Food and drink · County · Vermont
Sit-down restaurants in Washington County, VT
The sit-down restaurants in Washington County, VT, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 49 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,219 of 2,405 scored counties
#7 of 12 scored counties in Vermont
- Listings
- 139
- 27 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 52
- +6.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $104.2M
- On food away from home · $4,030 a household
- Spending per listing
- $750K
- 13% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 53.8
- 12% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 59,652
- −0.2% 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
Household spending on food away from home in Washington County comes to about $104.2M a year: $4,030 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That works out to $750K per restaurant, 13% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
Washington County has 139 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 27 are chain locations, or 19%, against 29% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 53.8, 12% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in Washington County was 52 in 2023, up 6.1% from 2019. That is one for every 497 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Another 6 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $842K have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Washington County.
Population estimates show Washington County declined 0.2% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. For sit-down restaurants, Washington County has a Groundwork market score of 49 (lower middle): #1,219 of 2,405 scored counties and #7 of 12 scored counties in Vermont.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Vermont 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 | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 53.8 | 54.3 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $750K | $739K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 497 | 460 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +6.1% | −8.9% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.2% | +0.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,030 | $4,013 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $83,449 | $81,203 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 49 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 49 → 52+6.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,022
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $26.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 6Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 13927 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 157The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 4
- Amount
- $842K
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
- 59,652−0.2% since 2020
- Households
- 25,855
- Median age
- 44.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 74%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 687 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 87
- Median household income
- $83,449+32.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $108,553
- Median home value
- $315,000
- Jobs located here
- 30,099
- Daytime population
- 61,944Residents 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 Vermont
Every Vermont market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Vermont for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Vermont, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Vermont
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Orange County, VT | 81 | 35 | 27.5 | $1.4M | +2.4% | #104 of 2,405 |
| 2Franklin County, VT | 76 | 67 | 33.6 | $1.2M | +2.3% | #218 of 2,405 |
| 3Addison County, VT | 74 | 51 | 34.1 | $1.2M | +1.8% | #260 of 2,405 |
| 4Caledonia County, VT | 57 | 54 | 41.2 | $887K | +0.8% | #851 of 2,405 |
| 5Orleans County, VT | 53 | 51 | 42.2 | $862K | +0.7% | #1,025 of 2,405 |
| 6Chittenden County, VT | 50 | 425 | 59.5 | $740K | +0.4% | #1,167 of 2,405 |
| 7Washington County, VT | 49 | 139 | 53.8 | $750K | −0.2% | #1,219 of 2,405 |
| 8Windsor County, VT | 43 | 139 | 55.0 | $730K | −0.7% | #1,485 of 2,405 |
| 9Bennington County, VT | 28 | 99 | 66.1 | $584K | −1.8% | #2,108 of 2,405 |
| 10Lamoille County, VT | 28 | 101 | 84.7 | $462K | +1.4% | #2,133 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 cafes45
- Sit-down restaurants49
- Fast food and sandwich shops68
- Pizza65
- Coffee shops and cafes39
- Bakeries and dessert shops31
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, VT?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 139 sit-down restaurants in Washington County. 27 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 52 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 6.1% from 2019. Official counts list 6 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Washington County, VT spend on food away from home?
About $104.2M a year, or $4,030 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 139 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $750K 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 25,855 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, VT compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Washington County has 53.8 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 12% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $750K, 13% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Washington County would have about 157, against 139 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 497 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, VT growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 59,652 people in 2025, down 0.2% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 25,855 households. Median household income in Washington County is $83,449, 3% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 32.9%, 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 49 for sit-down restaurants (lower middle), #1,219 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.