Market rankings · Maryland
Sit-down restaurants in Maryland
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maryland, ranked by the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 13,270
- 3,800 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 3,803
- +6.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.9B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 56.2
- 8% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $820K
- 24% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #2 of 51
- Market score 80 · High
A site report maps the sit-down restaurants on map listings around any address in Maryland 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
Maryland has 13,270 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 3,800 are chain locations, or 29%, against 29% across the U.S. That is 56.2 per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Maryland spend about $10.9B a year on food away from home, or $4,604 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. That works out to $820K per restaurant, 24% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in Maryland was 3,803 in 2023, up 6.6% from 2019. That is one for every 621 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 1.5% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 219 SBA-backed loans worth $114.9M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Maryland.
Among the 50 states and DC, Maryland ranks #2 for sit-down restaurants, with a Groundwork market score of 80 (high). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest (83). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest (55).
Every market in Maryland for sit-down restaurants
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maryland, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lexington Park, MD | 83 | 358 | 47.2 | $1.1M | +2.1% | #11 of 387 |
| 2Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 77 | 513 | 43.4 | $882K | +7.1% | #21 of 387 |
| 3Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 69 | 6,358 | 56.8 | $793K | +0.4% | #57 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 66 | 15,316 | 64.5 | $796K | +3.3% | #74 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 55 | 15,176 | 61.5 | $708K | +1.4% | #146 of 387 |
| 4Salisbury, MD | 51 | 275 | 56.3 | $659K | +2.9% | #181 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cambridge, MD | 55 | 78 | 57.6 | $603K | +3.4% | #219 of 538 |
| 2Cumberland, MD-WV | 48 | 171 | 44.4 | $743K | −1.3% | #283 of 538 |
| 3Easton, MD | 40 | 128 | 77.9 | $536K | +2.0% | #379 of 538 |
| 4Ocean Pines, MD | 35 | 476 | 197.2 | $207K | +3.7% | #428 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charles County, MD | 87 | 253 | 41.6 | $1.2M | +5.9% | #51 of 2,405 |
| 2Harford County, MD | 82 | 399 | 39.2 | $1.2M | +2.0% | #91 of 2,405 |
| 3Caroline County, MD | 78 | 38 | 30.4 | $1.2M | +2.5% | #157 of 2,405 |
| 4St. Mary’s County, MD | 78 | 202 | 47.6 | $1M | +2.4% | #165 of 2,405 |
| 5Queen Anne’s County, MD | 78 | 112 | 56.3 | $852K | +8.8% | #180 of 2,405 |
| 6Calvert County, MD | 76 | 156 | 46.6 | $1.1M | +1.7% | #221 of 2,405 |
| 7Frederick County, MD | 75 | 571 | 54.6 | $923K | +11.0% | #248 of 2,405 |
| 8Prince George’s County, MD | 75 | 1,723 | 49.5 | $910K | +0.5% | #249 of 2,405 |
| 9Carroll County, MD | 74 | 299 | 46.5 | $1.1M | +2.2% | #268 of 2,405 |
| 10Cecil County, MD | 74 | 198 | 48.8 | $861K | +3.2% | #282 of 2,405 |
| 11Howard County, MD | 70 | 659 | 54.4 | $1M | +1.9% | #367 of 2,405 |
| 12Montgomery County, MD | 68 | 2,237 | 57.5 | $914K | +1.3% | #434 of 2,405 |
| 13Anne Arundel County, MD | 67 | 1,244 | 55.4 | $917K | +1.7% | #462 of 2,405 |
| 14Baltimore County, MD | 64 | 1,762 | 52.9 | $813K | −0.7% | #573 of 2,405 |
| 15Washington County, MD | 55 | 313 | 52.3 | $737K | +2.0% | #959 of 2,405 |
| 16Wicomico County, MD | 52 | 232 | 57.3 | $662K | +3.2% | #1,105 of 2,405 |
| 17Somerset County, MD | 51 | 43 | 51.5 | $642K | +1.7% | #1,145 of 2,405 |
| 18Dorchester County, MD | 46 | 78 | 57.6 | $603K | +3.4% | #1,384 of 2,405 |
| 19Allegany County, MD | 38 | 123 | 44.9 | $719K | −1.6% | #1,715 of 2,405 |
| 20Talbot County, MD | 34 | 128 | 77.9 | $536K | +2.0% | #1,900 of 2,405 |
| 21Kent County, MD | 33 | 66 | 77.7 | $502K | +2.3% | #1,938 of 2,405 |
| 22Garrett County, MD | 31 | 75 | 59.6 | $608K | −1.5% | #1,995 of 2,405 |
| 23Worcester County, MD | 31 | 476 | 197.2 | $207K | +3.7% | #2,026 of 2,405 |
| 24Baltimore city, MD | 29 | 1,883 | 73.7 | $481K | −2.3% | #2,090 of 2,405 |
Questions
How many sit-down restaurants are in Maryland?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 13,270 sit-down restaurants in Maryland. 3,800 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 3,803 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 6.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 1,151 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Maryland spend on food away from home?
About $10.9B a year, or $4,604 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 13,270 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $820K per restaurant. That spending covers all food away from home, which sit-down restaurants share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,362,928 households in Maryland and national spending patterns by income.
How does Maryland compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Maryland has 56.2 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $820K, 24% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Maryland would have about 16,393, against 13,270 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 621 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
Which market in Maryland has the highest market score for sit-down restaurants?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Lexington Park metro area scores highest, at 83 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest, at 55 (upper middle). Among 24 scored counties in Maryland, Charles County scores highest, at 87 (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. Maryland scores 80 for sit-down restaurants (high), #2 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 Maryland. 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.
Sit-down restaurants in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
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- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
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- Illinois
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- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for sit-down restaurants across the U.S. · All business types in Maryland
Related business types in Maryland
- Restaurants and cafes22,605 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops2,853 listings
- Pizza1,746 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes1,792 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops2,241 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Maryland?
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.