NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Charlottesville, VA

Metro Market Score 66.9 (Difficult), ranked #239 of 298 metros. 589 establishments, 11,525 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 66.9
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Charlottesville stands out for high accommodation and food services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 76.5 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 68.6 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
61.1
LQ: 1.11
Rank #182 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
76.5
$29,380 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 37.3
Employment growth index
Rank #188 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
68.6
YoY wage change index

589 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Charlottesville

589
Establishments
-1.5% YoY
11,525
Total Employment
-0.3% YoY
$29,380
Average Annual Wage
+2.7% YoY
1.11
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Charlottesville vs Virginia Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Virginia overall. The state ranks #16/51 for entry risk.

Measure Charlottesville VA Statewide
Overall Score 66.9 Difficult 33.6 Moderate
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #239 of 298 metros #16 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 Charlottesville

Construction 52.9 Finance and Insurance 57.0 Information 57.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 57.3 Retail Trade 59.8 Other Services 68.6

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Virginia Metros

Staunton-Stuarts Draft 48.2 #103/298 Lynchburg 52.7 #134/298 Harrisonburg 60.1 #185/298

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 Charlottesville's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (76.5) 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

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.