Market rankings · Alabama
Coffee shops and cafes in Alabama
Markets across Alabama ranked by the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,537
- 532 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 784
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars · +61.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $7B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.7
- 30% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.6M
- 23% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #10 of 51
- Market score 67 · Upper middle
A site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings around any address in Alabama by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,537 coffee shops and cafes in Alabama. 532 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 39% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 7.7, 30% below the U.S. rate of 11.0.
At $3,519 per household (14% below the U.S. average), households in Alabama spend about $7B a year on food away from home. Spread across 1,537 coffee shops and cafes, that is $4.6M per cafe, 23% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. That spending covers all food away from home, which coffee shops and cafes share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Alabama was 784 in 2023, up 61.3% from 2019. That is one for every 2,548 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.3% over the same years. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 32 SBA-backed loans worth $15.4M have gone to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Alabama.
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #10 for coffee shops and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 67 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest (71). Of the 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Scottsboro area scores highest (78).
Every market in Alabama for coffee shops and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Alabama, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Huntsville, AL | 71 | 211 | 10.2 | $4M | +12.5% | #40 of 387 |
| 2Tuscaloosa, AL | 69 | 68 | 6.4 | $5.4M | +2.9% | #45 of 387 |
| 3Birmingham, AL | 68 | 345 | 7.4 | $5.1M | +1.4% | #55 of 387 |
| 4Decatur, AL | 67 | 48 | 7.7 | $4.7M | +2.5% | #61 of 387 |
| 5Montgomery, AL | 66 | 92 | 6.1 | $5.7M | +0.9% | #66 of 387 |
| 6Anniston-Oxford, AL | 57 | 27 | 6.0 | $5.3M | −0.3% | #129 of 387 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 57 | 84 | 6.6 | $5.1M | −1.3% | #130 of 387 |
| 7Mobile, AL | 57 | 112 | 6.9 | $4.9M | −0.7% | #132 of 387 |
| 8Auburn-Opelika, AL | 56 | 64 | 8.3 | $4.2M | +7.1% | #140 of 387 |
| 9Gadsden, AL | 54 | 28 | 7.1 | $4.4M | +0.4% | #160 of 387 |
| 10Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 44 | 126 | 12.8 | $3M | +14.8% | #246 of 387 |
| 11Dothan, AL | 43 | 54 | 8.9 | $3.7M | +3.4% | #252 of 387 |
| 12Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 43 | 67 | 10.5 | $3.2M | +3.5% | #255 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Scottsboro, AL | 78 | 8 | 3.7 | $8.5M | +3.3% | #13 of 529 |
| 2Cullman, AL | 72 | 25 | 7.1 | $4.8M | +6.7% | #44 of 529 |
| 3Albertville, AL | 72 | 28 | 7.7 | $4.5M | +6.0% | #45 of 529 |
| 4Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 71 | 10 | 2.6 | $12M | 0.0% | #49 of 529 |
| LaGrange, GA-AL | 71 | 25 | 6.2 | $5.2M | +3.0% | #53 of 529 |
| 5Ozark, AL | 60 | 12 | 6.1 | $5.2M | +1.3% | #159 of 529 |
| 6Alexander City, AL | 58 | 11 | 6.4 | $5M | −0.8% | #179 of 529 |
| 7Fort Payne, AL | 53 | 25 | 9.5 | $3.2M | +3.4% | #239 of 529 |
| 8Russellville, AL | 51 | 8 | 6.7 | $4.6M | +1.1% | #256 of 529 |
| 9Selma, AL | 44 | 6 | 3.8 | $7M | −7.9% | #322 of 529 |
| 10Enterprise, AL | 44 | 26 | 12.4 | $2.9M | +6.3% | #330 of 529 |
| 11Troy, AL | 33 | 13 | 10.4 | $3M | +2.4% | #444 of 529 |
