49/51

Browse Accommodation and Food Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for accommodation and food services 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 Flagstaff's accommodation and food services sector, the industry concentration component (99.0) 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 Flagstaff, AZ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment