Market rankings · Montana
Fast food and sandwich shops in Montana
Markets across Montana ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 539
- 410 chain locations (76%)
- Official establishments
- 806
- All limited-service restaurants · +5.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.7B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.7
- 12% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.2M
- 5% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #17 of 51
- Market score 60 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in Montana 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 539 fast food and sandwich shops in Montana. 410 of them (76%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That is 11.7 per 10,000 households, 12% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Montana spend about $1.7B a year on food away from home, or $3,748 per household, 8% below the U.S. average. That is about $3.2M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 5% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Montana was 806 in 2023, up 5.5% from 2019. That is one for every 569 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.1% over the same years. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 37 SBA-backed loans worth $20.7M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Montana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Montana ranks #17 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest (90). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest (78).
Every market in Montana for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Montana, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Helena, MT | 90 | 34 | 8.7 | $4.6M | +7.7% | #3 of 387 |
| 2Bozeman, MT | 77 | 54 | 10.5 | $4.1M | +7.7% | #36 of 387 |
| 3Missoula, MT | 60 | 77 | 14.0 | $2.7M | +4.7% | #136 of 387 |
| 4Billings, MT | 55 | 118 | 15.1 | $2.6M | +4.8% | #172 of 387 |
| 5Great Falls, MT | 45 | 42 | 11.8 | $3M | +0.7% | #226 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kalispell, MT | 78 | 51 | 11.5 | $3.3M | +10.1% | #42 of 537 |
| 2Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 29 | 28 | 18.2 | $1.8M | +2.6% | #456 of 537 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ravalli County, MT | 85 | 15 | 8.0 | $4.5M | +9.4% | #57 of 2,222 |
| 2Lewis and Clark County, MT | 82 | 29 | 9.3 | $4.2M | +5.8% | #98 of 2,222 |
| 3Carbon County, MT | 75 | 6 | 12.9 | $3M | +9.1% | #238 of 2,222 |
| 4Gallatin County, MT | 73 | 54 | 10.5 | $4.1M | +7.7% | #280 of 2,222 |
| 5Lincoln County, MT | 72 | 5 | 5.5 | $5.5M | +13.1% | #294 of 2,222 |
| 6Flathead County, MT | 70 | 51 | 11.5 | $3.3M | +10.1% | #372 of 2,222 |
| 7Lake County, MT | 68 | 11 | 8.7 | $4M | +6.9% | #428 of 2,222 |
| 8Fergus County, MT | 60 | 6 | 11.3 | $2.9M | +3.1% | #758 of 2,222 |
| 9Park County, MT | 57 | 10 | 12.0 | $3.1M | +5.7% | #859 of 2,222 |
| 10Missoula County, MT | 56 | 76 | 14.4 | $2.7M | +4.4% | #925 of 2,222 |
| 11Yellowstone County, MT | 52 | 107 | 15.3 | $2.5M | +4.5% | #1,079 of 2,222 |
| 12Cascade County, MT | 47 | 42 | 11.8 | $3M | +0.7% | #1,252 of 2,222 |
| 13Custer County, MT | 26 | 10 | 19.8 | $1.8M | +1.5% | #1,957 of 2,222 |
| 14Richland County, MT | 25 | 9 | 20.4 | $1.9M | −1.3% | #1,974 of 2,222 |
| 15Silver Bow County, MT | 25 | 28 | 18.2 | $1.8M | +2.6% | #1,977 of 2,222 |
| 16Roosevelt County, MT | 20 | 5 | 16.2 | $2M | −5.2% | #2,054 of 2,222 |
| 17Glacier County, MT | 16 | 6 | 14.0 | $2.2M | −2.0% | #2,112 of 2,222 |
| Hill County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 6.4 | $5M | −0.5% | |
| Sanders County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 3.7 | $8.8M | +12.9% | |
| Big Horn County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 10.5 | $3M | −2.5% | |
| Jefferson County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $5.5M | +9.8% | |
| Beaverhead County, MT | Not scored | 7 | 16.7 | $2M | +7.1% | |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $4.8M | +3.0% | |
| Madison County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 8.0 | $4.6M | +15.8% | |
| Stillwater County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 13.1 | $3.1M | +5.0% |
Show all 56 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 8.3 | $4.3M | −2.6% | |
| Rosebud County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 13.0 | $2.5M | −0.7% | |
| Broadwater County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 3.5 | $10.8M | +23.8% | |
| Valley County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 16.9 | $2.1M | −2.4% | |
| Powell County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 24.7 | $1.4M | +3.1% | |
| Blaine County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.4 | $7.8M | −2.1% | |
| Teton County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $8.5M | +3.9% | |
| Pondera County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.4 | $7.3M | +3.2% | |
| Chouteau County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.6 | $7.1M | −0.8% | |
| Musselshell County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.7 | $6.9M | +17.6% | |
| Toole County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 10.8 | $3.1M | +4.9% | |
| Mineral County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 4.7 | $7.4M | +13.5% | |
| Phillips County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 17.0 | $1.9M | −0.1% | |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 6.4 | $5.7M | +2.4% | |
| Sheridan County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 13.6 | $2.7M | −2.9% | |
| Granite County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +10.6% | |
| Fallon County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 8.5 | $4.6M | −2.3% | |
| Judith Basin County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 10.9 | $3.4M | +6.8% | |
| Wheatland County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.2% | |
| Meagher County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +11.2% | |
| Liberty County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.1% | |
| Powder River County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.1% | |
| McCone County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 12.5 | $2.8M | −0.6% | |
| Daniels County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.3% | |
| Carter County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.6% | |
| Prairie County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.7% | |
| Wibaux County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 21.7 | $1.7M | −5.4% | |
| Garfield County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.9% | |
| Golden Valley County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.7% | |
| Treasure County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Petroleum County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in Montana?
There are 539 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Montana as of September 2026. 410 of them (76%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 806 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 5.5% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 102 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Montana spend on food away from home?
About $1.7B a year, or $3,748 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 539 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.2M 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 458,859 households in Montana and national spending patterns by income.
How does Montana compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Montana has 11.7 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 12% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.2M, 5% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Montana would have about 564, against 539 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 569 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in Montana has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest, at 90 (very high). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest, at 78 (high). Among 17 scored counties in Montana, Ravalli County scores highest, at 85 (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. Montana scores 60 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #17 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 Montana. 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
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- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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- Montana
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- New Hampshire
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- Ohio
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- Texas
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- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in Montana
Related business types in Montana
- Restaurants and cafes5,233 listings
- Sit-down restaurants2,403 listings
- Pizza343 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes883 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops364 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Montana?
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.