Market rankings · Montana
Sit-down restaurants in Montana
Markets across Montana ranked by the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,403
- 626 chain locations (26%)
- Official establishments
- 1,060
- −1.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.7B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 52.4
- 15% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $716K
- 8% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #32 of 51
- Market score 43 · Lower middle
A site report maps the sit-down restaurants on map listings around any address in Montana 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 2,403 sit-down restaurants in Montana. Of those, 626 are chain locations, or 26%, against 29% across the U.S. That is 52.4 per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
At $3,748 per household (8% below the U.S. average), households in Montana spend about $1.7B a year on food away from home. That is about $716K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 8% 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 1,060 businesses with payroll in Montana classed as full-service restaurants, down 1.0% from 2019. That is one for every 433 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, 33 SBA-backed loans worth $14.9M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Montana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Montana ranks #32 for sit-down restaurants, with a Groundwork market score of 43 (lower middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest (70). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest (53).
Every market in Montana for sit-down restaurants
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Montana, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Helena, MT | 70 | 172 | 44.1 | $902K | +7.7% | #47 of 387 |
| 2Missoula, MT | 67 | 253 | 46.1 | $827K | +4.7% | #63 of 387 |
| 3Billings, MT | 64 | 355 | 45.3 | $861K | +4.8% | #86 of 387 |
| 4Great Falls, MT | 48 | 176 | 49.4 | $722K | +0.7% | #207 of 387 |
| 5Bozeman, MT | 42 | 372 | 72.6 | $601K | +7.7% | #264 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kalispell, MT | 53 | 259 | 58.6 | $649K | +10.1% | #240 of 538 |
| 2Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 48 | 73 | 47.3 | $695K | +2.6% | #288 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Jefferson County, MT | 76 | 19 | 38.0 | $1.1M | +9.8% | #220 of 2,405 |
| 2Ravalli County, MT | 65 | 73 | 39.1 | $930K | +9.4% | #522 of 2,405 |
| 3Yellowstone County, MT | 65 | 302 | 43.2 | $900K | +4.5% | #526 of 2,405 |
| 4Missoula County, MT | 63 | 245 | 46.5 | $824K | +4.4% | #622 of 2,405 |
| 5Lewis and Clark County, MT | 62 | 142 | 45.5 | $863K | +5.8% | #662 of 2,405 |
| 6Big Horn County, MT | 57 | 12 | 31.4 | $999K | −2.5% | #841 of 2,405 |
| 7Cascade County, MT | 49 | 176 | 49.4 | $722K | +0.7% | #1,227 of 2,405 |
| 8Flathead County, MT | 47 | 259 | 58.6 | $649K | +10.1% | #1,330 of 2,405 |
| 9Gallatin County, MT | 46 | 372 | 72.6 | $601K | +7.7% | #1,386 of 2,405 |
| 10Fergus County, MT | 44 | 22 | 41.5 | $798K | +3.1% | #1,444 of 2,405 |
| 11Silver Bow County, MT | 41 | 73 | 47.3 | $695K | +2.6% | #1,581 of 2,405 |
| 12Sanders County, MT | 40 | 27 | 49.5 | $649K | +12.9% | #1,639 of 2,405 |
| 13Lake County, MT | 40 | 73 | 58.0 | $605K | +6.9% | #1,648 of 2,405 |
| 14Custer County, MT | 38 | 28 | 55.6 | $638K | +1.5% | #1,725 of 2,405 |
| 15Carbon County, MT | 36 | 39 | 83.6 | $468K | +9.1% | #1,817 of 2,405 |
| 16Park County, MT | 34 | 59 | 70.5 | $532K | +5.7% | #1,902 of 2,405 |
| 17Roosevelt County, MT | 32 | 13 | 42.1 | $758K | −5.2% | #1,948 of 2,405 |
| 18Richland County, MT | 29 | 32 | 72.4 | $542K | −1.3% | #2,082 of 2,405 |
| 19Lincoln County, MT | 29 | 51 | 56.2 | $538K | +13.1% | #2,083 of 2,405 |
| 20Hill County, MT | 25 | 32 | 51.6 | $624K | −0.5% | #2,193 of 2,405 |
| 21Glacier County, MT | 14 | 29 | 67.6 | $454K | −2.0% | #2,380 of 2,405 |
| Beaverhead County, MT | Not scored | 31 | 73.8 | $457K | +7.1% | |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | Not scored | 22 | 49.2 | $656K | +3.0% | |
| Madison County, MT | Not scored | 26 | 69.5 | $536K | +15.8% | |
| Stillwater County, MT | Not scored | 14 | 36.7 | $1.1M | +5.0% |
Show all 56 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, MT | Not scored | 18 | 49.8 | $723K | −2.6% | |
| Rosebud County, MT | Not scored | 21 | 68.4 | $485K | −0.7% | |
| Broadwater County, MT | Not scored | 11 | 39.0 | $982K | +23.8% | |
| Valley County, MT | Not scored | 16 | 54.2 | $649K | −2.4% | |
