Food and drink · County · North Carolina
Restaurants and cafes in Davidson County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Davidson County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 74 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #260 of 2,405 scored counties
#12 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 429
- 160 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 231
- +13.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $240.8M
- On food away from home · $3,447 a household
- Spending per listing
- $561K
- 51% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 61.4
- 44% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 180,182
- +6.6% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Davidson 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 Davidson 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
Households in Davidson County spend about $240.8M a year on food away from home, or $3,447 per household, 15% below the U.S. average. That works out to $561K per restaurant, 51% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 429 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Davidson County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 37% of them, against 34% across the U.S. That is 61.4 per 10,000 households, 44% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
In 2023, official counts showed 231 businesses with payroll in Davidson County classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 13.2% from 2019. That is one for every 302 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 50 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $1.7M has gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Davidson County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Davidson County grew 6.6%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Davidson County scores 74 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #260 of 2,405 scored counties and #12 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Davidson County compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | Davidson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 61.4 | 97.5 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $561K | $387K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 302 | 221 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +13.2% | +8.5% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.6% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,447 | $3,776 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $64,172 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 74 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 204 → 231+13.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,572
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $105.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 50Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 429160 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 649The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $1.7M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Davidson 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 Davidson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 180,182+6.6% since 2020
- Households
- 69,846
- Median age
- 42.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 74%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.2
- Land area
- 553 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 313
- Median household income
- $64,172+29.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $84,156
- Median home value
- $219,100
- Jobs located here
- 48,286
- Daytime population
- 141,539Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Davidson 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 Davidson 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Davidson County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| 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 |
| 12Davidson County, NC | 74 | 429 | 61.4 | $561K | +6.6% | #260 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Davidson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes74
- Sit-down restaurants70
- Fast food and sandwich shops71
- Pizza64
- Coffee shops and cafes79
- Bakeries and dessert shops77
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 Davidson County, NC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 429 restaurants and cafes in Davidson County. 160 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 231 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 13.2% from 2019. Official counts also show 50 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Davidson County, NC spend on food away from home?
About $240.8M a year, or $3,447 per household. That is 15% below the U.S. average (an index of 85, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 429 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $561K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 69,846 households in Davidson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Davidson County, NC compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Davidson County has 61.4 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 44% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $561K, 51% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Davidson County would have about 649, against 429 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 302 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Davidson County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Davidson County at 180,182 people in 2025, up 6.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 69,846 households. Median household income in Davidson County is $64,172, 21% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.5%, 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. Davidson County scores 74 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #260 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Davidson 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 Davidson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Davidson 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 Davidson 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.