Market rankings · Maryland
Coffee shops and cafes in Maryland
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maryland, ranked by the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,792
- 880 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 1,078
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars · +5.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.9B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.6
- 31% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $6.1M
- 64% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #2 of 51
- Market score 82 · High
A site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings around any address in Maryland 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
There are 1,792 coffee shops and cafes on map listings in Maryland as of September 2026. 880 of them (49%) are chain locations, against 39% across the U.S. That comes to 7.6 for every 10,000 households, 31% below the U.S. rate of 11.0.
Households in Maryland spend about $10.9B a year on food away from home, or $4,604 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. That is about $6.1M of household spending for each cafe on map listings, 64% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,078 businesses with payroll in Maryland classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, up 5.7% from 2019. That is one for every 2,192 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.3% over the same years. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Since fiscal 2022, 56 SBA-backed loans worth $15.9M have gone to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Maryland.
Among the 50 states and DC, Maryland ranks #2 for coffee shops and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 82 (high). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest (85). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest (75).
Every market in Maryland for coffee shops and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maryland, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lexington Park, MD | 85 | 44 | 5.8 | $8.7M | +2.1% | #3 of 387 |
| 2Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 84 | 78 | 6.6 | $5.8M | +7.1% | #4 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 77 | 2,320 | 9.8 | $5.3M | +3.3% | #19 of 387 |
| 3Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 75 | 869 | 7.8 | $5.8M | +0.4% | #25 of 387 |
| 4Salisbury, MD | 65 | 41 | 8.4 | $4.4M | +2.9% | #79 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 60 | 2,335 | 9.5 | $4.6M | +1.4% | #111 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cambridge, MD | 75 | 8 | 5.9 | $5.9M | +3.4% | #25 of 529 |
| 2Cumberland, MD-WV | 61 | 26 | 6.8 | $4.9M | −1.3% | #149 of 529 |
| 3Easton, MD | 41 | 31 | 18.9 | $2.2M | +2.0% | #367 of 529 |
| 4Ocean Pines, MD | 38 | 51 | 21.1 | $1.9M | +3.7% | #397 of 529 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charles County, MD | 92 | 31 | 5.1 | $9.8M | +5.9% | #13 of 2,063 |
| 2Frederick County, MD | 87 | 71 | 6.8 | $7.4M | +11.0% | #40 of 2,063 |
| 3Calvert County, MD | 85 | 23 | 6.9 | $7.6M | +1.7% | #48 of 2,063 |
| 4Prince George’s County, MD | 83 | 180 | 5.2 | $8.7M | +0.5% | #61 of 2,063 |
| 5St. Mary’s County, MD | 81 | 21 | 4.9 | $10M | +2.4% | #85 of 2,063 |
| 6Harford County, MD | 79 | 47 | 4.6 | $10.2M | +2.0% | #113 of 2,063 |
| 7Carroll County, MD | 79 | 41 | 6.4 | $7.7M | +2.2% | #114 of 2,063 |
| 8Cecil County, MD | 78 | 34 | 8.4 | $5M | +3.2% | #145 of 2,063 |
| 9Howard County, MD | 74 | 98 | 8.1 | $6.9M | +1.9% | #198 of 2,063 |
| 10Queen Anne’s County, MD | 74 | 21 | 10.5 | $4.5M | +8.8% | #217 of 2,063 |
| 11Caroline County, MD | 73 | 5 | 4.0 | $8.9M | +2.5% | #220 of 2,063 |
| 12Anne Arundel County, MD | 73 | 187 | 8.3 | $6.1M | +1.7% | #231 of 2,063 |
| 13Montgomery County, MD | 72 | 339 | 8.7 | $6M | +1.3% | #248 of 2,063 |
| 14Dorchester County, MD | 70 | 8 | 5.9 | $5.9M | +3.4% | #295 of 2,063 |
| 15Baltimore County, MD | 69 | 221 | 6.6 | $6.5M | −0.7% | #316 of 2,063 |
| 16Washington County, MD | 69 | 43 | 7.2 | $5.4M | +2.0% | #323 of 2,063 |
| 17Wicomico County, MD | 69 | 32 | 7.9 | $4.8M | +3.2% | #331 of 2,063 |
| 18Allegany County, MD | 54 | 19 | 6.9 | $4.7M | −1.6% | #844 of 2,063 |
| 19Baltimore city, MD | 41 | 254 | 9.9 | $3.6M | −2.3% | #1,340 of 2,063 |
| 20Kent County, MD | 37 | 12 | 14.1 | $2.8M | +2.3% | #1,525 of 2,063 |
| 21Talbot County, MD | 37 | 31 | 18.9 | $2.2M | +2.0% | #1,536 of 2,063 |
| 22Garrett County, MD | 32 | 14 | 11.1 | $3.3M | −1.5% | #1,672 of 2,063 |
| 23Somerset County, MD | 32 | 9 | 10.8 | $3.1M | +1.7% | #1,676 of 2,063 |
| 24Worcester County, MD | 32 | 51 | 21.1 | $1.9M | +3.7% | #1,701 of 2,063 |
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Maryland?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,792 coffee shops and cafes in Maryland. 880 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 1,078 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023, up 5.7% from 2019. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too. Another 230 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Maryland spend on food away from home?
About $10.9B a year, or $4,604 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,792 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $6.1M 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 2,362,928 households in Maryland and national spending patterns by income.
How does Maryland compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
Maryland has 7.6 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 31% below the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $6.1M, 64% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the U.S. ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Maryland would have about 2,938, against 1,792 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,192 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.3% for the U.S.
Which market in Maryland has the highest market score for coffee shops and cafes?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest, at 85 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 24 scored counties in Maryland, Charles County scores highest, at 92 (very 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. Maryland scores 82 for coffee shops and cafes (high), #2 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 Maryland. 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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for coffee shops and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in Maryland
Related business types in Maryland
- Restaurants and cafes22,605 listings
- Sit-down restaurants13,270 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops2,853 listings
- Pizza1,746 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops2,241 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Maryland?
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.