Food and drink · County · Washington
Sit-down restaurants in King County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for sit-down restaurants in King County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 51 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,137 of 2,405 scored counties
#22 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 6,809
- 1,325 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 2,618
- +1.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4.8B
- On food away from home · $5,148 a household
- Spending per listing
- $711K
- 7% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 72.4
- 18% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,344,939
- +3.1% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in King 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 King 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 King County comes to about $4.8B a year: $5,148 per household, 26% above the U.S. average. Spread across 6,809 sit-down restaurants, that is $711K per restaurant, 7% above the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.
There are 6,809 sit-down restaurants on map listings in King County as of September 2026. Of those, 1,325 are chain locations, or 19%, against 29% across the U.S. That is 72.4 per 10,000 households, 18% above the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Official counts show 2,618 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in King County in 2023, up 1.1% from 2019. That is one for every 359 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts also show 280 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 177 SBA-backed loans worth $109.5M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in King County.
Population estimates put the population change in King County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.1%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants in King County is 51 (upper middle), #1,137 of 2,405 scored counties and #22 of 35 scored counties in Washington.
How King County compares
The same measures for Washington 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 | King County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 72.4 | 54.7 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $711K | $823K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 359 | 456 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +1.1% | +3.6% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.1% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $5,148 | $4,501 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $124,746 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 51 | 71 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 2,590 → 2,618+1.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 44,749
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $1.8B
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 280Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6,8091,325 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 7,300The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 177
- Amount
- $109.5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in King 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 King County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,344,939+3.1% since 2020
- Households
- 941,054
- Median age
- 38.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 2,116 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,081
- Median household income
- $124,746+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $176,807
- Median home value
- $859,900
- Jobs located here
- 1,503,962
- Daytime population
- 2,645,877Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in King 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 King 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Washington, with King County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Skamania County, WA | 89 | 19 | 37.9 | $1.1M | +5.2% | #33 of 2,405 |
| 2Lincoln County, WA | 84 | 17 | 35.3 | $1M | +9.7% | #78 of 2,405 |
| 3Stevens County, WA | 83 | 56 | 28.9 | $1.3M | +6.6% | #83 of 2,405 |
| 4Mason County, WA | 81 | 96 | 36.9 | $1.1M | +7.8% | #110 of 2,405 |
| 5Douglas County, WA | 78 | 66 | 41.4 | $981K | +8.0% | #170 of 2,405 |
| 6Pend Oreille County, WA | 77 | 17 | 28.6 | $1.3M | +7.1% | #184 of 2,405 |
| 7Franklin County, WA | 77 | 146 | 48.8 | $842K | +5.6% | #204 of 2,405 |
| 8Clark County, WA | 76 | 851 | 43.4 | $1M | +5.3% | #224 of 2,405 |
| 9Thurston County, WA | 74 | 496 | 41.7 | $1M | +2.8% | #271 of 2,405 |
| 10Pierce County, WA | 71 | 1,532 | 43.6 | $1M | +2.5% | #341 of 2,405 |
| 22King County, WA | 51 | 6,809 | 72.4 | $711K | +3.1% | #1,137 of 2,405 |
Other business types in King County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes53
- Sit-down restaurants51
- Fast food and sandwich shops77
- Pizza78
- Coffee shops and cafes41
- Bakeries and dessert shops60
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 King County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 6,809 sit-down restaurants in King County. 1,325 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 2,618 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, up 1.1% from 2019. Another 280 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in King County, WA spend on food away from home?
About $4.8B a year, or $5,148 per household. That is 26% above the U.S. average (an index of 126, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 6,809 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $711K 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 941,054 households in King County and national spending patterns by income.
How does King County, WA compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
King County has 72.4 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 18% above the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $711K, 7% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, King County would have about 7,300, against 6,809 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 359 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is King County, WA growing?
Population estimates put King County at 2,344,939 people in 2025, up 3.1% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 941,054 households. Median household income in King County is $124,746, 55% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.4%, 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. King County scores 51 for sit-down restaurants (upper middle), #1,137 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in King 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 King County
Screening a site or an acquisition in King 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 King 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.