Food and drink · County · Oregon
Sit-down restaurants in Polk County, OR
The sit-down restaurants in Polk County, OR, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 71 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #347 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 29 scored counties in Oregon
- Listings
- 147
- 39 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 50
- −13.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $134.7M
- On food away from home · $4,083 a household
- Spending per listing
- $916K
- 38% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 44.6
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 90,037
- +2.3% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Polk 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 Polk 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 147 sit-down restaurants in Polk County. 39 of them (27%) are chain locations, against 29% across the U.S. That is 44.6 per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Polk County spend about $134.7M a year on food away from home, or $4,083 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That works out to $916K per restaurant, 38% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in Polk County was 50 in 2023, down 13.8% from 2019. That is one for every 660 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts list 11 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $700K has gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Polk County.
Population estimates show Polk County grew 2.3% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Polk County scores 71 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, ranking #347 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 29 scored counties in Oregon. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Oregon 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 | Polk County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 44.6 | 64.9 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $916K | $627K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 660 | 405 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −13.8% | −5.3% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.3% | +0.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,083 | $4,070 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $85,118 | $83,011 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 71 | 31 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 58 → 50−13.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 587
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $15.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 11Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 14739 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 203The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $700K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Polk 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 Polk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 90,037+2.3% since 2020
- Households
- 32,986
- Median age
- 39.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 65%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 741 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 121
- Median household income
- $85,118+35.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $107,909
- Median home value
- $454,700
- Jobs located here
- 21,249
- Daytime population
- 71,489Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Polk 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 Polk 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 Oregon
Every Oregon market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Oregon for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Oregon, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Oregon
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Crook County, OR | 74 | 45 | 41.7 | $947K | +10.6% | #277 of 2,405 |
| 2Columbia County, OR | 71 | 84 | 40.1 | $990K | +2.6% | #343 of 2,405 |
| 3Polk County, OR | 71 | 147 | 44.6 | $916K | +2.3% | #347 of 2,405 |
| 4Washington County, OR | 62 | 1,301 | 55.3 | $853K | +1.8% | #664 of 2,405 |
| 5Linn County, OR | 62 | 224 | 44.2 | $825K | +3.0% | #670 of 2,405 |
| 6Clackamas County, OR | 60 | 800 | 48.8 | $943K | +0.9% | #731 of 2,405 |
| 7Benton County, OR | 57 | 209 | 54.2 | $732K | +4.4% | #868 of 2,405 |
| 8Jefferson County, OR | 53 | 46 | 52.2 | $717K | +4.7% | #1,047 of 2,405 |
| 9Yamhill County, OR | 48 | 229 | 58.3 | $705K | +2.2% | #1,274 of 2,405 |
| 10Deschutes County, OR | 48 | 576 | 67.8 | $639K | +6.8% | #1,286 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Polk County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes61
- Sit-down restaurants71
- Fast food and sandwich shops74
- Pizza75
- Coffee shops and cafes53
- Bakeries and dessert shops68
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 Polk County, OR?
Polk County has 147 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. 39 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 50 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 13.8% from 2019. Official counts also show 11 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Polk County, OR spend on food away from home?
About $134.7M a year, or $4,083 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 147 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $916K per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 32,986 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, OR compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Polk County has 44.6 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $916K, 38% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Polk County would have about 203, against 147 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 660 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 13.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, OR growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 90,037 people in 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 32,986 households. The median household income in Polk County is $85,118 a year, 5% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 35.8% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Polk County scores 71 for sit-down restaurants (upper middle), #347 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk 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 Polk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk 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 Polk 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.