Food and drink · County · Washington
Fast food and sandwich shops in King County, WA
How King County, WA 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 77 out of 100: High
Ranked #182 of 2,222 scored counties
#13 of 32 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 942
- 664 chain locations (70%)
- Official establishments
- 1,771
- All limited-service restaurants · −3.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4.8B
- On food away from home · $5,148 a household
- Spending per listing
- $5.1M
- 69% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.0
- 25% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,344,939
- +3.1% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in King 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 King 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
For fast food and sandwich shops, King County has a Groundwork market score of 77 (high): #182 of 2,222 scored counties and #13 of 32 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for fast food and sandwich shops.
Households in King County spend about $4.8B a year on food away from home, or $5,148 per household, 26% above the U.S. average. Spread across 942 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $5.1M per shop, 69% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
There are 942 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in King County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 70% of them, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 10.0, 25% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Official counts show 1,771 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in King County in 2023, down 3.3% from 2019. That is one for every 531 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Since fiscal 2022, 120 SBA-backed loans worth $51.2M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in King County. Population estimates show King County grew 3.1% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).
How King County compares
The same measures for Washington 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 | King County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.0 | 10.5 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $5.1M | $4.3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 531 | 593 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −3.3% | +2.7% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.1% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,148 | $4,501 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $124,746 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 77 | 86 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 1,832 → 1,771All limited-service restaurants · −3.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 27,274
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $804.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 251All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 942664 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,588The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 120
- Amount
- $51.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in King 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 King County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,344,939+3.1% since 2020
- Households
- 941,054
- Median age
- 38.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 2,116 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,081
- Median household income
- $124,746+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $176,807
- Median home value
- $859,900
- Jobs located here
- 1,503,962
- Daytime population
- 2,645,877Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in King 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 King 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Washington, with King County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1San Juan County, WA | 90 | 5 | 5.5 | $7.5M | +4.2% | #13 of 2,222 |
| 2Klickitat County, WA | 89 | 5 | 5.1 | $7.4M | +6.6% | #18 of 2,222 |
| 3Mason County, WA | 89 | 18 | 6.9 | $5.8M | +7.8% | #21 of 2,222 |
| 4Douglas County, WA | 89 | 15 | 9.4 | $4.3M | +8.0% | #26 of 2,222 |
| 5Jefferson County, WA | 86 | 6 | 3.7 | $10.5M | +2.7% | #37 of 2,222 |
| 6Clark County, WA | 86 | 183 | 9.3 | $4.7M | +5.3% | #42 of 2,222 |
| 7Stevens County, WA | 85 | 14 | 7.2 | $5M | +6.6% | #55 of 2,222 |
| 8Kitsap County, WA | 80 | 105 | 9.7 | $4.7M | +2.7% | #120 of 2,222 |
| 9Snohomish County, WA | 79 | 331 | 10.5 | $4.6M | +4.9% | #147 of 2,222 |
| 10Pacific County, WA | 79 | 9 | 8.2 | $4.3M | +3.6% | #150 of 2,222 |
| 13King County, WA | 77 | 942 | 10.0 | $5.1M | +3.1% | #182 of 2,222 |
Other business types in King County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes53
- Sit-down restaurants51
- Fast food and sandwich shops77
- Pizza78
- Coffee shops and cafes41
- 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 King County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 942 fast food and sandwich shops in King County. 664 of them (70%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 1,771 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, down 3.3% 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 251 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in King County, WA spend on food away from home?
About $4.8B a year, or $5,148 per household. That is 26% above the U.S. average (an index of 126, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 942 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $5.1M 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 941,054 households in King County and national spending patterns by income.
How does King County, WA compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
King County has 10.0 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 25% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $5.1M, 69% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, King County would have about 1,588, against 942 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 531 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count fell 3.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is King County, WA growing?
Population estimates put King County at 2,344,939 people in 2025, up 3.1% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 941,054 households. Median household income in King County is $124,746, 55% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.4%, 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. King County scores 77 for fast food and sandwich shops (high), #182 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in King 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 King County
Screening a site or an acquisition in King 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 King 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.