Food and drink · County · Virginia
Restaurants and cafes in Arlington County, VA
How Arlington County, VA compares with other counties and the U.S. for restaurants and cafes: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 62 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #672 of 2,405 scored counties
#58 of 115 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 1,289
- 452 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 541
- −4.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $606.1M
- On food away from home · $5,410 a household
- Spending per listing
- $470K
- 27% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 115.1
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 243,931
- +2.1% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Arlington 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 Arlington 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 $5,410 per household (33% above the U.S. average), households in Arlington County spend about $606.1M a year on food away from home. That works out to $470K per restaurant, 27% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 1,289 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Arlington County as of September 2026. 452 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 115.1, 5% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Arlington County was 541 in 2023, down 4.9% from 2019. That is one for every 207 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 113 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 24 SBA-backed loans worth $12M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Arlington County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Arlington County grew 2.1%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Arlington County scores 62 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #672 of 2,405 scored counties and #58 of 115 scored counties in Virginia.
How Arlington County compares
The same measures for Virginia 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 | Arlington County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 115.1 | 97.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $470K | $447K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 207 | 211 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −4.9% | +4.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.1% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,410 | $4,372 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $142,114 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 62 | 71 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 569 → 541−4.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 11,534
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $335.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 113Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,289452 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,635The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 24
- Amount
- $12M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Arlington 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 Arlington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 243,931+2.1% since 2020
- Households
- 112,027
- Median age
- 37.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 41%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.3
- Land area
- 26 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 9,089
- Median household income
- $142,114+18.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $189,970
- Median home value
- $895,000
- Jobs located here
- 166,762
- Daytime population
- 284,944Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Arlington 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 Arlington 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 Virginia
Every Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Virginia for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Virginia, with Arlington County marked.
Top counties in Virginia
| 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 |
| 58Arlington County, VA | 62 | 1,289 | 115.1 | $470K | +2.1% | #672 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Arlington County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes62
- Sit-down restaurants55
- Fast food and sandwich shops73
- Pizza71
- Coffee shops and cafes64
- Bakeries and dessert shops70
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 Arlington County, VA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,289 restaurants and cafes in Arlington County. 452 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 541 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 4.9% from 2019. Official counts list 113 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Arlington County, VA spend on food away from home?
About $606.1M a year, or $5,410 per household. That is 33% above the U.S. average (an index of 133, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,289 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $470K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 112,027 households in Arlington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Arlington County, VA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Arlington County has 115.1 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $470K, 27% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Arlington County would have about 1,635, against 1,289 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 207 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 4.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Arlington County, VA growing?
Population estimates put Arlington County at 243,931 people in 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 112,027 households. Median household income in Arlington County is $142,114, 76% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 18.4%, 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. Arlington County scores 62 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #672 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Arlington 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 Arlington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Arlington 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 Arlington 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.