Food and drink · County · Wisconsin
Sit-down restaurants in Waukesha County, WI
The sit-down restaurants in Waukesha County, WI, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 72 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #316 of 2,405 scored counties
#3 of 67 scored counties in Wisconsin
- Listings
- 775
- 269 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 297
- −2.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $802.4M
- On food away from home · $4,758 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 56% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 46.0
- 25% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 417,210
- +2.4% since 2020
See the sit-down restaurants around any address in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 775 sit-down restaurants in Waukesha County. 269 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 29% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 46.0, 25% below the U.S. rate of 61.3.
Households in Waukesha County spend about $802.4M a year on food away from home, or $4,758 per household, 17% above the U.S. average. That works out to $1M per restaurant, 56% 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 Waukesha County was 297 in 2023, down 2.9% from 2019. That is one for every 568 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Official counts list 34 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 28 SBA-backed loans worth $17.6M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Waukesha County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Waukesha County grew 2.4%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For sit-down restaurants, Waukesha County has a Groundwork market score of 72 (upper middle): #316 of 2,405 scored counties and #3 of 67 scored counties in Wisconsin. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Waukesha County compares
The same measures for Wisconsin 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 | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 46.0 | 52.3 | 61.3 |
| Spending per listing | $1M | $757K | $664K |
| Households per official establishment | 568 | 497 | 500 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −2.9% | −1.0% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.4% | +1.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $4,758 | $3,959 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $106,076 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 72 | 54 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 306 → 297−2.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 7,287
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $163.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 34Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 775269 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,209The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 28
- Amount
- $17.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Waukesha 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 Waukesha County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 417,210+2.4% since 2020
- Households
- 168,658
- Median age
- 44.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 550 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 749
- Median household income
- $106,076+21.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $137,605
- Median home value
- $398,200
- Jobs located here
- 265,439
- Daytime population
- 468,429Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 Wisconsin
Every Wisconsin market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Wisconsin for sit-down restaurants, numbered among those based in Wisconsin, with Waukesha County marked.
Top counties in Wisconsin
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Calumet County, WI | 79 | 71 | 33.2 | $1.3M | +2.9% | #139 of 2,405 |
| 2Washington County, WI | 74 | 227 | 39.8 | $1.1M | +1.8% | #262 of 2,405 |
| 3Waukesha County, WI | 72 | 775 | 46.0 | $1M | +2.4% | #316 of 2,405 |
| 4St. Croix County, WI | 71 | 167 | 44.5 | $1M | +4.7% | #340 of 2,405 |
| 5Ozaukee County, WI | 67 | 181 | 47.2 | $980K | +3.0% | #454 of 2,405 |
| 6Dane County, WI | 67 | 1,298 | 51.6 | $848K | +4.9% | #464 of 2,405 |
| 7Pierce County, WI | 65 | 75 | 47.3 | $906K | +3.1% | #524 of 2,405 |
| 8Vernon County, WI | 64 | 45 | 36.2 | $1M | +2.4% | #556 of 2,405 |
| 9Racine County, WI | 63 | 358 | 44.5 | $889K | +0.4% | #617 of 2,405 |
| 10Dodge County, WI | 61 | 150 | 41.8 | $906K | −0.3% | #699 of 2,405 |
Other business types in Waukesha County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes72
- Sit-down restaurants72
- Fast food and sandwich shops73
- Pizza76
- Coffee shops and cafes71
- Bakeries and dessert shops66
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 Waukesha County, WI?
There are 775 sit-down restaurants on map listings in Waukesha County as of September 2026. 269 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 297 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 2.9% from 2019. Official counts also show 34 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Waukesha County, WI spend on food away from home?
About $802.4M a year, or $4,758 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 775 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $1M per restaurant. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants. It is estimated from the incomes of the 168,658 households in Waukesha County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Waukesha County, WI compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?
Waukesha County has 46.0 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 25% below the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $1M, 56% above the U.S. figure of $664K. At the national ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Waukesha County would have about 1,209, against 775 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 568 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Waukesha County, WI growing?
Population estimates put Waukesha County at 417,210 people in 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 168,658 households. The median household income in Waukesha County is $106,076 a year, 31% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 21.5% 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. Waukesha County scores 72 for sit-down restaurants (upper middle), #316 of 2,405 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Waukesha 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 Waukesha County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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.