Market rankings · New Mexico
Restaurants and cafes in New Mexico
Every metro area, small-town market and county in New Mexico, ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 8,110
- 2,982 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 3,500
- +5.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 96.8
- 12% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $366K
- In line with the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #36 of 51
- Market score 42 · Lower middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in New Mexico by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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
There are 8,110 restaurants and cafes on map listings in New Mexico as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 37% of them, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 96.8, 12% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in New Mexico comes to about $3B a year: $3,547 per household, 13% below the U.S. average. That is about $366K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K.
Official counts show 3,500 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in New Mexico in 2023, up 5.3% from 2019. That is one for every 239 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 90 SBA-backed loans worth $47.3M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in New Mexico.
Among the 50 states and DC, New Mexico ranks #36 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 42 (lower middle). Of the 4 scored metro areas in or partly in New Mexico, the Las Cruces metro area scores highest (67). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in New Mexico, the Los Alamos area scores highest (84).
Every market in New Mexico for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in New Mexico, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Las Cruces, NM | 67 | 661 | 77.9 | $420K | +4.1% | #79 of 387 |
| 2Albuquerque, NM | 53 | 3,521 | 93.6 | $397K | +0.8% | #169 of 387 |
| 3Santa Fe, NM | 33 | 859 | 121.4 | $330K | +1.2% | #311 of 387 |
| 4Farmington, NM | 32 | 372 | 89.1 | $371K | −0.9% | #317 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Los Alamos, NM | 84 | 61 | 74.0 | $747K | 0.0% | #15 of 538 |
| 2Alamogordo, NM | 74 | 188 | 76.8 | $427K | +3.7% | #56 of 538 |
| 3Española, NM | 71 | 96 | 61.4 | $542K | −1.0% | #71 of 538 |
| 4Las Vegas, NM | 58 | 92 | 66.2 | $461K | −3.2% | #182 of 538 |
| 5Carlsbad-Artesia, NM | 56 | 254 | 107.5 | $358K | +0.3% | #204 of 538 |
| 6Hobbs, NM | 35 | 291 | 118.0 | $309K | +0.2% | #413 of 538 |
| 7Deming, NM | 31 | 87 | 94.3 | $285K | −0.2% | #454 of 538 |
| 8Clovis, NM | 30 | 253 | 97.2 | $327K | −3.3% | #455 of 538 |
| 9Roswell, NM | 29 | 231 | 97.4 | $325K | −2.7% | #464 of 538 |
| 10Silver City, NM | 23 | 113 | 100.0 | $306K | −3.4% | #496 of 538 |
| 11Taos, NM | 23 | 215 | 138.3 | $247K | +0.3% | #499 of 538 |
| 12Gallup, NM | 16 | 206 | 96.5 | $309K | −6.1% | #527 of 538 |
| 13Ruidoso, NM | 10 | 182 | 182.0 | $176K | −2.3% | #536 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sandoval County, NM | 90 | 317 | 55.7 | $731K | +6.9% | #23 of 2,405 |
| 2Los Alamos County, NM | 78 | 61 | 74.0 | $747K | 0.0% | #165 of 2,405 |
| 3Valencia County, NM | 73 | 185 | 67.1 | $499K | +7.2% | #314 of 2,405 |
| 4Torrance County, NM | 67 | 46 | 76.0 | $418K | +6.9% | #497 of 2,405 |
| 5Rio Arriba County, NM | 63 | 96 | 61.4 | $542K | −1.0% | #627 of 2,405 |
| 6Otero County, NM | 62 | 188 | 76.8 | $427K | +3.7% | #683 of 2,405 |
| 7Doña Ana County, NM | 60 | 661 | 77.9 | $420K | +4.1% | #765 of 2,405 |
| 8San Miguel County, NM | 47 | 82 | 68.7 | $444K | −3.2% | #1,297 of 2,405 |
| 9Eddy County, NM | 45 | 254 | 107.5 | $358K | +0.3% | #1,408 of 2,405 |
| 10Roosevelt County, NM | 42 | 55 | 73.9 | $411K | −2.8% | #1,517 of 2,405 |
| 11Santa Fe County, NM | 39 | 859 | 121.4 | $330K | +1.2% | #1,661 of 2,405 |
| 12San Juan County, NM | 35 | 372 | 89.1 | $371K | −0.9% | #1,815 of 2,405 |
| 13Bernalillo County, NM | 35 | 2,973 | 104.1 | $354K | −1.4% | #1,818 of 2,405 |
| 14Cibola County, NM | 33 | 78 | 91.7 | $332K | −0.6% | #1,907 of 2,405 |
| 15Lea County, NM | 29 | 291 | 118.0 | $309K | +0.2% | #2,072 of 2,405 |
| 16Luna County, NM | 25 | 87 | 94.3 | $285K | −0.2% | #2,190 of 2,405 |
| 17Chaves County, NM | 24 | 231 | 97.4 | $325K | −2.7% | #2,206 of 2,405 |
| 18Sierra County, NM | 21 | 55 | 101.1 | $268K | −1.4% | #2,274 of 2,405 |
| 19Grant County, NM | 20 | 113 | 100.0 | $306K | −3.4% | #2,281 of 2,405 |
| 20Curry County, NM | 19 | 198 | 106.5 | $303K | −3.5% | #2,300 of 2,405 |
| 21Taos County, NM | 19 | 215 | 138.3 | $247K | +0.3% | #2,311 of 2,405 |
| 22McKinley County, NM | 14 | 206 | 96.5 | $309K | −6.1% | #2,371 of 2,405 |
| 23Socorro County, NM | 11 | 50 | 94.9 | $291K | −4.3% | #2,388 of 2,405 |
| 24Colfax County, NM | 9 | 85 | 158.3 | $197K | −1.4% | #2,398 of 2,405 |
| 25Lincoln County, NM | 9 | 182 | 182.0 | $176K | −2.3% | #2,400 of 2,405 |
Show all 33 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quay County, NM | Not scored | 58 | 132.1 | $227K | −3.0% | |
| Guadalupe County, NM | Not scored | 32 | 214.8 | $150K | −2.2% | |
| Mora County, NM | Not scored | 10 | 50.8 | $597K | −3.3% | |
| Hidalgo County, NM | Not scored | 21 | 142.1 | $216K | −5.6% | |
| Union County, NM | Not scored | 20 | 139.1 | $218K | −5.5% | |
| Catron County, NM | Not scored | 23 | 128.6 | $219K | +6.1% | |
| De Baca County, NM | Not scored | 5 | 61.0 | $487K | −2.4% | |
| Harding County, NM | Not scored | 1 | 35.0 | $966K | −5.4% |
Markets with fewer than 5 restaurants and cafes on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many restaurants and cafes are in New Mexico?
As of September 2026, map listings count 8,110 restaurants and cafes in New Mexico. 2,982 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 3,500 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 5.3% from 2019. Another 784 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in New Mexico spend on food away from home?
About $3B a year, or $3,547 per household. That is 13% below the U.S. average (an index of 87, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 8,110 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $366K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 837,414 households in New Mexico and national spending patterns by income.
How does New Mexico compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
New Mexico has 96.8 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 12% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $366K, in line with the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, New Mexico would have about 8,010, against 8,110 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 239 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in New Mexico has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 4 scored metro areas in or partly in New Mexico, the Las Cruces metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in New Mexico, the Los Alamos area scores highest, at 84 (high). Among 25 scored counties in New Mexico, Sandoval County scores highest, at 90 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
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. New Mexico scores 42 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #36 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in New Mexico. 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.
Restaurants and cafes in other states
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Top markets for restaurants and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in New Mexico
Related business types in New Mexico
- Sit-down restaurants4,436 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops1,081 listings
- Pizza497 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes999 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops690 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in New Mexico?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.