Food and drink · County · Maryland
Fast food and sandwich shops in Frederick County, MD
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Frederick County, MD, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 78 out of 100: High
Ranked #159 of 2,222 scored counties
#2 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 114
- 102 chain locations (89%)
- Official establishments
- 216
- All limited-service restaurants · −0.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $526.9M
- On food away from home · $5,036 a household
- Spending per listing
- $4.6M
- 51% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.9
- 18% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 302,883
- +11.0% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Frederick 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 Frederick 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
Frederick County scores 78 (high) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #159 of 2,222 scored counties and #2 of 24 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for fast food and sandwich shops.
As of September 2026, map listings count 114 fast food and sandwich shops in Frederick County. Of those, 102 are chain locations, or 89%, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 10.9, 18% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Frederick County spend about $526.9M a year on food away from home, or $5,036 per household, 24% above the U.S. average. Spread across 114 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $4.6M per shop, 51% above 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.
Official counts show 216 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Frederick County in 2023, down 0.5% from 2019. That is one for every 484 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. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $7M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Frederick County. Population estimates put the population change in Frederick County from 2020 to 2025 at +11.0%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Frederick County compares
The same measures for Maryland 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 | Frederick County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.9 | 12.1 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $4.6M | $3.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 484 | 431 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −0.5% | −0.1% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +11.0% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,036 | $4,604 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $122,002 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 78 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 217 → 216All limited-service restaurants · −0.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,264
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $84.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 45All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 114102 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 173The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $7M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Frederick 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 Frederick County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 302,883+11.0% since 2020
- Households
- 104,635
- Median age
- 40.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 77%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 661 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 434
- Median household income
- $122,002+24.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $148,311
- Median home value
- $464,600
- Jobs located here
- 108,637
- Daytime population
- 254,360Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Frederick 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 Frederick 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 Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Frederick County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| 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 |
Other business types in Frederick County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes77
- Sit-down restaurants75
- Fast food and sandwich shops78
- Pizza76
- Coffee shops and cafes87
- 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 Frederick County, MD?
Frederick County has 114 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 102 of them (89%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 216 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 0.5% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts list 45 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Frederick County, MD spend on food away from home?
About $526.9M a year, or $5,036 per household. That is 24% above the U.S. average (an index of 124, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 114 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $4.6M 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 104,635 households in Frederick County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Frederick County, MD compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Frederick County has 10.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $4.6M, 51% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Frederick County would have about 173, against 114 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 484 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 0.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Frederick County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Frederick County at 302,883 people in 2025, up 11.0% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 104,635 households. The median household income in Frederick County is $122,002 a year, 51% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 24.8% 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. Frederick County scores 78 for fast food and sandwich shops (high), #159 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Frederick 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 Frederick County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Frederick 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 Frederick 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.