Food and drink · County · Arkansas
Fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County, AR
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County, AR, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 49 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,188 of 2,222 scored counties
#15 of 56 scored counties in Arkansas
- Listings
- 140
- 129 chain locations (92%)
- Official establishments
- 228
- All limited-service restaurants · +23.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $360.1M
- On food away from home · $3,706 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.6M
- 16% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.4
- 8% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 271,213
- +9.9% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 140 fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County. Chain locations make up 92% of them, against 79% across the U.S. That is 14.4 per 10,000 households, 8% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Household spending on food away from home in Washington County comes to about $360.1M a year: $3,706 per household, 9% below the U.S. average. That is about $2.6M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 16% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. That spending covers all food away from home, which fast food and sandwich shops share with other businesses in the trade.
Official counts show 228 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Washington County in 2023, up 23.2% from 2019. That is one for every 426 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Official counts list 32 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $962K have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Washington County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Washington County grew 9.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Washington County scores 49 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #1,188 of 2,222 scored counties and #15 of 56 scored counties in Arkansas.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Arkansas 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 | Washington County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.6M | $2.4M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 426 | 506 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +23.2% | +11.1% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +9.9% | +3.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,706 | $3,400 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $70,639 | $60,773 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 49 | 31 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 185 → 228All limited-service restaurants · +23.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 5,369
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $99.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 32All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 140129 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 118The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $962K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 271,213+9.9% since 2020
- Households
- 97,184
- Median age
- 34.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 56%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 942 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 273
- Median household income
- $70,639+40.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $98,734
- Median home value
- $298,400
- Jobs located here
- 127,830
- Daytime population
- 267,535Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Arkansas
Every Arkansas market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Arkansas for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Arkansas, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Arkansas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Marion County, AR | 72 | 5 | 6.5 | $4.5M | +4.3% | #302 of 2,222 |
| 2Saline County, AR | 71 | 52 | 10.4 | $3.7M | +7.6% | #334 of 2,222 |
| 3Benton County, AR | 66 | 166 | 14.8 | $2.9M | +16.0% | #533 of 2,222 |
| 4Polk County, AR | 65 | 5 | 6.3 | $4.8M | +1.6% | #536 of 2,222 |
| 5Lonoke County, AR | 64 | 32 | 11.2 | $3.2M | +3.5% | #582 of 2,222 |
| 6Izard County, AR | 62 | 5 | 9.6 | $3M | +5.9% | #661 of 2,222 |
| 7Grant County, AR | 62 | 9 | 12.9 | $2.8M | +4.1% | #666 of 2,222 |
| 8Hot Spring County, AR | 61 | 10 | 8.1 | $3.9M | +1.1% | #682 of 2,222 |
| 9Van Buren County, AR | 58 | 7 | 9.4 | $3.1M | +2.8% | #821 of 2,222 |
| 10Conway County, AR | 56 | 9 | 10.9 | $2.8M | +3.2% | #918 of 2,222 |
| 15Washington County, AR | 49 | 140 | 14.4 | $2.6M | +9.9% | #1,188 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Washington County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes41
- Sit-down restaurants43
- Fast food and sandwich shops49
- Pizza51
- Coffee shops and cafes44
- Bakeries and dessert shops43
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 Washington County, AR?
Washington County has 140 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 129 of them (92%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 228 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 23.2% from 2019. 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.
How much do households in Washington County, AR spend on food away from home?
About $360.1M a year, or $3,706 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 140 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.6M per shop. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 97,184 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, AR compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Washington County has 14.4 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 8% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.6M, 16% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Washington County would have about 118, against 140 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 426 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 23.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, AR growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 271,213 people in 2025, up 9.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 97,184 households. The median household income in Washington County is $70,639 a year, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 40.0% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Washington County scores 49 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,188 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.