NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metro Market Score 61.6 (Difficult), ranked #204 of 298 metros. 1,390 establishments, 27,986 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.6

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

Market conditions for accommodation and food services in Lexington-Fayette are tougher than average. The 61.6 market score reflects a combination of moderate wages, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #204 of 298 metros.

Industry Concentration

55.4

LQ: 1.08

Rank #165 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

49.3

$24,701 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.9

Employment growth index

Rank #213 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

70.7

YoY wage change index

1,390 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Lexington-Fayette

1,390

Establishments

+4.1% YoY

27,986

Total Employment

-0.9% YoY

$24,701

Average Annual Wage

+3.3% YoY

1.08

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Kentucky

#1 of 2

accommodation and food services metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#25 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-11.0

better than median (72.6)

Lexington-Fayette vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #25/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lexington-Fayette	KY Statewide
Overall Score	61.6 Difficult	36.9 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#204 of 298 metros	#25 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 Lexington-Fayette

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.0 Retail Trade 42.8 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Construction 49.6 Other Services 53.3 Information 57.3

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Kentucky Metros

Elizabethtown 72.6 #272/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lexington-Fayette's 61.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 61.6 #203/298 Goldsboro, NC 61.8 #205/298 Kokomo, IN 61.9 #206/298 Reno, NV 61.3 #202/298 Hot Springs, AR 62.0 #207/298 Redding, CA 62.2 #208/298 Kennewick-Richland, WA 62.2 #209/298 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 61.1 #201/298 Corvallis, OR 61.1 #200/298 Lafayette, LA 62.3 #210/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Kentucky

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

Ohio 29.3 #11/51 Tennessee 29.5 #13/51 Virginia 33.6 #16/51 West Virginia 33.7 #17/51 Indiana 37.9 #28/51 Illinois 39.5 #30/51 Missouri 47.2 #42/51

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 Lexington-Fayette's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (71.1) 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment