Quick-service restaurants by state, 2026 Q1
The United States has 272,118 quick-service restaurants with employees, 80 per 100,000 residents; jobs +0.2% over the year. Hawaii is the densest market at 122.3 per 100,000 and Alaska the thinnest at 60.1. Every state below links to its own page. Official BLS and Census figures, refreshed each quarter.
Every state, densest first
Density is quick-service restaurants with employees per 100,000 residents. Rows marked n/a are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or have no published population.
| # | State | Per 100k | Locations | Jobs | Jobs YoY | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 122.3 | 1,768 | 21,509 | +0.8% | $585 |
| 2 | Alabama | 98.5 | 5,081 | 84,155 | +0.7% | $395 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 96.2 | 4,423 | 67,977 | 0.0% | $370 |
| 4 | Nevada | 94.2 | 3,077 | 52,769 | +0.7% | $494 |
| 5 | Mississippi | 93.5 | 2,753 | 49,937 | -1.0% | $334 |
| 6 | Georgia | 92.2 | 10,306 | 174,511 | +0.5% | $409 |
| 7 | Ohio | 89.3 | 10,610 | 186,848 | -0.8% | $393 |
| 8 | California | 88.8 | 35,009 | 554,137 | +0.6% | $598 |
| 9 | Utah | 88.2 | 3,091 | 58,598 | +1.9% | $410 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 87.2 | 970 | 11,259 | +1.2% | $505 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 85.3 | 6,167 | 114,628 | +1.5% | $429 |
| 12 | Delaware | 85 | 894 | 11,772 | +1.5% | $461 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 84.1 | 3,089 | 33,395 | +1.4% | $517 |
| 14 | Virginia | 84 | 7,405 | 118,179 | -0.4% | $446 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 83.9 | 3,848 | 74,475 | +0.1% | $402 |
| 16 | Oregon | 83.7 | 3,575 | 54,547 | -0.8% | $490 |
| 17 | Maryland | 83.4 | 5,222 | 76,148 | +0.6% | $494 |
| 18 | New York | 83.4 | 16,561 | 180,582 | -2.2% | $543 |
| 19 | West Virginia | 83.2 | 1,472 | 23,518 | -0.8% | $370 |
| 20 | North Carolina | 81.9 | 9,044 | 171,312 | +1.4% | $405 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 81.2 | 7,711 | 82,822 | +1.2% | $506 |
| 22 | South Carolina | 80.4 | 4,405 | 82,247 | +1.1% | $400 |
| 23 | Colorado | 79.9 | 4,758 | 84,235 | -1.9% | $530 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 79.7 | 2,462 | 47,855 | -0.5% | $366 |
| 25 | Indiana | 79.2 | 5,485 | 101,549 | +0.9% | $386 |
| 26 | Missouri | 77.9 | 4,867 | 90,121 | +0.5% | $425 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 77.8 | 10,181 | 132,230 | +0.6% | $405 |
| 28 | Nebraska | 77.2 | 1,548 | 29,153 | -0.1% | $404 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 76.7 | 5,470 | 65,257 | +0.8% | $550 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 76.5 | 1,078 | 13,929 | -1.0% | $520 |
| 31 | Idaho | 76 | 1,521 | 28,023 | +2.9% | $393 |
| 32 | Maine | 74.9 | 1,052 | 11,833 | +0.4% | $482 |
| 33 | Illinois | 74.7 | 9,497 | 167,004 | +0.8% | $478 |
| 34 | Florida | 74.1 | 17,314 | 282,599 | 0.0% | $504 |
| 35 | Texas | 73.3 | 22,937 | 511,736 | -0.6% | $434 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 72.5 | 2,968 | 65,527 | +0.9% | $389 |
| 37 | Kansas | 72.4 | 2,151 | 42,539 | +0.1% | $392 |
| 38 | Vermont | 71.1 | 461 | 5,707 | -0.8% | $502 |
| 39 | New Mexico | 71 | 1,513 | 32,282 | +0.3% | $439 |
| 40 | South Dakota | 70.7 | 654 | 12,610 | +0.9% | $397 |
| 41 | Minnesota | 70.4 | 4,076 | 68,024 | -0.6% | $436 |
| 42 | Michigan | 69.7 | 7,066 | 129,484 | +0.8% | $429 |
| 43 | Wyoming | 67.9 | 399 | 7,397 | +2.4% | $395 |
| 44 | Iowa | 67 | 2,171 | 40,107 | -1.6% | $372 |
| 45 | Montana | 65.2 | 742 | 13,379 | +1.7% | $449 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | 63.6 | 3,791 | 68,704 | -1.0% | $390 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 62.9 | 501 | 9,845 | +1.8% | $408 |
| 48 | Washington | 62.4 | 4,963 | 81,490 | +0.9% | $556 |
| 49 | Arizona | 62.3 | 4,726 | 107,532 | -0.2% | $510 |
| 50 | Alaska | 60.1 | 445 | 6,605 | -1.0% | $512 |
Fastest job growth
Idaho (+2.9%), Wyoming (+2.4%), Utah (+1.9%), North Dakota (+1.8%), Montana (+1.7%). Slowest: New York (-2.2%), Colorado (-1.9%), Iowa (-1.6%).
What counts
Limited-service restaurants: customers order at a counter or drive-through and pay before eating. Includes fast food, fast casual and pizza delivery. NAICS 722513. BLS counts establishments with payroll, so owner-only businesses are not in these figures.
Other business types
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 722513, 2026 Q1; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year population estimates. All 14 business types ranked by state.