Food and drink · County · Illinois
Fast food and sandwich shops in Adams County, IL
The fast food and sandwich shops in Adams County, IL, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 54 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #985 of 2,222 scored counties
#31 of 80 scored counties in Illinois
- Listings
- 33
- 29 chain locations (88%)
- Official establishments
- 38
- All limited-service restaurants · +2.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $99.6M
- On food away from home · $3,569 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
- 64,267
- −2.1% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Adams 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 Adams 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 33 fast food and sandwich shops in Adams County. Of those, 29 are chain locations, or 88%, against 79% across the U.S. That is 11.8 per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Household spending on food away from home in Adams County comes to about $99.6M a year: $3,569 per household, 12% below the U.S. average. Spread across 33 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $3M per shop, in line with 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 Adams County was 38 in 2023, up 2.7% from 2019. That is one for every 735 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 also show 6 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $586K has gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Adams County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Adams County declined 2.1%, against +3.1% for the U.S. For fast food and sandwich shops, Adams County has a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle): #985 of 2,222 scored counties and #31 of 80 scored counties in Illinois.
How Adams County compares
The same measures for Illinois 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 | Adams County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.8 | 13.6 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3M | $3.1M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 735 | 474 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +2.7% | +2.0% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −2.1% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,569 | $4,215 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $66,220 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 54 | 41 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 37 → 38All limited-service restaurants · +2.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 936
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $18.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 3329 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 33The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $586K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Adams 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 Adams County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 64,267−2.1% since 2020
- Households
- 27,915
- Median age
- 42.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 72%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 855 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 76
- Median household income
- $66,220+25.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $85,695
- Median home value
- $162,600
- Jobs located here
- 32,288
- Daytime population
- 63,828Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Adams 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 Adams 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 Illinois
Every Illinois market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Illinois for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Illinois, with Adams County marked.
Top counties in Illinois
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Piatt County, IL | 80 | 7 | 10.1 | $4.2M | +0.6% | #130 of 2,222 |
| 2Woodford County, IL | 79 | 13 | 8.9 | $4.9M | −0.8% | #142 of 2,222 |
| 3Moultrie County, IL | 73 | 5 | 8.6 | $4.3M | −0.8% | #277 of 2,222 |
| 4Bond County, IL | 71 | 5 | 8.1 | $4.5M | +0.6% | #326 of 2,222 |
| 5Kendall County, IL | 71 | 56 | 12.3 | $3.9M | +9.9% | #331 of 2,222 |
| 6McHenry County, IL | 70 | 133 | 11.3 | $4.2M | +2.5% | #355 of 2,222 |
| 7Bureau County, IL | 68 | 12 | 8.6 | $4.3M | −2.1% | #423 of 2,222 |
| 8Monroe County, IL | 68 | 17 | 12.3 | $3.8M | −0.3% | #431 of 2,222 |
| 9Clinton County, IL | 68 | 20 | 13.7 | $3M | +0.6% | #452 of 2,222 |
| 10Macoupin County, IL | 67 | 16 | 9.1 | $4.2M | −2.6% | #465 of 2,222 |
| 31Adams County, IL | 54 | 33 | 11.8 | $3M | −2.1% | #985 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Adams 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 shops54
- Pizza56
- Coffee shops and cafes40
- Bakeries and dessert shops39
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 Adams County, IL?
Adams County has 33 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 29 of them (88%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 38 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 2.7% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 6 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Adams County, IL spend on food away from home?
About $99.6M a year, or $3,569 per household. That is 12% below the U.S. average (an index of 88, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 33 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3M 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 27,915 households in Adams County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Adams County, IL compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Adams 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 735 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Adams County, IL growing?
Population estimates put Adams County at 64,267 people in 2025, down 2.1% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 27,915 households. The median household income in Adams County is $66,220 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.0% 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. Adams County scores 54 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #985 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Adams 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 Adams County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Adams 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 Adams 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.