NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Great Falls, MT

Metro Market Score 53.7 (Challenging), ranked #146 of 298 metros. 245 establishments, 4,248 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.7

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

Despite a mature accommodation and food services presence (concentration: 85.6), Great Falls is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 73.2, and the overall 53.7 market score lands in the upper half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

85.6

LQ: 1.28

Rank #255 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

40.9

$23,602 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 73.2

Employment growth index

Rank #81 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

70.3

YoY wage change index

245 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Great Falls

245

Establishments

-6.5% YoY

4,248

Total Employment

+1.7% YoY

$23,602

Average Annual Wage

+3.2% YoY

1.28

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Montana

#2 of 4

accommodation and food services metros in state

Montana state rank

#39 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-12.3

better than median (66.0)

Great Falls vs Montana Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Montana overall. The state ranks #39/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Great Falls	MT Statewide
Overall Score	53.7 Challenging	46.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#146 of 298 metros	#39 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 Great Falls

Information 20.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 24.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29.8 Finance and Insurance 49.9 Administrative and Support Services 52.5 Other Services 62.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 68.1 Construction 73.0 Retail Trade 78.9

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Montana Metros

Missoula 52.2 #132/298 Billings 66.0 #233/298 Bozeman 77.8 #284/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Great Falls's 53.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Chico, CA 53.8 #147/298 Columbus, IN 53.8 #148/298 Omaha, NE 53.6 #145/298 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 53.6 #144/298 Lexington Park, MD 53.5 #143/298 Greenville, NC 54.0 #149/298 Winston-Salem, NC 53.4 #142/298 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 53.4 #141/298 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 53.3 #140/298 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 54.2 #150/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Montana

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

Idaho 26.2 #4/51 North Dakota 29.5 #12/51 South Dakota 36.7 #23/51 Wyoming 55.0 #45/51

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 Great Falls's accommodation and food services sector, the industry concentration component (85.6) 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 Great Falls, MT MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment