Food and drink · County · Ohio
Restaurants and cafes in Athens County, OH
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Athens County, OH, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 25 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #2,191 of 2,405 scored counties
#85 of 88 scored counties in Ohio
- Listings
- 274
- 89 chain locations (32%)
- Official establishments
- 113
- −0.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $77.2M
- On food away from home · $3,353 a household
- Spending per listing
- $282K
- 24% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 119.1
- 8% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 63,197
- +1.3% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Athens 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 Athens 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
The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Athens County is 25 (lower middle), #2,191 of 2,405 scored counties and #85 of 88 scored counties in Ohio. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 274 restaurants and cafes in Athens County. 89 of them (32%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. That is 119.1 per 10,000 households, 8% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Athens County spend about $77.2M a year on food away from home, or $3,353 per household, 18% below the U.S. average. That works out to $282K per restaurant, 24% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Athens County was 113 in 2023, down 0.9% from 2019. That is one for every 204 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $280K has gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Athens County. Population estimates show Athens County grew 1.3% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Athens County compares
The same measures for Ohio 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 | Athens County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 119.1 | 93.5 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $282K | $410K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 204 | 235 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −0.9% | +6.3% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.3% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,353 | $3,829 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $56,001 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 25 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 114 → 113−0.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,526
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $38.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 10Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 27489 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 208The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $280K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Athens 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 Athens County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 63,197+1.3% since 2020
- Households
- 23,014
- Median age
- 37.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 60%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 504 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 122
- Median household income
- $56,001+36.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $77,858
- Median home value
- $185,000
- Jobs located here
- 18,702
- Daytime population
- 59,780Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Athens 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 Athens 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 Ohio
Every Ohio market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Ohio for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Ohio, with Athens County marked.
Top counties in Ohio
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Union County, OH | 92 | 178 | 73.5 | $655K | +16.5% | #17 of 2,405 |
| 2Morrow County, OH | 87 | 64 | 47.5 | $812K | +3.7% | #40 of 2,405 |
| 3Pickaway County, OH | 83 | 140 | 63.9 | $602K | +7.4% | #91 of 2,405 |
| 4Fairfield County, OH | 81 | 447 | 74.1 | $578K | +6.5% | #120 of 2,405 |
| 5Warren County, OH | 80 | 693 | 75.3 | $648K | +5.7% | #133 of 2,405 |
| 6Madison County, OH | 79 | 144 | 91.8 | $452K | +7.1% | #161 of 2,405 |
| 7Clermont County, OH | 77 | 624 | 73.5 | $568K | +3.9% | #196 of 2,405 |
| 8Brown County, OH | 75 | 114 | 66.5 | $545K | +1.6% | #241 of 2,405 |
| 9Holmes County, OH | 74 | 99 | 73.9 | $541K | +1.7% | #263 of 2,405 |
| 10Medina County, OH | 73 | 606 | 82.9 | $535K | +1.3% | #303 of 2,405 |
| 85Athens County, OH | 25 | 274 | 119.1 | $282K | +1.3% | #2,191 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Athens County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes25
- Sit-down restaurants33
- Fast food and sandwich shops28
- Pizza18
- Coffee shops and cafes38
- Bakeries and dessert shops59
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 Athens County, OH?
Athens County has 274 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 89 of them (32%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 113 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 0.9% from 2019. Official counts also show 10 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Athens County, OH spend on food away from home?
About $77.2M a year, or $3,353 per household. That is 18% below the U.S. average (an index of 82, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 274 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $282K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 23,014 households in Athens County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Athens County, OH compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Athens County has 119.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 8% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $282K, 24% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Athens County would have about 208, against 274 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 204 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 0.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Athens County, OH growing?
Population estimates put Athens County at 63,197 people in 2025, up 1.3% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 23,014 households. The median household income in Athens County is $56,001 a year, 31% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 36.9% 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. Athens County scores 25 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #2,191 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Athens 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 Athens County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Athens 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 Athens 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.