Market rankings · South Carolina
Restaurants and cafes in South Carolina
Markets across South Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 21,961
- 8,705 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- 9,731
- +9.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $7.8B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 103.7
- 6% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $353K
- 5% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #33 of 51
- Market score 45 · Lower middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in South 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 21,961 restaurants and cafes in South Carolina. Chain locations make up 40% of them, against 34% across the U.S. That is 103.7 per 10,000 households, 6% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in South Carolina comes to about $7.8B a year: $3,660 per household, 10% below the U.S. average. That is about $353K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 5% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 9,731 businesses with payroll in South Carolina classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 9.1% from 2019. That is one for every 218 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, 333 SBA-backed loans worth $223.3M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in South Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina ranks #33 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 45 (lower middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area scores highest (70). Of the 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Seneca area scores highest (85).
Every market in South Carolina for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 70 | 10,543 | 98.0 | $419K | +10.1% | #62 of 387 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 61 | 2,116 | 91.3 | $400K | +4.7% | #123 of 387 |
| 1Sumter, SC | 60 | 310 | 75.5 | $433K | −0.3% | #126 of 387 |
| 2Spartanburg, SC | 59 | 1,305 | 91.1 | $379K | +14.3% | #139 of 387 |
| 3Columbia, SC | 58 | 3,186 | 93.8 | $387K | +6.0% | #141 of 387 |
| 4Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 46 | 4,093 | 121.9 | $337K | +10.7% | #217 of 387 |
| 5Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 45 | 4,018 | 104.7 | $353K | +9.0% | #222 of 387 |
| 6Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 41 | 1,238 | 129.7 | $318K | +12.0% | #256 of 387 |
| 7Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 25 | 2,554 | 160.9 | $218K | +20.9% | #356 of 387 |
| 8Florence, SC | 23 | 777 | 99.1 | $330K | +0.9% | #364 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seneca, SC | 85 | 234 | 67.8 | $516K | +6.3% | #12 of 538 |
| 2Newberry, SC | 64 | 125 | 81.6 | $400K | +4.8% | #133 of 538 |
| 3Gaffney, SC | 62 | 179 | 81.1 | $374K | +3.7% | #156 of 538 |
| 4Greenwood, SC | 51 | 329 | 87.4 | $365K | +1.7% | #252 of 538 |
| 5Murrells Inlet, SC | 37 | 368 | 135.6 | $271K | +3.8% | #402 of 538 |
| 6Orangeburg, SC | 24 | 328 | 99.2 | $300K | −0.9% | #489 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Edgefield County, SC | 88 | 52 | 53.2 | $671K | +16.1% | #35 of 2,405 |
| 2Berkeley County, SC | 83 | 731 | 78.0 | $505K | +18.7% | #97 of 2,405 |
| 3Lancaster County, SC | 82 | 289 | 72.0 | $546K | +18.3% | #110 of 2,405 |
| 4Kershaw County, SC | 79 | 170 | 63.2 | $561K | +11.6% | #150 of 2,405 |
| 5York County, SC | 76 | 947 | 83.2 | $507K | +8.1% | #221 of 2,405 |
| 6Dorchester County, SC | 76 | 520 | 82.3 | $473K | +10.1% | #225 of 2,405 |
| 7Oconee County, SC | 73 | 234 | 67.8 | $516K | +6.3% | #305 of 2,405 |
| 8Calhoun County, SC | 72 | 27 | 43.7 | $757K | +0.6% | #327 of 2,405 |
| 9Laurens County, SC | 71 | 162 | 60.1 | $528K | +6.2% | #366 of 2,405 |
| 10Saluda County, SC | 71 | 47 | 61.3 | $518K | +4.1% | #368 of 2,405 |
| 11Abbeville County, SC | 66 | 66 | 67.6 | $490K | +2.3% | #507 of 2,405 |
| 12Aiken County, SC | 66 | 596 | 85.2 | $430K | +7.3% | #522 of 2,405 |
| 13Jasper County, SC | 66 | 109 | 83.1 | $419K | +32.2% | #523 of 2,405 |
| 14Fairfield County, SC | 61 | 46 | 51.5 | $606K | −2.6% | #703 of 2,405 |
| 15Chesterfield County, SC | 60 | 114 | 65.0 | $464K | +3.4% | #753 of 2,405 |
| 16Lexington County, SC | 58 | 1,162 | 95.3 | $398K | +7.7% | #844 of 2,405 |
| 17Spartanburg County, SC | 55 | 1,235 | 93.8 | $374K | +15.6% | #984 of 2,405 |
