NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Dalton, GA

Metro Market Score 32.8 (Favorable), ranked #23 of 298 metros. 272 establishments, 4,203 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Dalton has a relatively low concentration of accommodation and food services firms (index: 2.4) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

2.4

LQ: 0.70

Rank #7 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

19.8

$21,163 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 56.4

Employment growth index

Rank #131 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

70.7

YoY wage change index

272 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Dalton

272

Establishments

+4.2% YoY

4,203

Total Employment

+0.6% YoY

$21,163

Average Annual Wage

+3.3% YoY

0.70

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Georgia

#1 of 7

accommodation and food services metros in state

Georgia state rank

#35 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-18.0

better than median (50.8)

Dalton vs Georgia Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Georgia overall. The state ranks #35/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Dalton	GA Statewide
Overall Score	32.8 Favorable	43.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#23 of 298 metros	#35 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 Dalton

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 11.4 Construction 15.0 Information 15.1 Finance and Insurance 35.4 Administrative and Support Services 36.0 Other Services 37.4 Retail Trade 44.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Georgia Metros

Albany 45.2 #86/298 Gainesville 46.1 #94/298 Warner Robins 50.8 #122/298 Rome 57.1 #165/298 Hinesville 60.6 #195/298 Savannah 76.1 #282/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Dalton's 32.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Mankato, MN 32.8 #24/298 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 32.7 #22/298 Springfield, OH 32.4 #21/298 Williamsport, PA 32.3 #20/298 Appleton, WI 32.0 #19/298 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 32.0 #18/298 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.7 #17/298 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 33.8 #25/298 Reading, PA 34.0 #26/298 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 34.4 #27/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Georgia

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

North Carolina 23.4 #2/51 South Carolina 29.2 #9/51 Tennessee 29.5 #13/51 Alabama 44.1 #37/51 Florida 53.6 #44/51

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 Dalton's accommodation and food services sector, the wage pressure component (70.7) 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 Dalton, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment