Market rankings · North Carolina
Restaurants and cafes in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 41,739
- 15,867 chain locations (38%)
- Official establishments
- 19,414
- +8.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $16.2B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 97.5
- 11% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $387K
- 4% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #20 of 51
- Market score 58 · Upper middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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
North Carolina has 41,739 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 15,867 are chain locations, or 38%, against 34% across the U.S. That is 97.5 per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $3,776 per household (7% below the U.S. average), households in North Carolina spend about $16.2B a year on food away from home. That is about $387K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 19,414 businesses with payroll in North Carolina classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 8.5% from 2019. That is one for every 221 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, 665 SBA-backed loans worth $447.3M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #20 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 58 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (80). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest (90).
Every market in North Carolina for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 80 | 2,441 | 98.3 | $425K | +7.5% | #16 of 387 |
| 2Raleigh-Cary, NC | 77 | 5,851 | 101.9 | $442K | +12.6% | #29 of 387 |
| 3Winston-Salem, NC | 73 | 2,263 | 80.4 | $442K | +5.3% | #44 of 387 |
| 4Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 70 | 10,543 | 98.0 | $419K | +10.1% | #62 of 387 |
| 5Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 69 | 414 | 94.1 | $427K | +10.3% | #63 of 387 |
| 6Goldsboro, NC | 62 | 379 | 79.8 | $415K | +3.8% | #112 of 387 |
| 7Rocky Mount, NC | 61 | 473 | 80.9 | $410K | +2.8% | #122 of 387 |
| 8Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 57 | 1,233 | 82.4 | $411K | +3.2% | #144 of 387 |
| 9Greensboro-High Point, NC | 53 | 2,855 | 90.1 | $393K | +4.1% | #170 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 48 | 7,088 | 100.2 | $401K | +0.9% | #202 of 387 |
| 10Jacksonville, NC | 45 | 709 | 94.2 | $369K | +6.0% | #221 of 387 |
| 11Burlington, NC | 44 | 677 | 96.6 | $361K | +8.5% | #232 of 387 |
| 12Greenville, NC | 41 | 683 | 91.6 | $364K | +5.4% | #251 of 387 |
| 13Wilmington, NC | 39 | 2,409 | 120.9 | $319K | +15.9% | #270 of 387 |
| 14Fayetteville, NC | 30 | 1,438 | 96.5 | $349K | +1.6% | #333 of 387 |
| 15Asheville, NC | 26 | 2,073 | 128.5 | $291K | +3.6% | #352 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 90 | 313 | 62.8 | $572K | +12.3% | #4 of 538 |
| 2Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 63 | 309 | 79.5 | $412K | +3.4% | #140 of 538 |
| 3New Bern, NC | 63 | 460 | 87.7 | $388K | +3.6% | #142 of 538 |
| 4North Wilkesboro, NC | 62 | 191 | 70.5 | $427K | +0.6% | #147 of 538 |
| 5Sanford, NC | 56 | 230 | 91.5 | $373K | +10.8% | #202 of 538 |
| 6Laurinburg, NC | 55 | 83 | 66.0 | $448K | −0.3% | #208 of 538 |
| 7Marion, NC | 55 | 153 | 82.1 | $390K | +1.5% | #211 of 538 |
| 8Albemarle, NC | 55 | 236 | 93.5 | $361K | +9.8% | #216 of 538 |
| 9Forest City, NC | 55 | 232 | 87.1 | $355K | +2.1% | #217 of 538 |
