Market rankings · West Virginia
Restaurants and cafes in West Virginia
Markets across West Virginia ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 6,336
- 2,647 chain locations (42%)
- Official establishments
- 2,809
- +3.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.4B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 87.0
- 21% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $384K
- 4% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #29 of 51
- Market score 46 · Lower middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in West 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 6,336 restaurants and cafes in West Virginia. 2,647 of them (42%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 87.0, 21% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in West Virginia comes to about $2.4B a year: $3,343 per household, 18% below the U.S. average. Spread across 6,336 restaurants and cafes, that is $384K per restaurant, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
Official counts show 2,809 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in West Virginia in 2023, up 3.3% from 2019. That is one for every 259 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, 65 SBA-backed loans worth $19.9M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in West Virginia.
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia ranks #29 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 46 (lower middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in West Virginia, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area scores highest (80). Of the 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in West Virginia, the Fairmont area scores highest (57).
Every market in West Virginia for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 80 | 1,043 | 88.3 | $434K | +7.1% | #15 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 71 | 25,241 | 106.4 | $483K | +3.3% | #50 of 387 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 63 | 575 | 103.6 | $392K | +6.5% | #110 of 387 |
| 1Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 52 | 1,196 | 78.6 | $427K | −2.6% | #175 of 387 |
| 2Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 41 | 433 | 87.2 | $378K | −3.6% | #249 of 387 |
| 3Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 39 | 303 | 80.0 | $409K | −2.3% | #262 of 387 |
| 4Charleston, WV | 35 | 782 | 89.5 | $372K | −4.7% | #289 of 387 |
| 5Beckley, WV | 32 | 411 | 91.4 | $337K | −4.3% | #320 of 387 |
| 6Wheeling, WV-OH | 28 | 557 | 96.0 | $348K | −3.6% | #341 of 387 |
| 7Morgantown, WV | 26 | 652 | 113.5 | $318K | +1.3% | #349 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fairmont, WV | 57 | 197 | 84.4 | $410K | −1.2% | #188 of 538 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 48 | 350 | 90.9 | $363K | −1.3% | #277 of 538 |
| 2Bluefield, WV-VA | 46 | 324 | 80.0 | $386K | −3.8% | #303 of 538 |
| 3Clarksburg, WV | 44 | 306 | 86.2 | $396K | −2.4% | #328 of 538 |
| 4Elkins, WV | 32 | 105 | 98.3 | $324K | −3.6% | #441 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Berkeley County, WV | 83 | 365 | 71.5 | $538K | +13.7% | #94 of 2,405 |
| 2Hampshire County, WV | 78 | 43 | 49.8 | $681K | +4.4% | #167 of 2,405 |
| 3Morgan County, WV | 73 | 57 | 77.6 | $450K | +5.5% | #324 of 2,405 |
| 4Jefferson County, WV | 73 | 222 | 97.4 | $449K | +9.2% | #325 of 2,405 |
| 5Taylor County, WV | 66 | 32 | 48.5 | $689K | −2.4% | #501 of 2,405 |
| 6Putnam County, WV | 65 | 172 | 74.0 | $534K | −1.0% | #544 of 2,405 |
| 7Monroe County, WV | 64 | 21 | 45.5 | $673K | +0.8% | #584 of 2,405 |
| 8Wayne County, WV | 63 | 75 | 47.6 | $679K | −4.0% | #625 of 2,405 |
| 9Boone County, WV | 62 | 35 | 44.2 | $717K | −6.9% | #655 of 2,405 |
| 10Preston County, WV | 62 | 92 | 71.8 | $464K | −0.6% | #676 of 2,405 |
| 11Lincoln County, WV | 61 | 27 | 35.2 | $827K | −5.8% | #698 of 2,405 |
| 12Mineral County, WV | 61 | 81 | 72.8 | $476K | −0.4% | #710 of 2,405 |
| 13Barbour County, WV | 60 | 30 | 48.8 | $608K | −0.3% | #739 of 2,405 |
| 14Mason County, WV | 60 | 52 | 50.9 | $603K | −2.7% | #740 of 2,405 |
| 15Roane County, WV | 58 | 27 | 47.3 | $604K | −4.8% | #816 of 2,405 |
| 16Jackson County, WV | 55 | 80 | 69.5 | $472K | −1.0% | #943 of 2,405 |
| 17Wyoming County, WV | 53 | 44 | 54.5 | $520K | −7.1% | #1,036 of 2,405 |
| 18Grant County, WV | 53 | 30 | 68.3 | $469K | +0.4% | #1,039 of 2,405 |
| 19Marshall County, WV | 51 | 91 | 72.9 | $445K | −4.4% | #1,124 of 2,405 |
| 20Summers County, WV | 48 | 31 | 66.2 | $418K | −3.3% | #1,262 of 2,405 |
| 21Marion County, WV | 46 | 197 | 84.4 | $410K | −1.2% | #1,341 of 2,405 |
| 22Hardy County, WV | 44 | 47 | 78.9 | $387K | +0.7% | #1,442 of 2,405 |
| 23Mingo County, WV | 42 | 65 | 69.8 | $388K | −8.7% | #1,522 of 2,405 |
| 24Wetzel County, WV | 41 | 45 | 73.6 | $435K | −4.6% | #1,559 of 2,405 |
| 25Upshur County, WV | 41 | 86 | 90.0 | $354K | −0.3% | #1,576 of 2,405 |
Show all 55 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Mercer County, WV | 40 | 193 | 79.7 | $392K | −3.4% | #1,599 of 2,405 |
| 27Logan County, WV | 35 | 95 | 74.5 | $408K | −6.6% | #1,809 of 2,405 |
| 28McDowell County, WV | 35 | 47 | 72.7 | $338K | −10.9% | #1,831 of 2,405 |
| 29Wood County, WV | 34 | 295 | 82.3 | $399K | −2.1% | #1,857 of 2,405 |
| 30Monongalia County, WV | 31 | 560 | 125.5 | $294K | +2.0% | #1,989 of 2,405 |
| 31Raleigh County, WV | 30 | 265 | 91.4 | $338K | −3.5% | #2,020 of 2,405 |
| 32Fayette County, WV | 30 | 146 | 91.5 | $336K | −5.6% | #2,022 of 2,405 |
| 33Hancock County, WV | 29 | 121 | 94.4 | $352K | −4.5% | #2,054 of 2,405 |
| 34Kanawha County, WV | 27 | 735 | 96.1 | $350K | −4.3% | #2,118 of 2,405 |
| 35Lewis County, WV | 27 | 71 | 101.9 | $327K | −3.7% | #2,121 of 2,405 |
| 36Randolph County, WV | 27 | 105 | 98.3 | $324K | −3.6% | #2,123 of 2,405 |
| 37Brooke County, WV | 26 | 104 | 107.5 | $302K | −6.0% | #2,154 of 2,405 |
| 38Harrison County, WV | 23 | 264 | 100.2 | $342K | −2.5% | #2,222 of 2,405 |
| 39Nicholas County, WV | 19 | 92 | 97.2 | $320K | −2.9% | #2,296 of 2,405 |
| 40Braxton County, WV | 17 | 50 | 104.4 | $281K | −4.1% | #2,342 of 2,405 |
| 41Greenbrier County, WV | 17 | 174 | 117.7 | $252K | −4.0% | #2,346 of 2,405 |
| 42Cabell County, WV | 13 | 457 | 116.2 | $281K | −3.2% | #2,377 of 2,405 |
| 43Ohio County, WV | 12 | 253 | 137.9 | $246K | −4.4% | #2,384 of 2,405 |
| Ritchie County, WV | Not scored | 28 | 82.6 | $364K | −4.6% | |
| Webster County, WV | Not scored | 18 | 62.1 | $456K | −7.1% | |
| Tyler County, WV | Not scored | 12 | 36.4 | $936K | −5.0% | |
| Clay County, WV | Not scored | 12 | 40.4 | $698K | −5.9% | |
| Pocahontas County, WV | Not scored | 54 | 169.8 | $165K | −3.3% | |
| Doddridge County, WV | Not scored | 10 | 39.2 | $888K | −1.9% | |
| Pleasants County, WV | Not scored | 20 | 72.2 | $470K | −4.1% | |
| Gilmer County, WV | Not scored | 22 | 97.6 | $288K | −4.2% | |
| Tucker County, WV | Not scored | 51 | 179.6 | $180K | −3.1% | |
| Calhoun County, WV | Not scored | 10 | 39.6 | $716K | −3.6% | |
| Pendleton County, WV | Not scored | 17 | 72.6 | $433K | −4.9% | |
| Wirt County, WV | Not scored | 8 | 39.2 | $758K | −5.9% |
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 West Virginia?
West Virginia has 6,336 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 2,647 of them (42%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 2,809 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 3.3% from 2019. Official counts also show 398 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in West Virginia spend on food away from home?
About $2.4B a year, or $3,343 per household. That is 18% below the U.S. average (an index of 82, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 6,336 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $384K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 728,655 households in West Virginia and national spending patterns by income.
How does West Virginia compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
West Virginia has 87.0 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 21% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $384K, 4% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, West Virginia would have about 6,570, against 6,336 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 259 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in West Virginia has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in West Virginia, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in West Virginia, the Fairmont area scores highest, at 57 (upper middle). Among 43 scored counties in West Virginia, Berkeley County scores highest, at 83 (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. West Virginia scores 46 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #29 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 West 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.
Restaurants and cafes in other states
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Top markets for restaurants and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in West Virginia
Related business types in West Virginia
- Sit-down restaurants3,335 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops1,030 listings
- Pizza791 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes529 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops520 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in West 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.