Food and drink · County · South Carolina
Restaurants and cafes in Sumter County, SC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Sumter County, SC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,043 of 2,405 scored counties
#19 of 44 scored counties in South Carolina
- Listings
- 310
- 157 chain locations (51%)
- Official establishments
- 134
- −1.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $134.1M
- On food away from home · $3,264 a household
- Spending per listing
- $433K
- 17% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 75.5
- 31% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 105,067
- −0.3% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Sumter 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 Sumter 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
At $3,264 per household (20% below the U.S. average), households in Sumter County spend about $134.1M a year on food away from home. That is about $433K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 17% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 310 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Sumter County as of September 2026. Of those, 157 are chain locations, or 51%, against 34% across the U.S. That comes to 75.5 for every 10,000 households, 31% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Sumter County was 134 in 2023, down 1.5% from 2019. That is one for every 307 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 42 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $1.8M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Sumter County.
Population estimates put the population change in Sumter County from 2020 to 2025 at −0.3%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Sumter County is 53 (upper middle), #1,043 of 2,405 scored counties and #19 of 44 scored counties in South Carolina.
How Sumter County compares
The same measures for South 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 | Sumter County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 75.5 | 103.7 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $433K | $353K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 307 | 218 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −1.5% | +9.1% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.3% | +8.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,264 | $3,660 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $56,693 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 136 → 134−1.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,317
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $53.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 42Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 310157 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 362The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 4
- Amount
- $1.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Sumter 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 Sumter County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 105,067−0.3% since 2020
- Households
- 41,083
- Median age
- 38.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 68%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 665 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 157
- Median household income
- $56,693+24.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $74,835
- Median home value
- $165,300
- Jobs located here
- 37,301
- Daytime population
- 101,774Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 South Carolina
Every South Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in South Carolina for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in South Carolina, with Sumter County marked.
Top counties in South Carolina
| 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 |
| 19Sumter County, SC | 53 | 310 | 75.5 | $433K | −0.3% | #1,043 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Sumter County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes53
- Sit-down restaurants49
- Fast food and sandwich shops35
- Pizza45
- Coffee shops and cafes64
- Bakeries and dessert shops64
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 Sumter County, SC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 310 restaurants and cafes in Sumter County. 157 of them (51%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 134 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 1.5% from 2019. Official counts also show 42 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Sumter County, SC spend on food away from home?
About $134.1M a year, or $3,264 per household. That is 20% below the U.S. average (an index of 80, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 310 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $433K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 41,083 households in Sumter County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Sumter County, SC compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Sumter County has 75.5 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 31% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $433K, 17% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Sumter County would have about 362, against 310 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 307 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 1.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Sumter County, SC growing?
Population estimates put Sumter County at 105,067 people in 2025, down 0.3% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 41,083 households. Median household income in Sumter County is $56,693, 30% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 24.2%, 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. Sumter County scores 53 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #1,043 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Sumter 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 Sumter County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Sumter 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 Sumter 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.