| 18Chester County, SC | 54 | 97 | 73.7 | $410K | +2.2% | #1,009 of 2,405 |
| 19Sumter County, SC | 53 | 310 | 75.5 | $433K | −0.3% | #1,043 of 2,405 |
| 20Newberry County, SC | 53 | 125 | 81.6 | $400K | +4.8% | #1,056 of 2,405 |
| 21Union County, SC | 52 | 70 | 60.3 | $471K | −1.4% | #1,082 of 2,405 |
| 22Anderson County, SC | 52 | 785 | 93.6 | $376K | +7.7% | #1,106 of 2,405 |
| 23Darlington County, SC | 51 | 179 | 70.0 | $445K | +0.1% | #1,123 of 2,405 |
| 24Colleton County, SC | 51 | 123 | 75.0 | $421K | +2.2% | #1,131 of 2,405 |
| 25Cherokee County, SC | 50 | 179 | 81.1 | $374K | +3.7% | #1,189 of 2,405 |
Show all 46 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Greenville County, SC | 48 | 2,534 | 114.9 | $340K | +10.6% | #1,288 of 2,405 |
| 27Williamsburg County, SC | 47 | 85 | 69.2 | $412K | −4.0% | #1,304 of 2,405 |
| 28Marlboro County, SC | 46 | 61 | 62.3 | $420K | −3.8% | #1,340 of 2,405 |
| 29Richland County, SC | 46 | 1,734 | 103.2 | $347K | +4.6% | #1,363 of 2,405 |
| 30Beaufort County, SC | 44 | 1,129 | 137.1 | $308K | +8.9% | #1,472 of 2,405 |
| 31Clarendon County, SC | 43 | 109 | 88.2 | $347K | +0.7% | #1,504 of 2,405 |
| 32Pickens County, SC | 40 | 537 | 102.5 | $331K | +5.7% | #1,623 of 2,405 |
| 33Charleston County, SC | 39 | 2,842 | 158.8 | $269K | +6.4% | #1,677 of 2,405 |
| 34Barnwell County, SC | 38 | 67 | 82.6 | $364K | +0.4% | #1,690 of 2,405 |
| 35Lee County, SC | 33 | 52 | 81.9 | $329K | −5.0% | #1,911 of 2,405 |
| 36Greenwood County, SC | 32 | 263 | 94.3 | $334K | +1.5% | #1,945 of 2,405 |
| 37Marion County, SC | 31 | 93 | 76.4 | $343K | −2.9% | #1,973 of 2,405 |
| 38Georgetown County, SC | 31 | 368 | 135.6 | $271K | +3.8% | #1,995 of 2,405 |
| 39Horry County, SC | 31 | 2,554 | 160.9 | $218K | +20.9% | #2,003 of 2,405 |
| 40Bamberg County, SC | 29 | 35 | 75.4 | $374K | −3.5% | #2,052 of 2,405 |
| 41Dillon County, SC | 28 | 87 | 80.3 | $361K | −2.9% | #2,087 of 2,405 |
| 42Hampton County, SC | 26 | 70 | 96.9 | $294K | −1.9% | #2,158 of 2,405 |
| 43Florence County, SC | 25 | 598 | 113.1 | $295K | +1.2% | #2,186 of 2,405 |
| 44Orangeburg County, SC | 21 | 328 | 99.2 | $300K | −0.9% | #2,268 of 2,405 |
| McCormick County, SC | Not scored | 23 | 54.8 | $568K | +7.3% | |
| Allendale County, SC | Not scored | 17 | 52.5 | $509K | −7.4% |
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 South Carolina?
There are 21,961 restaurants and cafes on map listings in South Carolina as of September 2026. 8,705 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 9,731 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 9.1% from 2019. Another 2,191 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in South Carolina spend on food away from home?
About $7.8B a year, or $3,660 per household. That is 10% below the U.S. average (an index of 90, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 21,961 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $353K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,117,989 households in South Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Carolina compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
South Carolina has 103.7 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 6% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $353K, 5% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, South Carolina would have about 20,906, against 21,961 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 218 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 9.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in South Carolina has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Seneca area scores highest, at 85 (high). Among 44 scored counties in South Carolina, Edgefield County scores highest, at 88 (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. South Carolina scores 45 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #33 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 South 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 South Carolina
Related business types in South Carolina
- Sit-down restaurants12,688 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops3,144 listings
- Pizza1,608 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes1,778 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops1,697 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South 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.