Food and drink · County · North Carolina
Fast food and sandwich shops in Cherokee County, NC
The fast food and sandwich shops in Cherokee County, NC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 44 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,389 of 2,222 scored counties
#57 of 91 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 21
- 17 chain locations (81%)
- Official establishments
- 19
- All limited-service restaurants · −24.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $41M
- On food away from home · $3,096 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2M
- 36% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.9
- 20% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 30,830
- +6.8% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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
Households in Cherokee County spend about $41M a year on food away from home, or $3,096 per household, 24% below the U.S. average. That works out to $2M per shop, 36% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
There are 21 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Cherokee County as of September 2026. Of those, 17 are chain locations, or 81%, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 15.9 for every 10,000 households, 20% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Cherokee County was 19 in 2023, down 24.0% from 2019. That is one for every 697 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops.
Population estimates put the population change in Cherokee County from 2020 to 2025 at +6.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops in Cherokee County is 44 (lower middle), #1,389 of 2,222 scored counties and #57 of 91 scored counties in North Carolina.
How Cherokee County compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | Cherokee County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.9 | 13.4 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2M | $2.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 697 | 504 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −24.0% | +4.7% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.8% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,096 | $3,776 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $53,628 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 44 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 25 → 19All limited-service restaurants · −24.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 391
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2117 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 13The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 30,830+6.8% since 2020
- Households
- 13,241
- Median age
- 53.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 84%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 456 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 65
- Median household income
- $53,628+29.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $68,893
- Median home value
- $232,300
- Jobs located here
- 7,860
- Daytime population
- 26,424Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Cherokee County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 90 | 28 | 8.5 | $5.3M | +11.0% | #14 of 2,222 |
| 2Franklin County, NC | 86 | 23 | 8.1 | $4.5M | +18.8% | #43 of 2,222 |
| 3Hoke County, NC | 84 | 13 | 6.8 | $5.1M | +9.0% | #70 of 2,222 |
| 4Polk County, NC | 83 | 6 | 6.7 | $5.5M | +6.0% | #85 of 2,222 |
| 5Union County, NC | 83 | 103 | 12.2 | $3.8M | +11.7% | #90 of 2,222 |
| 6Orange County, NC | 80 | 57 | 9.9 | $4.4M | +6.1% | #123 of 2,222 |
| 7Lincoln County, NC | 78 | 36 | 9.8 | $4.1M | +13.2% | #168 of 2,222 |
| 8Madison County, NC | 76 | 5 | 6.0 | $5.6M | +5.9% | #199 of 2,222 |
| 9Moore County, NC | 75 | 44 | 10.0 | $4M | +10.3% | #227 of 2,222 |
| 10Henderson County, NC | 74 | 48 | 9.4 | $3.9M | +5.0% | #251 of 2,222 |
| 57Cherokee County, NC | 44 | 21 | 15.9 | $2M | +6.8% | #1,389 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Cherokee County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes33
- Sit-down restaurants29
- Fast food and sandwich shops44
- Pizza58
- Coffee shops and cafes47
- Bakeries and dessert shops46
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 Cherokee County, NC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 21 fast food and sandwich shops in Cherokee County. 17 of them (81%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 19 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 24.0% from 2019. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too.
How much do households in Cherokee County, NC spend on food away from home?
About $41M a year, or $3,096 per household. That is 24% below the U.S. average (an index of 76, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 21 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2M per shop. That spending covers all food away from home, which fast food and sandwich shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 13,241 households in Cherokee County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Cherokee County, NC compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Cherokee County has 15.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 20% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2M, 36% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Cherokee County would have about 13, against 21 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 697 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 24.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Cherokee County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Cherokee County at 30,830 people in 2025, up 6.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 13,241 households. Median household income in Cherokee County is $53,628, 34% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.4%, 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. Cherokee County scores 44 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,389 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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.