Food and drink · County · North Carolina
Fast food and sandwich shops in Robeson County, NC
How Robeson County, NC compares with other counties and the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 28 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,906 of 2,222 scored counties
#79 of 91 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 65
- 55 chain locations (85%)
- Official establishments
- 83
- All limited-service restaurants · +12.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $121.4M
- On food away from home · $2,814 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.9M
- 39% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.1
- 14% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 119,941
- +3.4% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Robeson 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 Robeson 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
Robeson County scores 28 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #1,906 of 2,222 scored counties and #79 of 91 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 65 fast food and sandwich shops in Robeson County. Chain locations make up 85% of them, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 15.1, 14% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Robeson County spend about $121.4M a year on food away from home, or $2,814 per household, 31% below the U.S. average. Spread across 65 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $1.9M per shop, 39% 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 Robeson County was 83 in 2023, up 12.2% from 2019. That is one for every 520 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, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $1.5M has gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Robeson County. Population estimates show Robeson County grew 3.4% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Robeson 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 | Robeson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.1 | 13.4 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1.9M | $2.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 520 | 504 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +12.2% | +4.7% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.4% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $2,814 | $3,776 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $41,978 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 28 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 74 → 83All limited-service restaurants · +12.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,099
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $33.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 11All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6555 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 40The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $1.5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Robeson 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 Robeson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 119,941+3.4% since 2020
- Households
- 43,134
- Median age
- 37.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 66%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 947 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 123
- Median household income
- $41,978+20.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $62,210
- Median home value
- $94,500
- Jobs located here
- 39,575
- Daytime population
- 113,327Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Robeson 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 Robeson 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 Robeson 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 |
| 79Robeson County, NC | 28 | 65 | 15.1 | $1.9M | +3.4% | #1,906 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Robeson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes41
- Sit-down restaurants38
- Fast food and sandwich shops28
- Pizza27
- Coffee shops and cafes69
- Bakeries and dessert shops59
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 Robeson County, NC?
Robeson County has 65 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 55 of them (85%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 83 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 12.2% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts also show 11 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Robeson County, NC spend on food away from home?
About $121.4M a year, or $2,814 per household. That is 31% below the U.S. average (an index of 69, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 65 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $1.9M 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 43,134 households in Robeson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Robeson County, NC compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Robeson County has 15.1 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $1.9M, 39% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Robeson County would have about 40, against 65 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 520 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 12.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Robeson County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Robeson County at 119,941 people in 2025, up 3.4% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 43,134 households. The median household income in Robeson County is $41,978 a year, 48% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 20.0% 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. Robeson County scores 28 for fast food and sandwich shops (lower middle), #1,906 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Robeson 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 Robeson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Robeson 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 Robeson 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.