NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA

Metro Market Score 45.3 (Moderate), ranked #87 of 298 metros. 1,864 establishments, 29,313 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

🌱Emerging Market

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton has a relatively low concentration of accommodation and food services firms (index: 19.5) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

19.5

LQ: 0.87

Rank #58 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

61.7

$26,706 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 62.8

Employment growth index

Rank #112 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

68.9

YoY wage change index

1,864 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

1,864

Establishments

+0.6% YoY

29,313

Total Employment

+1.0% YoY

$26,706

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#13 of 15

accommodation and food services metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#24 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

+3.4

worse than median (41.8)

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #24/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton	PA Statewide
Overall Score	45.3 Moderate	36.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#87 of 298 metros	#24 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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

Other Services 44.0 Administrative and Support Services 51.7 Retail Trade 52.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.7

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Lebanon 29.0 #13/298 Johnstown 30.1 #14/298 Williamsport 32.3 #20/298 Reading 34.0 #26/298 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 38.8 #44/298 Chambersburg 39.8 #48/298 Pittsburgh 41.0 #54/298 State College 41.8 #59/298 Altoona 42.1 #61/298 Gettysburg 43.1 #66/298

+ 4 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton's 45.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Albany, GA 45.2 #86/298 Canton-Massillon, OH 45.3 #88/298 Rochester, MN 45.0 #84/298 Toledo, OH 45.0 #85/298 Cleveland, TN 45.0 #83/298 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 45.5 #89/298 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 45.5 #90/298 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 45.0 #82/298 Tyler, TX 45.5 #91/298 Burlington, NC 45.6 #92/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

Delaware 19.8 #1/51 Ohio 29.3 #11/51 Maryland 31.7 #15/51 West Virginia 33.7 #17/51 New Jersey 43.3 #34/51 New York 58.6 #48/51

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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (61.7) 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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment