Food and drink · County · Virginia
Fast food and sandwich shops in Smyth County, VA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for fast food and sandwich shops in Smyth County, VA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 21 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,034 of 2,222 scored counties
#88 of 100 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 20
- 17 chain locations (85%)
- Official establishments
- 23
- All limited-service restaurants
- Household spending a year
- $38.3M
- On food away from home · $3,029 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.9M
- 37% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.8
- 19% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 28,882
- −3.0% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Smyth 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 Smyth 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
Smyth County scores 21 (low) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #2,034 of 2,222 scored counties and #88 of 100 scored counties in Virginia. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 20 fast food and sandwich shops in Smyth County. Chain locations make up 85% of them, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 15.8 for every 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Households in Smyth County spend about $38.3M a year on food away from home, or $3,029 per household, 26% below the U.S. average. Spread across 20 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $1.9M per shop, 37% 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 23 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Smyth County in 2023. That is one for every 550 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 show Smyth County declined 3.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Smyth County 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 | Smyth County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.8 | 13.2 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1.9M | $3.3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 550 | 471 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +3.6% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −3.0% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,029 | $4,372 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $49,883 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 21 | 56 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 19 → 23All limited-service restaurants
- Employees, 2023
- 369
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $6.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2017 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 13The 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 Smyth 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 Smyth County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 28,882−3.0% since 2020
- Households
- 12,659
- Median age
- 45.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 451 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 65
- Median household income
- $49,883+21.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $68,477
- Median home value
- $139,600
- Jobs located here
- 11,597
- Daytime population
- 29,033Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Smyth 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 Smyth 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 Virginia
Every Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Virginia for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Virginia, with Smyth County 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 |
| 88Smyth County, VA | 21 | 20 | 15.8 | $1.9M | −3.0% | #2,034 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Smyth County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes44
- Sit-down restaurants41
- Fast food and sandwich shops21
- Pizza28
- Coffee shops and cafes41
- Bakeries and dessert shops
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 Smyth County, VA?
Smyth County has 20 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings as of September 2026. 17 of them (85%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 23 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops.
How much do households in Smyth County, VA spend on food away from home?
About $38.3M a year, or $3,029 per household. That is 26% below the U.S. average (an index of 74, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 20 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $1.9M 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 12,659 households in Smyth County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Smyth County, VA compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Smyth County has 15.8 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $1.9M, 37% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Smyth County would have about 13, against 20 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 550 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S.
How fast is Smyth County, VA growing?
Population estimates put Smyth County at 28,882 people in 2025, down 3.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 12,659 households. The median household income in Smyth County is $49,883 a year, 38% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 21.9% 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. Smyth County scores 21 for fast food and sandwich shops (low), #2,034 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Smyth 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 Smyth County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Smyth 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 Smyth 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.