| Powell County, MT | Not scored | 15 | 61.7 | $554K | +3.1% | |
| Blaine County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 35.1 | $973K | −2.1% | |
| Teton County, MT | Not scored | 9 | 36.5 | $940K | +3.9% | |
| Pondera County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 44.1 | $730K | +3.2% | |
| Chouteau County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 46.3 | $711K | −0.8% | |
| Musselshell County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 27.9 | $1.2M | +17.6% | |
| Toole County, MT | Not scored | 11 | 59.4 | $569K | +4.9% | |
| Mineral County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 37.2 | $921K | +13.5% | |
| Phillips County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 34.0 | $954K | −0.1% | |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 38.7 | $954K | +2.4% | |
| Sheridan County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 67.8 | $531K | −2.9% | |
| Granite County, MT | Not scored | 11 | 72.7 | $467K | +10.6% | |
| Fallon County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 34.0 | $1.2M | −2.3% | |
| Judith Basin County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 54.5 | $672K | +6.8% | |
| Wheatland County, MT | Not scored | 12 | 135.9 | $232K | +1.2% | |
| Meagher County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 64.7 | $547K | +11.2% | |
| Liberty County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 55.2 | $591K | +0.1% | |
| Powder River County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 28.2 | $1.3M | +5.1% | |
| McCone County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 37.6 | $926K | −0.6% | |
| Daniels County, MT | Not scored | 7 | 95.4 | $335K | −2.3% | |
| Carter County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 16.7 | $1.8M | −1.6% | |
| Prairie County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 36.7 | $861K | +1.7% | |
| Wibaux County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 43.4 | $840K | −5.4% | |
| Garfield County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 69.4 | $513K | −1.9% | |
| Golden Valley County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 53.2 | $607K | +2.7% | |
| Treasure County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 55.6 | $607K | −4.0% | |
| Petroleum County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 45.2 | $734K | +9.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 sit-down restaurants on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many sit-down restaurants are in Montana?
Montana has 2,403 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. 626 of them (26%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 1,060 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 1.0% from 2019. Official counts also show 121 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Montana spend on food away from home?
About $1.7B a year, or $3,748 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,403 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $716K per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 458,859 households in Montana and national spending patterns by income.
How does Montana compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Montana has 52.4 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $716K, 8% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Montana would have about 2,592, against 2,403 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 433 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 1.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
Which market in Montana has the highest market score for sit-down restaurants?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest, at 53 (upper middle). Among 21 scored counties in Montana, Jefferson County scores highest, at 76 (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. Montana scores 43 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #32 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 Montana. 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
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Top markets for sit-down restaurants across the U.S. · All business types in Montana
Related business types in Montana
- Restaurants and cafes5,233 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops539 listings
- Pizza343 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes883 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops364 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Montana?
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.