Food and drink · County · Virginia
Fast food and sandwich shops in Charlottesville city, VA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Charlottesville city, VA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 19 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,075 of 2,222 scored counties
#91 of 100 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 48
- 29 chain locations (60%)
- Official establishments
- 92
- All limited-service restaurants · +27.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $78.8M
- On food away from home · $3,979 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.6M
- 46% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 24.2
- 82% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 44,388
- −4.4% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Charlottesville city
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 Charlottesville city. 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
For fast food and sandwich shops, Charlottesville city has a Groundwork market score of 19 (low): #2,075 of 2,222 scored counties and #91 of 100 scored counties in Virginia. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 48 fast food and sandwich shops in Charlottesville city. Chain locations make up 60% of them, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 24.2, 82% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Charlottesville city spend about $78.8M a year on food away from home, or $3,979 per household, 2% below the U.S. average. That is about $1.6M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 46% 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.
Official counts show 92 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Charlottesville city in 2023, up 27.8% from 2019. That is one for every 215 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. Population estimates put the population change in Charlottesville city from 2020 to 2025 at −4.4%, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Charlottesville city compares
The same measures for Virginia 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 | Charlottesville city | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 24.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1.6M | $3.3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 215 | 471 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +27.8% | +3.6% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −4.4% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,979 | $4,372 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $74,824 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 19 | 56 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 72 → 92All limited-service restaurants · +27.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,766
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $41M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 7All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4829 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 26The 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 Charlottesville city, 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 Charlottesville city
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 44,388−4.4% since 2020
- Households
- 19,815
- Median age
- 35.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 44%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.5
- Land area
- 10 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 4,435
- Median household income
- $74,824+25.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $115,430
- Median home value
- $486,700
- Jobs located here
- 37,763
- Daytime population
- 63,939Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Charlottesville city?
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 Charlottesville city. 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 Virginia
Every Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Virginia for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Virginia, with Charlottesville city marked.
Top counties in Virginia
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Goochland County, VA | 98 | 7 | 6.8 | $7.4M | +17.4% | #1 of 2,222 |
| 2New Kent County, VA | 95 | 10 | 10.8 | $4.5M | +21.2% | #4 of 2,222 |
| 3Powhatan County, VA | 94 | 8 | 7.1 | $6.6M | +7.0% | #5 of 2,222 |
| 4Louisa County, VA | 93 | 11 | 7.1 | $5.8M | +13.6% | #7 of 2,222 |
| 5Greene County, VA | 88 | 6 | 7.5 | $5.7M | +6.6% | #27 of 2,222 |
| 6Rockingham County, VA | 88 | 24 | 7.3 | $5.3M | +6.6% | #28 of 2,222 |
| 7Albemarle County, VA | 88 | 45 | 9.8 | $4.7M | +5.1% | #30 of 2,222 |
| 8Caroline County, VA | 86 | 13 | 10.8 | $3.7M | +11.3% | #48 of 2,222 |
| 9Isle of Wight County, VA | 84 | 14 | 8.9 | $4.8M | +6.7% | #75 of 2,222 |
| 10Bedford County, VA | 84 | 27 | 8.2 | $4.7M | +4.4% | #76 of 2,222 |
| 91Charlottesville city, VA | 19 | 48 | 24.2 | $1.6M | −4.4% | #2,075 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Charlottesville city
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes17
- Sit-down restaurants17
- Fast food and sandwich shops19
- Pizza23
- Coffee shops and cafes17
- Bakeries and dessert shops16
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 Charlottesville city, VA?
There are 48 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Charlottesville city as of September 2026. 29 of them (60%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 92 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 27.8% from 2019. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Official counts list 7 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Charlottesville city, VA spend on food away from home?
About $78.8M a year, or $3,979 per household. That is 2% below the U.S. average (an index of 98, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 48 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $1.6M 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 19,815 households in Charlottesville city and national spending patterns by income.
How does Charlottesville city, VA compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Charlottesville city has 24.2 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 82% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $1.6M, 46% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Charlottesville city would have about 26, against 48 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 215 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 27.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Charlottesville city, VA growing?
Population estimates put Charlottesville city at 44,388 people in 2025, down 4.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 19,815 households. The median household income in Charlottesville city is $74,824 a year, 7% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.8% 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. Charlottesville city scores 19 for fast food and sandwich shops (low), #2,075 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Charlottesville city. 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 Charlottesville city
Screening a site or an acquisition in Charlottesville city?
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 Charlottesville city. 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.