Food and drink · County · Virginia
Restaurants and cafes in Middlesex County, VA
The restaurants and cafes in Middlesex County, VA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 44 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,456 of 2,405 scored counties
#81 of 115 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 49
- 9 chain locations (18%)
- Official establishments
- 23
- −8.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $17.8M
- On food away from home · $3,728 a household
- Spending per listing
- $363K
- 2% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 102.7
- 6% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 10,841
- +2.2% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 49 restaurants and cafes in Middlesex County. Of those, 9 are chain locations, or 18%, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 102.7, 6% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Middlesex County spend about $17.8M a year on food away from home, or $3,728 per household, 8% below the U.S. average. Spread across 49 restaurants and cafes, that is $363K per restaurant, 2% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Middlesex County was 23 in 2023, down 8.0% from 2019. That is one for every 207 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Another 3 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
Population estimates show Middlesex County grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For restaurants and cafes, Middlesex County has a Groundwork market score of 44 (lower middle): #1,456 of 2,405 scored counties and #81 of 115 scored counties in Virginia.
How Middlesex 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 | Middlesex County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 102.7 | 97.9 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $363K | $447K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 207 | 211 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −8.0% | +4.2% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.2% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,728 | $4,372 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $75,060 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 44 | 71 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 25 → 23−8.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 223
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $5.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 499 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 48The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 10,841+2.2% since 2020
- Households
- 4,772
- Median age
- 53.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 87%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.2
- Land area
- 130 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 83
- Median household income
- $75,060+30.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $92,353
- Median home value
- $352,200
- Jobs located here
- 3,164
- Daytime population
- 8,640Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 |
| 81Middlesex County, VA | 44 | 49 | 102.7 | $363K | +2.2% | #1,456 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Middlesex County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes44
- Sit-down restaurants28
- Fast food and sandwich shops
- Pizza
- Coffee shops and cafes38
- Bakeries and dessert shops
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 Middlesex County, VA?
Middlesex County has 49 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 9 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 23 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 8.0% from 2019. Official counts list 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Middlesex County, VA spend on food away from home?
About $17.8M a year, or $3,728 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 49 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $363K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,772 households in Middlesex County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Middlesex County, VA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Middlesex County has 102.7 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 6% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $363K, 2% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Middlesex County would have about 48, against 49 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 8.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Middlesex County, VA growing?
Population estimates put Middlesex County at 10,841 people in 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 4,772 households. The median household income in Middlesex County is $75,060 a year, 7% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.7% 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. Middlesex County scores 44 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,456 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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.