Food and drink · County · Maryland
Restaurants and cafes in Washington County, MD
The restaurants and cafes in Washington County, MD, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 50 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,190 of 2,405 scored counties
#16 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 621
- 215 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 261
- +3.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $230.7M
- On food away from home · $3,857 a household
- Spending per listing
- $372K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 103.8
- 5% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 157,731
- +2.0% 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 621 restaurants and cafes in Washington County. 215 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. That is 103.8 per 10,000 households, 5% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $3,857 per household (5% below the U.S. average), households in Washington County spend about $230.7M a year on food away from home. That works out to $372K per restaurant, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K.
Official counts show 261 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington County in 2023, up 3.2% from 2019. That is one for every 229 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 60 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $6.3M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington County.
Population estimates show Washington County grew 2.0% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Washington County scores 50 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #1,190 of 2,405 scored counties and #16 of 24 scored counties in Maryland.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Maryland 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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 103.8 | 95.7 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $372K | $481K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 229 | 226 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.2% | +2.8% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.0% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,857 | $4,604 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $77,747 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 50 | 74 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 253 → 261+3.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 5,046
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $107.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 60Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 621215 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 622The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $6.3M
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
- 157,731+2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 59,818
- Median age
- 41.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 458 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 340
- Median household income
- $77,747+27.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,335
- Median home value
- $296,100
- Jobs located here
- 66,246
- Daytime population
- 152,730Residents 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 Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charles County, MD | 82 | 463 | 76.1 | $654K | +5.9% | #105 of 2,405 |
| 2Harford County, MD | 78 | 710 | 69.7 | $677K | +2.0% | #168 of 2,405 |
| 3Frederick County, MD | 77 | 1,010 | 96.5 | $522K | +11.0% | #204 of 2,405 |
| 4Caroline County, MD | 76 | 77 | 61.6 | $576K | +2.5% | #219 of 2,405 |
| 5Cecil County, MD | 76 | 353 | 87.0 | $483K | +3.2% | #223 of 2,405 |
| 6Queen Anne’s County, MD | 76 | 206 | 103.5 | $463K | +8.8% | #227 of 2,405 |
| 7Calvert County, MD | 75 | 278 | 83.1 | $632K | +1.7% | #230 of 2,405 |
| 8St. Mary’s County, MD | 75 | 345 | 81.3 | $606K | +2.4% | #234 of 2,405 |
| 9Carroll County, MD | 73 | 528 | 82.1 | $598K | +2.2% | #295 of 2,405 |
| 10Prince George’s County, MD | 72 | 2,724 | 78.3 | $576K | +0.5% | #334 of 2,405 |
| 16Washington County, MD | 50 | 621 | 103.8 | $372K | +2.0% | #1,190 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 cafes50
- Sit-down restaurants55
- Fast food and sandwich shops47
- Pizza50
- Coffee shops and cafes69
- 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, MD?
Washington County has 621 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 215 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 261 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 3.2% from 2019. Official counts list 60 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Washington County, MD spend on food away from home?
About $230.7M a year, or $3,857 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 621 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $372K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 59,818 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, MD compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Washington County has 103.8 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 5% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $372K, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Washington County would have about 622, against 621 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 229 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 157,731 people in 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 59,818 households. The median household income in Washington County is $77,747 a year, 4% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 27.8% 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 50 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #1,190 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.