Market rankings · North Dakota
Fast food and sandwich shops in North Dakota
Markets across North Dakota ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 425
- 368 chain locations (87%)
- Official establishments
- 510
- All limited-service restaurants · +2.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.3B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.8
- 4% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.1M
- In line with the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #13 of 51
- Market score 63 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in North Dakota 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 425 fast food and sandwich shops in North Dakota. 368 of them (87%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That is 12.8 per 10,000 households, 4% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in North Dakota spend about $1.3B a year on food away from home, or $3,940 per household, 3% below the U.S. average. That works out to $3.1M per shop, in line with 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.
Official counts show 510 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in North Dakota in 2023, up 2.6% from 2019. That is one for every 649 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, 19 SBA-backed loans worth $11.4M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in North Dakota.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Dakota ranks #13 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 63 (upper middle). Of the 4 scored metro areas in or partly in North Dakota, the Bismarck metro area scores highest (81). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Dakota, the Wahpeton area scores highest (83).
Every market in North Dakota for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Dakota, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Bismarck, ND | 81 | 65 | 11.6 | $3.6M | +4.5% | #23 of 387 |
| 2Fargo, ND-MN | 69 | 155 | 14.0 | $2.8M | +7.7% | #81 of 387 |
| 3Grand Forks, ND-MN | 58 | 56 | 12.8 | $2.9M | +0.8% | #150 of 387 |
| 4Minot, ND | 44 | 50 | 15.7 | $2.5M | −2.4% | #235 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wahpeton, ND-MN | 83 | 9 | 9.5 | $4M | 0.0% | #17 of 537 |
| 2Williston, ND | 72 | 16 | 10.6 | $4M | +1.4% | #72 of 537 |
| 3Dickinson, ND | 68 | 23 | 14.8 | $2.7M | +0.7% | #109 of 537 |
| 4Jamestown, ND | 52 | 15 | 15.9 | $2.2M | −0.6% | #266 of 537 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Morton County, ND | 84 | 11 | 7.9 | $5.1M | +3.8% | #72 of 2,222 |
| 2McKenzie County, ND | 82 | 8 | 13.3 | $3.5M | +2.8% | #102 of 2,222 |
| 3Richland County, ND | 77 | 6 | 8.8 | $4.4M | +1.2% | #189 of 2,222 |
| 4Burleigh County, ND | 69 | 54 | 13.1 | $3.2M | +4.7% | #411 of 2,222 |
| 5Williams County, ND | 66 | 16 | 10.6 | $4M | +1.4% | #502 of 2,222 |
| 6Cass County, ND | 61 | 131 | 15.6 | $2.5M | +9.1% | #723 of 2,222 |
| 7Stark County, ND | 54 | 19 | 14.0 | $2.8M | +0.5% | #997 of 2,222 |
| 8Grand Forks County, ND | 52 | 45 | 14.4 | $2.6M | +1.9% | #1,075 of 2,222 |
| 9Rolette County, ND | 49 | 5 | 13.3 | $2.6M | −4.1% | #1,184 of 2,222 |
| 10Barnes County, ND | 47 | 7 | 14.3 | $2.5M | −2.7% | #1,276 of 2,222 |
| 11Ramsey County, ND | 44 | 7 | 12.9 | $2.7M | −0.4% | #1,372 of 2,222 |
| 12Stutsman County, ND | 43 | 15 | 15.9 | $2.2M | −0.6% | #1,414 of 2,222 |
| 13Ward County, ND | 38 | 47 | 16.5 | $2.4M | −2.4% | #1,566 of 2,222 |
| Walsh County, ND | Not scored | 4 | 9.1 | $4.1M | −3.3% | |
| McLean County, ND | Not scored | 3 | 6.9 | $5.9M | −0.2% | |
| Mountrail County, ND | Not scored | 8 | 20.5 | $2M | −4.2% | |
| Mercer County, ND | Not scored | 5 | 13.9 | $2.9M | +1.1% | |
| Traill County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 6.0 | $6.9M | −0.8% | |
| Pembina County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 6.7 | $5.5M | −3.8% | |
| Bottineau County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 7.5 | $5.4M | −1.6% | |
| Benson County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 4.9 | $7M | −3.0% | |
| Ransom County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 4.3 | $8.8M | −1.5% | |
| McHenry County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 8.9 | $4.4M | −3.9% | |
| Dickey County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 5.1 | $7.4M | −1.5% | |
| LaMoure County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.0% |
Show all 53 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County, ND | Not scored | 4 | 25.5 | $1.8M | −0.9% | |
| Pierce County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 10.8 | $3.3M | −3.6% | |
| Wells County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 5.6 | $6.5M | −5.9% | |
| Sargent County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.4% | |
| Sioux County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 9.0 | $3.4M | −5.4% | |
| Cavalier County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 6.4 | $6.1M | −5.4% | |
| Foster County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $6.3M | −5.1% | |
| Emmons County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $5.4M | −2.4% | |
| Nelson County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 7.5 | $4.9M | −1.0% | |
| Bowman County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 7.7 | $4.9M | −7.1% | |
| McIntosh County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 16.7 | $2M | −2.5% | |
| Hettinger County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.4% | |
| Kidder County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 8.5 | $4M | +0.5% | |
| Eddy County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.1% | |
| Renville County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 10.3 | $3.7M | +2.9% | |
| Grant County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.5% | |
| Griggs County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.5% | |
| Divide County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.2% | |
| Burke County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 11.1 | $4.1M | −2.7% | |
| Adams County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.7% | |
| Towner County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 10.1 | $3.6M | −5.0% | |
| Oliver County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.7% | |
| Logan County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.3% | |
| Steele County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 12.4 | $3.2M | −0.1% | |
| Golden Valley County, ND | Not scored | 2 | 28.6 | $1.4M | +4.8% | |
| Sheridan County, ND | Not scored | 1 | 14.8 | $2.4M | +2.7% | |
| Billings County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +15.2% | |
| Slope County, ND | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −9.9% |
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 North Dakota?
There are 425 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in North Dakota as of September 2026. 368 of them (87%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 510 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 2.6% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts also show 64 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Dakota spend on food away from home?
About $1.3B a year, or $3,940 per household. That is 3% below the U.S. average (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 425 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.1M 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 331,063 households in North Dakota and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Dakota compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
North Dakota has 12.8 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 4% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.1M, in line with the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, North Dakota would have about 428, against 425 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 649 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in North Dakota has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 4 scored metro areas in or partly in North Dakota, the Bismarck metro area scores highest, at 81 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Dakota, the Wahpeton area scores highest, at 83 (high). Among 13 scored counties in North Dakota, Morton County scores highest, at 84 (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. North Dakota scores 63 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #13 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 North Dakota. 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
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Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in North Dakota
Related business types in North Dakota
- Restaurants and cafes3,480 listings
- Sit-down restaurants1,664 listings
- Pizza333 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes476 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops215 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Dakota?
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.