| 10Wilson, NC | 54 | 277 | 83.8 | $385K | +1.7% | #220 of 538 |
| 11Lumberton, NC | 52 | 359 | 83.2 | $338K | +3.4% | #249 of 538 |
| 12Roanoke Rapids, NC | 51 | 203 | 71.9 | $417K | −4.3% | #250 of 538 |
| 13Washington, NC | 50 | 171 | 88.2 | $374K | 0.0% | #259 of 538 |
| 14Kinston, NC | 49 | 198 | 84.8 | $346K | +1.4% | #268 of 538 |
| 15Henderson, NC | 46 | 136 | 84.2 | $367K | +0.2% | #306 of 538 |
| 16Rockingham, NC | 45 | 131 | 76.9 | $375K | −1.6% | #315 of 538 |
| 17Waynesville, NC | 45 | 266 | 98.1 | $346K | +1.9% | #318 of 538 |
| 18Brevard, NC | 42 | 159 | 109.0 | $324K | +2.9% | #357 of 538 |
| 19Elizabeth City, NC | 41 | 168 | 106.4 | $323K | +4.5% | #367 of 538 |
| 20Morehead City, NC | 37 | 465 | 145.4 | $258K | +4.1% | #403 of 538 |
| 21Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35 | 530 | 314.8 | $134K | +3.3% | #423 of 538 |
| 22Mount Airy, NC | 32 | 316 | 105.8 | $302K | +1.3% | #443 of 538 |
| 23Boone, NC | 19 | 308 | 145.3 | $228K | +0.6% | #522 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Camden County, NC | 93 | 19 | 47.4 | $851K | +8.8% | #8 of 2,405 |
| 2Chatham County, NC | 90 | 215 | 65.1 | $687K | +11.0% | #25 of 2,405 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 89 | 141 | 49.4 | $741K | +18.8% | #30 of 2,405 |
| 4Hoke County, NC | 85 | 95 | 49.3 | $704K | +9.0% | #60 of 2,405 |
| 5Union County, NC | 84 | 649 | 77.0 | $596K | +11.7% | #71 of 2,405 |
| 6Davie County, NC | 83 | 109 | 63.1 | $610K | +6.9% | #89 of 2,405 |
| 7Lincoln County, NC | 82 | 258 | 70.1 | $567K | +13.2% | #108 of 2,405 |
| 8Johnston County, NC | 81 | 640 | 74.8 | $529K | +17.9% | #124 of 2,405 |
| 9Harnett County, NC | 80 | 313 | 62.8 | $572K | +12.3% | #137 of 2,405 |
| 10Granville County, NC | 77 | 135 | 60.1 | $613K | +2.1% | #191 of 2,405 |
| 11Perquimans County, NC | 76 | 39 | 69.5 | $503K | +3.6% | #222 of 2,405 |
| 12Davidson County, NC | 74 | 429 | 61.4 | $561K | +6.6% | #260 of 2,405 |
| 13Person County, NC | 74 | 106 | 66.0 | $529K | +3.7% | #266 of 2,405 |
| 14Alexander County, NC | 71 | 64 | 45.3 | $728K | +1.5% | #356 of 2,405 |
| 15Yancey County, NC | 71 | 54 | 66.4 | $511K | +3.2% | #371 of 2,405 |
| 16Madison County, NC | 71 | 58 | 69.5 | $480K | +5.9% | #377 of 2,405 |
| 17Caswell County, NC | 70 | 30 | 34.0 | $928K | +0.4% | #386 of 2,405 |
| 18Stokes County, NC | 70 | 113 | 57.8 | $558K | +3.5% | #396 of 2,405 |
| 19Rowan County, NC | 68 | 422 | 71.6 | $486K | +5.6% | #449 of 2,405 |
| 20Cabarrus County, NC | 67 | 736 | 87.4 | $482K | +9.9% | #482 of 2,405 |
| 21Gates County, NC | 66 | 20 | 47.7 | $676K | −2.1% | #502 of 2,405 |
| 22Gaston County, NC | 66 | 735 | 78.5 | $455K | +7.8% | #516 of 2,405 |
| 23Orange County, NC | 66 | 627 | 109.3 | $401K | +6.1% | #525 of 2,405 |
| 24Randolph County, NC | 65 | 375 | 65.0 | $507K | +3.5% | #550 of 2,405 |
| 25Rockingham County, NC | 65 | 257 | 64.9 | $494K | +3.3% | #553 of 2,405 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Greene County, NC | 64 | 38 | 55.0 | $535K | +1.3% | #588 of 2,405 |
| 27Wake County, NC | 64 | 5,070 | 110.2 | $423K | +11.2% | #613 of 2,405 |
| 28Henderson County, NC | 64 | 442 | 86.6 | $419K | +5.0% | #615 of 2,405 |
| 29Iredell County, NC | 64 | 735 | 96.3 | $416K | +12.9% | #618 of 2,405 |
| 30Moore County, NC | 63 | 414 | 94.1 | $427K | +10.3% | #642 of 2,405 |
| 31Bertie County, NC | 62 | 35 | 49.0 | $640K | −3.6% | #656 of 2,405 |
