Market rankings · Maryland
Fast food and sandwich shops in Maryland
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maryland, ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,853
- 2,168 chain locations (76%)
- Official establishments
- 5,487
- All limited-service restaurants · −0.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.9B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.1
- 9% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.8M
- 25% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #20 of 51
- Market score 58 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in Maryland 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
Maryland has 2,853 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 2,168 are chain locations, or 76%, against 79% across the U.S. That is 12.1 per 10,000 households, 9% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Maryland spend about $10.9B a year on food away from home, or $4,604 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. That works out to $3.8M per shop, 25% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
Official counts show 5,487 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Maryland in 2023, down 0.1% from 2019. That is one for every 431 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.1% over the same years. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Since fiscal 2022, 182 SBA-backed loans worth $69.3M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Maryland.
Among the 50 states and DC, Maryland ranks #20 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 58 (upper middle). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest (73). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Easton area scores highest (72).
Every market in Maryland for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maryland, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lexington Park, MD | 73 | 81 | 10.7 | $4.8M | +2.1% | #50 of 387 |
| 2Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 70 | 151 | 12.8 | $3M | +7.1% | #72 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 68 | 2,863 | 12.1 | $4.3M | +3.3% | #82 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 66 | 2,777 | 11.3 | $3.9M | +1.4% | #98 of 387 |
| 3Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 58 | 1,345 | 12.0 | $3.7M | +0.4% | #144 of 387 |
| 4Salisbury, MD | 36 | 81 | 16.6 | $2.2M | +2.9% | #283 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Easton, MD | 72 | 23 | 14.0 | $3M | +2.0% | #76 of 537 |
| 2Cambridge, MD | 50 | 23 | 17.0 | $2M | +3.4% | #280 of 537 |
| 3Cumberland, MD-WV | 38 | 54 | 14.0 | $2.4M | −1.3% | #378 of 537 |
| 4Ocean Pines, MD | 37 | 68 | 28.2 | $1.4M | +3.7% | #398 of 537 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kent County, MD | 81 | 7 | 8.2 | $4.7M | +2.3% | #111 of 2,222 |
| 2Frederick County, MD | 78 | 114 | 10.9 | $4.6M | +11.0% | #159 of 2,222 |
| 3Queen Anne’s County, MD | 78 | 23 | 11.6 | $4.2M | +8.8% | #166 of 2,222 |
| 4Harford County, MD | 74 | 98 | 9.6 | $4.9M | +2.0% | #240 of 2,222 |
| 5Cecil County, MD | 74 | 45 | 11.1 | $3.8M | +3.2% | #253 of 2,222 |
| 6Calvert County, MD | 72 | 31 | 9.3 | $5.7M | +1.7% | #293 of 2,222 |
| 7Carroll County, MD | 72 | 62 | 9.6 | $5.1M | +2.2% | #297 of 2,222 |
| 8Charles County, MD | 70 | 78 | 12.8 | $3.9M | +5.9% | #359 of 2,222 |
| 9Montgomery County, MD | 69 | 388 | 10.0 | $5.3M | +1.3% | #383 of 2,222 |
| 10St. Mary’s County, MD | 69 | 50 | 11.8 | $4.2M | +2.4% | #392 of 2,222 |
| 11Howard County, MD | 66 | 134 | 11.1 | $5M | +1.9% | #497 of 2,222 |
| 12Talbot County, MD | 63 | 23 | 14.0 | $3M | +2.0% | #628 of 2,222 |
| 13Anne Arundel County, MD | 59 | 312 | 13.9 | $3.7M | +1.7% | #776 of 2,222 |
| 14Prince George’s County, MD | 56 | 431 | 12.4 | $3.6M | +0.5% | #890 of 2,222 |
| 15Caroline County, MD | 54 | 18 | 14.4 | $2.5M | +2.5% | #1,003 of 2,222 |
| 16Baltimore County, MD | 53 | 389 | 11.7 | $3.7M | −0.7% | #1,009 of 2,222 |
| 17Washington County, MD | 47 | 88 | 14.7 | $2.6M | +2.0% | #1,270 of 2,222 |
| 18Dorchester County, MD | 43 | 23 | 17.0 | $2M | +3.4% | #1,421 of 2,222 |
| 19Wicomico County, MD | 42 | 66 | 16.3 | $2.3M | +3.2% | #1,448 of 2,222 |
| 20Somerset County, MD | 40 | 15 | 18.0 | $1.8M | +1.7% | #1,516 of 2,222 |
| 21Baltimore city, MD | 32 | 327 | 12.8 | $2.8M | −2.3% | #1,768 of 2,222 |
| 22Garrett County, MD | 32 | 18 | 14.3 | $2.5M | −1.5% | #1,771 of 2,222 |
| 23Worcester County, MD | 32 | 68 | 28.2 | $1.4M | +3.7% | #1,795 of 2,222 |
| 24Allegany County, MD | 21 | 45 | 16.4 | $2M | −1.6% | #2,031 of 2,222 |
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in Maryland?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,853 fast food and sandwich shops in Maryland. 2,168 of them (76%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 5,487 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 0.1% from 2019. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Another 1,337 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Maryland spend on food away from home?
About $10.9B a year, or $4,604 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,853 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.8M 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 2,362,928 households in Maryland and national spending patterns by income.
How does Maryland compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Maryland has 12.1 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 9% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.8M, 25% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Maryland would have about 3,566, against 2,853 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 431 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 0.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in Maryland has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Easton area scores highest, at 72 (upper middle). Among 24 scored counties in Maryland, Kent County scores highest, at 81 (high). 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. Maryland scores 58 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #20 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 Maryland. 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
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in Maryland
Related business types in Maryland
- Restaurants and cafes22,605 listings
- Sit-down restaurants13,270 listings
- Pizza1,746 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes1,792 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops2,241 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Maryland?
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.