NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

Metro Market Score 37.3 (Moderate), ranked #39 of 298 metros. 3,448 establishments, 65,016 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Milwaukee-Waukesha ranks in the top quartile for accommodation and food services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 37.3, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

22.8

LQ: 0.88

Rank #68 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

42.6

$23,747 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 75.8

Employment growth index

Rank #73 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

68.6

YoY wage change index

3,448 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Milwaukee-Waukesha

3,448

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

65,016

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$23,747

Average Annual Wage

+2.7% YoY

0.88

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#10 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

+5.6

worse than median (31.7)

Milwaukee-Waukesha 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	Milwaukee-Waukesha	WI Statewide
Overall Score	37.3 Moderate	28.2 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#39 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha

Retail Trade 39.2 Construction 49.1 Other Services 51.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.9 Administrative and Support Services 54.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 58.5 Information 67.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.5 Finance and Insurance 74.4

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Wisconsin Metros

Wausau 16.5 #1/298 Oshkosh-Neenah 22.7 #2/298 La Crosse-Onalaska 24.4 #3/298 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 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's 37.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 37.4 #40/298 Saginaw, MI 37.4 #41/298 Muncie, IN 37.9 #42/298 Manhattan, KS 36.5 #38/298 Albany, OR 36.3 #37/298 Vineland, NJ 38.5 #43/298 Lincoln, NE 36.1 #36/298 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 35.8 #35/298 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 38.8 #44/298 Jackson, MI 39.0 #45/298

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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's accommodation and food services sector, the wage pressure component (68.6) 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

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment