Food and drink · County · Arkansas
Restaurants and cafes in Washington County, AR
How Washington County, AR compares with other counties and the U.S. for restaurants and cafes: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,587 of 2,405 scored counties
#27 of 61 scored counties in Arkansas
- Listings
- 1,132
- 438 chain locations (39%)
- Official establishments
- 529
- +17.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $360.1M
- On food away from home · $3,706 a household
- Spending per listing
- $318K
- 14% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 116.5
- 6% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 271,213
- +9.9% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,132 restaurants and cafes in Washington County. Of those, 438 are chain locations, or 39%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 116.5, 6% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $3,706 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Washington County spend about $360.1M a year on food away from home. Spread across 1,132 restaurants and cafes, that is $318K per restaurant, 14% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington County was 529 in 2023, up 17.8% from 2019. That is one for every 184 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 114 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 13 SBA-backed loans worth $4.8M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington County.
Population estimates put the population change in Washington County from 2020 to 2025 at +9.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Washington County scores 41 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #1,587 of 2,405 scored counties and #27 of 61 scored counties in Arkansas.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Arkansas 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 | Washington County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 116.5 | 98.5 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $318K | $345K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 184 | 238 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +17.8% | +8.5% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +9.9% | +3.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,706 | $3,400 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $70,639 | $60,773 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 43 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 449 → 529+17.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 11,418
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $237.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 114Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,132438 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 971The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 13
- Amount
- $4.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 271,213+9.9% since 2020
- Households
- 97,184
- Median age
- 34.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 56%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 942 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 273
- Median household income
- $70,639+40.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $98,734
- Median home value
- $298,400
- Jobs located here
- 127,830
- Daytime population
- 267,535Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Arkansas
Every Arkansas market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Arkansas for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Arkansas, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Arkansas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Madison County, AR | 80 | 35 | 54.2 | $594K | +11.2% | #135 of 2,405 |
| 2Saline County, AR | 79 | 347 | 69.1 | $549K | +7.6% | #153 of 2,405 |
| 3Perry County, AR | 78 | 15 | 36.6 | $895K | +3.1% | #164 of 2,405 |
| 4Grant County, AR | 77 | 45 | 64.5 | $552K | +4.1% | #198 of 2,405 |
| 5Marion County, AR | 73 | 34 | 44.4 | $663K | +4.3% | #286 of 2,405 |
| 6Lonoke County, AR | 72 | 214 | 74.9 | $486K | +3.5% | #349 of 2,405 |
| 7Fulton County, AR | 71 | 22 | 46.2 | $606K | +3.7% | #362 of 2,405 |
| 8Hot Spring County, AR | 65 | 67 | 54.4 | $577K | +1.1% | #536 of 2,405 |
| 9Benton County, AR | 65 | 1,238 | 110.6 | $391K | +16.0% | #579 of 2,405 |
| 10Logan County, AR | 63 | 61 | 71.6 | $460K | +2.5% | #631 of 2,405 |
| 27Washington County, AR | 41 | 1,132 | 116.5 | $318K | +9.9% | #1,587 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Washington County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes41
- Sit-down restaurants43
- Fast food and sandwich shops49
- Pizza51
- Coffee shops and cafes44
- Bakeries and dessert shops43
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 Washington County, AR?
Washington County has 1,132 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 438 of them (39%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 529 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 17.8% from 2019. Another 114 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington County, AR spend on food away from home?
About $360.1M a year, or $3,706 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,132 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $318K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 97,184 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, AR compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Washington County has 116.5 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 6% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $318K, 14% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Washington County would have about 971, against 1,132 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 184 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 17.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, AR growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 271,213 people in 2025, up 9.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 97,184 households. The median household income in Washington County is $70,639 a year, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 40.0% 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. Washington County scores 41 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,587 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.