Food and drink · County · Indiana
Restaurants and cafes in Putnam County, IN
How Putnam County, IN 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 71 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #378 of 2,405 scored counties
#20 of 86 scored counties in Indiana
- Listings
- 113
- 47 chain locations (42%)
- Official establishments
- 48
- +6.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $53.3M
- On food away from home · $3,768 a household
- Spending per listing
- $472K
- 27% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 79.9
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 37,876
- +3.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Putnam 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 Putnam 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 Putnam County comes to about $53.3M a year: $3,768 per household, 7% below the U.S. average. That works out to $472K per restaurant, 27% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 113 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Putnam County as of September 2026. Of those, 47 are chain locations, or 42%, against 34% across the U.S. That comes to 79.9 for every 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Official counts show 48 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Putnam County in 2023, up 6.7% from 2019. That is one for every 295 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 7 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $20K has gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Putnam County.
Population estimates put the population change in Putnam County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.2%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Putnam County is 71 (upper middle), #378 of 2,405 scored counties and #20 of 86 scored counties in Indiana. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Putnam County compares
The same measures for Indiana 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 | Putnam County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 79.9 | 92.4 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $472K | $412K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 295 | 235 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +6.7% | +7.3% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.2% | +2.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,768 | $3,802 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $78,378 | $71,957 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 71 | 62 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 45 → 48+6.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 912
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $16.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 7Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 11347 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 144The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $20K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Putnam 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 Putnam County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 37,876+3.2% since 2020
- Households
- 14,142
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 481 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 78
- Median household income
- $78,378+28.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $90,595
- Median home value
- $218,900
- Jobs located here
- 12,980
- Daytime population
- 33,740Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Putnam 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 Putnam 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 Indiana
Every Indiana market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Indiana for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Indiana, with Putnam County marked.
Top counties in Indiana
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hancock County, IN | 88 | 229 | 68.4 | $646K | +13.5% | #36 of 2,405 |
| 2Warrick County, IN | 84 | 171 | 68.0 | $634K | +4.4% | #68 of 2,405 |
| 3Morgan County, IN | 83 | 196 | 69.3 | $579K | +4.4% | #92 of 2,405 |
| 4Boone County, IN | 78 | 276 | 96.0 | $515K | +13.5% | #177 of 2,405 |
| 5Harrison County, IN | 77 | 101 | 65.2 | $575K | +1.9% | #194 of 2,405 |
| 6Lawrence County, IN | 75 | 110 | 57.5 | $615K | +1.2% | #231 of 2,405 |
| 7Newton County, IN | 74 | 35 | 61.1 | $573K | +2.9% | #259 of 2,405 |
| 8Hamilton County, IN | 74 | 1,269 | 92.5 | $560K | +10.9% | #261 of 2,405 |
| 9Hendricks County, IN | 74 | 549 | 81.8 | $558K | +10.2% | #262 of 2,405 |
| 10LaGrange County, IN | 74 | 111 | 86.1 | $465K | +1.9% | #277 of 2,405 |
| 20Putnam County, IN | 71 | 113 | 79.9 | $472K | +3.2% | #378 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Putnam County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes71
- Sit-down restaurants67
- Fast food and sandwich shops63
- Pizza45
- Coffee shops and cafes80
- Bakeries and dessert shops82
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 Putnam County, IN?
As of September 2026, map listings count 113 restaurants and cafes in Putnam County. 47 of them (42%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 48 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 6.7% from 2019. Official counts list 7 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Putnam County, IN spend on food away from home?
About $53.3M a year, or $3,768 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 113 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $472K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 14,142 households in Putnam County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Putnam County, IN compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Putnam County has 79.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $472K, 27% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Putnam County would have about 144, against 113 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 295 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Putnam County, IN growing?
Population estimates put Putnam County at 37,876 people in 2025, up 3.2% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 14,142 households. Median household income in Putnam County is $78,378, 3% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 28.4%, 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. Putnam County scores 71 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #378 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Putnam 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 Putnam County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Putnam 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 Putnam 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.