Food and drink · County · Idaho
Fast food and sandwich shops in Gem County, ID
The fast food and sandwich shops in Gem County, ID, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 67 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #489 of 2,222 scored counties
#7 of 22 scored counties in Idaho
- Listings
- 9
- 7 chain locations (78%)
- Official establishments
- 12
- All limited-service restaurants
- Household spending a year
- $27.3M
- On food away from home · $3,568 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.8
- 11% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 21,773
- +13.0% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Gem 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 Gem 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
Household spending on food away from home in Gem County comes to about $27.3M a year: $3,568 per household, 12% below the U.S. average. That works out to $3M per shop, in line with 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 9 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Gem County as of September 2026. 7 of them (78%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 11.8, 11% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Official counts show 12 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Gem County in 2023. That is one for every 637 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. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $575K has gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Gem County.
Population estimates show Gem County grew 13.0% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Gem County scores 67 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #489 of 2,222 scored counties and #7 of 22 scored counties in Idaho. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Gem County compares
The same measures for Idaho 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 | Gem County | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.8 | 13.4 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3M | $2.9M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 637 | 510 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +19.5% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +13.0% | +9.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,568 | $3,857 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $64,605 | $77,800 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 67 | 57 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 11 → 12All limited-service restaurants
- Employees, 2023
- 227
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 97 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 9The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $575K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Gem 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 Gem County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 21,773+13.0% since 2020
- Households
- 7,643
- Median age
- 44.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.4
- Land area
- 560 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 37
- Median household income
- $64,605+42.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $86,642
- Median home value
- $428,700
- Jobs located here
- 4,657
- Daytime population
- 16,682Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Gem 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 Gem 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 Idaho
Every Idaho market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Idaho for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Idaho, with Gem County marked.
Top counties in Idaho
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Jefferson County, ID | 85 | 9 | 8.8 | $4.5M | +13.6% | #58 of 2,222 |
| 2Payette County, ID | 83 | 6 | 6.2 | $5.7M | +8.8% | #84 of 2,222 |
| 3Bingham County, ID | 80 | 14 | 8.7 | $4.4M | +6.4% | #126 of 2,222 |
| 4Bonner County, ID | 80 | 17 | 8.4 | $4.4M | +14.8% | #127 of 2,222 |
| 5Canyon County, ID | 69 | 106 | 12.3 | $3M | +18.1% | #413 of 2,222 |
| 6Blaine County, ID | 67 | 9 | 8.6 | $4.9M | +4.8% | #456 of 2,222 |
| 7Gem County, ID | 67 | 9 | 11.8 | $3M | +13.0% | #489 of 2,222 |
| 8Franklin County, ID | 66 | 5 | 10.1 | $3.8M | +11.2% | #508 of 2,222 |
| 9Kootenai County, ID | 65 | 91 | 12.8 | $3.1M | +11.0% | #556 of 2,222 |
| 10Ada County, ID | 61 | 299 | 14.8 | $2.9M | +9.6% | #712 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Gem County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes76
- Sit-down restaurants75
- Fast food and sandwich shops67
- Pizza71
- Coffee shops and cafes50
- Bakeries and dessert shops72
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 Gem County, ID?
As of September 2026, map listings count 9 fast food and sandwich shops in Gem County. 7 of them (78%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 12 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too.
How much do households in Gem County, ID spend on food away from home?
About $27.3M a year, or $3,568 per household. That is 12% below the U.S. average (an index of 88, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 9 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3M 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 7,643 households in Gem County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Gem County, ID compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Gem County has 11.8 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3M, in line with the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 637 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S.
How fast is Gem County, ID growing?
Population estimates put Gem County at 21,773 people in 2025, up 13.0% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 7,643 households. Median household income in Gem County is $64,605, 20% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 42.0%, 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. Gem County scores 67 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #489 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Gem 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 Gem County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Gem 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 Gem 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.