Food and drink · County · South Carolina
Sit-down restaurants in Lancaster County, SC
The sit-down restaurants in Lancaster County, SC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 79 out of 100: High
Ranked #152 of 2,405 scored counties
#2 of 44 scored counties in South Carolina
- Listings
- 168
- 68 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- 59
- +15.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $157.9M
- On food away from home · $3,935 a household
- Spending per listing
- $940K
- 42% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 41.9
- 32% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 114,296
- +18.3% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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
Lancaster County scores 79 (high) on the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, ranking #152 of 2,405 scored counties and #2 of 44 scored counties in South Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for sit-down restaurants.
As of September 2026, map listings count 168 sit-down restaurants in Lancaster County. Of those, 68 are chain locations, or 40%, against 29% across the U.S. That is 41.9 per 10,000 households, 32% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Lancaster County spend about $157.9M a year on food away from home, or $3,935 per household, 3% below the U.S. average. That is about $940K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 42% 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.
In 2023, official counts showed 59 businesses with payroll in Lancaster County classed as full-service restaurants, up 15.7% from 2019. That is one for every 680 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $480K has gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Lancaster County. Population estimates show Lancaster County grew 18.3% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Lancaster County compares
The same measures for South 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 | Lancaster County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 41.9 | 59.9 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $940K | $611K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 680 | 462 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +15.7% | +5.5% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +18.3% | +8.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,935 | $3,660 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $78,869 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 79 | 39 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 51 → 59+15.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,169
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $23.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 14Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 16868 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 238The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $480K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 114,296+18.3% since 2020
- Households
- 40,128
- Median age
- 43.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 83%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 549 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 190
- Median household income
- $78,869+34.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $106,641
- Median home value
- $329,900
- Jobs located here
- 29,873
- Daytime population
- 88,047Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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 South Carolina
Every South Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in South Carolina for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in South Carolina, with Lancaster County marked.
Top counties in South Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Berkeley County, SC | 80 | 402 | 42.9 | $918K | +18.7% | #131 of 2,405 |
| 2Lancaster County, SC | 79 | 168 | 41.9 | $940K | +18.3% | #152 of 2,405 |
| 3Edgefield County, SC | 77 | 40 | 41.0 | $873K | +16.1% | #201 of 2,405 |
| 4Kershaw County, SC | 76 | 90 | 33.5 | $1.1M | +11.6% | #222 of 2,405 |
| 5York County, SC | 76 | 497 | 43.7 | $966K | +8.1% | #225 of 2,405 |
| 6Dorchester County, SC | 73 | 301 | 47.6 | $817K | +10.1% | #308 of 2,405 |
| 7Calhoun County, SC | 69 | 14 | 22.7 | $1.5M | +0.6% | #391 of 2,405 |
| 8Laurens County, SC | 68 | 92 | 34.1 | $929K | +6.2% | #432 of 2,405 |
| 9Saluda County, SC | 62 | 31 | 40.4 | $785K | +4.1% | #678 of 2,405 |
| 10Oconee County, SC | 61 | 142 | 41.1 | $850K | +6.3% | #706 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Lancaster County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes82
- Sit-down restaurants79
- Fast food and sandwich shops76
- Pizza77
- Coffee shops and cafes90
- Bakeries and dessert shops80
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 Lancaster County, SC?
Lancaster County has 168 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. 68 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 59 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 15.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 14 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Lancaster County, SC spend on food away from home?
About $157.9M a year, or $3,935 per household. That is 3% below the U.S. average (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 168 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $940K per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 40,128 households in Lancaster County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Lancaster County, SC compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Lancaster County has 41.9 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 32% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $940K, 42% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Lancaster County would have about 238, against 168 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 680 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 15.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Lancaster County, SC growing?
Population estimates put Lancaster County at 114,296 people in 2025, up 18.3% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 40,128 households. The median household income in Lancaster County is $78,869 a year, 2% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 34.0% 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. Lancaster County scores 79 for sit-down restaurants (high), #152 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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.