Market rankings · North Carolina
Coffee shops and cafes in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,980
- 1,456 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 2,224
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars · +41.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $16.2B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 9.3
- 15% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.1M
- 10% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #12 of 51
- Market score 64 · Upper middle
A site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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 3,980 coffee shops and cafes on map listings in North Carolina as of September 2026. 1,456 of them (37%) are chain locations, against 39% across the U.S. That comes to 9.3 for every 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 11.0.
Household spending on food away from home in North Carolina comes to about $16.2B a year: $3,776 per household, 7% below the U.S. average. That works out to $4.1M per cafe, 10% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes.
Official counts show 2,224 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in North Carolina in 2023, up 41.8% from 2019. That is one for every 1,926 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, 110 SBA-backed loans worth $47.6M have gone to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #12 for coffee shops and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 64 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area scores highest (74). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest (85).
Every market in North Carolina for coffee shops and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 74 | 937 | 8.7 | $4.7M | +10.1% | #30 of 387 |
| 2Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 74 | 238 | 9.6 | $4.4M | +7.5% | #32 of 387 |
| 3Raleigh-Cary, NC | 71 | 596 | 10.4 | $4.3M | +12.6% | #39 of 387 |
| 4Winston-Salem, NC | 70 | 212 | 7.5 | $4.7M | +5.3% | #42 of 387 |
| 5Rocky Mount, NC | 65 | 39 | 6.7 | $5M | +2.8% | #76 of 387 |
| 6Greensboro-High Point, NC | 65 | 239 | 7.5 | $4.7M | +4.1% | #77 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 65 | 615 | 8.7 | $4.6M | +0.9% | #78 of 387 |
| 7Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 60 | 47 | 10.7 | $3.8M | +10.3% | #114 of 387 |
| 8Burlington, NC | 59 | 57 | 8.1 | $4.3M | +8.5% | #120 of 387 |
| 9Goldsboro, NC | 59 | 38 | 8.0 | $4.1M | +3.8% | #123 of 387 |
| 10Greenville, NC | 54 | 66 | 8.9 | $3.8M | +5.4% | #165 of 387 |
| 11Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 53 | 116 | 7.8 | $4.4M | +3.2% | #169 of 387 |
| 12Jacksonville, NC | 51 | 73 | 9.7 | $3.6M | +6.0% | #184 of 387 |
| 13Fayetteville, NC | 50 | 121 | 8.1 | $4.1M | +1.6% | #192 of 387 |
| 14Wilmington, NC | 40 | 270 | 13.5 | $2.8M | +15.9% | #278 of 387 |
| 15Asheville, NC | 27 | 243 | 15.1 | $2.5M | +3.6% | #359 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 85 | 36 | 7.2 | $5M | +12.3% | #4 of 529 |
| 2Lumberton, NC | 72 | 19 | 4.4 | $6.4M | +3.4% | #41 of 529 |
| 3Sanford, NC | 70 | 17 | 6.8 | $5.1M | +10.8% | #59 of 529 |
| 4Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 69 | 28 | 7.2 | $4.5M | +3.4% | #64 of 529 |
| 5Marion, NC | 65 | 8 | 4.3 | $7.5M | +1.5% | #98 of 529 |
| 6Wilson, NC | 64 | 24 | 7.3 | $4.4M | +1.7% | #112 of 529 |
| 7New Bern, NC | 64 | 45 | 8.6 | $4M | +3.6% | #113 of 529 |
| 8Henderson, NC | 63 | 6 | 3.7 | $8.3M | +0.2% | #117 of 529 |
