NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Walla Walla, WA

Metro Market Score 46.1 (Moderate), ranked #95 of 298 metros. 130 establishments, 2,032 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Wage costs in Walla Walla's accommodation and food services sector are well above the metro average, with wage competitiveness at 70.8 and rising pressure at 59.4. New entrants should factor higher labor costs into their financial projections for this market.

Industry Concentration

3.4

LQ: 0.77

Rank #10 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

70.8

$28,204 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.6

Employment growth index

Rank #157 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

59.4

YoY wage change index

130 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Walla Walla

130

Establishments

-9.7% YoY

2,032

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$28,204

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.77

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Washington

#3 of 11

accommodation and food services metros in state

Washington state rank

#33 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-15.0

better than median (61.1)

Walla Walla 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	Walla Walla	WA Statewide
Overall Score	46.1 Moderate	42.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#95 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 Walla Walla

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 34.8 Construction 41.5 Information 42.9 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Other Services 47.4 Retail Trade 51.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 52.5

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Washington Metros

Yakima 41.3 #56/298 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 43.8 #72/298 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 Bellingham 74.1 #278/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Walla Walla's 46.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Trenton-Princeton, NJ 46.1 #96/298 Gainesville, GA 46.1 #94/298 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 46.0 #93/298 Burlington, NC 45.6 #92/298 Tyler, TX 45.5 #91/298 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 45.5 #90/298 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 45.5 #89/298 Canton-Massillon, OH 45.3 #88/298 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA 45.3 #87/298 Albany, GA 45.2 #86/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Washington

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

Idaho 26.2 #4/51 Oregon 42.8 #32/51

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 Walla Walla's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (70.8) 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 Walla Walla, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment