Food and drink · County · New Mexico
Restaurants and cafes in Valencia County, NM
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Valencia County, NM, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 73 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #314 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 25 scored counties in New Mexico
- Listings
- 185
- 81 chain locations (44%)
- Official establishments
- 82
- +3.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $92.4M
- On food away from home · $3,348 a household
- Spending per listing
- $499K
- 35% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 67.1
- 39% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 82,013
- +7.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Valencia 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 Valencia 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 185 restaurants and cafes in Valencia County. Of those, 81 are chain locations, or 44%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 67.1, 39% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Valencia County spend about $92.4M a year on food away from home, or $3,348 per household, 18% below the U.S. average. That works out to $499K per restaurant, 35% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
Official counts show 82 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Valencia County in 2023, up 3.8% from 2019. That is one for every 336 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 19 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $776K have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Valencia County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Valencia County grew 7.2%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Valencia County scores 73 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #314 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 25 scored counties in New Mexico. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Valencia County compares
The same measures for New Mexico 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 | Valencia County | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 67.1 | 96.8 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $499K | $366K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 336 | 239 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.8% | +5.3% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +7.2% | +0.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,348 | $3,547 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $58,933 | $64,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 73 | 42 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 79 → 82+3.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,541
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $29.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 19Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 18581 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 249The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $776K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Valencia 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 Valencia County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 82,013+7.2% since 2020
- Households
- 27,583
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 83%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.2
- Land area
- 1,067 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 74
- Median household income
- $58,933+20.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $79,665
- Median home value
- $223,000
- Jobs located here
- 16,710
- Daytime population
- 63,523Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Valencia 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 Valencia 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 Mexico
Every New Mexico market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New Mexico for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in New Mexico, with Valencia County marked.
Top counties in New Mexico
| 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 |
Other business types in Valencia County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes73
- Sit-down restaurants74
- Fast food and sandwich shops58
- Pizza72
- Coffee shops and cafes69
- Bakeries and dessert shops74
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 Valencia County, NM?
There are 185 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Valencia County as of September 2026. 81 of them (44%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 82 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 3.8% from 2019. Another 19 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Valencia County, NM spend on food away from home?
About $92.4M a year, or $3,348 per household. That is 18% below the U.S. average (an index of 82, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 185 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $499K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 27,583 households in Valencia County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Valencia County, NM compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Valencia County has 67.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 39% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $499K, 35% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Valencia County would have about 249, against 185 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 336 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Valencia County, NM growing?
Population estimates put Valencia County at 82,013 people in 2025, up 7.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 27,583 households. The median household income in Valencia County is $58,933 a year, 27% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 20.4% 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. Valencia County scores 73 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #314 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Valencia 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 Valencia County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Valencia 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 Valencia 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.