Food and drink · County · Tennessee
Restaurants and cafes in Rutherford County, TN
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Rutherford County, TN, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 60 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #776 of 2,405 scored counties
#41 of 87 scored counties in Tennessee
- Listings
- 1,324
- 653 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 603
- +17.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $518.2M
- On food away from home · $4,003 a household
- Spending per listing
- $391K
- 6% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 102.3
- 7% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 386,352
- +12.6% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Rutherford 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 Rutherford 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 1,324 restaurants and cafes in Rutherford County. Of those, 653 are chain locations, or 49%, against 34% across the U.S. That comes to 102.3 for every 10,000 households, 7% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Rutherford County spend about $518.2M a year on food away from home, or $4,003 per household, 2% below the U.S. average. That is about $391K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 6% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 603 businesses with payroll in Rutherford County classed as restaurants and other eating places, up 17.8% from 2019. That is one for every 215 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 200 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 20 SBA-backed loans worth $11.1M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rutherford County.
Population estimates put the population change in Rutherford County from 2020 to 2025 at +12.6%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Rutherford County scores 60 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #776 of 2,405 scored counties and #41 of 87 scored counties in Tennessee.
How Rutherford County compares
The same measures for Tennessee 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 | Rutherford County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 102.3 | 102.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $391K | $357K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 215 | 229 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +17.8% | +9.9% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +12.6% | +5.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,003 | $3,670 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $85,470 | $69,595 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 60 | 49 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 512 → 603+17.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 14,428
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $324.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 200Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,324653 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,397The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 20
- Amount
- $11.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 386,352+12.6% since 2020
- Households
- 129,431
- Median age
- 35.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 65%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 620 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 582
- Median household income
- $85,470+26.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $105,856
- Median home value
- $382,600
- Jobs located here
- 144,864
- Daytime population
- 329,273Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Rutherford 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 Rutherford 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 Tennessee
Every Tennessee market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Tennessee for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Tennessee, with Rutherford County marked.
Top counties in Tennessee
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fayette County, TN | 91 | 96 | 55.8 | $719K | +7.7% | #19 of 2,405 |
| 2Roane County, TN | 84 | 133 | 58.4 | $623K | +7.0% | #69 of 2,405 |
| 3Loudon County, TN | 84 | 177 | 73.6 | $540K | +15.6% | #77 of 2,405 |
| 4Meigs County, TN | 81 | 25 | 47.8 | $694K | +10.8% | #115 of 2,405 |
| 5Hickman County, TN | 81 | 47 | 49.8 | $687K | +5.0% | #116 of 2,405 |
| 6Union County, TN | 80 | 38 | 47.9 | $689K | +8.1% | #130 of 2,405 |
| 7Cheatham County, TN | 80 | 114 | 70.0 | $567K | +4.1% | #138 of 2,405 |
| 8Grainger County, TN | 77 | 46 | 47.6 | $645K | +9.2% | #187 of 2,405 |
| 9Macon County, TN | 77 | 48 | 51.0 | $635K | +9.5% | #188 of 2,405 |
| 10Smith County, TN | 77 | 52 | 65.6 | $539K | +5.1% | #201 of 2,405 |
| 41Rutherford County, TN | 60 | 1,324 | 102.3 | $391K | +12.6% | #776 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Rutherford County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes60
- Sit-down restaurants60
- Fast food and sandwich shops52
- Pizza64
- Coffee shops and cafes68
- Bakeries and dessert shops66
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 Rutherford County, TN?
Rutherford County has 1,324 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 653 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 603 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 17.8% from 2019. Official counts list 200 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Rutherford County, TN spend on food away from home?
About $518.2M a year, or $4,003 per household. That is 2% below the U.S. average (an index of 98, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,324 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $391K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 129,431 households in Rutherford County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Rutherford County, TN compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Rutherford County has 102.3 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 7% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $391K, 6% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Rutherford County would have about 1,397, against 1,324 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 215 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 17.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Rutherford County, TN growing?
Population estimates put Rutherford County at 386,352 people in 2025, up 12.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 129,431 households. The median household income in Rutherford County is $85,470 a year, 6% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.8% 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. Rutherford County scores 60 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #776 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Rutherford 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 Rutherford 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.