Food and drink · County · Rhode Island
Sit-down restaurants in Washington County, RI
The sit-down restaurants in Washington County, RI, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 39 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,687 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island
- Listings
- 384
- 46 chain locations (12%)
- Official establishments
- 169
- 0.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $247.6M
- On food away from home · $4,712 a household
- Spending per listing
- $645K
- 3% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 73.1
- 19% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 129,795
- 0.0% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 384 sit-down restaurants in Washington County. 46 of them (12%) are chain locations, against 29% across the U.S. That is 73.1 per 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Household spending on food away from home in Washington County comes to about $247.6M a year: $4,712 per household, 16% above the U.S. average. That is about $645K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 3% below 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 Washington County was 169 in 2023, unchanged from 2019. That is one for every 311 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Another 8 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 13 SBA-backed loans worth $6.6M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Washington County.
Population estimates show Washington County held about level from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants in Washington County is 39 (lower middle), #1,687 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Rhode Island 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 | Washington County | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 73.1 | 67.8 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $645K | $619K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 311 | 383 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | 0.0% | −0.4% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | 0.0% | +1.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,712 | $4,196 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $106,638 | $87,796 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 39 | 32 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 169 → 1690.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,120
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $110M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 8Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 38446 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 373The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 13
- Amount
- $6.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 129,7950.0% since 2020
- Households
- 52,549
- Median age
- 45.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 329 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 396
- Median household income
- $106,638+24.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $136,741
- Median home value
- $510,800
- Jobs located here
- 55,609
- Daytime population
- 127,343Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Rhode Island
Every Rhode Island market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Rhode Island for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Rhode Island, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Rhode Island
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kent County, RI | 53 | 415 | 57.0 | $761K | +1.8% | #1,039 of 2,405 |
| 2Bristol County, RI | 43 | 130 | 64.7 | $753K | −1.5% | #1,483 of 2,405 |
| 3Washington County, RI | 39 | 384 | 73.1 | $645K | 0.0% | #1,687 of 2,405 |
| 4Providence County, RI | 39 | 1,760 | 67.9 | $581K | +2.8% | #1,695 of 2,405 |
| 5Newport County, RI | 28 | 303 | 82.2 | $561K | −2.9% | #2,114 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Washington 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 shops68
- Pizza52
- Coffee shops and cafes30
- Bakeries and dessert shops30
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 Washington County, RI?
There are 384 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Washington County as of September 2026. 46 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 169 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, unchanged from 2019. Official counts list 8 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Washington County, RI spend on food away from home?
About $247.6M a year, or $4,712 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 384 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $645K per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 52,549 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, RI compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Washington County has 73.1 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $645K, 3% below the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Washington County would have about 373, against 384 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 311 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count held level from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, RI growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 129,795 people in 2025, unchanged since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 52,549 households. The median household income in Washington County is $106,638 a year, 32% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 24.7% 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. Washington County scores 39 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #1,687 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.