Food and drink · County · North Carolina
Sit-down restaurants in New Hanover County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for sit-down restaurants in New Hanover County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 39 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,702 of 2,405 scored counties
#72 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 781
- 209 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 332
- +4.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $407.5M
- On food away from home · $3,886 a household
- Spending per listing
- $522K
- 21% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 74.5
- 22% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 245,959
- +8.6% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in New Hanover 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 New Hanover 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
Households in New Hanover County spend about $407.5M a year on food away from home, or $3,886 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. That works out to $522K per restaurant, 21% below the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
New Hanover County has 781 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 209 are chain locations, or 27%, against 29% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 74.5, 22% above the U.S. rate of 61.3.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in New Hanover County was 332 in 2023, up 4.4% from 2019. That is one for every 316 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts also show 34 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 17 SBA-backed loans worth $12.2M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in New Hanover County.
Population estimates put the population change in New Hanover County from 2020 to 2025 at +8.6%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants in New Hanover County is 39 (lower middle), #1,702 of 2,405 scored counties and #72 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina.
How New Hanover County compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | New Hanover County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 74.5 | 53.3 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $522K | $709K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 316 | 501 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +4.4% | +6.8% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +8.6% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,886 | $3,776 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $75,166 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 39 | 51 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 318 → 332+4.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 8,586
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $217.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 34Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 781209 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 614The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 17
- Amount
- $12.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in New Hanover 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 New Hanover County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 245,959+8.6% since 2020
- Households
- 104,856
- Median age
- 41.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 61%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 192 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,223
- Median household income
- $75,166+36.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $107,828
- Median home value
- $387,800
- Jobs located here
- 128,058
- Daytime population
- 260,358Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in New Hanover 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 New Hanover 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with New Hanover County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Camden County, NC | 92 | 13 | 32.4 | $1.2M | +8.8% | #13 of 2,405 |
| 2Franklin County, NC | 89 | 78 | 27.3 | $1.3M | +18.8% | #28 of 2,405 |
| 3Chatham County, NC | 87 | 117 | 35.5 | $1.3M | +11.0% | #49 of 2,405 |
| 4Hoke County, NC | 84 | 54 | 28.0 | $1.2M | +9.0% | #70 of 2,405 |
| 5Union County, NC | 84 | 344 | 40.8 | $1.1M | +11.7% | #74 of 2,405 |
| 6Lincoln County, NC | 82 | 145 | 39.4 | $1M | +13.2% | #95 of 2,405 |
| 7Johnston County, NC | 82 | 348 | 40.7 | $972K | +17.9% | #96 of 2,405 |
| 8Harnett County, NC | 81 | 168 | 33.7 | $1.1M | +12.3% | #113 of 2,405 |
| 9Granville County, NC | 77 | 77 | 34.3 | $1.1M | +2.1% | #189 of 2,405 |
| 10Person County, NC | 77 | 55 | 34.2 | $1M | +3.7% | #193 of 2,405 |
| 72New Hanover County, NC | 39 | 781 | 74.5 | $522K | +8.6% | #1,702 of 2,405 |
Other business types in New Hanover County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes37
- Sit-down restaurants39
- Fast food and sandwich shops48
- Pizza60
- Coffee shops and cafes38
- Bakeries and dessert shops42
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 New Hanover County, NC?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 781 sit-down restaurants in New Hanover County. 209 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 332 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 4.4% from 2019. Another 34 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in New Hanover County, NC spend on food away from home?
About $407.5M a year, or $3,886 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 781 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $522K 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 104,856 households in New Hanover County and national spending patterns by income.
How does New Hanover County, NC compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
New Hanover County has 74.5 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 22% above the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $522K, 21% below the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, New Hanover County would have about 614, against 781 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 316 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is New Hanover County, NC growing?
Population estimates put New Hanover County at 245,959 people in 2025, up 8.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 104,856 households. Median household income in New Hanover County is $75,166, 7% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 36.9%, 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. New Hanover County scores 39 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #1,702 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in New Hanover 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 New Hanover County
Screening a site or an acquisition in New Hanover 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 New Hanover 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.