NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Bellingham, WA

Metro Market Score 74.1 (Difficult), ranked #278 of 298 metros. 576 establishments, 8,347 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 74.1
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⚡Rising Wages

Bellingham stands out for high accommodation and food services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 75.2 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 86.7 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
38.6
LQ: 0.98
Rank #115 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
75.2
$28,924 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 5.7
Employment growth index
Rank #282 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
86.7
YoY wage change index

576 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Bellingham

576
Establishments
+5.9% YoY
8,347
Total Employment
-5.6% YoY
$28,924
Average Annual Wage
+8.0% YoY
0.98
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Bellingham vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #33/51 for entry risk.

Measure Bellingham WA Statewide
Overall Score 74.1 Difficult 42.9 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #278 of 298 metros #33 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 Bellingham

Administrative and Support Services 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 50.5 Information 55.4 Retail Trade 58.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 61.5 Other Services 70.1 Construction 77.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Washington Metros

Yakima 41.3 #56/298 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 43.8 #72/298 Walla Walla 46.1 #95/298 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 53.4 #141/298 Longview-Kelso 56.9 #164/298 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 61.1 #201/298 Kennewick-Richland 62.2 #209/298 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 65.8 #232/298 Spokane-Spokane Valley 68.4 #248/298 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 69.2 #255/298

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 Bellingham's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (94.3) 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.