Food and drink · County · Wisconsin
Fast food and sandwich shops in Portage County, WI
The fast food and sandwich shops in Portage County, WI, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,035 of 2,222 scored counties
#51 of 60 scored counties in Wisconsin
- Listings
- 44
- 40 chain locations (91%)
- Official establishments
- 53
- All limited-service restaurants · +10.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $114.4M
- On food away from home · $3,853 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.6M
- 15% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.8
- 11% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 71,943
- +2.2% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Portage 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 Portage 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
At $3,853 per household (5% below the U.S. average), households in Portage County spend about $114.4M a year on food away from home. That is about $2.6M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 15% below 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 44 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Portage County as of September 2026. Of those, 40 are chain locations, or 91%, against 79% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.8, 11% above the U.S. rate of 13.3.
Official counts show 53 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in Portage County in 2023, up 10.4% from 2019. That is one for every 560 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. Another 6 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $873K have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Portage County.
Population estimates show Portage County grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Portage County scores 53 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, ranking #1,035 of 2,222 scored counties and #51 of 60 scored counties in Wisconsin.
How Portage County compares
The same measures for Wisconsin 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 | Portage County | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.8 | 11.6 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.6M | $3.4M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 560 | 632 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.4% | +3.8% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.2% | +1.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,853 | $3,959 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $76,070 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 63 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 48 → 53All limited-service restaurants · +10.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 980
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $18.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4440 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 38The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $873K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Portage 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 Portage County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 71,943+2.2% since 2020
- Households
- 29,679
- Median age
- 40.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 801 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 88
- Median household income
- $76,070+29.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $94,142
- Median home value
- $243,100
- Jobs located here
- 33,759
- Daytime population
- 69,944Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Portage 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 Portage 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 Wisconsin
Every Wisconsin market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Wisconsin for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Wisconsin, with Portage County marked.
Top counties in Wisconsin
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Calumet County, WI | 89 | 12 | 5.6 | $7.5M | +2.9% | #17 of 2,222 |
| 2Pierce County, WI | 88 | 13 | 8.2 | $5.2M | +3.1% | #29 of 2,222 |
| 3Lafayette County, WI | 86 | 5 | 7.4 | $5.1M | +5.2% | #40 of 2,222 |
| 4Vernon County, WI | 84 | 6 | 4.8 | $7.7M | +2.4% | #65 of 2,222 |
| 5Oconto County, WI | 84 | 11 | 6.5 | $5.9M | +2.9% | #67 of 2,222 |
| 6Kewaunee County, WI | 83 | 5 | 6.0 | $6.6M | +1.0% | #83 of 2,222 |
| 7Sawyer County, WI | 82 | 5 | 5.7 | $6.1M | +4.0% | #91 of 2,222 |
| 8St. Croix County, WI | 82 | 43 | 11.5 | $4.1M | +4.7% | #99 of 2,222 |
| 9Iowa County, WI | 81 | 9 | 8.9 | $4.5M | +1.0% | #113 of 2,222 |
| 10Polk County, WI | 80 | 15 | 7.7 | $5M | +1.7% | #119 of 2,222 |
| 51Portage County, WI | 53 | 44 | 14.8 | $2.6M | +2.2% | #1,035 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Portage County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes40
- Sit-down restaurants49
- Fast food and sandwich shops53
- Pizza73
- Coffee shops and cafes53
- Bakeries and dessert shops63
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 Portage County, WI?
As of September 2026, map listings count 44 fast food and sandwich shops in Portage County. 40 of them (91%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 53 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 10.4% 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 6 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Portage County, WI spend on food away from home?
About $114.4M a year, or $3,853 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 44 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $2.6M 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 29,679 households in Portage County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Portage County, WI compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Portage County has 14.8 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $2.6M, 15% below the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Portage County would have about 38, against 44 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 560 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Portage County, WI growing?
Population estimates put Portage County at 71,943 people in 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 29,679 households. Median household income in Portage County is $76,070, 6% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.3%, 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. Portage County scores 53 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #1,035 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Portage 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 Portage County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Portage 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 Portage 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.