NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

Metro Market Score 62.6 (Difficult), ranked #212 of 298 metros. 1,238 establishments, 21,705 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

⚡Rising Wages

Accommodation and Food Services employment in Lakeland-Winter Haven contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the lower half at 17.4. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

30.2

LQ: 0.92

Rank #90 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

55.4

$25,533 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 17.4

Employment growth index

Rank #247 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

82.3

YoY wage change index

1,238 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Lakeland-Winter Haven

1,238

Establishments

+2.7% YoY

21,705

Total Employment

-2.2% YoY

$25,533

Average Annual Wage

+6.7% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Florida

#8 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

-5.8

better than median (68.5)

Lakeland-Winter Haven 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	Lakeland-Winter Haven	FL Statewide
Overall Score	62.6 Difficult	53.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#212 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven

Information 28.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 31.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 37.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.7 Construction 43.2 Administrative and Support Services 58.7 Other Services 59.4 Retail Trade 61.6 Finance and Insurance 64.6

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 Cape Coral-Fort Myers 60.2 #187/298 Jacksonville 60.2 #188/298 Punta Gorda 60.6 #194/298 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach 61.6 #203/298 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven's 62.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 62.4 #211/298 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 62.8 #213/298 Lafayette, LA 62.3 #210/298 Redding, CA 62.2 #208/298 Kennewick-Richland, WA 62.2 #209/298 Providence-Warwick, RI 63.2 #214/298 Hot Springs, AR 62.0 #207/298 Farmington, NM 63.2 #215/298 Naples-Marco Island, FL 63.3 #216/298 Kokomo, IN 61.9 #206/298

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 Lakeland-Winter Haven's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (82.5) 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

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment