Food and drink · County · Illinois
Fast food and sandwich shops in Stephenson County, IL
How Stephenson County, IL compares with other counties and the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 45 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,350 of 2,222 scored counties
#48 of 80 scored counties in Illinois
- Listings
- 27
- 15 chain locations (56%)
- Official establishments
- 24
- All limited-service restaurants · +14.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $67.4M
- On food away from home · $3,481 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.5M
- 18% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.9
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 43,220
- −3.0% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 27 fast food and sandwich shops in Stephenson County. 15 of them (56%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That is 13.9 per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Stephenson County spend about $67.4M a year on food away from home, or $3,481 per household, 14% below the U.S. average. Spread across 27 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $2.5M per shop, 18% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Stephenson County was 24 in 2023, up 14.3% from 2019. That is one for every 807 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. Another 6 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
Population estimates show Stephenson County declined 3.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. For fast food and sandwich shops, Stephenson County has a Groundwork market score of 45 (lower middle): #1,350 of 2,222 scored counties and #48 of 80 scored counties in Illinois.
How Stephenson 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 | Stephenson County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 13.9 | 13.6 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.5M | $3.1M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 807 | 474 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +14.3% | +2.0% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −3.0% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,481 | $4,215 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $64,043 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 45 | 41 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 21 → 24All limited-service restaurants · +14.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 517
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $8.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2715 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 22The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Stephenson 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 Stephenson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 43,220−3.0% since 2020
- Households
- 19,358
- Median age
- 45.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 564 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 78
- Median household income
- $64,043+31.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $79,920
- Median home value
- $134,900
- Jobs located here
- 17,326
- Daytime population
- 40,359Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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 |
| 48Stephenson County, IL | 45 | 27 | 13.9 | $2.5M | −3.0% | #1,350 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Stephenson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes51
- Sit-down restaurants48
- Fast food and sandwich shops45
- Pizza50
- Coffee shops and cafes56
- Bakeries and dessert shops37
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 Stephenson County, IL?
There are 27 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Stephenson County as of September 2026. 15 of them (56%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 24 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 14.3% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts list 6 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Stephenson County, IL spend on food away from home?
About $67.4M a year, or $3,481 per household. That is 14% below the U.S. average (an index of 86, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 27 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.5M 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 19,358 households in Stephenson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Stephenson County, IL compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Stephenson County has 13.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.5M, 18% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Stephenson County would have about 22, against 27 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 807 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Stephenson County, IL growing?
Population estimates put Stephenson County at 43,220 people in 2025, down 3.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 19,358 households. The median household income in Stephenson County is $64,043 a year, 21% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.2% 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. Stephenson County scores 45 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,350 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Stephenson 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 Stephenson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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.