Food and drink · County · Maryland
Fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County, MD
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County, MD, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 47 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,270 of 2,222 scored counties
#17 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 88
- 67 chain locations (76%)
- Official establishments
- 128
- All limited-service restaurants · +0.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $230.7M
- On food away from home · $3,857 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.6M
- 14% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.7
- 11% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 157,731
- +2.0% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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 88 fast food and sandwich shops in Washington County. Chain locations make up 76% of them, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.7, 11% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $3,857 per household (5% below the U.S. average), households in Washington County spend about $230.7M a year on food away from home. That works out to $2.6M per shop, 14% 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 128 businesses with payroll in Washington County classed as limited-service restaurants, up 0.8% from 2019. That is one for every 467 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 18 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $940K have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Washington County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Washington County grew 2.0%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For fast food and sandwich shops, Washington County has a Groundwork market score of 47 (lower middle): #1,270 of 2,222 scored counties and #17 of 24 scored counties in Maryland.
How Washington 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 | Washington County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.7 | 12.1 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.6M | $3.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 467 | 431 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +0.8% | −0.1% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.0% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,857 | $4,604 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $77,747 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 47 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 127 → 128All limited-service restaurants · +0.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,509
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $47.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 18All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 8867 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 76The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $940K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 157,731+2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 59,818
- Median age
- 41.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 458 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 340
- Median household income
- $77,747+27.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,335
- Median home value
- $296,100
- Jobs located here
- 66,246
- Daytime population
- 152,730Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 |
| 17Washington County, MD | 47 | 88 | 14.7 | $2.6M | +2.0% | #1,270 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Washington County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes50
- Sit-down restaurants55
- Fast food and sandwich shops47
- Pizza50
- Coffee shops and cafes69
- Bakeries and dessert shops43
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 Washington County, MD?
Washington County has 88 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 67 of them (76%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 128 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 0.8% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 18 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington County, MD spend on food away from home?
About $230.7M a year, or $3,857 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 88 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.6M 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 59,818 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, MD compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Washington County has 14.7 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.6M, 14% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Washington County would have about 76, against 88 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 467 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 157,731 people in 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 59,818 households. The median household income in Washington County is $77,747 a year, 4% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 27.8% 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. Washington County scores 47 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,270 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.