NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Ocala, FL

Metro Market Score 48.4 (Challenging), ranked #104 of 298 metros. 658 establishments, 12,016 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Ocala ranks in the upper half for accommodation and food services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 48.4, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

62.4

LQ: 1.11

Rank #186 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

59.4

$26,092 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 90.3

Employment growth index

Rank #30 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

75.1

YoY wage change index

658 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Ocala

658

Establishments

+1.9% YoY

12,016

Total Employment

+4.0% YoY

$26,092

Average Annual Wage

+4.6% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Florida

#1 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

-20.1

better than median (68.5)

Ocala 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	Ocala	FL Statewide
Overall Score	48.4 Challenging	53.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#104 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 Ocala

Finance and Insurance 27.9 Other Services 28.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29.8 Information 30.8 Construction 36.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 39.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.4 Administrative and Support Services 57.8 Retail Trade 73.6

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Florida Metros

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 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 Ocala's 48.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 48.4 #105/298 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 48.2 #103/298 Eagle Pass, TX 48.2 #102/298 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 48.6 #106/298 Cleveland, OH 48.6 #107/298 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 48.8 #108/298 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 47.8 #101/298 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 49.0 #109/298 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 47.8 #100/298 Erie, PA 49.0 #110/298

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 Ocala's accommodation and food services sector, the industry concentration component (62.4) 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 Ocala, FL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment