NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Altoona, PA

Metro Market Score 42.1 (Moderate), ranked #61 of 298 metros. 295 establishments, 4,801 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Accommodation and Food Services employment in Altoona contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the top quartile at 18.5. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

26.5

LQ: 0.91

Rank #79 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

1.3

$19,321 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 18.5

Employment growth index

Rank #244 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

53.2

YoY wage change index

295 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Altoona

295

Establishments

-1.0% YoY

4,801

Total Employment

-2.1% YoY

$19,321

Average Annual Wage

-1.8% YoY

0.91

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#9 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

+0.2

worse than median (41.8)

Altoona 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	Altoona	PA Statewide
Overall Score	42.1 Moderate	36.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#61 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 Altoona

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21.4 Construction 29.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.8 Administrative and Support Services 43.1 Finance and Insurance 44.1 Information 46.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.9 Retail Trade 51.7 Other Services 53.6

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 Gettysburg 43.1 #66/298 Lancaster 43.4 #70/298

+ 4 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Altoona's 42.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Duluth, MN 42.0 #60/298 Enid, OK 42.1 #62/298 State College, PA 41.8 #59/298 Anniston-Oxford, AL 41.8 #58/298 Abilene, TX 41.6 #57/298 Kenosha, WI 42.5 #63/298 Raleigh-Cary, NC 42.8 #64/298 Yakima, WA 41.3 #56/298 Idaho Falls, ID 41.2 #55/298 Sioux City, IA 42.9 #65/298

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 Altoona's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (81.5) 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 Altoona, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment