Food and drink · County · Maryland
Fast food and sandwich shops in Worcester County, MD
The fast food and sandwich shops in Worcester County, MD, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 32 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,795 of 2,222 scored counties
#23 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 68
- 36 chain locations (53%)
- Official establishments
- 111
- All limited-service restaurants · +20.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $98.3M
- On food away from home · $4,074 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.4M
- 53% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 28.2
- 2.1 times the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 54,459
- +3.7% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Worcester 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 Worcester 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
For fast food and sandwich shops, Worcester County has a Groundwork market score of 32 (lower middle): #1,795 of 2,222 scored counties and #23 of 24 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 68 fast food and sandwich shops in Worcester County. 36 of them (53%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 28.2 for every 10,000 households, 2.1 times the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Household spending on food away from home in Worcester County comes to about $98.3M a year: $4,074 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That works out to $1.4M per shop, 53% 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.
Official counts show 111 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Worcester County in 2023, up 20.7% from 2019. That is one for every 217 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, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $460K have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Worcester County. Population estimates show Worcester County grew 3.7% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Worcester 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 | Worcester County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 28.2 | 12.1 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1.4M | $3.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 217 | 431 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +20.7% | −0.1% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.7% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,074 | $4,604 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $81,745 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 32 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 92 → 111All limited-service restaurants · +20.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,016
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $28.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 12All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6836 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 32The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $460K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Worcester 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 Worcester County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 54,459+3.7% since 2020
- Households
- 24,136
- Median age
- 50.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 468 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 115
- Median household income
- $81,745+28.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $117,610
- Median home value
- $374,700
- Jobs located here
- 22,476
- Daytime population
- 52,245Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Worcester 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 Worcester 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 Worcester 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 |
| 23Worcester County, MD | 32 | 68 | 28.2 | $1.4M | +3.7% | #1,795 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Worcester County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes31
- Sit-down restaurants31
- Fast food and sandwich shops32
- Pizza31
- Coffee shops and cafes32
- Bakeries and dessert shops30
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 Worcester County, MD?
Worcester County has 68 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 36 of them (53%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 111 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 20.7% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts also show 12 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Worcester County, MD spend on food away from home?
About $98.3M a year, or $4,074 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 68 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $1.4M 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 24,136 households in Worcester County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Worcester County, MD compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Worcester County has 28.2 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 2.1 times the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $1.4M, 53% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Worcester County would have about 32, against 68 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 217 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 20.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Worcester County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Worcester County at 54,459 people in 2025, up 3.7% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 24,136 households. The median household income in Worcester County is $81,745 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 28.7% 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. Worcester County scores 32 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,795 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Worcester 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 Worcester County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Worcester 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 Worcester 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.