Food and drink · County · New York
Restaurants and cafes in Rensselaer County, NY
The restaurants and cafes in Rensselaer County, NY, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 59 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #790 of 2,405 scored counties
#9 of 61 scored counties in New York
- Listings
- 593
- 149 chain locations (25%)
- Official establishments
- 283
- +1.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $273.7M
- On food away from home · $4,105 a household
- Spending per listing
- $462K
- 24% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 88.9
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 160,510
- −0.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer 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 $4,105 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Rensselaer County spend about $273.7M a year on food away from home. Spread across 593 restaurants and cafes, that is $462K per restaurant, 24% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 593 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Rensselaer County as of September 2026. Of those, 149 are chain locations, or 25%, against 34% across the U.S. That is 88.9 per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rensselaer County was 283 in 2023, up 1.1% from 2019. That is one for every 236 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 52 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $1.1M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rensselaer County.
Population estimates show Rensselaer County declined 0.2% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Rensselaer County is 59 (upper middle), #790 of 2,405 scored counties and #9 of 61 scored counties in New York.
How Rensselaer County compares
The same measures for New York 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 | Rensselaer County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 88.9 | 127.6 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $462K | $335K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 236 | 172 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +1.1% | +0.5% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.2% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,105 | $4,270 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $87,915 | $85,974 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 59 | 24 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 280 → 283+1.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,622
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $84.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 52Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 593149 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 738The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $1.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 160,510−0.2% since 2020
- Households
- 66,686
- Median age
- 41.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 65%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 653 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 246
- Median household income
- $87,915+27.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $107,086
- Median home value
- $258,400
- Jobs located here
- 52,657
- Daytime population
- 135,820Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer 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 York
Every New York market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New York for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in New York, with Rensselaer County marked.
Top counties in New York
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wayne County, NY | 67 | 273 | 71.1 | $521K | +0.1% | #474 of 2,405 |
| 2Saratoga County, NY | 67 | 933 | 91.6 | $497K | +2.3% | #479 of 2,405 |
| 3Orleans County, NY | 65 | 106 | 65.4 | $531K | −0.5% | #545 of 2,405 |
| 4Tioga County, NY | 65 | 150 | 73.7 | $509K | −1.9% | #549 of 2,405 |
| 5Schenectady County, NY | 65 | 594 | 88.8 | $448K | +3.0% | #568 of 2,405 |
| 6Schoharie County, NY | 64 | 110 | 85.5 | $428K | +1.4% | #612 of 2,405 |
| 7Wyoming County, NY | 62 | 115 | 69.9 | $508K | −1.3% | #661 of 2,405 |
| 8Putnam County, NY | 60 | 372 | 104.7 | $487K | +1.4% | #748 of 2,405 |
| 9Rensselaer County, NY | 59 | 593 | 88.9 | $462K | −0.2% | #790 of 2,405 |
| 10Oswego County, NY | 57 | 400 | 84.7 | $428K | +1.0% | #872 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Rensselaer County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes59
- Sit-down restaurants57
- Fast food and sandwich shops67
- Pizza54
- Coffee shops and cafes59
- Bakeries and dessert shops43
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 Rensselaer County, NY?
As of September 2026, map listings count 593 restaurants and cafes in Rensselaer County. 149 of them (25%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 283 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 1.1% from 2019. Official counts also show 52 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Rensselaer County, NY spend on food away from home?
About $273.7M a year, or $4,105 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 593 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $462K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 66,686 households in Rensselaer County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Rensselaer County, NY compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Rensselaer County has 88.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $462K, 24% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Rensselaer County would have about 738, against 593 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 236 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Rensselaer County, NY growing?
Population estimates put Rensselaer County at 160,510 people in 2025, down 0.2% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 66,686 households. Median household income in Rensselaer County is $87,915, 9% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 27.4%, 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. Rensselaer County scores 59 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #790 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer 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.