NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Metro Market Score 30.8 (Favorable), ranked #16 of 298 metros. 734 establishments, 13,250 jobs.

Metro Market Score 30.8

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

Employment in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's accommodation and food services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 81.9. Combined with a 30.8 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

33.6

LQ: 0.95

Rank #100 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

11.7

$20,609 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.9

Employment growth index

Rank #55 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

70.0

YoY wage change index

734 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton

734

Establishments

+1.4% YoY

13,250

Total Employment

+2.5% YoY

$20,609

Average Annual Wage

+3.1% YoY

0.95

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Carolina

#1 of 14

accommodation and food services metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#2 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-22.7

better than median (53.4)

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 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	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton	NC Statewide
Overall Score	30.8 Favorable	23.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#16 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton

Construction 19.7 Finance and Insurance 33.1 Other Services 33.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.4 Retail Trade 42.7 Administrative and Support Services 45.1 Information 45.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other North Carolina Metros

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 Fayetteville 60.0 #184/298

+ 3 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's 30.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Huntsville, AL 30.1 #15/298 Johnstown, PA 30.1 #14/298 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 31.7 #17/298 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 32.0 #18/298 Appleton, WI 32.0 #19/298 Williamsport, PA 32.3 #20/298 Springfield, OH 32.4 #21/298 Lebanon, PA 29.0 #13/298 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 32.7 #22/298 Dalton, GA 32.8 #23/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering North Carolina

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

South Carolina 29.2 #9/51 Tennessee 29.5 #13/51 Virginia 33.6 #16/51 Georgia 43.6 #35/51

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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton's accommodation and food services sector, the wage pressure component (70.0) 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment