Food and drink · County · Mississippi
Restaurants and cafes in Washington County, MS
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Washington County, MS, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 20 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,290 of 2,405 scored counties
#58 of 67 scored counties in Mississippi
- Listings
- 186
- 50 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 60
- +3.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $48.8M
- On food away from home · $2,853 a household
- Spending per listing
- $263K
- 29% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 108.7
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 40,446
- −9.4% 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
For restaurants and cafes, Washington County has a Groundwork market score of 20 (low): #2,290 of 2,405 scored counties and #58 of 67 scored counties in Mississippi. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 186 restaurants and cafes in Washington County. 50 of them (27%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 108.7, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Washington County spend about $48.8M a year on food away from home, or $2,853 per household, 30% below the U.S. average. That works out to $263K per restaurant, 29% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 60 businesses with payroll in Washington County classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 3.5% from 2019. That is one for every 285 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $329K have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washington County. Population estimates show Washington County declined 9.4% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Mississippi 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 | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 108.7 | 99.6 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $263K | $330K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 285 | 230 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.5% | +9.8% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −9.4% | −0.1% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $2,853 | $3,288 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $42,165 | $56,447 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 20 | 25 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 58 → 60+3.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,331
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $20.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 38Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 18650 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 132The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $329K
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
- 40,446−9.4% since 2020
- Households
- 17,113
- Median age
- 38.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 60%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 724 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 59
- Median household income
- $42,165+42.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $60,222
- Median home value
- $104,000
- Jobs located here
- 15,180
- Daytime population
- 41,627Residents 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 Mississippi
Every Mississippi market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Mississippi for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Mississippi, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Mississippi
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Greene County, MS | 73 | 16 | 38.9 | $819K | +1.3% | #283 of 2,405 |
| 2Perry County, MS | 67 | 22 | 47.3 | $619K | +1.1% | #467 of 2,405 |
| 3Smith County, MS | 65 | 24 | 42.9 | $735K | −1.5% | #532 of 2,405 |
| 4Walthall County, MS | 64 | 30 | 56.7 | $548K | +0.4% | #587 of 2,405 |
| 5Amite County, MS | 63 | 16 | 27.4 | $975K | −1.7% | #623 of 2,405 |
| 6Marshall County, MS | 63 | 95 | 72.0 | $443K | +2.6% | #636 of 2,405 |
| 7Itawamba County, MS | 62 | 62 | 64.5 | $507K | +1.3% | #662 of 2,405 |
| 8George County, MS | 61 | 70 | 75.3 | $448K | +8.1% | #719 of 2,405 |
| 9Tate County, MS | 60 | 72 | 65.3 | $523K | +2.1% | #745 of 2,405 |
| 10Jasper County, MS | 58 | 34 | 51.2 | $566K | −3.5% | #818 of 2,405 |
| 58Washington County, MS | 20 | 186 | 108.7 | $263K | −9.4% | #2,290 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 cafes20
- Sit-down restaurants17
- Fast food and sandwich shops21
- Pizza31
- Coffee shops and cafes47
- Bakeries and dessert shops37
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, MS?
Washington County has 186 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 50 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 60 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 3.5% from 2019. Another 38 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington County, MS spend on food away from home?
About $48.8M a year, or $2,853 per household. That is 30% below the U.S. average (an index of 70, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 186 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $263K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 17,113 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, MS compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Washington County has 108.7 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $263K, 29% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Washington County would have about 132, against 186 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 285 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, MS growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 40,446 people in 2025, down 9.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 17,113 households. The median household income in Washington County is $42,165 a year, 48% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 42.0% 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 20 for restaurants and cafes (low), #2,290 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.