Food and drink · County · Ohio
Sit-down restaurants in Sandusky County, OH
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for sit-down restaurants in Sandusky County, OH, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 59 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #767 of 2,405 scored counties
#50 of 88 scored counties in Ohio
- Listings
- 90
- 34 chain locations (38%)
- Official establishments
- 37
- −2.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $85.7M
- On food away from home · $3,472 a household
- Spending per listing
- $952K
- 43% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 36.5
- 40% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 58,655
- −0.4% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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 $3,472 per household (15% below the U.S. average), households in Sandusky County spend about $85.7M a year on food away from home. That is about $952K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 43% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
There are 90 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Sandusky County as of September 2026. Of those, 34 are chain locations, or 38%, against 29% across the U.S. That is 36.5 per 10,000 households, 40% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 37 businesses with payroll in Sandusky County classed as full-service restaurants, down 2.6% from 2019. That is one for every 667 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts also show 3 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $20K has gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Sandusky County.
Population estimates put the population change in Sandusky County from 2020 to 2025 at −0.4%, against +3.1% for the U.S. For sit-down restaurants, Sandusky County has a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle): #767 of 2,405 scored counties and #50 of 88 scored counties in Ohio.
How Sandusky 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 | Sandusky County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 36.5 | 48.9 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $952K | $783K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 667 | 632 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −2.6% | +0.3% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.4% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,472 | $3,829 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $62,295 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 59 | 65 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 38 → 37−2.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 636
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $11.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 9034 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 129The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $20K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Sandusky 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 Sandusky County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 58,655−0.4% since 2020
- Households
- 24,686
- Median age
- 43.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 73%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 408 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 144
- Median household income
- $62,295+15.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $81,613
- Median home value
- $160,700
- Jobs located here
- 26,036
- Daytime population
- 55,882Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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 |
| 50Sandusky County, OH | 59 | 90 | 36.5 | $952K | −0.4% | #767 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Sandusky County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes49
- Sit-down restaurants59
- Fast food and sandwich shops37
- Pizza35
- Coffee shops and cafes52
- Bakeries and dessert shops36
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 Sandusky County, OH?
As of September 2026, map listings count 90 sit-down restaurants in Sandusky County. 34 of them (38%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 37 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 2.6% from 2019. Another 3 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Sandusky County, OH spend on food away from home?
About $85.7M a year, or $3,472 per household. That is 15% below the U.S. average (an index of 85, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 90 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $952K 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 24,686 households in Sandusky County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Sandusky County, OH compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Sandusky County has 36.5 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 40% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $952K, 43% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Sandusky County would have about 129, against 90 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 667 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Sandusky County, OH growing?
Population estimates put Sandusky County at 58,655 people in 2025, down 0.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 24,686 households. Median household income in Sandusky County is $62,295, 23% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 15.2%, 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. Sandusky County scores 59 for sit-down restaurants (upper middle), #767 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Sandusky 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 Sandusky County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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.