Food and drink · County · North Carolina
Restaurants and cafes in McDowell County, NC
The restaurants and cafes in McDowell County, NC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 44 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,441 of 2,405 scored counties
#63 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 153
- 56 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 73
- +10.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $59.6M
- On food away from home · $3,199 a household
- Spending per listing
- $390K
- 5% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 82.1
- 25% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 45,198
- +1.5% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in McDowell 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 McDowell 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 153 restaurants and cafes in McDowell County. 56 of them (37%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 82.1, 25% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in McDowell County comes to about $59.6M a year: $3,199 per household, 21% below the U.S. average. That is about $390K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 5% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in McDowell County was 73 in 2023, up 10.6% from 2019. That is one for every 255 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 22 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $15K has gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in McDowell County.
Population estimates show McDowell County grew 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in McDowell County is 44 (lower middle), #1,441 of 2,405 scored counties and #63 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina.
How McDowell 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 | McDowell County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 82.1 | 97.5 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $390K | $387K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 255 | 221 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.6% | +8.5% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.5% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,199 | $3,776 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $57,168 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 44 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 66 → 73+10.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,144
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $21.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 22Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 15356 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 161The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $15K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in McDowell 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 McDowell County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 45,198+1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 18,638
- Median age
- 44.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 440 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 102
- Median household income
- $57,168+31.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $72,753
- Median home value
- $171,100
- Jobs located here
- 15,917
- Daytime population
- 39,859Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in McDowell 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 McDowell 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 McDowell 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 |
| 63McDowell County, NC | 44 | 153 | 82.1 | $390K | +1.5% | #1,441 of 2,405 |
Other business types in McDowell County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes44
- Sit-down restaurants52
- Fast food and sandwich shops36
- Pizza45
- Coffee shops and cafes62
- Bakeries and dessert shops46
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 McDowell County, NC?
McDowell County has 153 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 56 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 73 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 10.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 22 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in McDowell County, NC spend on food away from home?
About $59.6M a year, or $3,199 per household. That is 21% below the U.S. average (an index of 79, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 153 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $390K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 18,638 households in McDowell County and national spending patterns by income.
How does McDowell County, NC compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
McDowell County has 82.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 25% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $390K, 5% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, McDowell County would have about 161, against 153 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 255 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is McDowell County, NC growing?
Population estimates put McDowell County at 45,198 people in 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 18,638 households. The median household income in McDowell County is $57,168 a year, 29% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.0% 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. McDowell County scores 44 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,441 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in McDowell 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 McDowell County
Screening a site or an acquisition in McDowell 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 McDowell 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.