Food and drink · County · Michigan
Restaurants and cafes in Isabella County, MI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Isabella County, MI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 31 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,971 of 2,405 scored counties
#65 of 75 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 239
- 105 chain locations (44%)
- Official establishments
- 116
- +7.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $82.1M
- On food away from home · $3,297 a household
- Spending per listing
- $344K
- 7% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 95.9
- 13% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 64,691
- +0.3% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Isabella 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 Isabella 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
Isabella County scores 31 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #1,971 of 2,405 scored counties and #65 of 75 scored counties in Michigan. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Households in Isabella County spend about $82.1M a year on food away from home, or $3,297 per household, 19% below the U.S. average. That is about $344K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 7% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 239 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Isabella County as of September 2026. 105 of them (44%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. That is 95.9 per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
In 2023, official counts showed 116 businesses with payroll in Isabella County classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 7.4% from 2019. That is one for every 215 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $849K have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Isabella County. Population estimates show Isabella County grew 0.3% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Isabella 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 | Isabella County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 95.9 | 91.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $344K | $422K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 215 | 241 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +7.4% | +4.4% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.3% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,297 | $3,875 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $55,237 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 31 | 66 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 108 → 116+7.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,702
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $47.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 9Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 239105 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 222The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $849K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Isabella 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 Isabella County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 64,691+0.3% since 2020
- Households
- 24,914
- Median age
- 35.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 62%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 573 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 113
- Median household income
- $55,237+22.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $74,389
- Median home value
- $170,400
- Jobs located here
- 26,182
- Daytime population
- 67,374Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Isabella 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 Isabella 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 Isabella 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 |
| 65Isabella County, MI | 31 | 239 | 95.9 | $344K | +0.3% | #1,971 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Isabella County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes31
- Sit-down restaurants39
- Fast food and sandwich shops31
- Pizza40
- Coffee shops and cafes28
- Bakeries and dessert shops26
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 Isabella County, MI?
As of September 2026, map listings count 239 restaurants and cafes in Isabella County. 105 of them (44%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 116 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 7.4% from 2019. Another 9 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Isabella County, MI spend on food away from home?
About $82.1M a year, or $3,297 per household. That is 19% below the U.S. average (an index of 81, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 239 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $344K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 24,914 households in Isabella County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Isabella County, MI compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Isabella County has 95.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $344K, 7% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Isabella County would have about 222, against 239 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 215 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Isabella County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Isabella County at 64,691 people in 2025, up 0.3% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 24,914 households. Median household income in Isabella County is $55,237, 32% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 22.4%, 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. Isabella County scores 31 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,971 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Isabella 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 Isabella County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Isabella 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 Isabella 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.