| Eufaula, AL-GA | Not scored | 3 | 2.9 | $9.9M | −1.2% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 88 | 29 | 7.1 | $5.7M | +18.0% | #34 of 2,063 |
| 2St. Clair County, AL | 87 | 15 | 4.3 | $8.6M | +7.1% | #39 of 2,063 |
| 3Shelby County, AL | 79 | 56 | 6.4 | $6.9M | +6.5% | #115 of 2,063 |
| 4Elmore County, AL | 78 | 21 | 6.4 | $5.9M | +4.2% | #139 of 2,063 |
| 5Chilton County, AL | 77 | 8 | 4.5 | $7.5M | +5.9% | #149 of 2,063 |
| 6Jackson County, AL | 74 | 8 | 3.7 | $8.5M | +3.3% | #196 of 2,063 |
| 7Autauga County, AL | 74 | 13 | 5.7 | $6.6M | +5.1% | #201 of 2,063 |
| 8Blount County, AL | 71 | 12 | 5.4 | $6.3M | +1.8% | #268 of 2,063 |
| 9Talladega County, AL | 69 | 8 | 2.4 | $13.3M | +0.3% | #313 of 2,063 |
| 10Tuscaloosa County, AL | 69 | 63 | 7.0 | $5.1M | +3.8% | #330 of 2,063 |
| 11Cullman County, AL | 68 | 25 | 7.1 | $4.8M | +6.7% | #358 of 2,063 |
| 12Marshall County, AL | 67 | 28 | 7.7 | $4.5M | +6.0% | #386 of 2,063 |
| 13Russell County, AL | 65 | 8 | 3.3 | $9.1M | −0.6% | #416 of 2,063 |
| 14Madison County, AL | 65 | 182 | 11.0 | $3.8M | +11.0% | #450 of 2,063 |
| 15Henry County, AL | 64 | 5 | 7.1 | $4.7M | +7.1% | #467 of 2,063 |
| 16Chambers County, AL | 61 | 5 | 3.7 | $8.1M | −0.9% | #553 of 2,063 |
| 17Morgan County, AL | 60 | 46 | 9.4 | $3.9M | +2.6% | #618 of 2,063 |
| 18Montgomery County, AL | 58 | 55 | 6.0 | $5.6M | −1.1% | #674 of 2,063 |
| 19Randolph County, AL | 57 | 6 | 6.5 | $4.9M | +4.8% | #722 of 2,063 |
| 20Walker County, AL | 57 | 17 | 6.7 | $4.7M | 0.0% | #724 of 2,063 |
| 21Dale County, AL | 56 | 12 | 6.1 | $5.2M | +1.3% | #758 of 2,063 |
| 22Mobile County, AL | 56 | 112 | 6.9 | $4.9M | −0.7% | #761 of 2,063 |
| 23Etowah County, AL | 55 | 28 | 7.1 | $4.4M | +0.4% | #809 of 2,063 |
| 24Lee County, AL | 55 | 63 | 9.1 | $3.9M | +8.6% | #817 of 2,063 |
| 25Tallapoosa County, AL | 54 | 11 | 6.4 | $5M | −0.8% | #838 of 2,063 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Calhoun County, AL | 53 | 27 | 6.0 | $5.3M | −0.3% | #874 of 2,063 |
| 27Jefferson County, AL | 52 | 230 | 8.5 | $4.3M | −1.3% | #934 of 2,063 |
| 28Cherokee County, AL | 52 | 8 | 7.8 | $4.1M | +5.8% | #937 of 2,063 |
| 29Geneva County, AL | 52 | 9 | 8.5 | $3.6M | +3.2% | #948 of 2,063 |
| 30Colbert County, AL | 51 | 26 | 10.7 | $3.1M | +3.8% | #985 of 2,063 |
| 31DeKalb County, AL | 49 | 25 | 9.5 | $3.2M | +3.4% | #1,066 of 2,063 |
| 32Baldwin County, AL | 48 | 126 | 12.8 | $3M | +14.8% | #1,115 of 2,063 |
| 33Franklin County, AL | 45 | 8 | 6.7 | $4.6M | +1.1% | #1,195 of 2,063 |
| 34Lauderdale County, AL | 45 | 41 | 10.4 | $3.3M | +3.3% | #1,213 of 2,063 |
| 35Dallas County, AL | 44 | 6 | 3.8 | $7M | −7.9% | #1,229 of 2,063 |
| 36Houston County, AL | 44 | 40 | 9.2 | $3.6M | +2.8% | #1,241 of 2,063 |
| 37Winston County, AL | 42 | 7 | 7.4 | $4.2M | +1.4% | #1,300 of 2,063 |
| 38Clarke County, AL | 39 | 6 | 7.1 | $4.3M | −4.2% | #1,415 of 2,063 |
| 39Monroe County, AL | 39 | 5 | 6.8 | $4.2M | −3.8% | #1,416 of 2,063 |
| 40Coffee County, AL | 39 | 26 | 12.4 | $2.9M | +6.3% | #1,445 of 2,063 |
| 41Covington County, AL | 39 | 17 | 11.6 | $2.7M | +1.2% | #1,448 of 2,063 |
| 42Pike County, AL | 30 | 13 | 10.4 | $3M | +2.4% | #1,743 of 2,063 |
| 43Bibb County, AL | 28 | 7 | 9.1 | $3.4M | +0.4% | #1,805 of 2,063 |
| 44Escambia County, AL | 23 | 12 | 9.4 | $3.1M | 0.0% | #1,921 of 2,063 |
| 45Marion County, AL | 20 | 11 | 10.4 | $2.9M | −0.3% | #1,972 of 2,063 |
| 46Fayette County, AL | 10 | 8 | 12.8 | $2.4M | −2.8% | #2,048 of 2,063 |
| Lawrence County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $23.2M | +2.3% | |
| Barbour County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $8.9M | −1.4% | |
| Marengo County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 5.1 | $6.1M | −5.0% | |
| Pickens County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $10.4M | −3.9% | |
| Macon County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $21.1M | −6.8% | |
| Butler County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 5.3 | $5.5M | −4.8% | |
| Cleburne County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $18.9M | +6.0% | |
| Washington County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 6.7 | $5.3M | −3.3% | |
| Hale County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.5 | $8M | +2.9% | |
| Clay County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $18.3M | −0.1% | |
| Lamar County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $7.5M | −2.6% | |
| Crenshaw County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 7.6 | $3.9M | 0.0% | |
| Choctaw County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $15.7M | −5.7% | |
| Sumter County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 4.1 | $6.3M | −5.0% | |
| Conecuh County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $12.4M | −5.7% | |
| Coosa County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $6.8M | −1.7% | |
| Wilcox County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.3% | |
| Bullock County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.5% | |
| Lowndes County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 7.0 | $3.9M | −9.0% | |
| Perry County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 8.7 | $2.8M | −12.2% | |
| Greene County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $8.2M | −8.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Alabama?
Alabama has 1,537 coffee shops and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 532 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 784 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023, up 61.3% from 2019. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Another 320 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Alabama spend on food away from home?
About $7B a year, or $3,519 per household. That is 14% below the U.S. average (an index of 86, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,537 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $4.6M per cafe. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,997,247 households in Alabama and national spending patterns by income.
How does Alabama compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
Alabama has 7.7 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 30% below the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $4.6M, 23% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the national ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Alabama would have about 1,898, against 1,537 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,548 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count rose 61.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.3% for the U.S.
Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for coffee shops and cafes?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Scottsboro area scores highest, at 78 (high). Among 46 scored counties in Alabama, Limestone County scores highest, at 88 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Alabama scores 67 for coffee shops and cafes (upper middle), #10 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alabama. It maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Coffee shops and cafes in other states
All 51 states
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Top markets for coffee shops and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in Alabama
Related business types in Alabama
- Restaurants and cafes18,378 listings
- Sit-down restaurants10,602 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops3,007 listings
- Pizza1,143 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops1,346 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Alabama?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.