NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Metro Market Score 53.4 (Challenging), ranked #141 of 298 metros. 9,786 establishments, 163,058 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 53.4
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue stands out for high accommodation and food services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 95.6 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 74.7 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
19.1
LQ: 0.86
Rank #57 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
95.6
$37,606 avg wage
Growth Trend
↑ 67.5
Employment growth index
Rank #98 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
74.7
YoY wage change index

9,786 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

9,786
Establishments
+3.2% YoY
163,058
Total Employment
+1.3% YoY
$37,606
Average Annual Wage
+4.5% YoY
0.86
Location Quotient
Below national avg

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA Statewide
Overall Score 53.4 Challenging 42.9 Elevated
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #141 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.6 Retail Trade 60.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.5 Administrative and Support Services 67.7 Finance and Insurance 69.0 Other Services 69.3 Construction 74.5 Information 75.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 78.2

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 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 Bellingham 74.1 #278/298

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (95.6) 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.