NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metro Market Score 45.5 (Moderate), ranked #89 of 298 metros. 5,972 establishments, 107,825 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Employment in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's accommodation and food services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 81.2. Combined with a 45.5 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

21.8

LQ: 0.88

Rank #65 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.2

$29,677 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.2

Employment growth index

Rank #57 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

73.0

YoY wage change index

5,972 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

5,972

Establishments

+2.0% YoY

107,825

Total Employment

+2.5% YoY

$29,677

Average Annual Wage

+4.0% YoY

0.88

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Maryland

#2 of 4

accommodation and food services metros in state

Maryland state rank

#15 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-5.1

better than median (50.6)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #15/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson	MD Statewide
Overall Score	45.5 Moderate	31.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#89 of 298 metros	#15 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.8 Retail Trade 48.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.6 Construction 61.5 Administrative and Support Services 61.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 63.3 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Maryland Metros

Hagerstown-Martinsburg 35.8 #35/298 Salisbury 50.6 #119/298 Lexington Park 53.5 #143/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's 45.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 45.5 #90/298 Tyler, TX 45.5 #91/298 Burlington, NC 45.6 #92/298 Canton-Massillon, OH 45.3 #88/298 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 45.3 #87/298 Albany, GA 45.2 #86/298 Rochester, MN 45.0 #84/298 Toledo, OH 45.0 #85/298 Cleveland, TN 45.0 #83/298 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 45.0 #82/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Maryland

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

Delaware 19.8 #1/51 Virginia 33.6 #16/51 West Virginia 33.7 #17/51 Pennsylvania 36.8 #24/51 District of Columbia 81.4 #51/51

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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (79.2) 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment