NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Mankato, MN

Metro Market Score 32.8 (Favorable), ranked #24 of 298 metros. 242 establishments, 4,995 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.

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Mankato's accommodation and food services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 82.5. Combined with a 32.8 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

39.3

LQ: 0.98

Rank #117 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

12.8

$20,661 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.5

Employment growth index

Rank #53 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

72.7

YoY wage change index

242 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Mankato

242

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

4,995

Total Employment

+2.6% YoY

$20,661

Average Annual Wage

+3.9% YoY

0.98

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Minnesota

#1 of 5

accommodation and food services metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#19 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-9.2

better than median (42.0)

Mankato vs Minnesota Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Minnesota overall. The state ranks #19/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Mankato	MN Statewide
Overall Score	32.8 Favorable	34.9 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#24 of 298 metros	#19 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 Mankato

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 33.8 Finance and Insurance 41.0 Other Services 46.9 Construction 51.1 Information 54.3 Retail Trade 57.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Minnesota Metros

St. Cloud 39.7 #47/298 Duluth 42.0 #60/298 Rochester 45.0 #84/298 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 45.5 #90/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

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

Dalton, GA 32.8 #23/298 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 33.8 #25/298 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.7 #17/298 Reading, PA 34.0 #26/298 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 34.4 #27/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Minnesota

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

Wisconsin 28.2 #5/51 North Dakota 29.5 #12/51 South Dakota 36.7 #23/51 Iowa 39.0 #29/51

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 Mankato's accommodation and food services sector, the wage pressure component (72.7) 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 Mankato, MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment