Food and drink · County · New Hampshire
Restaurants and cafes in Strafford County, NH
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Strafford County, NH, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 65 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #557 of 2,405 scored counties
#2 of 10 scored counties in New Hampshire
- Listings
- 463
- 135 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 241
- +3.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $223.2M
- On food away from home · $4,286 a household
- Spending per listing
- $482K
- 30% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 88.9
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 135,043
- +3.0% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Strafford 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 Strafford 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
At $4,286 per household (5% above the U.S. average), households in Strafford County spend about $223.2M a year on food away from home. That works out to $482K per restaurant, 30% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 463 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Strafford County as of September 2026. Of those, 135 are chain locations, or 29%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 88.9, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Strafford County was 241 in 2023, up 3.9% from 2019. That is one for every 216 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 24 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 25 SBA-backed loans worth $6.3M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Strafford County.
Population estimates put the population change in Strafford County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.0%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Strafford County is 65 (upper middle), #557 of 2,405 scored counties and #2 of 10 scored counties in New Hampshire. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Strafford County compares
The same measures for New Hampshire 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 | Strafford County | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 88.9 | 108.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $482K | $413K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 216 | 186 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.9% | +3.0% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.0% | +2.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,286 | $4,493 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $88,570 | $99,031 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 65 | 60 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 232 → 241+3.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,115
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $93.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 24Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 463135 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 602The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 25
- Amount
- $6.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Strafford 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 Strafford County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 135,043+3.0% since 2020
- Households
- 52,080
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 368 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 361
- Median household income
- $88,570+21.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $114,189
- Median home value
- $362,800
- Jobs located here
- 49,807
- Daytime population
- 117,713Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Strafford 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 Strafford 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 New Hampshire
Every New Hampshire market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New Hampshire for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in New Hampshire, with Strafford County marked.
Top counties in New Hampshire
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sullivan County, NH | 74 | 133 | 80.0 | $493K | +2.1% | #270 of 2,405 |
| 2Strafford County, NH | 65 | 463 | 88.9 | $482K | +3.0% | #557 of 2,405 |
| 3Merrimack County, NH | 64 | 538 | 88.3 | $494K | +2.6% | #596 of 2,405 |
| 4Hillsborough County, NH | 64 | 1,597 | 94.6 | $489K | +2.5% | #597 of 2,405 |
| 5Cheshire County, NH | 58 | 310 | 101.2 | $397K | +2.3% | #845 of 2,405 |
| 6Rockingham County, NH | 53 | 1,598 | 125.3 | $396K | +3.0% | #1,057 of 2,405 |
| 7Belknap County, NH | 41 | 329 | 124.9 | $340K | +2.1% | #1,579 of 2,405 |
| 8Carroll County, NH | 35 | 376 | 172.1 | $240K | +5.0% | #1,850 of 2,405 |
| 9Grafton County, NH | 34 | 549 | 148.0 | $286K | +2.2% | #1,888 of 2,405 |
| 10Coos County, NH | 29 | 158 | 112.8 | $294K | +0.4% | #2,074 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Strafford County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes65
- Sit-down restaurants70
- Fast food and sandwich shops76
- Pizza67
- Coffee shops and cafes46
- Bakeries and dessert shops44
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 Strafford County, NH?
As of September 2026, map listings count 463 restaurants and cafes in Strafford County. 135 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 241 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 3.9% from 2019. Official counts list 24 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Strafford County, NH spend on food away from home?
About $223.2M a year, or $4,286 per household. That is 5% above the U.S. average (an index of 105, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 463 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $482K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 52,080 households in Strafford County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Strafford County, NH compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Strafford County has 88.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $482K, 30% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Strafford County would have about 602, against 463 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 216 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Strafford County, NH growing?
Population estimates put Strafford County at 135,043 people in 2025, up 3.0% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 52,080 households. Median household income in Strafford County is $88,570, 10% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 21.4%, 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. Strafford County scores 65 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #557 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Strafford 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 Strafford County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Strafford 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 Strafford 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.