| 9North Wilkesboro, NC | 61 | 14 | 5.2 | $5.8M | +0.6% | #143 of 529 |
| 10Waynesville, NC | 59 | 24 | 8.8 | $3.8M | +1.9% | #172 of 529 |
| 11Albemarle, NC | 59 | 27 | 10.7 | $3.2M | +9.8% | #175 of 529 |
| 12Kinston, NC | 57 | 14 | 6.0 | $4.9M | +1.4% | #188 of 529 |
| 13Roanoke Rapids, NC | 56 | 15 | 5.3 | $5.6M | −4.3% | #202 of 529 |
| 14Laurinburg, NC | 53 | 6 | 4.8 | $6.2M | −0.3% | #227 of 529 |
| 15Washington, NC | 52 | 18 | 9.3 | $3.6M | 0.0% | #246 of 529 |
| 16Rockingham, NC | 51 | 10 | 5.9 | $4.9M | −1.6% | #254 of 529 |
| 17Forest City, NC | 49 | 27 | 10.1 | $3M | +2.1% | #278 of 529 |
| 18Elizabeth City, NC | 48 | 20 | 12.7 | $2.7M | +4.5% | #291 of 529 |
| 19Mount Airy, NC | 46 | 28 | 9.4 | $3.4M | +1.3% | #304 of 529 |
| 20Morehead City, NC | 42 | 47 | 14.7 | $2.5M | +4.1% | #353 of 529 |
| 21Brevard, NC | 42 | 23 | 15.8 | $2.2M | +2.9% | #354 of 529 |
| 22Kill Devil Hills, NC | 36 | 49 | 29.1 | $1.4M | +3.3% | #427 of 529 |
| 23Boone, NC | 21 | 39 | 18.4 | $1.8M | +0.6% | #517 of 529 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 93 | 24 | 7.3 | $6.2M | +11.0% | #11 of 2,063 |
| 2Franklin County, NC | 89 | 14 | 4.9 | $7.5M | +18.8% | #24 of 2,063 |
| 3Davie County, NC | 88 | 9 | 5.2 | $7.4M | +6.9% | #29 of 2,063 |
| 4Hoke County, NC | 82 | 10 | 5.2 | $6.7M | +9.0% | #77 of 2,063 |
| 5Johnston County, NC | 82 | 59 | 6.9 | $5.7M | +17.9% | #84 of 2,063 |
| 6Harnett County, NC | 80 | 36 | 7.2 | $5M | +12.3% | #111 of 2,063 |
| 7Davidson County, NC | 79 | 38 | 5.4 | $6.3M | +6.6% | #117 of 2,063 |
| 8Gaston County, NC | 79 | 61 | 6.5 | $5.5M | +7.8% | #120 of 2,063 |
| 9Granville County, NC | 78 | 8 | 3.6 | $10.3M | +2.1% | #127 of 2,063 |
| 10Union County, NC | 78 | 59 | 7.0 | $6.6M | +11.7% | #133 of 2,063 |
| 11Lincoln County, NC | 76 | 34 | 9.2 | $4.3M | +13.2% | #178 of 2,063 |
| 12Randolph County, NC | 74 | 28 | 4.9 | $6.8M | +3.5% | #199 of 2,063 |
| 13Rockingham County, NC | 73 | 17 | 4.3 | $7.5M | +3.3% | #225 of 2,063 |
| 14Iredell County, NC | 73 | 68 | 8.9 | $4.5M | +12.9% | #243 of 2,063 |
| 15Person County, NC | 72 | 11 | 6.8 | $5.1M | +3.7% | #252 of 2,063 |
| 16Stokes County, NC | 71 | 11 | 5.6 | $5.7M | +3.5% | #272 of 2,063 |
| 17Sampson County, NC | 70 | 12 | 5.6 | $5.6M | +4.1% | #297 of 2,063 |
| 18Rowan County, NC | 70 | 37 | 6.3 | $5.5M | +5.6% | #298 of 2,063 |
| 19Robeson County, NC | 69 | 19 | 4.4 | $6.4M | +3.4% | #318 of 2,063 |
| 20Nash County, NC | 69 | 24 | 6.2 | $5.5M | +3.9% | #321 of 2,063 |
| 21Lee County, NC | 66 | 17 | 6.8 | $5.1M | +10.8% | #404 of 2,063 |
| 22Durham County, NC | 66 | 143 | 10.1 | $4.1M | +7.7% | #413 of 2,063 |
| 23Orange County, NC | 65 | 60 | 10.5 | $4.2M | +6.1% | #445 of 2,063 |
| 24Wake County, NC | 65 | 523 | 11.4 | $4.1M | +11.2% | #446 of 2,063 |
| 25Yancey County, NC | 64 | 5 | 6.2 | $5.5M | +3.2% | #458 of 2,063 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Montgomery County, NC | 64 | 7 | 6.6 | $5M | +2.7% | #462 of 2,063 |
| 27Cleveland County, NC | 64 | 28 | 7.2 | $4.5M | +3.4% | #471 of 2,063 |
| 28Cabarrus County, NC | 64 | 80 | 9.5 | $4.4M | +9.9% | #475 of 2,063 |
| 29McDowell County, NC | 62 | 8 | 4.3 | $7.5M | +1.5% | #519 of 2,063 |
| 30Mecklenburg County, NC | 62 | 493 | 10.6 | $4M | +10.5% | #545 of 2,063 |
| 31Moore County, NC | 62 | 47 | 10.7 | $3.8M | +10.3% | #549 of 2,063 |
| 32Vance County, NC | 61 | 6 | 3.7 | $8.3M | +0.2% | #552 of 2,063 |
| 33Craven County, NC | 61 | 35 | 8.2 | $4.2M | +3.5% | #573 of 2,063 |
