Food and drink · County · Rhode Island
Restaurants and cafes in Providence County, RI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Providence County, RI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 39 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,663 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island
- Listings
- 3,114
- 753 chain locations (24%)
- Official establishments
- 1,453
- +4.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1B
- On food away from home · $3,942 a household
- Spending per listing
- $328K
- 12% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 120.1
- 9% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 678,179
- +2.8% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Providence 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 Providence 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,114 restaurants and cafes in Providence County. Of those, 753 are chain locations, or 24%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 120.1, 9% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $3,942 per household (3% below the U.S. average), households in Providence County spend about $1B a year on food away from home. That is about $328K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 12% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,453 businesses with payroll in Providence County classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 4.3% from 2019. That is one for every 178 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 298 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 69 SBA-backed loans worth $23.5M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Providence County.
Population estimates show Providence County grew 2.8% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Providence County has a Groundwork market score of 39 (lower middle): #1,663 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island.
How Providence County compares
The same measures for Rhode Island 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 | Providence County | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 120.1 | 122.2 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $328K | $343K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 178 | 172 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +4.3% | +4.1% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.8% | +1.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,942 | $4,196 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $78,787 | $87,796 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 39 | 31 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 1,393 → 1,453+4.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 22,062
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $566.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 298Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 3,114753 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 2,756The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 69
- Amount
- $23.5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Providence 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 Providence County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 678,179+2.8% since 2020
- Households
- 259,210
- Median age
- 39.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 57%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 410 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,624
- Median household income
- $78,787+33.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $103,369
- Median home value
- $373,600
- Jobs located here
- 293,972
- Daytime population
- 648,043Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Providence 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 Providence 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 Rhode Island
Every Rhode Island market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Rhode Island for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Rhode Island, with Providence County marked.
Top counties in Rhode Island
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kent County, RI | 53 | 766 | 105.2 | $412K | +1.8% | #1,053 of 2,405 |
| 2Bristol County, RI | 44 | 245 | 121.9 | $400K | −1.5% | #1,437 of 2,405 |
| 3Providence County, RI | 39 | 3,114 | 120.1 | $328K | +2.8% | #1,663 of 2,405 |
| 4Washington County, RI | 37 | 732 | 139.3 | $338K | 0.0% | #1,743 of 2,405 |
| 5Newport County, RI | 29 | 541 | 146.7 | $314K | −2.9% | #2,068 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Providence County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes39
- Sit-down restaurants39
- Fast food and sandwich shops63
- Pizza47
- Coffee shops and cafes41
- Bakeries and dessert shops36
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 Providence County, RI?
There are 3,114 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Providence County as of September 2026. 753 of them (24%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 1,453 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 4.3% from 2019. Official counts list 298 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Providence County, RI spend on food away from home?
About $1B a year, or $3,942 per household. That is 3% below the U.S. average (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,114 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $328K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 259,210 households in Providence County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Providence County, RI compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Providence County has 120.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 9% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $328K, 12% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Providence County would have about 2,756, against 3,114 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 178 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Providence County, RI growing?
Population estimates put Providence County at 678,179 people in 2025, up 2.8% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 259,210 households. The median household income in Providence County is $78,787 a year, 2% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 33.6% 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. Providence County scores 39 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,663 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Providence 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 Providence County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Providence 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 Providence 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.