NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Tucson, AZ

Metro Market Score 64.6 (Difficult), ranked #224 of 298 metros. 1,766 establishments, 39,434 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 64.6
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Tucson's accommodation and food services sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 75.5 and rising pressure at 76.8. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration
64.8
LQ: 1.12
Rank #193 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
75.5
$28,968 avg wage
Growth Trend
52.7
Employment growth index
Rank #142 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
76.8
YoY wage change index

1,766 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Tucson

1,766
Establishments
-0.1% YoY
39,434
Total Employment
+0.2% YoY
$28,968
Average Annual Wage
+5.1% YoY
1.12
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Tucson 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 Tucson AZ Statewide
Overall Score 64.6 Difficult 46.9 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #224 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 Tucson

Construction 35.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 42.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 53.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.3 Finance and Insurance 59.4 Retail Trade 60.5 Other Services 62.7 Information 64.1 Administrative and Support Services 72.9

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Arizona Metros

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 55.9 #161/298 Yuma 64.5 #222/298 Flagstaff 67.0 #241/298 Sierra Vista-Douglas 69.8 #259/298 Prescott Valley-Prescott 71.3 #267/298 Lake Havasu City-Kingman 73.9 #277/298

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 Tucson's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (75.5) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.