Food and drink · County · Vermont
Restaurants and cafes in Chittenden County, VT
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Chittenden County, VT, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 45 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,410 of 2,405 scored counties
#6 of 12 scored counties in Vermont
- Listings
- 883
- 170 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 338
- −2.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $314.6M
- On food away from home · $4,403 a household
- Spending per listing
- $356K
- 4% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 123.6
- 13% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 169,115
- +0.4% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Chittenden 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 Chittenden 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
Households in Chittenden County spend about $314.6M a year on food away from home, or $4,403 per household, 8% above the U.S. average. Spread across 883 restaurants and cafes, that is $356K per restaurant, 4% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 883 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Chittenden County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 19% of them, against 34% across the U.S. That is 123.6 per 10,000 households, 13% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Official counts show 338 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Chittenden County in 2023, down 2.6% from 2019. That is one for every 211 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts list 67 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 17 SBA-backed loans worth $2.9M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Chittenden County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Chittenden County grew 0.4%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Chittenden County has a Groundwork market score of 45 (lower middle): #1,410 of 2,405 scored counties and #6 of 12 scored counties in Vermont.
How Chittenden County compares
The same measures for Vermont 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 | Chittenden County | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 123.6 | 115.1 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $356K | $349K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 211 | 227 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −2.6% | −1.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.4% | +0.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,403 | $4,013 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $96,759 | $81,203 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 45 | 40 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 347 → 338−2.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 5,988
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $166.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 67Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 883170 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 849The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 17
- Amount
- $2.9M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Chittenden 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 Chittenden County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 169,115+0.4% since 2020
- Households
- 71,456
- Median age
- 39.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 537 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 316
- Median household income
- $96,759+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $123,699
- Median home value
- $439,200
- Jobs located here
- 103,357
- Daytime population
- 189,839Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Chittenden 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 Chittenden 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 Vermont
Every Vermont market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Vermont for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Vermont, with Chittenden County marked.
Top counties in Vermont
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Orange County, VT | 83 | 78 | 61.2 | $644K | +2.4% | #87 of 2,405 |
| 2Franklin County, VT | 75 | 146 | 73.1 | $535K | +2.3% | #245 of 2,405 |
| 3Addison County, VT | 67 | 134 | 89.5 | $461K | +1.8% | #485 of 2,405 |
| 4Orleans County, VT | 61 | 104 | 86.1 | $423K | +0.7% | #721 of 2,405 |
| 5Caledonia County, VT | 49 | 125 | 95.5 | $383K | +0.8% | #1,232 of 2,405 |
| 6Chittenden County, VT | 45 | 883 | 123.6 | $356K | +0.4% | #1,410 of 2,405 |
| 7Washington County, VT | 45 | 312 | 120.7 | $334K | −0.2% | #1,422 of 2,405 |
| 8Windsor County, VT | 44 | 280 | 110.7 | $362K | −0.7% | #1,459 of 2,405 |
| 9Lamoille County, VT | 28 | 216 | 181.2 | $216K | +1.4% | #2,114 of 2,405 |
| 10Rutland County, VT | 25 | 318 | 125.6 | $290K | −1.4% | #2,188 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Chittenden County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes45
- Sit-down restaurants50
- Fast food and sandwich shops68
- Pizza66
- Coffee shops and cafes40
- Bakeries and dessert shops30
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 Chittenden County, VT?
As of September 2026, map listings count 883 restaurants and cafes in Chittenden County. 170 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 338 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 2.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 67 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Chittenden County, VT spend on food away from home?
About $314.6M a year, or $4,403 per household. That is 8% above the U.S. average (an index of 108, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 883 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $356K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 71,456 households in Chittenden County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Chittenden County, VT compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Chittenden County has 123.6 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 13% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $356K, 4% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Chittenden County would have about 849, against 883 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 211 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Chittenden County, VT growing?
Population estimates put Chittenden County at 169,115 people in 2025, up 0.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 71,456 households. Median household income in Chittenden County is $96,759, 20% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.4%, 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. Chittenden County scores 45 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,410 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Chittenden 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 Chittenden County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Chittenden 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 Chittenden 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.