| 32Northampton County, NC | 61 | 38 | 48.4 | $643K | −5.4% | #702 of 2,405 |
| 33Brunswick County, NC | 61 | 650 | 94.0 | $402K | +26.5% | #727 of 2,405 |
| 34Pender County, NC | 61 | 252 | 99.6 | $391K | +19.0% | #732 of 2,405 |
| 35Durham County, NC | 60 | 1,493 | 105.3 | $391K | +7.7% | #778 of 2,405 |
| 36Montgomery County, NC | 59 | 77 | 72.3 | $451K | +2.7% | #793 of 2,405 |
| 37Duplin County, NC | 59 | 159 | 76.5 | $406K | +6.0% | #805 of 2,405 |
| 38Yadkin County, NC | 59 | 129 | 85.9 | $396K | +2.9% | #809 of 2,405 |
| 39Burke County, NC | 56 | 258 | 71.1 | $460K | +1.6% | #908 of 2,405 |
| 40Edgecombe County, NC | 56 | 144 | 73.3 | $424K | +0.7% | #918 of 2,405 |
| 41Caldwell County, NC | 55 | 215 | 65.3 | $491K | +0.7% | #939 of 2,405 |
| 42Sampson County, NC | 55 | 159 | 73.6 | $421K | +4.1% | #956 of 2,405 |
| 43Warren County, NC | 55 | 60 | 73.6 | $413K | +1.6% | #963 of 2,405 |
| 44Clay County, NC | 55 | 46 | 90.5 | $371K | +9.9% | #987 of 2,405 |
| 45Wayne County, NC | 54 | 379 | 79.8 | $415K | +3.8% | #1,007 of 2,405 |
| 46Chowan County, NC | 53 | 49 | 79.9 | $423K | +2.8% | #1,048 of 2,405 |
| 47Nash County, NC | 53 | 329 | 84.8 | $404K | +3.9% | #1,054 of 2,405 |
| 48Pamlico County, NC | 53 | 46 | 84.3 | $396K | +3.7% | #1,058 of 2,405 |
| 49Cleveland County, NC | 52 | 309 | 79.5 | $412K | +3.4% | #1,091 of 2,405 |
| 50Forsyth County, NC | 52 | 1,483 | 92.7 | $390K | +5.0% | #1,102 of 2,405 |
| 51Mecklenburg County, NC | 52 | 5,623 | 120.5 | $353K | +10.5% | #1,110 of 2,405 |
| 52Wilkes County, NC | 51 | 191 | 70.5 | $427K | +0.6% | #1,129 of 2,405 |
| 53Ashe County, NC | 48 | 102 | 83.6 | $385K | +3.5% | #1,272 of 2,405 |
| 54Lee County, NC | 48 | 230 | 91.5 | $373K | +10.8% | #1,276 of 2,405 |
| 55Craven County, NC | 47 | 393 | 91.7 | $375K | +3.5% | #1,313 of 2,405 |
| 56Onslow County, NC | 47 | 709 | 94.2 | $369K | +6.0% | #1,315 of 2,405 |
| 57Alamance County, NC | 47 | 677 | 96.6 | $361K | +8.5% | #1,318 of 2,405 |
| 58Stanly County, NC | 47 | 236 | 93.5 | $361K | +9.8% | #1,319 of 2,405 |
| 59Polk County, NC | 47 | 103 | 114.8 | $318K | +6.0% | #1,332 of 2,405 |
| 60Scotland County, NC | 46 | 83 | 66.0 | $448K | −0.3% | #1,336 of 2,405 |
| 61Guilford County, NC | 46 | 2,223 | 101.2 | $362K | +4.4% | #1,360 of 2,405 |
| 62Anson County, NC | 45 | 52 | 60.8 | $472K | −2.1% | #1,373 of 2,405 |
| 63McDowell County, NC | 44 | 153 | 82.1 | $390K | +1.5% | #1,441 of 2,405 |
| 64Wilson County, NC | 44 | 277 | 83.8 | $385K | +1.7% | #1,444 of 2,405 |
| 65Pitt County, NC | 44 | 683 | 91.6 | $364K | +5.4% | #1,455 of 2,405 |
| 66Rutherford County, NC | 44 | 232 | 87.1 | $355K | +2.1% | #1,464 of 2,405 |
| 67Currituck County, NC | 44 | 171 | 144.4 | $299K | +16.7% | #1,474 of 2,405 |
| 68Mitchell County, NC | 41 | 55 | 83.5 | $384K | +1.1% | #1,562 of 2,405 |
| 69Catawba County, NC | 41 | 696 | 105.1 | $338K | +5.8% | #1,580 of 2,405 |
| 70Robeson County, NC | 41 | 359 | 83.2 | $338K | +3.4% | #1,581 of 2,405 |
| 71Beaufort County, NC | 40 | 171 | 88.2 | $374K | 0.0% | #1,606 of 2,405 |
| 72Bladen County, NC | 40 | 96 | 81.2 | $362K | +1.3% | #1,612 of 2,405 |
| 73Lenoir County, NC | 38 | 198 | 84.8 | $346K | +1.4% | #1,698 of 2,405 |
| 74Martin County, NC | 37 | 77 | 81.0 | $368K | −1.6% | #1,729 of 2,405 |
| 75Vance County, NC | 37 | 136 | 84.2 | $367K | +0.2% | #1,731 of 2,405 |
| 76New Hanover County, NC | 37 | 1,507 | 143.7 | $270K | +8.6% | #1,760 of 2,405 |
