Food and drink · County · Michigan
Fast food and sandwich shops in Kent County, MI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Kent County, MI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 54 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #990 of 2,222 scored counties
#38 of 72 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 360
- 301 chain locations (84%)
- Official establishments
- 564
- All limited-service restaurants · +12.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.1B
- On food away from home · $4,120 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.9M
- 4% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.0
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 675,232
- +2.5% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Kent 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 Kent 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 360 fast food and sandwich shops in Kent County. Of those, 301 are chain locations, or 84%, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.0, 5% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $4,120 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Kent County spend about $1.1B a year on food away from home. That works out to $2.9M per shop, 4% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Kent County was 564 in 2023, up 12.8% from 2019. That is one for every 455 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 87 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 27 SBA-backed loans worth $4.3M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Kent County.
Population estimates show Kent County grew 2.5% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Kent County scores 54 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #990 of 2,222 scored counties and #38 of 72 scored counties in Michigan.
How Kent County compares
The same measures for Michigan 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 | Kent County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.0 | 12.8 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.9M | $3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 455 | 514 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +12.8% | +7.8% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.5% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,120 | $3,875 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $82,631 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 54 | 44 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 500 → 564All limited-service restaurants · +12.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 10,796
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $202.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 87All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 360301 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 347The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 27
- Amount
- $4.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Kent 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 Kent County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 675,232+2.5% since 2020
- Households
- 256,648
- Median age
- 37.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 850 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 781
- Median household income
- $82,631+31.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,612
- Median home value
- $289,900
- Jobs located here
- 399,575
- Daytime population
- 767,130Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Kent 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 Kent 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 Michigan
Every Michigan market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Michigan for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Michigan, with Kent County marked.
Top counties in Michigan
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barry County, MI | 85 | 12 | 4.9 | $8M | +2.2% | #49 of 2,222 |
| 2Antrim County, MI | 85 | 6 | 5.4 | $6.9M | +5.3% | #50 of 2,222 |
| 3Leelanau County, MI | 84 | 8 | 8.3 | $5.5M | +3.0% | #68 of 2,222 |
| 4Cass County, MI | 80 | 9 | 4.2 | $9M | +0.2% | #116 of 2,222 |
| 5Clinton County, MI | 79 | 29 | 9.2 | $4.6M | +1.6% | #145 of 2,222 |
| 6Kalkaska County, MI | 78 | 6 | 7.7 | $4.5M | +4.3% | #160 of 2,222 |
| 7Oceana County, MI | 77 | 6 | 5.8 | $6M | +1.7% | #177 of 2,222 |
| 8Livingston County, MI | 77 | 79 | 10.3 | $4.6M | +1.7% | #187 of 2,222 |
| 9Ottawa County, MI | 77 | 118 | 10.6 | $4.1M | +3.9% | #192 of 2,222 |
| 10Newaygo County, MI | 75 | 15 | 7.6 | $4.5M | +3.1% | #221 of 2,222 |
| 38Kent County, MI | 54 | 360 | 14.0 | $2.9M | +2.5% | #990 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Kent County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes55
- Sit-down restaurants59
- Fast food and sandwich shops54
- Pizza54
- Coffee shops and cafes53
- Bakeries and dessert shops53
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 Kent County, MI?
Kent County has 360 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 301 of them (84%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 564 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 12.8% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 87 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Kent County, MI spend on food away from home?
About $1.1B a year, or $4,120 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 360 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.9M 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 256,648 households in Kent County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kent County, MI compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Kent County has 14.0 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.9M, 4% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Kent County would have about 347, against 360 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 455 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 12.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Kent County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Kent County at 675,232 people in 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 256,648 households. The median household income in Kent County is $82,631 a year, 2% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.1% 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. Kent County scores 54 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #990 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Kent 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 Kent County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kent 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 Kent 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.