Food and drink · County · Washington
Fast food and sandwich shops in Whatcom County, WA
How Whatcom 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 79 out of 100: High
Ranked #152 of 2,222 scored counties
#11 of 32 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 98
- 82 chain locations (84%)
- Official establishments
- 130
- All limited-service restaurants · +0.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $378.3M
- On food away from home · $4,024 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.9M
- 27% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.4
- 22% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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
The Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops in Whatcom County is 79 (high), #152 of 2,222 scored counties and #11 of 32 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for fast food and sandwich shops.
At $4,024 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $378.3M a year on food away from home. That is about $3.9M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 27% 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 98 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. 82 of them (84%) are chain locations, against 79% across the U.S. That is 10.4 per 10,000 households, 22% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 130 businesses with payroll in Whatcom County classed as limited-service restaurants, up 0.8% from 2019. That is one for every 723 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, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $1.2M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Whatcom County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Whatcom County grew 3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Whatcom 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 | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.4 | 10.5 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3.9M | $4.3M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 723 | 593 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +0.8% | +2.7% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,024 | $4,501 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 79 | 86 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 129 → 130All limited-service restaurants · +0.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,394
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $58.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 16All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 9882 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 124The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $1.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 |
| 11Whatcom County, WA | 79 | 98 | 10.4 | $3.9M | +3.9% | #152 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Whatcom County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes53
- Sit-down restaurants55
- Fast food and sandwich shops79
- Pizza79
- Coffee shops and cafes36
- Bakeries and dessert shops59
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 Whatcom County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 98 fast food and sandwich shops in Whatcom County. 82 of them (84%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 130 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 0.8% 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 also show 16 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on food away from home?
About $378.3M a year, or $4,024 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 98 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3.9M 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 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Whatcom County has 10.4 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 22% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3.9M, 27% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 124, against 98 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 723 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, 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. Whatcom County scores 79 for fast food and sandwich shops (high), #152 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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.