Food and drink · County · Alabama
Restaurants and cafes in Madison County, AL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Madison County, AL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 60 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #780 of 2,405 scored counties
#24 of 64 scored counties in Alabama
- Listings
- 1,818
- 882 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 746
- +11.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $682.8M
- On food away from home · $4,137 a household
- Spending per listing
- $376K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 110.2
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 433,516
- +11.0% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Madison County
The site report maps the restaurants and cafes 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 Madison 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
Household spending on food away from home in Madison County comes to about $682.8M a year: $4,137 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. That is about $376K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 1,818 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Madison County as of September 2026. Of those, 882 are chain locations, or 49%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 110.2, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Official counts show 746 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Madison County in 2023, up 11.5% from 2019. That is one for every 221 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 155 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 31 SBA-backed loans worth $19.6M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Madison County.
Population estimates show Madison County grew 11.0% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Madison County has a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle): #780 of 2,405 scored counties and #24 of 64 scored counties in Alabama.
How Madison County compares
The same measures for Alabama and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the restaurants and cafes 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 | Madison County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 110.2 | 92.0 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $376K | $382K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 221 | 246 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +11.5% | +7.4% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +11.0% | +3.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,137 | $3,519 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $86,499 | $63,999 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 60 | 59 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 669 → 746+11.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 16,710
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $365.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 155Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,818882 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,841The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 31
- Amount
- $19.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Madison 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.
Population and households in Madison County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 433,516+11.0% since 2020
- Households
- 165,031
- Median age
- 39.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 68%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 802 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 506
- Median household income
- $86,499+32.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $115,432
- Median home value
- $299,200
- Jobs located here
- 217,020
- Daytime population
- 448,110Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Madison 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 restaurants and cafes on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Madison County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRestaurants and cafes across Alabama
Every Alabama market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Alabama for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Alabama, with Madison County marked.
Top counties in Alabama
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 91 | 237 | 57.9 | $697K | +18.0% | #20 of 2,405 |
| 2Cleburne County, AL | 78 | 26 | 43.5 | $725K | +6.0% | #166 of 2,405 |
| 3St. Clair County, AL | 74 | 279 | 79.5 | $463K | +7.1% | #278 of 2,405 |
| 4Lawrence County, AL | 73 | 72 | 52.8 | $645K | +2.3% | #288 of 2,405 |
| 5Blount County, AL | 73 | 124 | 55.9 | $610K | +1.8% | #290 of 2,405 |
| 6Autauga County, AL | 73 | 155 | 67.6 | $556K | +5.1% | #299 of 2,405 |
| 7Shelby County, AL | 73 | 767 | 88.3 | $502K | +6.5% | #310 of 2,405 |
| 8Chilton County, AL | 72 | 120 | 67.1 | $500K | +5.9% | #343 of 2,405 |
| 9Washington County, AL | 70 | 29 | 48.6 | $732K | −3.3% | #387 of 2,405 |
| 10Cherokee County, AL | 70 | 64 | 62.8 | $512K | +5.8% | #402 of 2,405 |
| 24Madison County, AL | 60 | 1,818 | 110.2 | $376K | +11.0% | #780 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Madison County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes60
- Sit-down restaurants66
- Fast food and sandwich shops52
- Pizza68
- Coffee shops and cafes65
- Bakeries and dessert shops72
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 restaurants and cafes are in Madison County, AL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,818 restaurants and cafes in Madison County. 882 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 746 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 11.5% from 2019. Another 155 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Madison County, AL spend on food away from home?
About $682.8M a year, or $4,137 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,818 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $376K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 165,031 households in Madison County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Madison County, AL compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Madison County has 110.2 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $376K, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Madison County would have about 1,841, against 1,818 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 221 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Madison County, AL growing?
Population estimates put Madison County at 433,516 people in 2025, up 11.0% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 165,031 households. Median household income in Madison County is $86,499, 7% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 32.2%, 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. Madison County scores 60 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #780 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Madison County. It maps the restaurants and cafes 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 restaurants and cafes · All 56 business types in Madison County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Madison 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 Madison 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.