Food and drink · County · Massachusetts
Restaurants and cafes in Norfolk County, MA
How Norfolk County, MA 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 65 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #542 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 14 scored counties in Massachusetts
- Listings
- 2,766
- 889 chain locations (32%)
- Official establishments
- 1,501
- +4.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.5B
- On food away from home · $5,274 a household
- Spending per listing
- $540K
- 46% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 97.6
- 11% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 739,749
- +2.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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
Households in Norfolk County spend about $1.5B a year on food away from home, or $5,274 per household, 30% above the U.S. average. That is about $540K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 46% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 2,766 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Norfolk County as of September 2026. Of those, 889 are chain locations, or 32%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 97.6, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Official counts show 1,501 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Norfolk County in 2023, up 4.8% from 2019. That is one for every 189 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 210 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 76 SBA-backed loans worth $35.2M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Norfolk County.
Population estimates show Norfolk County grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Norfolk County has a Groundwork market score of 65 (upper middle): #542 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 14 scored counties in Massachusetts. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Norfolk County compares
The same measures for Massachusetts 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 | Norfolk County | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 97.6 | 106.3 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $540K | $441K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 189 | 191 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +4.8% | +1.9% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.2% | +2.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,274 | $4,685 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $130,739 | $103,960 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 65 | 66 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 1,432 → 1,501+4.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 26,042
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $721.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 210Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2,766889 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 4,031The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 76
- Amount
- $35.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Norfolk 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 Norfolk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 739,749+2.2% since 2020
- Households
- 283,368
- Median age
- 41.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 69%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 396 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,843
- Median household income
- $130,739+26.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $183,022
- Median home value
- $683,900
- Jobs located here
- 369,055
- Daytime population
- 712,907Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 Massachusetts
Every Massachusetts market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Massachusetts for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Massachusetts, with Norfolk County marked.
Top counties in Massachusetts
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Worcester County, MA | 69 | 3,064 | 91.2 | $486K | +3.7% | #428 of 2,405 |
| 2Plymouth County, MA | 67 | 1,924 | 94.7 | $515K | +3.5% | #475 of 2,405 |
| 3Norfolk County, MA | 65 | 2,766 | 97.6 | $540K | +2.2% | #542 of 2,405 |
| 4Middlesex County, MA | 65 | 6,402 | 100.9 | $521K | +2.8% | #546 of 2,405 |
| 5Bristol County, MA | 62 | 2,091 | 89.4 | $465K | +2.9% | #675 of 2,405 |
| 6Hampshire County, MA | 61 | 644 | 103.7 | $406K | +10.4% | #726 of 2,405 |
| 7Essex County, MA | 59 | 3,177 | 101.5 | $456K | +2.3% | #792 of 2,405 |
| 8Hampden County, MA | 55 | 1,665 | 90.3 | $418K | +0.2% | #959 of 2,405 |
| 9Franklin County, MA | 51 | 297 | 94.1 | $402K | −0.3% | #1,140 of 2,405 |
| 10Barnstable County, MA | 36 | 1,590 | 150.3 | $298K | +2.4% | #1,797 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Norfolk County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes65
- Sit-down restaurants64
- Fast food and sandwich shops76
- Pizza64
- Coffee shops and cafes53
- Bakeries and dessert shops52
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 Norfolk County, MA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 2,766 restaurants and cafes in Norfolk County. 889 of them (32%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 1,501 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 4.8% from 2019. Official counts list 210 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Norfolk County, MA spend on food away from home?
About $1.5B a year, or $5,274 per household. That is 30% above the U.S. average (an index of 130, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,766 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $540K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 283,368 households in Norfolk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Norfolk County, MA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Norfolk County has 97.6 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $540K, 46% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Norfolk County would have about 4,031, against 2,766 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 189 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Norfolk County, MA growing?
Population estimates put Norfolk County at 739,749 people in 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 283,368 households. Median household income in Norfolk County is $130,739, 62% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 26.6%, 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. Norfolk County scores 65 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #542 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Norfolk 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 Norfolk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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.