NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

Metro Market Score 48.8 (Challenging), ranked #108 of 298 metros. 836 establishments, 17,369 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Brownsville-Harlingen ranks in the upper half for accommodation and food services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 48.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

78.5

LQ: 1.22

Rank #234 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

20.1

$21,179 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 68.5

Employment growth index

Rank #95 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

73.4

YoY wage change index

836 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Brownsville-Harlingen

836

Establishments

-0.4% YoY

17,369

Total Employment

+1.4% YoY

$21,179

Average Annual Wage

+4.1% YoY

1.22

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#8 of 16

accommodation and food services metros in state

Texas state rank

#38 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-2.6

better than median (51.4)

Brownsville-Harlingen vs Texas Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Texas overall. The state ranks #38/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Brownsville-Harlingen	TX Statewide
Overall Score	48.8 Challenging	46.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#108 of 298 metros	#38 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 Brownsville-Harlingen

Construction 15.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.3 Finance and Insurance 23.3 Information 27.5 Other Services 30.1 Retail Trade 37.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 45.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Administrative and Support Services 59.3

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Texas Metros

Longview 28.6 #12/298 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 32.0 #18/298 Abilene 41.6 #57/298 Laredo 43.7 #71/298 Tyler 45.5 #91/298 Eagle Pass 48.2 #102/298 Beaumont-Port Arthur 48.6 #106/298 College Station-Bryan 51.4 #125/298 Killeen-Temple 54.6 #153/298 Odessa 54.6 #154/298

+ 5 more metros. View all in Texas →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Brownsville-Harlingen's 48.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Cleveland, OH 48.6 #107/298 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 49.0 #109/298 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 48.6 #106/298 Erie, PA 49.0 #110/298 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 48.4 #105/298 Ocala, FL 48.4 #104/298 Greensboro-High Point, NC 49.3 #111/298 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 48.2 #103/298 Eagle Pass, TX 48.2 #102/298 Niles, MI 49.4 #112/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Texas

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

New Mexico 24.5 #3/51 Oklahoma 35.0 #20/51 Arkansas 36.9 #26/51 Louisiana 43.8 #36/51

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 Brownsville-Harlingen's accommodation and food services sector, the industry concentration component (78.5) 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment