Food and drink · County · Kentucky
Coffee shops and cafes in Nelson County, KY
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for coffee shops and cafes in Nelson County, KY, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 76 out of 100: High
Ranked #175 of 2,063 scored counties
#7 of 53 scored counties in Kentucky
- Listings
- 13
- 3 chain locations (23%)
- Official establishments
- 3
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Household spending a year
- $67.9M
- On food away from home · $3,545 a household
- Spending per listing
- $5.2M
- 41% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.8
- 38% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 49,036
- +4.8% since 2020
See the coffee shops and cafes around any address in Nelson County
The site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Nelson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
For coffee shops and cafes, Nelson County has a Groundwork market score of 76 (high): #175 of 2,063 scored counties and #7 of 53 scored counties in Kentucky. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for coffee shops and cafes.
Households in Nelson County spend about $67.9M a year on food away from home, or $3,545 per household, 13% below the U.S. average. That works out to $5.2M per cafe, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes.
There are 13 coffee shops and cafes on map listings in Nelson County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 23% of them, against 39% across the U.S. That is 6.8 per 10,000 households, 38% below the U.S. rate of 11.0.
Official counts show 3 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Nelson County in 2023. That is one for every 6,383 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Nelson County grew 4.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Nelson County compares
The same measures for Kentucky and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the coffee shops and cafes counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Nelson County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.8 | 7.4 | 11.0 |
| Spending per listing | $5.2M | $4.7M | $3.7M |
| Households per official establishment (all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) | 6,383 | 2,979 | 1,518 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +30.4% | +24.3% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.8% | +2.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,545 | $3,489 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $69,562 | $63,726 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 76 | 67 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 3All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Employees, 2023
- 16
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $104K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 133 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 18The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Nelson County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3. These official figures cover all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes.
Population and households in Nelson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 49,036+4.8% since 2020
- Households
- 19,150
- Median age
- 40.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 419 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 114
- Median household income
- $69,562+15.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $87,639
- Median home value
- $238,000
- Jobs located here
- 18,213
- Daytime population
- 41,912Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Nelson County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the coffee shops and cafes on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Nelson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCoffee shops and cafes across Kentucky
Every Kentucky market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Kentucky for coffee shops and cafes, numbered among those based in Kentucky, with Nelson County marked.
Top counties in Kentucky
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Bullitt County, KY | 89 | 14 | 4.4 | $8.8M | +5.0% | #23 of 2,063 |
| 2Scott County, KY | 87 | 14 | 6.2 | $6.6M | +8.2% | #41 of 2,063 |
| 3Oldham County, KY | 86 | 16 | 6.9 | $7.2M | +4.9% | #46 of 2,063 |
| 4Woodford County, KY | 80 | 7 | 6.5 | $6.2M | +3.7% | #106 of 2,063 |
| 5Boone County, KY | 80 | 41 | 8.0 | $5.4M | +6.5% | #109 of 2,063 |
| 6Kenton County, KY | 77 | 47 | 7.0 | $5.7M | +3.9% | #155 of 2,063 |
| 7Nelson County, KY | 76 | 13 | 6.8 | $5.2M | +4.8% | #175 of 2,063 |
| 8Jessamine County, KY | 75 | 12 | 6.0 | $6.3M | +7.8% | #186 of 2,063 |
| 9Shelby County, KY | 75 | 13 | 7.0 | $5.6M | +6.2% | #190 of 2,063 |
| 10Madison County, KY | 72 | 29 | 7.8 | $4.4M | +9.4% | #257 of 2,063 |
Other business types in Nelson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes63
- Sit-down restaurants71
- Fast food and sandwich shops68
- Pizza63
- Coffee shops and cafes76
- Bakeries and dessert shops78
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Nelson County, KY?
As of September 2026, map listings count 13 coffee shops and cafes in Nelson County. 3 of them (23%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 3 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too.
How much do households in Nelson County, KY spend on food away from home?
About $67.9M a year, or $3,545 per household. That is 13% below the U.S. average (an index of 87, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 13 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $5.2M per cafe. That spending covers all food away from home, which coffee shops and cafes share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 19,150 households in Nelson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Nelson County, KY compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
Nelson County has 6.8 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 38% below the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $5.2M, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the U.S. ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Nelson County would have about 18, against 13 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 6,383 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S.
How fast is Nelson County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Nelson County at 49,036 people in 2025, up 4.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 19,150 households. Median household income in Nelson County is $69,562, 14% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 15.7%, before inflation.
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. Nelson County scores 76 for coffee shops and cafes (high), #175 of 2,063 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Nelson County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for coffee shops and cafes · All 56 business types in Nelson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Nelson County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Nelson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.