Market rankings · South Dakota
Fast food and sandwich shops in South Dakota
Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Dakota, ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 492
- 438 chain locations (89%)
- Official establishments
- 623
- All limited-service restaurants · +9.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.4B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.5
- 2% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.9M
- 6% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #19 of 51
- Market score 59 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in South 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
South Dakota has 492 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 438 are chain locations, or 89%, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 13.5, 2% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $3,849 per household (5% below the U.S. average), households in South Dakota spend about $1.4B a year on food away from home. That works out to $2.9M per shop, 6% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
Official counts show 623 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in South Dakota in 2023, up 9.9% from 2019. That is one for every 587 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.1% over the same years. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Since fiscal 2022, 38 SBA-backed loans worth $20.4M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in South Dakota.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Dakota ranks #19 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle). Of the 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest (71). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Pierre area scores highest (75).
Every market in South Dakota for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 71 | 165 | 13.5 | $3M | +9.5% | #66 of 387 |
| 2Rapid City, SD | 49 | 102 | 16.2 | $2.4M | +6.2% | #205 of 387 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 39 | 93 | 16.8 | $2.3M | +1.0% | #267 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pierre, SD | 75 | 10 | 11.7 | $3.4M | −0.5% | #54 of 537 |
| 2Huron, SD | 69 | 10 | 13.3 | $2.7M | +2.4% | #93 of 537 |
| 3Brookings, SD | 64 | 18 | 13.0 | $2.9M | +9.6% | #145 of 537 |
| 4Spearfish, SD | 63 | 18 | 14.9 | $2.5M | +14.0% | #154 of 537 |
| 5Watertown, SD | 61 | 18 | 14.4 | $2.5M | +4.3% | #170 of 537 |
| 6Aberdeen, SD | 59 | 23 | 12.8 | $2.9M | −1.5% | #189 of 537 |
| 7Mitchell, SD | 41 | 19 | 17.3 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #363 of 537 |
| 8Yankton, SD | 40 | 21 | 21.7 | $1.7M | +1.5% | #371 of 537 |
| 9Vermillion, SD | 38 | 12 | 21.6 | $1.6M | +0.2% | #387 of 537 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lincoln County, SD | 92 | 29 | 10.4 | $4.4M | +17.5% | #10 of 2,222 |
| 2Union County, SD | 90 | 6 | 8.2 | $5.3M | +3.3% | #15 of 2,222 |
| 3Meade County, SD | 83 | 9 | 7.5 | $5.2M | +2.7% | #86 of 2,222 |
| 4Lake County, SD | 66 | 6 | 12.7 | $3.1M | −0.2% | #530 of 2,222 |
| 5Butte County, SD | 61 | 7 | 16.3 | $2.4M | +5.5% | #726 of 2,222 |
| 6Hughes County, SD | 57 | 10 | 13.8 | $2.9M | −0.9% | #865 of 2,222 |
| 7Beadle County, SD | 57 | 10 | 13.3 | $2.7M | +2.4% | #871 of 2,222 |
| 8Brookings County, SD | 56 | 18 | 13.0 | $2.9M | +9.6% | #915 of 2,222 |
| 9Lawrence County, SD | 55 | 18 | 14.9 | $2.5M | +14.0% | #963 of 2,222 |
| 10Minnehaha County, SD | 52 | 130 | 15.3 | $2.6M | +7.6% | #1,076 of 2,222 |
| 11Codington County, SD | 52 | 18 | 14.4 | $2.5M | +4.3% | #1,080 of 2,222 |
| 12Brown County, SD | 46 | 22 | 13.5 | $2.8M | −1.7% | #1,305 of 2,222 |
| 13Pennington County, SD | 40 | 90 | 19.4 | $2M | +6.6% | #1,514 of 2,222 |
| 14Yankton County, SD | 35 | 21 | 21.7 | $1.7M | +1.5% | #1,692 of 2,222 |
| 15Clay County, SD | 33 | 12 | 21.6 | $1.6M | +0.2% | #1,762 of 2,222 |
| 16Davison County, SD | 25 | 17 | 19.1 | $1.9M | +0.6% | #1,975 of 2,222 |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 3.4 | $8.2M | −2.3% | |
| Roberts County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 8.3 | $4.3M | −0.1% | |
| Charles Mix County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 6.6 | $5.4M | −0.5% | |
| Todd County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 11.8 | $2.4M | −4.9% | |
| Custer County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $5.9M | +13.2% | |
| Turner County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 5.6 | $6.6M | +7.3% | |
| Grant County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 9.9 | $3.7M | 0.0% | |
| Hutchinson County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 6.9 | $5.7M | −0.1% | |
| Fall River County, SD | Not scored | 5 | 13.8 | $2.5M | +7.1% |
Show all 66 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Homme County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $8.4M | +3.8% | |
| Moody County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $9.9M | +4.5% | |
| Hamlin County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +11.9% | |
| Spink County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 12.1 | $3.1M | −3.0% | |
| McCook County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 4.5 | $9.1M | +5.2% | |
| Tripp County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 13.3 | $2.5M | +1.8% | |
| Day County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 8.4 | $4.4M | +0.8% | |
| Brule County, SD | Not scored | 7 | 35.8 | $1.1M | +0.5% | |
| Walworth County, SD | Not scored | 4 | 16.6 | $2.1M | −1.4% | |
| Kingsbury County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 4.7 | $7.9M | +1.6% | |
| Dewey County, SD | Not scored | 6 | 35.5 | $915K | +3.8% | |
| Marshall County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 6.1 | $6.5M | +2.9% | |
| Deuel County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.6% | |
| Edmunds County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 6.1 | $6.6M | +1.0% | |
| Gregory County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 6.2 | $5.7M | +1.1% | |
| Clark County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.7% | |
| Corson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.8% | |
| Lyman County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Hanson County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 17.7 | $2.3M | −0.3% | |
| Bennett County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 10.9 | $2.7M | −2.6% | |
| Hand County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 21.4 | $1.8M | −0.7% | |
| Stanley County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.8% | |
| Perkins County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.9% | |
| Douglas County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 8.8 | $4.7M | +1.9% | |
| Jackson County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 12.0 | $2.3M | −4.7% | |
| Aurora County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 9.4 | $3.8M | +2.6% | |
| Potter County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.8% | |
| Sanborn County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.5% | |
| Ziebach County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Miner County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 10.7 | $3.5M | −0.8% | |
| McPherson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.2% | |
| Faulk County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.4% | |
| Mellette County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +11.5% | |
| Buffalo County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 19.7 | $1.5M | −6.8% | |
| Jerauld County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.6% | |
| Haakon County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 14.6 | $2.6M | −3.6% | |
| Campbell County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Sully County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.6% | |
| Harding County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.2% | |
| Jones County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 29.2 | $1.2M | −1.5% |
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 South Dakota?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 492 fast food and sandwich shops in South Dakota. 438 of them (89%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 623 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 9.9% from 2019. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Official counts list 62 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in South Dakota spend on food away from home?
About $1.4B a year, or $3,849 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 492 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.9M 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 365,544 households in South Dakota and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Dakota compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
South Dakota has 13.5 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.9M, 6% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, South Dakota would have about 461, against 492 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 587 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 9.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in South Dakota has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
Among 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Pierre area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 16 scored counties in South Dakota, Lincoln County scores highest, at 92 (very 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. South Dakota scores 59 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #19 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 South 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
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Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in South Dakota
Related business types in South Dakota
- Restaurants and cafes3,903 listings
- Sit-down restaurants1,910 listings
- Pizza400 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes461 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops251 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South 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.