| 34Forsyth County, NC | 61 | 141 | 8.8 | $4.1M | +5.0% | #576 of 2,063 |
| 35Alamance County, NC | 60 | 57 | 8.1 | $4.3M | +8.5% | #609 of 2,063 |
| 36Wayne County, NC | 60 | 38 | 8.0 | $4.1M | +3.8% | #611 of 2,063 |
| 37Henderson County, NC | 60 | 46 | 9.0 | $4M | +5.0% | #613 of 2,063 |
| 38Wilkes County, NC | 59 | 14 | 5.2 | $5.8M | +0.6% | #635 of 2,063 |
| 39Wilson County, NC | 59 | 24 | 7.3 | $4.4M | +1.7% | #651 of 2,063 |
| 40Guilford County, NC | 59 | 194 | 8.8 | $4.1M | +4.4% | #655 of 2,063 |
| 41Brunswick County, NC | 59 | 67 | 9.7 | $3.9M | +26.5% | #659 of 2,063 |
| 42Caldwell County, NC | 57 | 19 | 5.8 | $5.6M | +0.7% | #718 of 2,063 |
| 43Yadkin County, NC | 57 | 13 | 8.7 | $3.9M | +2.9% | #737 of 2,063 |
| 44Columbus County, NC | 56 | 6 | 3.0 | $10.1M | 0.0% | #749 of 2,063 |
| 45Duplin County, NC | 56 | 14 | 6.7 | $4.6M | +6.0% | #764 of 2,063 |
| 46Burke County, NC | 56 | 28 | 7.7 | $4.2M | +1.6% | #773 of 2,063 |
| 47Ashe County, NC | 56 | 10 | 8.2 | $3.9M | +3.5% | #784 of 2,063 |
| 48Pitt County, NC | 55 | 66 | 8.9 | $3.8M | +5.4% | #820 of 2,063 |
| 49Stanly County, NC | 55 | 27 | 10.7 | $3.2M | +9.8% | #829 of 2,063 |
| 50Lenoir County, NC | 54 | 14 | 6.0 | $4.9M | +1.4% | #839 of 2,063 |
| 51Onslow County, NC | 54 | 73 | 9.7 | $3.6M | +6.0% | #864 of 2,063 |
| 52Edgecombe County, NC | 53 | 15 | 7.6 | $4.1M | +0.7% | #891 of 2,063 |
| 53Haywood County, NC | 53 | 24 | 8.8 | $3.8M | +1.9% | #899 of 2,063 |
| 54Pender County, NC | 53 | 27 | 10.7 | $3.6M | +19.0% | #903 of 2,063 |
| 55Bladen County, NC | 52 | 6 | 5.1 | $5.8M | +1.3% | #922 of 2,063 |
| 56Chowan County, NC | 51 | 5 | 8.2 | $4.1M | +2.8% | #974 of 2,063 |
| 57Polk County, NC | 51 | 10 | 11.1 | $3.3M | +6.0% | #983 of 2,063 |
| 58Scotland County, NC | 50 | 6 | 4.8 | $6.2M | −0.3% | #986 of 2,063 |
| 59Richmond County, NC | 49 | 10 | 5.9 | $4.9M | −1.6% | #1,027 of 2,063 |
| 60Macon County, NC | 49 | 17 | 9.2 | $3.6M | +5.8% | #1,054 of 2,063 |
| 61Clay County, NC | 49 | 5 | 9.8 | $3.4M | +9.9% | #1,061 of 2,063 |
| 62Halifax County, NC | 48 | 13 | 6.4 | $4.6M | −3.9% | #1,086 of 2,063 |
| 63Beaufort County, NC | 47 | 18 | 9.3 | $3.6M | 0.0% | #1,138 of 2,063 |
| 64Cherokee County, NC | 47 | 12 | 9.1 | $3.4M | +6.8% | #1,139 of 2,063 |
| 65Catawba County, NC | 46 | 65 | 9.8 | $3.6M | +5.8% | #1,173 of 2,063 |
| 66Currituck County, NC | 46 | 18 | 15.2 | $2.8M | +16.7% | #1,186 of 2,063 |
| 67Rutherford County, NC | 45 | 27 | 10.1 | $3M | +2.1% | #1,218 of 2,063 |
| 68Cumberland County, NC | 44 | 111 | 8.6 | $3.9M | +0.4% | #1,235 of 2,063 |
| 69Warren County, NC | 44 | 7 | 8.6 | $3.5M | +1.6% | #1,244 of 2,063 |
| 70Pasquotank County, NC | 44 | 20 | 12.7 | $2.7M | +4.5% | #1,259 of 2,063 |
| 71Mitchell County, NC | 42 | 5 | 7.6 | $4.2M | +1.1% | #1,299 of 2,063 |
| 72Surry County, NC | 41 | 28 | 9.4 | $3.4M | +1.3% | #1,344 of 2,063 |
| 73Jackson County, NC | 40 | 29 | 15.7 | $2.1M | +6.9% | #1,410 of 2,063 |
| 74Martin County, NC | 38 | 6 | 6.3 | $4.7M | −1.6% | #1,457 of 2,063 |
| 75New Hanover County, NC | 38 | 176 | 16.8 | $2.3M | +8.6% | #1,499 of 2,063 |
| 76Transylvania County, NC | 37 | 23 | 15.8 | $2.2M | +2.9% | #1,535 of 2,063 |
| 77Carteret County, NC | 35 | 47 | 14.7 | $2.5M | +4.1% | #1,591 of 2,063 |
| 78Madison County, NC | 32 | 14 | 16.8 | $2M | +5.9% | #1,700 of 2,063 |
| 79Dare County, NC | 31 | 49 | 29.1 | $1.4M | +3.3% | #1,732 of 2,063 |
| 80Pamlico County, NC | 30 | 8 | 14.7 | $2.3M | +3.7% | #1,757 of 2,063 |
