Palavir · State of US Industries, 2026 Edition
State of Accommodation and Food Services in North Carolina, 2026 Edition
NAICS 72
May 28, 2026
1. Market sizing (2022)
Establishments
23,624
Employees
446,000
Annual payroll
$9.77B
2. National context
North Carolina accounts for 3.06% of the 771,856 US establishments in this sector and ranks 9th out of 51 reporting states.
3. Workforce wages
NC avg annual wage
$21,906
US avg annual wage
$25,598
North Carolina sector wages are -14.4% versus the national average for NAICS 72.
4. Federal exclusion overlay (state-wide)
OIG LEIE individuals + entities
1,827
SAM debarred/excluded
2,618
Exclusion counts are state-wide across all NAICS, not specific to Accommodation and Food Services. Sourced from OIG LEIE and SAM exclusion lists, as of 2026-05-27.
5. Top 3 counties by establishment count
| Rank | County | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mecklenburg County | 3,143 | 62,417 |
| #2 | Wake County | 2,765 | 56,386 |
| #3 | Guilford County | 1,318 | 25,554 |
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