Food and drink · County · Ohio
Fast food and sandwich shops in Knox County, OH
The fast food and sandwich shops in Knox County, OH, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 58 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #806 of 2,222 scored counties
#19 of 84 scored counties in Ohio
- Listings
- 24
- 20 chain locations (83%)
- Official establishments
- 52
- All limited-service restaurants · −3.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $89.6M
- On food away from home · $3,814 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.7M
- 22% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.2
- 23% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 64,002
- +1.9% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Knox 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 Knox 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 24 fast food and sandwich shops in Knox County. 20 of them (83%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 10.2 for every 10,000 households, 23% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Knox County spend about $89.6M a year on food away from home, or $3,814 per household, 6% below the U.S. average. Spread across 24 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $3.7M per shop, 22% 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 Knox County was 52 in 2023, down 3.7% from 2019. That is one for every 452 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. Official counts list 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
Population estimates put the population change in Knox County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.9%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For fast food and sandwich shops, Knox County has a Groundwork market score of 58 (upper middle): #806 of 2,222 scored counties and #19 of 84 scored counties in Ohio.
How Knox County compares
The same measures for Ohio 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 | Knox County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.2 | 13.6 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3.7M | $2.8M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 452 | 467 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −3.7% | +7.0% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.9% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,814 | $3,829 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $73,878 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 58 | 31 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 54 → 52All limited-service restaurants · −3.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 939
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $17.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2420 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 29The 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 Knox 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 Knox County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 64,002+1.9% since 2020
- Households
- 23,491
- Median age
- 40.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 526 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 120
- Median household income
- $73,878+27.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $92,322
- Median home value
- $239,400
- Jobs located here
- 19,622
- Daytime population
- 59,569Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Knox 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 Knox 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 Ohio
Every Ohio market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Ohio for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Ohio, with Knox County marked.
Top counties in Ohio
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Union County, OH | 86 | 30 | 12.4 | $3.9M | +16.5% | #47 of 2,222 |
| 2Holmes County, OH | 81 | 10 | 7.5 | $5.4M | +1.7% | #106 of 2,222 |
| 3Morrow County, OH | 78 | 14 | 10.4 | $3.7M | +3.7% | #172 of 2,222 |
| 4Warren County, OH | 75 | 100 | 10.9 | $4.5M | +5.7% | #222 of 2,222 |
| 5Geauga County, OH | 74 | 37 | 10.3 | $4.7M | +0.3% | #244 of 2,222 |
| 6Perry County, OH | 70 | 10 | 7.4 | $4.9M | +1.3% | #349 of 2,222 |
| 7Fairfield County, OH | 70 | 76 | 12.6 | $3.4M | +6.5% | #369 of 2,222 |
| 8Medina County, OH | 69 | 83 | 11.4 | $3.9M | +1.3% | #397 of 2,222 |
| 9Champaign County, OH | 69 | 15 | 9.6 | $3.9M | +0.2% | #398 of 2,222 |
| 10Putnam County, OH | 67 | 12 | 9.1 | $4.4M | 0.0% | #458 of 2,222 |
| 19Knox County, OH | 58 | 24 | 10.2 | $3.7M | +1.9% | #806 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Knox County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes69
- Sit-down restaurants78
- Fast food and sandwich shops58
- Pizza41
- Coffee shops and cafes63
- Bakeries and dessert shops60
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 Knox County, OH?
There are 24 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Knox County as of September 2026. 20 of them (83%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 52 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 3.7% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts also show 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Knox County, OH spend on food away from home?
About $89.6M a year, or $3,814 per household. That is 6% below the U.S. average (an index of 94, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 24 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.7M 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 23,491 households in Knox County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Knox County, OH compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Knox County has 10.2 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 23% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.7M, 22% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Knox County would have about 29, against 24 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 452 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 3.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Knox County, OH growing?
Population estimates put Knox County at 64,002 people in 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 23,491 households. The median household income in Knox County is $73,878 a year, 8% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 27.9% 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. Knox County scores 58 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #806 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Knox 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 Knox County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Knox 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 Knox 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.