NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Reading, PA

Metro Market Score 34.0 (Favorable), ranked #26 of 298 metros. 770 establishments, 12,602 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

🌱Emerging Market

Reading has a relatively low concentration of accommodation and food services firms (index: 8.4) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

8.4

LQ: 0.80

Rank #25 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

27.9

$22,041 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 58.0

Employment growth index

Rank #126 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

61.8

YoY wage change index

770 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Reading

770

Establishments

+2.3% YoY

12,602

Total Employment

+0.6% YoY

$22,041

Average Annual Wage

+0.7% YoY

0.80

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#4 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

-7.8

better than median (41.8)

Reading 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	Reading	PA Statewide
Overall Score	34.0 Favorable	36.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#26 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.

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Lebanon 29.0 #13/298 Johnstown 30.1 #14/298 Williamsport 32.3 #20/298 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 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 Reading's 34.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 33.8 #25/298 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 34.4 #27/298 Cedar Rapids, IA 34.4 #28/298 Janesville-Beloit, WI 34.6 #29/298 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 34.6 #30/298 Mankato, MN 32.8 #24/298 Dalton, GA 32.8 #23/298 Lima, OH 35.3 #31/298 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 32.7 #22/298 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 35.3 #32/298

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 Reading's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (42.0) 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 Reading, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment