NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Lafayette, LA

Metro Market Score 62.3 (Difficult), ranked #210 of 298 metros. 1,103 establishments, 18,175 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Lafayette's accommodation and food services sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 4.4). That contraction, combined with a 62.3 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

66.4

LQ: 1.13

Rank #198 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

15.4

$20,851 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 4.4

Employment growth index

Rank #286 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

65.5

YoY wage change index

1,103 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Lafayette

1,103

Establishments

-8.4% YoY

18,175

Total Employment

-7.4% YoY

$20,851

Average Annual Wage

+1.8% YoY

1.13

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Louisiana

#4 of 6

accommodation and food services metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#36 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (62.3)

Lafayette vs Louisiana Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Louisiana overall. The state ranks #36/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lafayette	LA Statewide
Overall Score	62.3 Difficult	43.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#210 of 298 metros	#36 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 Lafayette

Finance and Insurance 60.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.8 Construction 63.4 Retail Trade 71.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 77.6

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Louisiana Metros

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux 37.4 #40/298 Hammond 40.5 #52/298 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington 57.5 #168/298 Shreveport-Bossier City 70.0 #260/298 New Orleans-Metairie 91.9 #298/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lafayette's 62.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Redding, CA 62.2 #208/298 Kennewick-Richland, WA 62.2 #209/298 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 62.4 #211/298 Hot Springs, AR 62.0 #207/298 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 62.6 #212/298 Kokomo, IN 61.9 #206/298 Goldsboro, NC 61.8 #205/298 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 62.8 #213/298 Lexington-Fayette, KY 61.6 #204/298 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 61.6 #203/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Louisiana

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

Mississippi 35.6 #21/51 Arkansas 36.9 #26/51 Texas 46.0 #38/51

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 Lafayette's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (95.6) 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 Lafayette, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment