Market rankings · Virginia
Restaurants and cafes in Virginia
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Virginia, ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 32,948
- 12,871 chain locations (39%)
- Official establishments
- 15,936
- +4.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $14.7B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 97.9
- 11% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $447K
- 20% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #5 of 51
- Market score 71 · Upper middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in Virginia 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
Virginia has 32,948 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 12,871 are chain locations, or 39%, against 34% across the U.S. That is 97.9 per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in Virginia comes to about $14.7B a year: $4,372 per household, 7% above the U.S. average. Spread across 32,948 restaurants and cafes, that is $447K per restaurant, 20% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Virginia was 15,936 in 2023, up 4.2% from 2019. That is one for every 211 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, 505 SBA-backed loans worth $271.9M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Virginia.
Among the 50 states and DC, Virginia ranks #5 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 71 (upper middle). Of the 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Richmond metro area scores highest (75). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Lake of the Woods area scores highest (82).
Every market in Virginia for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Virginia, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Richmond, VA | 75 | 5,084 | 95.3 | $438K | +5.5% | #37 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 71 | 25,241 | 106.4 | $483K | +3.3% | #50 of 387 |
| 2Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 69 | 446 | 85.4 | $423K | +3.2% | #64 of 387 |
| 3Winchester, VA-WV | 63 | 575 | 103.6 | $392K | +6.5% | #110 of 387 |
| 4Lynchburg, VA | 55 | 942 | 91.1 | $389K | +2.9% | #156 of 387 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 54 | 1,082 | 82.6 | $399K | +2.3% | #160 of 387 |
| 5Roanoke, VA | 50 | 1,195 | 90.9 | $399K | +0.4% | #191 of 387 |
| 6Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 48 | 7,088 | 100.2 | $401K | +0.9% | #202 of 387 |
| 7Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 47 | 648 | 92.2 | $389K | −0.1% | #208 of 387 |
| 8Charlottesville, VA | 45 | 1,121 | 123.9 | $352K | +3.1% | #223 of 387 |
| 9Harrisonburg, VA | 29 | 591 | 118.1 | $315K | +3.5% | #339 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lake of the Woods, VA | 82 | 119 | 80.1 | $535K | +10.1% | #18 of 538 |
| 2Martinsville, VA | 53 | 185 | 69.1 | $436K | −1.9% | #231 of 538 |
| 3Danville, VA | 47 | 326 | 73.9 | $412K | −1.7% | #287 of 538 |
| Bluefield, WV-VA | 46 | 324 | 80.0 | $386K | −3.8% | #303 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Goochland County, VA | 96 | 56 | 54.1 | $930K | +17.4% | #3 of 2,405 |
| 2Fluvanna County, VA | 94 | 36 | 34.9 | $1.2M | +6.2% | #4 of 2,405 |
| 3Caroline County, VA | 93 | 63 | 52.6 | $773K | +11.3% | #9 of 2,405 |
| 4Powhatan County, VA | 92 | 59 | 52.1 | $895K | +7.0% | #11 of 2,405 |
| 5New Kent County, VA | 92 | 57 | 61.5 | $783K | +21.2% | #12 of 2,405 |
| 6Louisa County, VA | 92 | 85 | 54.6 | $745K | +13.6% | #14 of 2,405 |
| 7King George County, VA | 91 | 66 | 65.1 | $731K | +10.5% | #18 of 2,405 |
| 8Frederick County, VA | 90 | 245 | 69.2 | $636K | +8.8% | #28 of 2,405 |
| 9Stafford County, VA | 89 | 369 | 70.5 | $758K | +8.3% | #29 of 2,405 |
| 10Dinwiddie County, VA | 87 | 39 | 36.6 | $1M | +3.6% | #38 of 2,405 |
| 11Rockingham County, VA | 87 | 195 | 59.7 | $650K | +6.6% | #44 of 2,405 |
| 12Clarke County, VA | 87 | 45 | 76.4 | $613K | +5.4% | #45 of 2,405 |
| 13Isle of Wight County, VA | 85 | 92 | 58.4 | $726K | +6.7% | #59 of 2,405 |
| 14Albemarle County, VA | 84 | 365 | 79.5 | $582K | +5.1% | #73 of 2,405 |
| 15Madison County, VA | 84 | 38 | 69.3 | $575K | +2.7% | #74 of 2,405 |
| 16King William County, VA | 83 | 45 | 61.2 | $652K | +9.5% | #86 of 2,405 |
| 17Spotsylvania County, VA | 83 | 402 | 76.6 | $614K | +10.5% | #88 of 2,405 |
| 18Bedford County, VA | 83 | 212 | 64.0 | $604K | +4.4% | #90 of 2,405 |
| 19Greene County, VA | 83 | 66 | 82.2 | $516K | +6.6% | #96 of 2,405 |
| 20Augusta County, VA | 82 | 159 | 51.2 | $738K | +1.8% | #100 of 2,405 |
| 21Amelia County, VA | 81 | 22 | 40.6 | $869K | +2.7% | #114 of 2,405 |
| 22Chesterfield County, VA | 81 | 1,048 | 74.8 | $603K | +8.7% | #117 of 2,405 |
| 23Prince George County, VA | 81 | 87 | 67.3 | $600K | +2.0% | #119 of 2,405 |
| 24Appomattox County, VA | 80 | 35 | 52.7 | $642K | +6.3% | #134 of 2,405 |
| 25Suffolk city, VA | 79 | 275 | 72.5 | $580K | +10.4% | #148 of 2,405 |
Show all 133 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Southampton County, VA | 78 | 20 | 29.1 | $1.2M | +0.9% | #163 of 2,405 |
| 27Fauquier County, VA | 78 | 241 | 90.2 | $568K | +4.8% | #173 of 2,405 |
| 28Culpeper County, VA | 78 | 173 | 91.4 | $478K | +9.3% | #183 of 2,405 |
| 29Buckingham County, VA | 76 | 14 | 22.3 | $1.5M | +1.9% | #211 of 2,405 |
| 30Gloucester County, VA | 75 | 101 | 66.1 | $606K | +3.6% | #233 of 2,405 |
| 31Botetourt County, VA | 75 | 92 | 69.6 | $561K | +1.5% | #240 of 2,405 |
| 32Orange County, VA | 75 | 119 | 80.1 | $535K | +10.1% | #246 of 2,405 |
| 33James City County, VA | 75 | 331 | 103.5 | $451K | +6.2% | #250 of 2,405 |
| 34Poquoson city, VA | 74 | 37 | 78.3 | $621K | +6.6% | #256 of 2,405 |
| 35Roanoke County, VA | 74 | 270 | 68.0 | $587K | +0.2% | #258 of 2,405 |
| 36Prince William County, VA | 73 | 1,368 | 87.2 | $601K | +4.2% | #294 of 2,405 |
| 37Manassas Park city, VA | 73 | 44 | 84.7 | $529K | −3.5% | #304 of 2,405 |
| 38Hanover County, VA | 73 | 391 | 91.6 | $515K | +5.6% | #306 of 2,405 |
| 39Amherst County, VA | 72 | 75 | 59.1 | $588K | +2.1% | #331 of 2,405 |
| 40Floyd County, VA | 71 | 40 | 60.4 | $559K | +2.1% | #364 of 2,405 |
| 41Franklin County, VA | 71 | 167 | 72.6 | $498K | +1.9% | #373 of 2,405 |
| 42Northumberland County, VA | 71 | 49 | 86.9 | $414K | +6.1% | #385 of 2,405 |
| 43Lunenburg County, VA | 70 | 21 | 44.0 | $707K | +0.9% | #388 of 2,405 |
| 44Loudoun County, VA | 70 | 1,633 | 114.2 | $534K | +6.4% | #398 of 2,405 |
| 45Rockbridge County, VA | 69 | 64 | 67.0 | $529K | 0.0% | #422 of 2,405 |
| 46Brunswick County, VA | 68 | 26 | 40.1 | $783K | −0.6% | #444 of 2,405 |
| 47Grayson County, VA | 67 | 17 | 26.8 | $1.1M | −0.3% | #465 of 2,405 |
| 48Pittsylvania County, VA | 66 | 98 | 39.2 | $802K | −1.5% | #499 of 2,405 |
| 49Charlotte County, VA | 65 | 24 | 51.0 | $631K | −1.2% | #533 of 2,405 |
| 50Patrick County, VA | 65 | 43 | 55.3 | $588K | −0.9% | #534 of 2,405 |
| 51York County, VA | 65 | 216 | 80.1 | $588K | +1.6% | #535 of 2,405 |
| 52Campbell County, VA | 65 | 138 | 62.1 | $556K | +0.1% | #538 of 2,405 |
| 53Fairfax County, VA | 64 | 4,224 | 102.0 | $552K | +1.7% | #586 of 2,405 |
| 54Carroll County, VA | 64 | 74 | 58.8 | $531K | +0.5% | #589 of 2,405 |
| 55Greensville County, VA | 62 | 18 | 56.3 | $556K | −1.8% | #657 of 2,405 |
| 56Chesapeake city, VA | 62 | 829 | 88.5 | $491K | +2.3% | #664 of 2,405 |
| 57Alexandria city, VA | 62 | 789 | 103.7 | $481K | +1.0% | #669 of 2,405 |
| 58Arlington County, VA | 62 | 1,289 | 115.1 | $470K | +2.1% | #672 of 2,405 |
| 59Nelson County, VA | 62 | 70 | 110.0 | $356K | +1.2% | #697 of 2,405 |
| 60Russell County, VA | 61 | 49 | 45.9 | $667K | −1.7% | #700 of 2,405 |
| 61Warren County, VA | 60 | 159 | 103.7 | $392K | +4.8% | #775 of 2,405 |
| 62Henrico County, VA | 59 | 1,336 | 97.3 | $438K | +2.3% | #801 of 2,405 |
| 63Buchanan County, VA | 58 | 31 | 41.2 | $665K | −8.7% | #815 of 2,405 |
| 64Scott County, VA | 58 | 50 | 54.8 | $538K | −1.8% | #819 of 2,405 |
| 65Dickenson County, VA | 57 | 30 | 50.5 | $562K | −6.0% | #855 of 2,405 |
| 66Alleghany County, VA | 57 | 37 | 58.0 | $543K | −4.2% | #856 of 2,405 |
| 67Henry County, VA | 56 | 113 | 53.7 | $562K | −3.1% | #896 of 2,405 |
| 68Giles County, VA | 56 | 47 | 70.2 | $485K | −1.3% | #902 of 2,405 |
| 69Lee County, VA | 55 | 50 | 58.6 | $485K | −2.1% | #941 of 2,405 |
| 70Washington County, VA | 55 | 164 | 74.2 | $463K | 0.0% | #945 of 2,405 |
| 71Westmoreland County, VA | 55 | 82 | 100.6 | $344K | +6.5% | #991 of 2,405 |
| 72Hampton city, VA | 53 | 466 | 80.3 | $445K | 0.0% | #1,040 of 2,405 |
| 73Pulaski County, VA | 51 | 114 | 78.9 | $430K | −0.6% | #1,128 of 2,405 |
| 74Portsmouth city, VA | 50 | 298 | 74.0 | $448K | −1.2% | #1,171 of 2,405 |
| 75Halifax County, VA | 49 | 97 | 71.3 | $435K | −1.4% | #1,217 of 2,405 |
| 76Sussex County, VA | 48 | 29 | 76.6 | $446K | −0.4% | #1,258 of 2,405 |
| 77Shenandoah County, VA | 48 | 179 | 99.7 | $359K | +3.6% | #1,280 of 2,405 |
| 78Hopewell city, VA | 46 | 70 | 75.6 | $421K | +1.1% | #1,338 of 2,405 |
| 79Mecklenburg County, VA | 45 | 118 | 87.0 | $377K | +1.5% | #1,397 of 2,405 |
| 80Smyth County, VA | 44 | 81 | 64.0 | $473K | −3.0% | #1,429 of 2,405 |
| 81Middlesex County, VA | 44 | 49 | 102.7 | $363K | +2.2% | #1,456 of 2,405 |
| 82Page County, VA | 43 | 83 | 83.7 | $385K | +0.3% | #1,487 of 2,405 |
| 83Fairfax city, VA | 40 | 206 | 225.0 | $235K | +10.8% | #1,635 of 2,405 |
| 84Manassas city, VA | 39 | 230 | 161.9 | $296K | +3.9% | #1,673 of 2,405 |
| 85Nottoway County, VA | 38 | 49 | 87.3 | $375K | +1.0% | #1,685 of 2,405 |
| 86Montgomery County, VA | 38 | 383 | 103.6 | $365K | −1.2% | #1,689 of 2,405 |
| 87Wise County, VA | 37 | 98 | 70.5 | $416K | −3.5% | #1,725 of 2,405 |
| 88Virginia Beach city, VA | 36 | 2,168 | 120.5 | $355K | −1.3% | #1,774 of 2,405 |
| 89Fredericksburg city, VA | 36 | 337 | 287.5 | $146K | +8.6% | #1,808 of 2,405 |
| 90Newport News city, VA | 35 | 705 | 92.6 | $381K | −1.5% | #1,812 of 2,405 |
| 91Falls Church city, VA | 34 | 234 | 373.0 | $150K | +3.3% | #1,893 of 2,405 |
| 92Tazewell County, VA | 32 | 131 | 80.4 | $378K | −4.4% | #1,935 of 2,405 |
| 93Radford city, VA | 32 | 64 | 115.5 | $278K | +7.0% | #1,962 of 2,405 |
| 94Richmond city, VA | 31 | 1,527 | 146.4 | $248K | +4.6% | #1,998 of 2,405 |
| 95Prince Edward County, VA | 30 | 87 | 113.9 | $293K | +2.3% | #2,037 of 2,405 |
| 96Accomack County, VA | 29 | 153 | 105.9 | $315K | +1.4% | #2,067 of 2,405 |
| 97Waynesboro city, VA | 28 | 128 | 130.1 | $258K | +7.5% | #2,107 of 2,405 |
| 98Colonial Heights city, VA | 27 | 141 | 187.3 | $199K | +3.2% | #2,146 of 2,405 |
| 99Salem city, VA | 26 | 146 | 142.4 | $257K | +1.7% | #2,170 of 2,405 |
| 100Williamsburg city, VA | 26 | 169 | 336.7 | $114K | +2.6% | #2,176 of 2,405 |
| 101Wythe County, VA | 25 | 121 | 96.5 | $331K | −1.2% | #2,177 of 2,405 |
| 102Lancaster County, VA | 25 | 78 | 136.8 | $267K | +0.9% | #2,194 of 2,405 |
| 103Staunton city, VA | 25 | 159 | 140.6 | $242K | +3.8% | #2,198 of 2,405 |
| 104Petersburg city, VA | 24 | 162 | 107.0 | $274K | +1.0% | #2,214 of 2,405 |
| 105Essex County, VA | 23 | 46 | 103.4 | $318K | +0.5% | #2,223 of 2,405 |
| 106Norfolk city, VA | 20 | 1,158 | 121.9 | $293K | −2.9% | #2,284 of 2,405 |
| 107Lynchburg city, VA | 20 | 482 | 167.9 | $197K | +3.0% | #2,293 of 2,405 |
| 108Winchester city, VA | 18 | 287 | 249.7 | $139K | +1.0% | #2,337 of 2,405 |
| 109Charlottesville city, VA | 17 | 584 | 294.7 | $135K | −4.4% | #2,349 of 2,405 |
| 110Northampton County, VA | 16 | 78 | 143.5 | $250K | −2.8% | #2,357 of 2,405 |
| 111Martinsville city, VA | 16 | 72 | 126.1 | $238K | +2.8% | #2,360 of 2,405 |
| 112Roanoke city, VA | 15 | 511 | 117.3 | $274K | −0.8% | #2,368 of 2,405 |
| 113Harrisonburg city, VA | 12 | 396 | 228.1 | $150K | −1.7% | #2,387 of 2,405 |
| 114Danville city, VA | 7 | 228 | 119.6 | $244K | −2.2% | #2,403 of 2,405 |
| 115Bristol city, VA | 4 | 142 | 196.5 | $158K | −5.2% | #2,405 of 2,405 |
| Cumberland County, VA | Not scored | 13 | 32.4 | $1.1M | +6.9% | |
| Richmond County, VA | Not scored | 26 | 81.8 | $425K | +4.2% | |
| Mathews County, VA | Not scored | 22 | 55.2 | $691K | +0.1% | |
| Franklin city, VA | Not scored | 42 | 121.6 | $266K | +4.1% | |
| Lexington city, VA | Not scored | 71 | 324.6 | $116K | +6.2% | |
| Rappahannock County, VA | Not scored | 43 | 144.1 | $303K | +1.6% | |
| Galax city, VA | Not scored | 46 | 166.5 | $185K | −0.7% | |
| King and Queen County, VA | Not scored | 7 | 23.3 | $1.5M | +2.4% | |
| Charles City County, VA | Not scored | 8 | 27.5 | $1.4M | −1.8% | |
| Buena Vista city, VA | Not scored | 31 | 121.4 | $241K | +0.9% | |
| Surry County, VA | Not scored | 11 | 38.9 | $973K | +0.8% | |
| Bland County, VA | Not scored | 10 | 42.1 | $797K | −1.7% | |
| Covington city, VA | Not scored | 34 | 132.0 | $199K | −1.2% | |
| Emporia city, VA | Not scored | 47 | 217.9 | $145K | −4.4% | |
| Craig County, VA | Not scored | 9 | 51.9 | $702K | −1.6% | |
| Bath County, VA | Not scored | 23 | 126.2 | $271K | −2.6% | |
| Norton city, VA | Not scored | 37 | 230.5 | $120K | −5.5% | |
| Highland County, VA | Not scored | 10 | 99.7 | $338K | +3.4% |
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 Virginia?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 32,948 restaurants and cafes in Virginia. 12,871 of them (39%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 15,936 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 4.2% from 2019. Another 3,368 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Virginia spend on food away from home?
About $14.7B a year, or $4,372 per household. That is 7% above the U.S. average (an index of 107, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 32,948 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $447K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,365,732 households in Virginia and national spending patterns by income.
How does Virginia compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Virginia has 97.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $447K, 20% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Virginia would have about 39,683, against 32,948 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 rose 4.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Virginia has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Richmond metro area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Lake of the Woods area scores highest, at 82 (high). Among 115 scored counties in Virginia, Goochland County scores highest, at 96 (very 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. Virginia scores 71 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #5 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 Virginia. 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.
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Top markets for restaurants and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in Virginia
Related business types in Virginia
- Sit-down restaurants19,235 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops4,457 listings
- Pizza2,541 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes2,910 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops2,847 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Virginia?
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.