Food and drink · County · Washington
Restaurants and cafes in King County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in King County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,060 of 2,405 scored counties
#18 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 12,302
- 3,101 chain locations (25%)
- Official establishments
- 5,403
- −0.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4.8B
- On food away from home · $5,148 a household
- Spending per listing
- $394K
- 6% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 130.7
- 19% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,344,939
- +3.1% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in King 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 King 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 $5,148 per household (26% above the U.S. average), households in King County spend about $4.8B a year on food away from home. That is about $394K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 6% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
There are 12,302 restaurants and cafes on map listings in King County as of September 2026. 3,101 of them (25%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 130.7, 19% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Official counts show 5,403 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in King County in 2023, down 0.2% from 2019. That is one for every 174 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 680 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 358 SBA-backed loans worth $183.2M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in King County.
Population estimates show King County grew 3.1% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). King County scores 53 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, ranking #1,060 of 2,405 scored counties and #18 of 35 scored counties in Washington.
How King County compares
The same measures for Washington 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 | King County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 130.7 | 107.4 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $394K | $419K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 174 | 204 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −0.2% | +4.8% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.1% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,148 | $4,501 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $124,746 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 70 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 5,415 → 5,403−0.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 84,390
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $2.9B
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 680Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 12,3023,101 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 13,065The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 358
- Amount
- $183.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in King 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 King County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,344,939+3.1% since 2020
- Households
- 941,054
- Median age
- 38.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 2,116 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,081
- Median household income
- $124,746+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $176,807
- Median home value
- $859,900
- Jobs located here
- 1,503,962
- Daytime population
- 2,645,877Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in King 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 King 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in Washington, with King County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lincoln County, WA | 82 | 33 | 68.5 | $533K | +9.7% | #111 of 2,405 |
| 2Pend Oreille County, WA | 81 | 39 | 65.6 | $551K | +7.1% | #122 of 2,405 |
| 3Douglas County, WA | 81 | 130 | 81.6 | $498K | +8.0% | #126 of 2,405 |
| 4Stevens County, WA | 80 | 127 | 65.6 | $553K | +6.6% | #139 of 2,405 |
| 5Mason County, WA | 80 | 191 | 73.4 | $545K | +7.8% | #140 of 2,405 |
| 6Clark County, WA | 77 | 1,669 | 85.1 | $518K | +5.3% | #205 of 2,405 |
| 7Skamania County, WA | 77 | 53 | 105.6 | $402K | +5.2% | #210 of 2,405 |
| 8Pierce County, WA | 69 | 3,055 | 87.0 | $512K | +2.5% | #424 of 2,405 |
| 9Snohomish County, WA | 69 | 2,970 | 93.9 | $512K | +4.9% | #425 of 2,405 |
| 10Asotin County, WA | 68 | 69 | 72.7 | $516K | +1.0% | #447 of 2,405 |
| 18King County, WA | 53 | 12,302 | 130.7 | $394K | +3.1% | #1,060 of 2,405 |
Other business types in King County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes53
- Sit-down restaurants51
- Fast food and sandwich shops77
- Pizza78
- Coffee shops and cafes41
- Bakeries and dessert shops60
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 King County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 12,302 restaurants and cafes in King County. 3,101 of them (25%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 5,403 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 0.2% from 2019. Another 680 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in King County, WA spend on food away from home?
About $4.8B a year, or $5,148 per household. That is 26% above the U.S. average (an index of 126, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 12,302 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $394K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 941,054 households in King County and national spending patterns by income.
How does King County, WA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
King County has 130.7 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $394K, 6% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, King County would have about 13,065, against 12,302 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 174 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 0.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is King County, WA growing?
Population estimates put King County at 2,344,939 people in 2025, up 3.1% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 941,054 households. Median household income in King County is $124,746, 55% 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. King County scores 53 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #1,060 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in King 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 King County
Screening a site or an acquisition in King 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 King 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.