| 77Richmond County, NC | 36 | 131 | 76.9 | $375K | −1.6% | #1,765 of 2,405 |
| 78Haywood County, NC | 36 | 266 | 98.1 | $346K | +1.9% | #1,778 of 2,405 |
| 79Alleghany County, NC | 36 | 53 | 102.4 | $287K | +5.4% | #1,800 of 2,405 |
| 80Columbus County, NC | 34 | 168 | 83.8 | $360K | 0.0% | #1,862 of 2,405 |
| 81Transylvania County, NC | 34 | 159 | 109.0 | $324K | +2.9% | #1,874 of 2,405 |
| 82Pasquotank County, NC | 34 | 168 | 106.4 | $323K | +4.5% | #1,875 of 2,405 |
| 83Cherokee County, NC | 33 | 142 | 107.2 | $289K | +6.8% | #1,925 of 2,405 |
| 84Macon County, NC | 31 | 212 | 115.2 | $292K | +5.8% | #1,991 of 2,405 |
| 85Carteret County, NC | 31 | 465 | 145.4 | $258K | +4.1% | #1,997 of 2,405 |
| 86Dare County, NC | 31 | 530 | 314.8 | $134K | +3.3% | #2,007 of 2,405 |
| 87Buncombe County, NC | 30 | 1,573 | 154.4 | $248K | +2.9% | #2,047 of 2,405 |
| 88Washington County, NC | 29 | 41 | 86.4 | $337K | −3.1% | #2,060 of 2,405 |
| 89Halifax County, NC | 28 | 165 | 80.9 | $365K | −3.9% | #2,086 of 2,405 |
| 90Jackson County, NC | 28 | 264 | 143.2 | $226K | +6.9% | #2,113 of 2,405 |
| 91Cumberland County, NC | 27 | 1,343 | 103.5 | $323K | +0.4% | #2,124 of 2,405 |
| 92Surry County, NC | 27 | 316 | 105.8 | $302K | +1.3% | #2,129 of 2,405 |
| 93Hertford County, NC | 21 | 78 | 94.1 | $317K | −11.2% | #2,267 of 2,405 |
| 94Swain County, NC | 19 | 63 | 104.8 | $315K | −0.6% | #2,297 of 2,405 |
| 95Avery County, NC | 19 | 111 | 163.5 | $212K | +1.1% | #2,313 of 2,405 |
| 96Watauga County, NC | 16 | 308 | 145.3 | $228K | +0.6% | #2,362 of 2,405 |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 21 | 50.9 | $622K | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 24 | 68.1 | $461K | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 44 | 226.9 | $126K | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 13 | 84.0 | $330K | +9.3% |
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 North Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 41,739 restaurants and cafes in North Carolina. 15,867 of them (38%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 19,414 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 8.5% from 2019. Official counts list 3,788 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on food away from home?
About $16.2B a year, or $3,776 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 41,739 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $387K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
North Carolina has 97.5 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $387K, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, North Carolina would have about 43,613, against 41,739 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 221 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest, at 90 (very high). Among 96 scored counties in North Carolina, Camden County scores highest, at 93 (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. North Carolina scores 58 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #20 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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Sit-down restaurants22,819 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops5,755 listings
- Pizza3,190 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes3,980 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops3,724 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.