NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC

Metro Market Score 76.8 (Difficult), ranked #283 of 298 metros. 718 establishments, 14,228 jobs.

Metro Market Score 76.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

With a 1.91 location quotient, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal has an outsized accommodation and food services presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 98.0) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

98.0

LQ: 1.91

Rank #292 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

88.9

$32,139 avg wage

Growth Trend

53.4

Employment growth index

Rank #140 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

80.5

YoY wage change index

718 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

718

Establishments

+4.1% YoY

14,228

Total Employment

+0.3% YoY

$32,139

Average Annual Wage

+6.2% YoY

1.91

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#5 of 6

accommodation and food services metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#9 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

+13.4

worse than median (63.4)

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #9/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal	SC Statewide
Overall Score	76.8 Difficult	29.2 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#283 of 298 metros	#9 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

Healthcare and Social Assistance 39.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 51.6 Information 52.8 Finance and Insurance 53.4 Administrative and Support Services 59.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.9 Retail Trade 62.9 Construction 66.9 Other Services 71.7

Accommodation and Food Services in Other South Carolina Metros

Florence 47.5 #99/298 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 50.7 #121/298 Sumter 52.9 #136/298 Charleston-North Charleston 63.4 #217/298 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 86.3 #296/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's 76.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 76.1 #281/298 Savannah, GA 76.1 #282/298 Bozeman, MT 77.8 #284/298 Salinas, CA 75.7 #280/298 Modesto, CA 78.3 #285/298 Colorado Springs, CO 78.6 #286/298 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 74.4 #279/298 Bellingham, WA 74.1 #278/298 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 73.9 #277/298 Glens Falls, NY 80.0 #287/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering South Carolina

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

North Carolina 23.4 #2/51 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's accommodation and food services sector, the industry concentration component (98.0) 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment