Food and drink · County · Kentucky
Fast food and sandwich shops in Caldwell County, KY
The fast food and sandwich shops in Caldwell County, KY, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 17 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,108 of 2,222 scored counties
#71 of 82 scored counties in Kentucky
- Listings
- 11
- 11 chain locations (100%)
- Official establishments
- 11
- All limited-service restaurants
- Household spending a year
- $16.2M
- On food away from home · $3,225 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.5M
- 52% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.9
- 65% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 12,609
- −0.3% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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
Caldwell County scores 17 (low) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #2,108 of 2,222 scored counties and #71 of 82 scored counties in Kentucky. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 11 fast food and sandwich shops in Caldwell County. All of them are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 21.9 for every 10,000 households, 65% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Household spending on food away from home in Caldwell County comes to about $16.2M a year: $3,225 per household, 21% below the U.S. average. That works out to $1.5M per shop, 52% 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.
In 2023, official counts showed 11 businesses with payroll in Caldwell County classed as limited-service restaurants. That is one for every 457 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. Population estimates show Caldwell County declined 0.3% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Caldwell County compares
The same measures for Kentucky 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 | Caldwell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 21.9 | 14.8 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1.5M | $2.4M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 457 | 519 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +5.7% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.3% | +2.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,225 | $3,489 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $59,583 | $63,726 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 17 | 28 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 9 → 11All limited-service restaurants
- Employees, 2023
- 216
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $3.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1111 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 5The 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 12,609−0.3% since 2020
- Households
- 5,025
- Median age
- 42.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 345 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 37
- Median household income
- $59,583+33.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $73,080
- Median home value
- $118,500
- Jobs located here
- 4,936
- Daytime population
- 12,242Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 Kentucky
Every Kentucky market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Kentucky for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Kentucky, with Caldwell County marked.
Top counties in Kentucky
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Spencer County, KY | 90 | 8 | 10.9 | $4M | +7.7% | #16 of 2,222 |
| 2Oldham County, KY | 83 | 26 | 11.3 | $4.4M | +4.9% | #88 of 2,222 |
| 3Meade County, KY | 76 | 9 | 8.2 | $4.6M | +2.2% | #206 of 2,222 |
| 4Allen County, KY | 74 | 6 | 7.5 | $4.3M | +9.5% | #248 of 2,222 |
| 5Garrard County, KY | 73 | 6 | 9.0 | $3.6M | +7.3% | #288 of 2,222 |
| 6Kenton County, KY | 72 | 80 | 11.9 | $3.4M | +3.9% | #316 of 2,222 |
| 7Lincoln County, KY | 69 | 8 | 8.2 | $3.8M | +4.6% | #401 of 2,222 |
| 8Scott County, KY | 69 | 31 | 13.7 | $3M | +8.2% | #414 of 2,222 |
| 9Nelson County, KY | 68 | 19 | 9.9 | $3.6M | +4.8% | #436 of 2,222 |
| 10Larue County, KY | 67 | 5 | 8.3 | $4M | +2.1% | #467 of 2,222 |
| 71Caldwell County, KY | 17 | 11 | 21.9 | $1.5M | −0.3% | #2,108 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Caldwell County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes22
- Sit-down restaurants22
- Fast food and sandwich shops17
- Pizza18
- Coffee shops and cafes
- Bakeries and dessert shops
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 Caldwell County, KY?
There are 11 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Caldwell County as of September 2026. 11 of them (100%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 11 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 3 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Caldwell County, KY spend on food away from home?
About $16.2M a year, or $3,225 per household. That is 21% below the U.S. average (an index of 79, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 11 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $1.5M 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 5,025 households in Caldwell County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Caldwell County, KY compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Caldwell County has 21.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 65% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $1.5M, 52% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Caldwell County would have about 5, against 11 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 457 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S.
How fast is Caldwell County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Caldwell County at 12,609 people in 2025, down 0.3% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 5,025 households. The median household income in Caldwell County is $59,583 a year, 26% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 33.1% 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. Caldwell County scores 17 for fast food and sandwich shops (low), #2,108 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Caldwell 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 Caldwell County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.