NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Raleigh-Cary, NC

Metro Market Score 42.8 (Moderate), ranked #64 of 298 metros. 3,511 establishments, 65,588 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Raleigh-Cary ranks in the top quartile for accommodation and food services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 42.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

41.6

LQ: 0.99

Rank #124 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

57.0

$25,814 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.9

Employment growth index

Rank #52 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

64.8

YoY wage change index

3,511 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Raleigh-Cary

3,511

Establishments

+1.5% YoY

65,588

Total Employment

+2.6% YoY

$25,814

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Carolina

#3 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

-10.7

better than median (53.4)

Raleigh-Cary 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	Raleigh-Cary	NC Statewide
Overall Score	42.8 Moderate	23.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#64 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 Raleigh-Cary

Healthcare and Social Assistance 35.4 Retail Trade 44.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54.3 Construction 56.1 Other Services 56.5 Administrative and Support Services 62.9 Information 74.2 Finance and Insurance 76.3

Accommodation and Food Services in Other North Carolina Metros

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 30.8 #16/298 Durham-Chapel Hill 40.0 #49/298 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 Raleigh-Cary's 42.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sioux City, IA 42.9 #65/298 Kenosha, WI 42.5 #63/298 Gettysburg, PA 43.1 #66/298 Grand Forks, ND 43.1 #67/298 Monroe, MI 43.1 #68/298 Twin Falls, ID 43.4 #69/298 Enid, OK 42.1 #62/298 Lancaster, PA 43.4 #70/298 Altoona, PA 42.1 #61/298 Duluth, MN 42.0 #60/298

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 Raleigh-Cary's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (57.0) 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment