When you’re moving to a new area, one of the things you might chew on is whether the local food scene is flourishing: Is there an expanding number of options for grabbing some grub? Or perhaps you’re thirsting for a city that hosts a slew of happy hours. Or you might be seeking job opportunities at hotels in certain regions.
If you fall into any of those three categories — and who doesn’t, really? — this list is for you.
Relying on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we’ve ranked the U.S. metro areas that have witnessed the highest growth rates for restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents from 2005 through 2013. Technically, the list covers what the Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as “accommodation and food service establishments.” For the sake of brevity, we’re lumping them together as restaurants, hotels and bars.
Nabbing the top spot among the 100 largest metro areas is New Orleans, LA, a region famed for its Cajun and Creole cuisine. In the Crescent City, the number of restaurants, hotels and bars jumped an impressive 18.29 percent from 2005 through 2013, according to our data analysis.
Tourism-fueled transformation
You can chalk up that spike, in large part, to the region’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, the number of restaurants in New Orleans soared from a pre-Katrina total of 800 in August 2005 to 1,349 in August 2013.
John Williams, dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of New Orleans, said that thanks to post-Katrina growth of restaurants, hotels, bars and other tourism-related amenities, New Orleans “is now recognized as one of the most culturally desirable cities in the nation to visit and call your home.”
“This transformation will prove to be a key element of a heightened quality of life for current residents of New Orleans as well as in attracting future residents as New Orleans seeks expansion in other industries such as technology and health care,” Williams said in a news release.
Here’s our ranking of the 14 U.S. metro areas that have notched the highest growth rates for restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents from 2005 through 2013.
1. New Orleans, LA
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 2.33
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.75
9-year growth rate: 18.29%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 45
2. New York City, NY
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 2.15
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.52
9-year growth rate: 16.98%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 1
3. El Paso, TX
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.61
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 1.84
9-year growth rate: 14.13%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 67
4. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 2.26
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.54
9-year growth rate: 12.41%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 57
5. Richmond, VA
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.87
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.10
9-year growth rate: 12.35%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 44
6. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.78
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.00
9-year growth rate: 12.30%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 4
7. Houston, TX
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.67
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 1.88
9-year growth rate: 12.26%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 5
8. Baton Rouge, LA
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.70
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 1.90
9-year growth rate: 11.80%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 70
9. Austin, TX
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 2.09
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.33
9-year growth rate: 11.75%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 35
10. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.78
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 1.98
9-year growth rate: 11.37%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 97
11. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.85
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.04
9-year growth rate: 10.64%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 73
12. Portland, OR
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 2.35
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.59
9-year growth rate: 10.47%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 24
13. Los Angeles, CA
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.97
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.16
9-year growth rate: 9.91%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 2
14. Las Vegas, NV
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2005: 1.94
Restaurants, hotels and bars per 1,000 residents in 2013: 2.13
9-year growth rate: 9.70%
Population rank among top 100 metro areas: 30
Photos courtesy of Flickr/FoodFetish, Flickr/Thomas Hawk, Flickr/OpenEye, Flickr/Mr.TinDC, Flickr/Mike Smail, Flickr/jcsullivan24, Flickr/Joe Abbruscato, Flickr/Loïc Lagarde, Flickr/schultzstm
Data analysis by Elizabeth Whalen
