NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Asheville, NC

Metro Market Score 85.4 (Difficult), ranked #295 of 298 metros. 1,360 establishments, 21,895 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 85.4
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Asheville stands out for high accommodation and food services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 81.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 71.7 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
85.9
LQ: 1.30
Rank #256 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
81.5
$30,091 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 2.7
Employment growth index
Rank #291 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
71.7
YoY wage change index

1,360 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Asheville

1,360
Establishments
-11.4% YoY
21,895
Total Employment
-14.1% YoY
$30,091
Average Annual Wage
+3.6% YoY
1.30
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Asheville vs North Carolina Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to North Carolina overall. The state ranks #2/51 for entry risk.

Measure Asheville NC Statewide
Overall Score 85.4 Difficult 23.4 Low
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #295 of 298 metros #2 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 Asheville

Construction 56.7 Finance and Insurance 59.2 Information 64.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 65.0 Retail Trade 72.8 Other Services 75.1

Accommodation and Food Services in Other North Carolina Metros

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 30.8 #16/298 Durham-Chapel Hill 40.0 #49/298 Raleigh-Cary 42.8 #64/298 Burlington 45.6 #92/298 Greensboro-High Point 49.3 #111/298 Wilmington 50.4 #117/298 Rocky Mount 52.0 #131/298 Winston-Salem 53.4 #142/298 Greenville 54.0 #149/298 Jacksonville 59.4 #179/298

+ 3 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

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 Asheville's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (97.3) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.