| 81Buncombe County, NC | 30 | 183 | 18.0 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #1,760 of 2,063 |
| 82Hertford County, NC | 28 | 6 | 7.2 | $4.1M | −11.2% | #1,803 of 2,063 |
| 83Alleghany County, NC | 23 | 9 | 17.4 | $1.7M | +5.4% | #1,933 of 2,063 |
| 84Avery County, NC | 22 | 16 | 23.6 | $1.5M | +1.1% | #1,953 of 2,063 |
| 85Watauga County, NC | 16 | 39 | 18.4 | $1.8M | +0.6% | #2,020 of 2,063 |
| 86Swain County, NC | 13 | 9 | 15.0 | $2.2M | −0.6% | #2,040 of 2,063 |
| 87Washington County, NC | 8 | 6 | 12.6 | $2.3M | −3.1% | #2,057 of 2,063 |
| Alexander County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $11.6M | +1.5% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.4% | |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $24.5M | −2.1% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.9 | $10.2M | +1.3% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.8 | $11.2M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $12.2M | −5.4% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.3 | $6.5M | +3.6% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $16.2M | +8.8% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 4.8 | $6.8M | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 4.8 | $6.5M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $11.1M | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 7 | 36.1 | $793K | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 12.9 | $2.1M | +9.3% |
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 North Carolina?
As of September 2026, map listings count 3,980 coffee shops and cafes in North Carolina. 1,456 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 2,224 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023, up 41.8% 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. Official counts also show 469 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on food away from home?
About $16.2B a year, or $3,776 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,980 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $4.1M 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 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
North Carolina has 9.3 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $4.1M, 10% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the U.S. ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, North Carolina would have about 4,367, against 3,980 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,926 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count rose 41.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.3% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for coffee shops and cafes?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest, at 85 (high). Among 87 scored counties in North Carolina, Chatham County scores highest, at 93 (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. North Carolina scores 64 for coffee shops and cafes (upper middle), #12 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 North Carolina. 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
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Top markets for coffee shops and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Restaurants and cafes41,739 listings
- Sit-down restaurants22,819 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops5,755 listings
- Pizza3,190 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops3,724 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.