Market rankings · Delaware
Fast food and sandwich shops in Delaware
Markets across Delaware ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 478
- 321 chain locations (67%)
- Official establishments
- 846
- All limited-service restaurants · +10.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.6B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.9
- 11% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.4M
- 13% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #11 of 51
- Market score 63 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in Delaware 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 478 fast food and sandwich shops in Delaware. Of those, 321 are chain locations, or 67%, against 79% across the U.S. That is 11.9 per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $4,092 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Delaware spend about $1.6B a year on food away from home. Spread across 478 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $3.4M per shop, 13% above 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Delaware was 846 in 2023, up 10.0% from 2019. That is one for every 475 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.1% over the same years. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 32 SBA-backed loans worth $14.2M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Delaware.
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware ranks #11 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 63 (upper middle). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area scores highest (66). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware, the Seaford area, scores 79.
Every market in Delaware for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Delaware, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 66 | 2,777 | 11.3 | $3.9M | +1.4% | #98 of 387 |
| 1Dover, DE | 63 | 86 | 12.0 | $3.1M | +6.8% | #116 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seaford, DE | 79 | 124 | 11.6 | $3.4M | +16.1% | #35 of 537 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sussex County, DE | 73 | 124 | 11.6 | $3.4M | +16.1% | #290 of 2,222 |
| 2Kent County, DE | 62 | 86 | 12.0 | $3.1M | +6.8% | #660 of 2,222 |
| 3New Castle County, DE | 61 | 268 | 12.0 | $3.6M | +3.0% | #689 of 2,222 |
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in Delaware?
Delaware has 478 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 321 of them (67%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 846 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 10.0% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 176 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Delaware spend on food away from home?
About $1.6B a year, or $4,092 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 478 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.4M 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 402,038 households in Delaware and national spending patterns by income.
How does Delaware compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Delaware has 11.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.4M, 13% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Delaware would have about 539, against 478 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 475 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in Delaware has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware is the Seaford area, at 79 (high). Among 3 scored counties in Delaware, Sussex County scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). 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. Delaware scores 63 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #11 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 Delaware. 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.
Fast food and sandwich shops in other states
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Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in Delaware
Related business types in Delaware
- Restaurants and cafes4,155 listings
- Sit-down restaurants2,429 listings
- Pizza346 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes354 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops439 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Delaware?
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.