Food and drink · County · Washington
Restaurants and cafes in Thurston County, WA
The restaurants and cafes in Thurston County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 68 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #450 of 2,405 scored counties
#11 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 1,051
- 365 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 493
- +4.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $508.3M
- On food away from home · $4,275 a household
- Spending per listing
- $484K
- 30% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 88.4
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 304,261
- +2.8% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Thurston 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 Thurston 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 1,051 restaurants and cafes in Thurston County. 365 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 88.4, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Thurston County spend about $508.3M a year on food away from home, or $4,275 per household, 5% above the U.S. average. That is about $484K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 30% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Thurston County was 493 in 2023, up 4.0% from 2019. That is one for every 241 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 51 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 38 SBA-backed loans worth $19.8M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Thurston County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Thurston County grew 2.8%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Thurston County is 68 (upper middle), #450 of 2,405 scored counties and #11 of 35 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Thurston 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 | Thurston County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 88.4 | 107.4 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $484K | $419K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 241 | 204 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +4.0% | +4.8% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.8% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,275 | $4,501 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $96,563 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 68 | 70 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 474 → 493+4.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 8,407
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $230.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 51Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,051365 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,371The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 38
- Amount
- $19.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Thurston 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 Thurston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 304,261+2.8% since 2020
- Households
- 118,899
- Median age
- 40.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 68%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 723 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 414
- Median household income
- $96,563+34.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $114,140
- Median home value
- $480,300
- Jobs located here
- 136,091
- Daytime population
- 311,425Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Thurston 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 Thurston 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 Thurston 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 |
| 11Thurston County, WA | 68 | 1,051 | 88.4 | $484K | +2.8% | #450 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Thurston County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes68
- Sit-down restaurants74
- Fast food and sandwich shops74
- Pizza79
- Coffee shops and cafes39
- Bakeries and dessert shops64
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 Thurston County, WA?
Thurston County has 1,051 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 365 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 493 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 4.0% from 2019. Another 51 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Thurston County, WA spend on food away from home?
About $508.3M a year, or $4,275 per household. That is 5% above the U.S. average (an index of 105, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,051 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $484K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 118,899 households in Thurston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Thurston County, WA compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Thurston County has 88.4 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $484K, 30% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Thurston County would have about 1,371, against 1,051 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 241 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Thurston County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Thurston County at 304,261 people in 2025, up 2.8% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 118,899 households. The median household income in Thurston County is $96,563 a year, 20% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 34.1% 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. Thurston County scores 68 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #450 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Thurston 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 Thurston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Thurston 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 Thurston 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.