NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Columbus, IN

Metro Market Score 53.8 (Challenging), ranked #148 of 298 metros. 168 establishments, 3,697 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Accommodation and Food Services employment in Columbus contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the upper half at 11.7. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

9.7

LQ: 0.81

Rank #29 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

37.3

$23,240 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 11.7

Employment growth index

Rank #264 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

77.8

YoY wage change index

168 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Columbus

168

Establishments

-1.8% YoY

3,697

Total Employment

-2.9% YoY

$23,240

Average Annual Wage

+5.4% YoY

0.81

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Indiana

#4 of 8

accommodation and food services metros in state

Indiana state rank

#28 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-5.4

better than median (59.1)

Columbus vs Indiana Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Indiana overall. The state ranks #28/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Columbus	IN Statewide
Overall Score	53.8 Challenging	37.9 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#148 of 298 metros	#28 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 Columbus

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 12.6 Other Services 24.5 Retail Trade 24.9 Information 25.2 Finance and Insurance 30.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 32.0 Construction 40.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 53.0 Administrative and Support Services 58.0

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Indiana Metros

Muncie 37.9 #42/298 Michigan City-La Porte 40.5 #51/298 Elkhart-Goshen 46.0 #93/298 South Bend-Mishawaka 59.1 #177/298 Bloomington 59.9 #183/298 Evansville 60.2 #186/298 Kokomo 61.9 #206/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbus's 53.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Chico, CA 53.8 #147/298 Great Falls, MT 53.7 #146/298 Omaha, NE 53.6 #145/298 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 53.6 #144/298 Greenville, NC 54.0 #149/298 Lexington Park, MD 53.5 #143/298 Winston-Salem, NC 53.4 #142/298 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 53.4 #141/298 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 54.2 #150/298 Oklahoma City, OK 54.2 #151/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Indiana

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

Michigan 29.2 #10/51 Ohio 29.3 #11/51 Kentucky 36.9 #25/51 Illinois 39.5 #30/51

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 Columbus's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (88.3) 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 Columbus, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment