Food and drink · County · Ohio
Sit-down restaurants in Mercer County, OH
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for sit-down restaurants in Mercer County, OH, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 44 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,450 of 2,405 scored counties
#79 of 88 scored counties in Ohio
- Listings
- 83
- 11 chain locations (13%)
- Official establishments
- 36
- −5.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $61.5M
- On food away from home · $3,749 a household
- Spending per listing
- $741K
- 12% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 50.6
- 17% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 42,737
- +0.5% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Mercer 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 Mercer 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
At $3,749 per household (8% below the U.S. average), households in Mercer County spend about $61.5M a year on food away from home. That works out to $741K per restaurant, 12% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
There are 83 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Mercer County as of September 2026. Of those, 11 are chain locations, or 13%, against 29% across the U.S. That comes to 50.6 for every 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 36 businesses with payroll in Mercer County classed as full-service restaurants, down 5.3% from 2019. That is one for every 456 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts list 6 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $130K has gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Mercer County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Mercer County grew 0.5%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For sit-down restaurants, Mercer County has a Groundwork market score of 44 (lower middle): #1,450 of 2,405 scored counties and #79 of 88 scored counties in Ohio.
How Mercer County compares
The same measures for Ohio 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 | Mercer County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 50.6 | 48.9 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $741K | $783K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 456 | 632 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −5.3% | +0.3% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.5% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,749 | $3,829 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $76,782 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 44 | 65 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 38 → 36−5.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 544
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $7.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 8311 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 93The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $130K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Mercer 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 Mercer County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 42,737+0.5% since 2020
- Households
- 16,408
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 80%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 462 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 92
- Median household income
- $76,782+22.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $91,265
- Median home value
- $210,600
- Jobs located here
- 19,998
- Daytime population
- 40,314Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Ohio
Every Ohio market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Ohio for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Ohio, with Mercer County marked.
Top counties in Ohio
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Union County, OH | 95 | 83 | 34.3 | $1.4M | +16.5% | #5 of 2,405 |
| 2Pickaway County, OH | 89 | 58 | 26.5 | $1.5M | +7.4% | #27 of 2,405 |
| 3Morrow County, OH | 88 | 28 | 20.8 | $1.9M | +3.7% | #34 of 2,405 |
| 4Fairfield County, OH | 85 | 218 | 36.1 | $1.2M | +6.5% | #60 of 2,405 |
| 5Madison County, OH | 85 | 65 | 41.4 | $1M | +7.1% | #67 of 2,405 |
| 6Warren County, OH | 84 | 368 | 40.0 | $1.2M | +5.7% | #71 of 2,405 |
| 7Clermont County, OH | 81 | 318 | 37.4 | $1.1M | +3.9% | #109 of 2,405 |
| 8Holmes County, OH | 78 | 42 | 31.4 | $1.3M | +1.7% | #156 of 2,405 |
| 9Knox County, OH | 78 | 82 | 34.9 | $1.1M | +1.9% | #160 of 2,405 |
| 10Lorain County, OH | 78 | 486 | 38.1 | $1M | +3.1% | #166 of 2,405 |
| 79Mercer County, OH | 44 | 83 | 50.6 | $741K | +0.5% | #1,450 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Mercer County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes45
- Sit-down restaurants44
- Fast food and sandwich shops49
- Pizza53
- Coffee shops and cafes60
- Bakeries and dessert shops48
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 Mercer County, OH?
As of September 2026, map listings count 83 sit-down restaurants in Mercer County. 11 of them (13%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 36 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 5.3% from 2019. Official counts also show 6 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Mercer County, OH spend on food away from home?
About $61.5M a year, or $3,749 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 83 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $741K 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 16,408 households in Mercer County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Mercer County, OH compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Mercer County has 50.6 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $741K, 12% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Mercer County would have about 93, against 83 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 456 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 5.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Mercer County, OH growing?
Population estimates put Mercer County at 42,737 people in 2025, up 0.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 16,408 households. Median household income in Mercer County is $76,782, 5% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 22.0%, 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. Mercer County scores 44 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #1,450 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Mercer 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 Mercer County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Mercer 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 Mercer 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.