Food and drink · County · Michigan
Restaurants and cafes in Emmet County, MI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Emmet County, MI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 24 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,216 of 2,405 scored counties
#74 of 75 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 320
- 62 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 94
- −10.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $61.6M
- On food away from home · $4,054 a household
- Spending per listing
- $192K
- 48% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 210.7
- 92% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 33,775
- −1.0% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Emmet 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 Emmet 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
Emmet County scores 24 (low) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #2,216 of 2,405 scored counties and #74 of 75 scored counties in Michigan. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 320 restaurants and cafes in Emmet County. 62 of them (19%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 210.7, 92% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $4,054 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Emmet County spend about $61.6M a year on food away from home. That works out to $192K per restaurant, 48% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 94 businesses with payroll in Emmet County classed as restaurants and other eating places, down 10.5% from 2019. That is one for every 162 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 20 SBA-backed loans worth $4.4M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Emmet County. Population estimates show Emmet County declined 1.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Emmet County compares
The same measures for Michigan 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 | Emmet County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 210.7 | 91.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $192K | $422K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 162 | 241 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −10.5% | +4.4% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −1.0% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,054 | $3,875 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $78,112 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 24 | 66 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 105 → 94−10.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,427
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $47.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 32062 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 166The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 20
- Amount
- $4.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Emmet 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 Emmet County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 33,775−1.0% since 2020
- Households
- 15,190
- Median age
- 46.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 77%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 468 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 73
- Median household income
- $78,112+39.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,768
- Median home value
- $315,700
- Jobs located here
- 15,430
- Daytime population
- 36,226Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Emmet 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 Emmet 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 Michigan
Every Michigan market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Michigan for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Michigan, with Emmet County marked.
Top counties in Michigan
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barry County, MI | 83 | 113 | 46.2 | $847K | +2.2% | #80 of 2,405 |
| 2Clinton County, MI | 83 | 169 | 53.4 | $797K | +1.6% | #81 of 2,405 |
| 3Ottawa County, MI | 82 | 832 | 74.7 | $575K | +3.9% | #107 of 2,405 |
| 4Cass County, MI | 79 | 98 | 46.2 | $822K | +0.2% | #144 of 2,405 |
| 5Kalkaska County, MI | 78 | 44 | 56.5 | $612K | +4.3% | #170 of 2,405 |
| 6Livingston County, MI | 77 | 575 | 75.2 | $625K | +1.7% | #190 of 2,405 |
| 7Lapeer County, MI | 76 | 216 | 62.0 | $627K | +1.0% | #217 of 2,405 |
| 8Newaygo County, MI | 75 | 113 | 57.5 | $602K | +3.1% | #235 of 2,405 |
| 9Monroe County, MI | 73 | 460 | 73.0 | $542K | +0.7% | #302 of 2,405 |
| 10Montcalm County, MI | 73 | 166 | 67.7 | $511K | +4.1% | #307 of 2,405 |
| 74Emmet County, MI | 24 | 320 | 210.7 | $192K | −1.0% | #2,216 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Emmet County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes24
- Sit-down restaurants24
- Fast food and sandwich shops44
- Pizza41
- Coffee shops and cafes28
- Bakeries and dessert shops22
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 Emmet County, MI?
There are 320 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Emmet County as of September 2026. 62 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 94 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 10.5% from 2019. Official counts list 6 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Emmet County, MI spend on food away from home?
About $61.6M a year, or $4,054 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 320 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $192K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 15,190 households in Emmet County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Emmet County, MI compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Emmet County has 210.7 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 92% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $192K, 48% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Emmet County would have about 166, against 320 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 162 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 10.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Emmet County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Emmet County at 33,775 people in 2025, down 1.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 15,190 households. The median household income in Emmet County is $78,112 a year, 3% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 39.9% 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. Emmet County scores 24 for restaurants and cafes (low), #2,216 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Emmet 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 Emmet County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Emmet 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 Emmet 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.