Market rankings · New Jersey
Fast food and sandwich shops in New Jersey
Markets across New Jersey ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 4,765
- 2,313 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 7,670
- All limited-service restaurants · +7.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $16.4B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.6
- 2% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.4M
- 13% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #16 of 51
- Market score 61 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in New Jersey 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 4,765 fast food and sandwich shops in New Jersey. Of those, 2,313 are chain locations, or 49%, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 13.6 for every 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $4,680 per household (15% above the U.S. average), households in New Jersey spend about $16.4B a year on food away from home. That works out to $3.4M per shop, 13% 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 New Jersey was 7,670 in 2023, up 7.1% from 2019. That is one for every 457 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, 286 SBA-backed loans worth $125.9M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in New Jersey.
Among the 50 states and DC, New Jersey ranks #16 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 61 (upper middle). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in New Jersey, the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro area scores highest (72). Among 21 scored counties, Hunterdon County scores highest (78).
Every market in New Jersey for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in New Jersey, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 72 | 402 | 11.8 | $3.5M | +3.0% | #63 of 387 |
| 1Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 69 | 207 | 14.4 | $3.2M | +3.3% | #76 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 66 | 2,777 | 11.3 | $3.9M | +1.4% | #98 of 387 |
| 2Vineland, NJ | 54 | 66 | 12.3 | $3M | +2.2% | #174 of 387 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 49 | 11,286 | 15.3 | $3M | +0.6% | #201 of 387 |
| 3Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 33 | 255 | 16.5 | $2.5M | +0.8% | #293 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hunterdon County, NJ | 78 | 63 | 12.4 | $4.4M | +2.3% | #161 of 2,222 |
| 2Sussex County, NJ | 78 | 73 | 12.6 | $3.9M | +2.9% | #170 of 2,222 |
| 3Salem County, NJ | 75 | 27 | 10.9 | $3.6M | +2.3% | #232 of 2,222 |
| 4Somerset County, NJ | 72 | 143 | 10.9 | $5M | +3.5% | #298 of 2,222 |
| 5Burlington County, NJ | 72 | 214 | 12.1 | $3.9M | +4.3% | #306 of 2,222 |
| 6Ocean County, NJ | 68 | 308 | 12.6 | $3.4M | +5.6% | #440 of 2,222 |
| 7Essex County, NJ | 67 | 402 | 12.6 | $3.4M | +4.2% | #480 of 2,222 |
| 8Warren County, NJ | 67 | 65 | 14.3 | $3.1M | +3.2% | #487 of 2,222 |
| 9Gloucester County, NJ | 66 | 136 | 12.1 | $3.8M | +3.3% | #506 of 2,222 |
| 10Hudson County, NJ | 66 | 355 | 11.8 | $3.8M | +1.8% | #507 of 2,222 |
| 11Camden County, NJ | 65 | 221 | 10.9 | $3.9M | +2.4% | #541 of 2,222 |
| 12Mercer County, NJ | 65 | 207 | 14.4 | $3.2M | +3.3% | #551 of 2,222 |
| 13Morris County, NJ | 63 | 304 | 15.7 | $3.4M | +3.2% | #615 of 2,222 |
| 14Middlesex County, NJ | 62 | 414 | 13.5 | $3.6M | +2.6% | #645 of 2,222 |
| 15Union County, NJ | 59 | 322 | 15.8 | $3M | +5.0% | #792 of 2,222 |
| 16Bergen County, NJ | 58 | 532 | 15.0 | $3.4M | +2.4% | #814 of 2,222 |
| 17Atlantic County, NJ | 55 | 153 | 14.0 | $2.8M | +1.6% | #953 of 2,222 |
| 18Monmouth County, NJ | 54 | 402 | 16.0 | $3.2M | +1.4% | #978 of 2,222 |
| 19Cumberland County, NJ | 54 | 66 | 12.3 | $3M | +2.2% | #988 of 2,222 |
| 20Passaic County, NJ | 53 | 256 | 14.3 | $3M | +1.6% | #1,022 of 2,222 |
| 21Cape May County, NJ | 26 | 102 | 22.7 | $1.9M | −1.7% | #1,955 of 2,222 |
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in New Jersey?
There are 4,765 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in New Jersey as of September 2026. 2,313 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 7,670 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 7.1% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 2,263 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in New Jersey spend on food away from home?
About $16.4B a year, or $4,680 per household. That is 15% above the U.S. average (an index of 115, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,765 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.4M 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 3,507,701 households in New Jersey and national spending patterns by income.
How does New Jersey compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
New Jersey has 13.6 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.4M, 13% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, New Jersey would have about 5,381, against 4,765 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 457 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in New Jersey has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in New Jersey, the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro area scores highest, at 72 (upper middle). Among 21 scored counties in New Jersey, Hunterdon County scores highest, at 78 (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. New Jersey scores 61 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #16 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 New Jersey. 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
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in New Jersey
Related business types in New Jersey
- Restaurants and cafes44,231 listings
- Sit-down restaurants27,328 listings
- Pizza3,483 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes3,488 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops4,660 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in New Jersey?
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.