Food and drink · County · Iowa
Sit-down restaurants in Clayton County, IA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for sit-down restaurants in Clayton County, IA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 38 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,712 of 2,405 scored counties
#55 of 72 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 34
- 6 chain locations (18%)
- Official establishments
- 29
- +16.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $26.9M
- On food away from home · $3,583 a household
- Spending per listing
- $791K
- 19% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 45.3
- 26% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 16,845
- −1.1% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Clayton County
The site report maps the sit-down restaurants 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 Clayton 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 34 sit-down restaurants in Clayton County. 6 of them (18%) are chain locations, against 29% across the U.S. That comes to 45.3 for every 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Clayton County spend about $26.9M a year on food away from home, or $3,583 per household, 12% below the U.S. average. That works out to $791K per restaurant, 19% above the U.S. figure of $664K. That spending covers all food away from home, which sit-down restaurants share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 29 businesses with payroll in Clayton County classed as full-service restaurants, up 16.0% from 2019. That is one for every 259 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S.
Population estimates show Clayton County declined 1.1% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants in Clayton County is 38 (lower middle), #1,712 of 2,405 scored counties and #55 of 72 scored counties in Iowa.
How Clayton County compares
The same measures for Iowa and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the sit-down restaurants 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 | Clayton County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 45.3 | 52.9 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $791K | $733K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 259 | 535 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +16.0% | −2.5% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −1.1% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,583 | $3,880 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $67,242 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 38 | 51 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 25 → 29+16.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 171
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $2.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 346 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 41The 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 full-service restaurants in Clayton 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 Clayton County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 16,845−1.1% since 2020
- Households
- 7,509
- Median age
- 46.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 779 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 22
- Median household income
- $67,242+26.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $86,441
- Median home value
- $168,500
- Jobs located here
- 6,129
- Daytime population
- 14,966Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Clayton 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 sit-down restaurants on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Clayton County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSit-down restaurants across Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Clayton County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Warren County, IA | 90 | 81 | 39.2 | $1.1M | +9.0% | #24 of 2,405 |
| 2Madison County, IA | 82 | 19 | 28.4 | $1.5M | +3.8% | #90 of 2,405 |
| 3Mills County, IA | 80 | 16 | 29.7 | $1.4M | +2.6% | #122 of 2,405 |
| 4Dallas County, IA | 80 | 219 | 51.6 | $923K | +17.8% | #130 of 2,405 |
| 5Benton County, IA | 79 | 28 | 27.4 | $1.5M | +1.8% | #135 of 2,405 |
| 6Boone County, IA | 77 | 44 | 40.2 | $997K | +0.4% | #196 of 2,405 |
| 7Harrison County, IA | 75 | 23 | 37.8 | $1M | +0.4% | #239 of 2,405 |
| 8Buchanan County, IA | 71 | 28 | 33.9 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #334 of 2,405 |
| 9Hancock County, IA | 69 | 12 | 25.7 | $1.4M | −2.2% | #392 of 2,405 |
| 10Jasper County, IA | 68 | 55 | 36.6 | $1M | +0.9% | #423 of 2,405 |
| 55Clayton County, IA | 38 | 34 | 45.3 | $791K | −1.1% | #1,712 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Clayton County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes29
- Sit-down restaurants38
- Fast food and sandwich shops
- Pizza43
- Coffee shops and cafes26
- 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 sit-down restaurants are in Clayton County, IA?
There are 34 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Clayton County as of September 2026. 6 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 29 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 16.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Clayton County, IA spend on food away from home?
About $26.9M a year, or $3,583 per household. That is 12% below the U.S. average (an index of 88, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 34 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $791K per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 7,509 households in Clayton County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Clayton County, IA compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Clayton County has 45.3 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $791K, 19% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Clayton County would have about 41, against 34 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 259 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 16.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Clayton County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Clayton County at 16,845 people in 2025, down 1.1% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 7,509 households. The median household income in Clayton County is $67,242 a year, 17% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.5% 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. Clayton County scores 38 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #1,712 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Clayton County. It maps the sit-down restaurants 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 sit-down restaurants · All 56 business types in Clayton County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Clayton 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 Clayton 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.