Food and drink · County · West Virginia
Restaurants and cafes in Mason County, WV
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for restaurants and cafes in Mason County, WV, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 60 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #740 of 2,405 scored counties
#14 of 43 scored counties in West Virginia
- Listings
- 52
- 26 chain locations (50%)
- Official establishments
- 22
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $31.4M
- On food away from home · $3,071 a household
- Spending per listing
- $603K
- 63% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 50.9
- 54% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 24,707
- −2.7% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Mason 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 Mason 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 52 restaurants and cafes in Mason County. Of those, 26 are chain locations, or 50%, against 34% across the U.S. That is 50.9 per 10,000 households, 54% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in Mason County spend about $31.4M a year on food away from home, or $3,071 per household, 25% below the U.S. average. That works out to $603K per restaurant, 63% above the U.S. figure of $371K.
Official counts show 22 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Mason County in 2023. That is one for every 464 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Official counts also show 8 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $303K has gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Mason County.
Population estimates show Mason County declined 2.7% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes in Mason County is 60 (upper middle), #740 of 2,405 scored counties and #14 of 43 scored counties in West Virginia.
How Mason County compares
The same measures for West 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 | Mason County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 50.9 | 87.0 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $603K | $384K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 464 | 259 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +3.3% | +6.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −2.7% | −1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,071 | $3,343 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $49,761 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 60 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 19 → 22
- Employees, 2023
- 378
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $6.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 8Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 5226 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 85The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $303K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Mason 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 Mason County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 24,707−2.7% since 2020
- Households
- 10,211
- Median age
- 44.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 82%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 431 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 58
- Median household income
- $49,761+8.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $70,616
- Median home value
- $120,300
- Jobs located here
- 5,376
- Daytime population
- 21,537Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Mason 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 Mason 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 West Virginia
Every West Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in West Virginia for restaurants and cafes, numbered among those based in West Virginia, with Mason County marked.
Top counties in West Virginia
| 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 |
| 14Mason County, WV | 60 | 52 | 50.9 | $603K | −2.7% | #740 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Mason County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes60
- Sit-down restaurants62
- Fast food and sandwich shops56
- Pizza38
- Coffee shops and cafes44
- Bakeries and dessert shops41
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 Mason County, WV?
Mason County has 52 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 26 of them (50%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 22 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023. Another 8 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Mason County, WV spend on food away from home?
About $31.4M a year, or $3,071 per household. That is 25% below the U.S. average (an index of 75, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 52 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $603K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 10,211 households in Mason County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Mason County, WV compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
Mason County has 50.9 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 54% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $603K, 63% above the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Mason County would have about 85, against 52 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 464 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S.
How fast is Mason County, WV growing?
Population estimates put Mason County at 24,707 people in 2025, down 2.7% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 10,211 households. The median household income in Mason County is $49,761 a year, 38% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 8.0% 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. Mason County scores 60 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #740 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Mason 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 Mason County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Mason 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 Mason 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.