Food and drink · County · Georgia
Restaurants and cafes in Columbia County, GA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Columbia County, GA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 70 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #403 of 2,405 scored counties
#32 of 124 scored counties in Georgia
- Listings
- 493
- 244 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 258
- +18.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $242.1M
- On food away from home · $4,390 a household
- Spending per listing
- $491K
- 32% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 89.4
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 169,189
- +7.9% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County comes to about $242.1M a year: $4,390 per household, 8% above the U.S. average. Spread across 493 restaurants and cafes, that is $491K per restaurant, 32% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 493 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Columbia County as of September 2026. 244 of them (49%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. That is 89.4 per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Columbia County was 258 in 2023, up 18.9% from 2019. That is one for every 214 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 52 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 13 SBA-backed loans worth $7.8M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Columbia County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Columbia County grew 7.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Columbia County is 70 (upper middle), #403 of 2,405 scored counties and #32 of 124 scored counties in Georgia. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Columbia County compares
The same measures for Georgia 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 | Columbia County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 89.4 | 109.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $491K | $356K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 214 | 203 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +18.9% | +10.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +7.9% | +5.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,390 | $3,917 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $95,592 | $77,353 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 70 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 217 → 258+18.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 5,547
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $109.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 52Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 493244 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 653The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 13
- Amount
- $7.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Columbia 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 Columbia County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 169,189+7.9% since 2020
- Households
- 55,149
- Median age
- 38.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 290 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 560
- Median household income
- $95,592+16.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $119,651
- Median home value
- $305,300
- Jobs located here
- 38,609
- Daytime population
- 137,846Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Georgia
Every Georgia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Georgia for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Georgia, with Columbia County marked.
Top counties in Georgia
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Paulding County, GA | 92 | 351 | 58.5 | $737K | +12.7% | #15 of 2,405 |
| 2Harris County, GA | 92 | 80 | 61.4 | $713K | +6.8% | #16 of 2,405 |
| 3Oglethorpe County, GA | 90 | 24 | 44.4 | $827K | +10.4% | #21 of 2,405 |
| 4Pike County, GA | 90 | 37 | 55.1 | $726K | +10.5% | #24 of 2,405 |
| 5Effingham County, GA | 90 | 150 | 61.8 | $661K | +14.1% | #27 of 2,405 |
| 6Lee County, GA | 87 | 54 | 43.9 | $901K | +2.9% | #39 of 2,405 |
| 7Monroe County, GA | 86 | 86 | 81.5 | $496K | +14.1% | #55 of 2,405 |
| 8Long County, GA | 85 | 21 | 34.1 | $958K | +32.6% | #57 of 2,405 |
| 9Jones County, GA | 83 | 44 | 40.8 | $908K | +2.8% | #79 of 2,405 |
| 10Jasper County, GA | 83 | 31 | 52.0 | $677K | +20.2% | #83 of 2,405 |
| 32Columbia County, GA | 70 | 493 | 89.4 | $491K | +7.9% | #403 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Columbia County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes70
- Sit-down restaurants74
- Fast food and sandwich shops55
- Pizza71
- Coffee shops and cafes75
- 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 restaurants and cafes are in Columbia County, GA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 493 restaurants and cafes in Columbia County. 244 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 258 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 18.9% from 2019. Official counts list 52 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Columbia County, GA spend on food away from home?
About $242.1M a year, or $4,390 per household. That is 8% above the U.S. average (an index of 108, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 493 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $491K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 55,149 households in Columbia County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Columbia County, GA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Columbia County has 89.4 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $491K, 32% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Columbia County would have about 653, against 493 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 214 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 18.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Columbia County, GA growing?
Population estimates put Columbia County at 169,189 people in 2025, up 7.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 55,149 households. Median household income in Columbia County is $95,592, 18% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 16.1%, 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. Columbia County scores 70 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #403 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Columbia 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 Columbia County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Columbia 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 Columbia 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.