Food and drink · County · Illinois
Restaurants and cafes in Williamson County, IL
The restaurants and cafes in Williamson County, IL, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 44 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,451 of 2,405 scored counties
#37 of 87 scored counties in Illinois
- Listings
- 283
- 122 chain locations (43%)
- Official establishments
- 122
- +13.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $104.9M
- On food away from home · $3,621 a household
- Spending per listing
- $371K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 97.6
- 11% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 67,225
- +0.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Williamson 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 Williamson 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 283 restaurants and cafes in Williamson County. Of those, 122 are chain locations, or 43%, against 34% across the U.S. That comes to 97.6 for every 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in Williamson County comes to about $104.9M a year: $3,621 per household, 11% below the U.S. average. Spread across 283 restaurants and cafes, that is $371K per restaurant, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Williamson County was 122 in 2023, up 13.0% from 2019. That is one for every 238 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 16 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $2.1M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Williamson County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Williamson County grew 0.2%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Williamson County is 44 (lower middle), #1,451 of 2,405 scored counties and #37 of 87 scored counties in Illinois.
How Williamson County compares
The same measures for Illinois 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 | Williamson County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 97.6 | 112.0 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $371K | $376K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 238 | 216 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +13.0% | +3.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.2% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,621 | $4,215 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $65,604 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 44 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 108 → 122+13.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,458
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $47.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 16Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 283122 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 283The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $2.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Williamson 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 Williamson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 67,225+0.2% since 2020
- Households
- 28,983
- Median age
- 42.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 420 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 159
- Median household income
- $65,604+29.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $85,846
- Median home value
- $156,400
- Jobs located here
- 28,604
- Daytime population
- 68,042Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Williamson 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 Williamson 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 Illinois
Every Illinois market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Illinois for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Illinois, with Williamson County marked.
Top counties in Illinois
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Piatt County, IL | 77 | 58 | 83.8 | $511K | +0.6% | #207 of 2,405 |
| 2Kendall County, IL | 75 | 389 | 85.7 | $563K | +9.9% | #239 of 2,405 |
| 3Boone County, IL | 75 | 151 | 77.6 | $538K | +0.4% | #244 of 2,405 |
| 4Woodford County, IL | 73 | 114 | 77.6 | $560K | −0.8% | #298 of 2,405 |
| 5Menard County, IL | 72 | 35 | 66.9 | $584K | −3.3% | #332 of 2,405 |
| 6McHenry County, IL | 67 | 1,081 | 91.9 | $513K | +2.5% | #476 of 2,405 |
| 7Moultrie County, IL | 65 | 49 | 84.2 | $442K | −0.8% | #571 of 2,405 |
| 8Will County, IL | 64 | 2,438 | 99.8 | $481K | +2.2% | #599 of 2,405 |
| 9Cumberland County, IL | 64 | 32 | 76.6 | $478K | −2.1% | #601 of 2,405 |
| 10Monroe County, IL | 62 | 133 | 96.0 | $483K | −0.3% | #666 of 2,405 |
| 37Williamson County, IL | 44 | 283 | 97.6 | $371K | +0.2% | #1,451 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Williamson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes44
- Sit-down restaurants45
- Fast food and sandwich shops34
- Pizza32
- Coffee shops and cafes61
- Bakeries and dessert shops61
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 Williamson County, IL?
There are 283 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Williamson County as of September 2026. 122 of them (43%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 122 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 13.0% from 2019. Another 16 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Williamson County, IL spend on food away from home?
About $104.9M a year, or $3,621 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 283 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $371K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 28,983 households in Williamson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Williamson County, IL compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Williamson County has 97.6 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $371K, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 238 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Williamson County, IL growing?
Population estimates put Williamson County at 67,225 people in 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 28,983 households. The median household income in Williamson County is $65,604 a year, 19% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 29.3% 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. Williamson County scores 44 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,451 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Williamson 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 Williamson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Williamson 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 Williamson 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.