NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI

Metro Market Score 24.4 (Favorable), ranked #3 of 298 metros. 435 establishments, 7,490 jobs.

Metro Market Score 24.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth✓Favorable Market

Employment in La Crosse-Onalaska's accommodation and food services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 97.7. Combined with a 24.4 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

41.3

LQ: 0.99

Rank #123 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

3.7

$19,766 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 97.7

Employment growth index

Rank #8 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

62.1

YoY wage change index

435 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in La Crosse-Onalaska

435

Establishments

+21.8% YoY

7,490

Total Employment

+12.1% YoY

$19,766

Average Annual Wage

+0.8% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#3 of 12

accommodation and food services metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#5 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-7.3

better than median (31.7)

La Crosse-Onalaska vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #5/51 for entry risk.

Measure	La Crosse-Onalaska	WI Statewide
Overall Score	24.4 Favorable	28.2 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#3 of 298 metros	#5 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 La Crosse-Onalaska

Construction 24.1 Retail Trade 34.8 Other Services 35.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 39.6 Information 43.1

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Wisconsin Metros

Wausau 16.5 #1/298 Oshkosh-Neenah 22.7 #2/298 Fond du Lac 26.7 #8/298 Sheboygan 26.8 #9/298 Eau Claire 27.7 #10/298 Racine-Mount Pleasant 31.7 #17/298 Appleton 32.0 #19/298 Janesville-Beloit 34.6 #29/298 Milwaukee-Waukesha 37.3 #39/298 Madison 40.3 #50/298

+ 1 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of La Crosse-Onalaska's 24.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Logan, UT 24.5 #4/298 Dubuque, IA 24.7 #5/298 Midland, MI 25.8 #6/298 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 22.7 #2/298 Ames, IA 26.3 #7/298 Fond du Lac, WI 26.7 #8/298 Sheboygan, WI 26.8 #9/298 Eau Claire, WI 27.7 #10/298 Battle Creek, MI 28.1 #11/298 Longview, TX 28.6 #12/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Wisconsin

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

Michigan 29.2 #10/51 Minnesota 34.9 #19/51 Iowa 39.0 #29/51 Illinois 39.5 #30/51

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 La Crosse-Onalaska's accommodation and food services sector, the wage pressure component (62.1) 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 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment