Food and drink · County · Pennsylvania
Fast food and sandwich shops in Chester County, PA
How Chester County, PA 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 85 out of 100: High
Ranked #51 of 2,222 scored counties
#2 of 63 scored counties in Pennsylvania
- Listings
- 155
- 102 chain locations (66%)
- Official establishments
- 336
- All limited-service restaurants · −6.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.1B
- On food away from home · $5,197 a household
- Spending per listing
- $6.9M
- 2.3 times the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.6
- 43% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 557,116
- +4.2% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Chester 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 Chester 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
Chester County scores 85 (high) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #51 of 2,222 scored counties and #2 of 63 scored counties in Pennsylvania. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for fast food and sandwich shops.
As of September 2026, map listings count 155 fast food and sandwich shops in Chester County. Of those, 102 are chain locations, or 66%, against 79% across the U.S. That is 7.6 per 10,000 households, 43% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Chester County spend about $1.1B a year on food away from home, or $5,197 per household, 28% above the U.S. average. That is about $6.9M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 2.3 times 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 Chester County was 336 in 2023, down 6.1% from 2019. That is one for every 609 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, 20 SBA-backed loans worth $7.5M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Chester County. Population estimates show Chester County grew 4.2% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Chester County compares
The same measures for Pennsylvania 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 | Chester County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 7.6 | 11.0 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $6.9M | $3.6M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 609 | 538 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −6.1% | +2.2% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.2% | +0.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,197 | $3,973 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $127,208 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 85 | 62 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 358 → 336All limited-service restaurants · −6.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,207
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $84.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 60All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 155102 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 349The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 20
- Amount
- $7.5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Chester 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 Chester County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 557,116+4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 204,774
- Median age
- 41.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 751 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 730
- Median household income
- $127,208+26.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $168,836
- Median home value
- $485,600
- Jobs located here
- 267,811
- Daytime population
- 548,659Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Chester 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 Chester 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 Pennsylvania
Every Pennsylvania market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Pennsylvania for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Pennsylvania, with Chester County marked.
Top counties in Pennsylvania
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pike County, PA | 86 | 23 | 9.5 | $4.2M | +7.2% | #45 of 2,222 |
| 2Chester County, PA | 85 | 155 | 7.6 | $6.9M | +4.2% | #51 of 2,222 |
| 3Perry County, PA | 84 | 7 | 3.8 | $10.1M | +2.1% | #64 of 2,222 |
| 4Butler County, PA | 78 | 78 | 9.7 | $4.4M | +3.2% | #163 of 2,222 |
| 5Susquehanna County, PA | 74 | 12 | 7.7 | $4.7M | −0.3% | #243 of 2,222 |
| 6Lancaster County, PA | 74 | 193 | 9.1 | $4.6M | +1.9% | #245 of 2,222 |
| 7Franklin County, PA | 74 | 61 | 9.6 | $4M | +3.0% | #250 of 2,222 |
| 8Adams County, PA | 73 | 33 | 8.1 | $5M | +3.6% | #272 of 2,222 |
| 9Northampton County, PA | 73 | 129 | 10.5 | $4M | +3.7% | #281 of 2,222 |
| 10Juniata County, PA | 72 | 6 | 6.6 | $5.3M | −0.3% | #296 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Chester County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes77
- Sit-down restaurants74
- Fast food and sandwich shops85
- Pizza74
- Coffee shops and cafes74
- Bakeries and dessert shops63
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 Chester County, PA?
Chester County has 155 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 102 of them (66%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 336 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 6.1% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 60 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Chester County, PA spend on food away from home?
About $1.1B a year, or $5,197 per household. That is 28% above the U.S. average (an index of 128, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 155 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $6.9M 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 204,774 households in Chester County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Chester County, PA compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Chester County has 7.6 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 43% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $6.9M, 2.3 times the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Chester County would have about 349, against 155 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 609 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Chester County, PA growing?
Population estimates put Chester County at 557,116 people in 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 204,774 households. The median household income in Chester County is $127,208 a year, 58% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.9% 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. Chester County scores 85 for fast food and sandwich shops (high), #51 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Chester 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 Chester County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Chester 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 Chester 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.