Food and drink · County · Alabama
Fast food and sandwich shops in Shelby County, AL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Shelby County, AL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 62 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #658 of 2,222 scored counties
#6 of 60 scored counties in Alabama
- Listings
- 119
- 114 chain locations (96%)
- Official establishments
- 201
- All limited-service restaurants · +7.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $384.9M
- On food away from home · $4,431 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.2M
- 6% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.7
- 3% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 238,552
- +6.5% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Shelby County
The site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops 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 Shelby 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
Households in Shelby County spend about $384.9M a year on food away from home, or $4,431 per household, 9% above the U.S. average. That works out to $3.2M per shop, 6% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
There are 119 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Shelby County as of September 2026. 114 of them (96%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 13.7 for every 10,000 households, 3% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Official counts show 201 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Shelby County in 2023, up 7.5% from 2019. That is one for every 432 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts also show 32 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $7.8M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Shelby County.
Population estimates show Shelby County grew 6.5% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops in Shelby County is 62 (upper middle), #658 of 2,222 scored counties and #6 of 60 scored counties in Alabama.
How Shelby County compares
The same measures for Alabama and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the fast food and sandwich shops 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 | Shelby County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 13.7 | 15.1 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3.2M | $2.3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 432 | 450 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +7.5% | +8.8% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.5% | +3.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,431 | $3,519 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $97,961 | $63,999 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 62 | 20 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 187 → 201All limited-service restaurants · +7.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,574
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $91.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 32All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 119114 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 126The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $7.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Shelby 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 limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
Population and households in Shelby County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 238,552+6.5% since 2020
- Households
- 86,866
- Median age
- 41.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 81%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 785 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 293
- Median household income
- $97,961+25.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $128,135
- Median home value
- $326,100
- Jobs located here
- 95,355
- Daytime population
- 222,801Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Shelby 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 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Shelby County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardFast food and sandwich shops across Alabama
Every Alabama market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Alabama for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Alabama, with Shelby County marked.
Top counties in Alabama
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 86 | 39 | 9.5 | $4.2M | +18.0% | #44 of 2,222 |
| 2Randolph County, AL | 70 | 7 | 7.6 | $4.2M | +4.8% | #354 of 2,222 |
| 3Blount County, AL | 69 | 18 | 8.1 | $4.2M | +1.8% | #391 of 2,222 |
| 4Lawrence County, AL | 67 | 12 | 8.8 | $3.9M | +2.3% | #468 of 2,222 |
| 5Cleburne County, AL | 65 | 6 | 10.0 | $3.1M | +6.0% | #555 of 2,222 |
| 6Shelby County, AL | 62 | 119 | 13.7 | $3.2M | +6.5% | #658 of 2,222 |
| 7Autauga County, AL | 60 | 28 | 12.2 | $3.1M | +5.1% | #749 of 2,222 |
| 8Cherokee County, AL | 59 | 11 | 10.8 | $3M | +5.8% | #793 of 2,222 |
| 9Baldwin County, AL | 58 | 140 | 14.2 | $2.7M | +14.8% | #838 of 2,222 |
| 10Chilton County, AL | 57 | 21 | 11.7 | $2.9M | +5.9% | #868 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Shelby County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes73
- Sit-down restaurants77
- Fast food and sandwich shops62
- Pizza68
- Coffee shops and cafes79
- Bakeries and dessert shops70
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 fast food and sandwich shops are in Shelby County, AL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 119 fast food and sandwich shops in Shelby County. 114 of them (96%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 201 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 7.5% from 2019. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Another 32 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Shelby County, AL spend on food away from home?
About $384.9M a year, or $4,431 per household. That is 9% above the U.S. average (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 119 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.2M per shop. That spending covers all food away from home, which fast food and sandwich shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 86,866 households in Shelby County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Shelby County, AL compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Shelby County has 13.7 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 3% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.2M, 6% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Shelby County would have about 126, against 119 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 432 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Shelby County, AL growing?
Population estimates put Shelby County at 238,552 people in 2025, up 6.5% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 86,866 households. Median household income in Shelby County is $97,961, 21% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 25.9%, 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. Shelby County scores 62 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #658 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Shelby County. It maps the fast food and sandwich shops 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 fast food and sandwich shops · All 56 business types in Shelby County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Shelby 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 Shelby 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.