NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

Metro Market Score 60.2 (Difficult), ranked #187 of 298 metros. 1,825 establishments, 33,101 jobs.

Metro Market Score 60.2

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📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Wage costs in Cape Coral-Fort Myers's accommodation and food services sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 85.2 and rising pressure at 72.3. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

79.2

LQ: 1.22

Rank #236 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

85.2

$31,000 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.6

Employment growth index

Rank #47 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

72.3

YoY wage change index

1,825 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Cape Coral-Fort Myers

1,825

Establishments

+2.4% YoY

33,101

Total Employment

+2.9% YoY

$31,000

Average Annual Wage

+3.8% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Florida

#4 of 20

accommodation and food services metros in state

Florida state rank

#44 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-8.2

better than median (68.5)

Cape Coral-Fort Myers vs Florida Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Florida overall. The state ranks #44/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Cape Coral-Fort Myers	FL Statewide
Overall Score	60.2 Difficult	53.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#187 of 298 metros	#44 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 Cape Coral-Fort Myers

Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.8 Information 42.9 Finance and Insurance 45.6 Construction 46.4 Other Services 52.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 57.1 Retail Trade 64.1 Administrative and Support Services 67.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 68.8

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Florida Metros

Ocala 48.4 #104/298 Sebring 51.5 #127/298 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 57.6 #169/298 Jacksonville 60.2 #188/298 Punta Gorda 60.6 #194/298 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach 61.6 #203/298 Lakeland-Winter Haven 62.6 #212/298 Naples-Marco Island 63.3 #216/298 Tallahassee 66.3 #235/298 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor 68.5 #249/298

+ 9 more metros. View all in Florida →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Cape Coral-Fort Myers's 60.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Jacksonville, FL 60.2 #188/298 Evansville, IN 60.2 #186/298 Cheyenne, WY 60.3 #189/298 Harrisonburg, VA 60.1 #185/298 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 60.4 #190/298 Fayetteville, NC 60.0 #184/298 Burlington-South Burlington, VT 60.5 #191/298 Sherman-Denison, TX 60.5 #192/298 Bloomington, IN 59.9 #183/298 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 60.6 #193/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Florida

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

Georgia 43.6 #35/51 Alabama 44.1 #37/51

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 Cape Coral-Fort Myers's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (85.2) 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 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment