Food and drink · County · Nevada
Restaurants and cafes in Washoe County, NV
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Washoe County, NV, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 55 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #980 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 9 scored counties in Nevada
- Listings
- 2,175
- 781 chain locations (36%)
- Official establishments
- 945
- +10.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $836.8M
- On food away from home · $4,199 a household
- Spending per listing
- $385K
- 4% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 109.1
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 509,386
- +4.4% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Washoe 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 Washoe 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 2,175 restaurants and cafes in Washoe County. 781 of them (36%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 109.1, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in Washoe County comes to about $836.8M a year: $4,199 per household, 3% above the U.S. average. That works out to $385K per restaurant, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washoe County was 945 in 2023, up 10.7% from 2019. That is one for every 211 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 143 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 46 SBA-backed loans worth $28.2M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washoe County.
Population estimates show Washoe County grew 4.4% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Washoe County has a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle): #980 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 9 scored counties in Nevada.
How Washoe County compares
The same measures for Nevada 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 | Washoe County | Nevada | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 109.1 | 130.3 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $385K | $302K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 211 | 194 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.7% | +15.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.4% | +5.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,199 | $3,930 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $88,096 | $78,260 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 55 | 32 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 854 → 945+10.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 17,162
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $431.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 143Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2,175781 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 2,257The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 46
- Amount
- $28.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Washoe 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 Washoe County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 509,386+4.4% since 2020
- Households
- 199,296
- Median age
- 40.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 60%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 6,316 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 79
- Median household income
- $88,096+36.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $120,937
- Median home value
- $539,900
- Jobs located here
- 242,902
- Daytime population
- 492,944Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washoe 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 Washoe 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 Nevada
Every Nevada market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Nevada for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Nevada, with Washoe County marked.
Top counties in Nevada
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lyon County, NV | 84 | 167 | 70.3 | $547K | +9.5% | #75 of 2,405 |
| 2Nye County, NV | 66 | 193 | 87.0 | $395K | +10.3% | #526 of 2,405 |
| 3Washoe County, NV | 55 | 2,175 | 109.1 | $385K | +4.4% | #980 of 2,405 |
| 4Churchill County, NV | 51 | 91 | 95.6 | $396K | +1.1% | #1,142 of 2,405 |
| 5Douglas County, NV | 47 | 255 | 119.6 | $360K | +1.2% | #1,321 of 2,405 |
| 6Elko County, NV | 46 | 228 | 116.2 | $342K | +2.1% | #1,365 of 2,405 |
| 7Clark County, NV | 38 | 11,972 | 138.8 | $280K | +5.8% | #1,720 of 2,405 |
| 8Humboldt County, NV | 31 | 81 | 117.2 | $322K | 0.0% | #1,978 of 2,405 |
| 9Carson City, NV | 26 | 307 | 129.6 | $287K | −0.2% | #2,161 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Washoe County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes55
- Sit-down restaurants60
- Fast food and sandwich shops62
- Pizza68
- Coffee shops and cafes50
- Bakeries and dessert shops61
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 Washoe County, NV?
Washoe County has 2,175 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 781 of them (36%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 945 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 10.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 143 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Washoe County, NV spend on food away from home?
About $836.8M a year, or $4,199 per household. That is 3% above the U.S. average (an index of 103, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,175 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $385K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 199,296 households in Washoe County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washoe County, NV compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Washoe County has 109.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $385K, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Washoe County would have about 2,257, against 2,175 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 211 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Washoe County, NV growing?
Population estimates put Washoe County at 509,386 people in 2025, up 4.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 199,296 households. The median household income in Washoe County is $88,096 a year, 9% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 36.0% 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. Washoe County scores 55 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #980 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washoe 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 Washoe County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washoe 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 Washoe 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.