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DeKalb County, GA — Fast food Saturation

How many fast food exist per person present — residents plus daytime workers — by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Establishment data: Census ZBP 2023. Population: ACS 2024 5-year. 41 ZIP codes analyzed.

Includes: Fast food · Quick-service restaurants · Takeout & delivery counters · Pizza delivery · Sandwich & burger chains. Counted together because official statistics use one 722513 code.

Measured density: Above average — 1.13× the U.S. rate (between 1.13× and 1.14× once withheld ZIP cells are counted)

Why a range: Census does not publish a ZIP-by-industry count when that ZIP has 0–2 businesses. 18 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 3 of them with residents. Each could hold 0, 1, or 2 businesses: counting them all as 0 gives the low end, counting them all as 2 gives the high end — the data cannot say where the truth sits. The density range uses only the populated cells, since ZIPs without residents are excluded from per-person rates. How ranges work

In line with the U.S. rate   DeKalb County fast food — 113–114% of the U.S. rate

691 fast food are counted in DeKalb County — 7.5 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 113% of the U.S. rate of 6.7.

On the comparable ZIP set (ZIPs with a published count in every year), the total has risen 15% between 2015 and 2023 (598 → 687). That set is smaller than today's county total. 2020–2021 were pandemic-distorted, and Census rounds counts, so small moves are within noise.

Measured supply density is highest in 30329 (Atlanta), 30084 (Tucker), 30341 (Atlanta) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 30021 (Clarkston), 30294 (Ellenwood), 30317 (Atlanta).

BLS QCEW puts the latest county-wide count (2026 Q1) at 690 establishments, the freshest available signal.

Measured density: DeKalb County sits at 113% of the U.S. rate for fast food. 3 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 113% and 114% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 30329 and 30084; the lowest measured density is in 30021 and 30294.

This is a supply-side read: it counts existing fast food and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more. Treat low density as a question to check, not an answer.

Fast food
691–727
published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (18 cells) (2023)
Per 10,000 present
7.5
residents + daytime workers
U.S. average
6.7
per 10,000 present
County index
1.13×
vs. U.S.
Latest quarter (QCEW)
690
2026 Q1 — county total
Residents
768,335
26 ZIPs with data
Workers
300,123
jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population
770,307
Census PEP, July 1 2024
Change since 2020
+0.7%
+5,677 people
Net migration 2024
−2,464
international +8,755, domestic −11,219
Jobs located here
337,241
LODES 2022, +1.5% since 2019

DeKalb County had an estimated 770,307 residents on July 1, 2024 — 0.7% more than in 2020 (+5,677). In the latest year it gained 2,260 people: births minus deaths +4,816, international migration +8,755, domestic migration −11,219. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

337,241 jobs were located in the county in 2022 (+1.5% since 2019), and 340,584 employed residents lived there (+0.3% since 2019). LODES counts wage and salary jobs covered by unemployment insurance plus federal jobs; it excludes the self-employed and military, and counts jobs rather than unique people. 2019→2022 spans the pandemic, so read it as one change, not a trend.

Population and migration say whether the customer base is growing. They do not say whether people want another business of this type. Definitions and limits →  ·  Full county detail →

ZIP gaining residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
30038 Lithonia
+10.8%
30341 Atlanta
+10.5%
30338 Atlanta
+9.9%
ZIP losing residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
30034 Decatur
−13.3%
30032 Decatur
−10.5%

ACS 5-year estimates for 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. Only ZIPs with at least 2,000 residents in both windows and a change larger than the survey margin of error (90%) are listed — small ZIPs move a lot on paper without a real signal.

Nonemployer businesses (no paid employees)

Nonemployer businesses
227
no paid employees (2024)
Receipts
$11.8M
published gross receipts
Receipts per business
$52K
gross, not profit

Census Nonemployer Statistics counts businesses with no paid employees — a separate universe from the employer establishments counted above; a business is in one or the other, never both. They are not storefronts by definition: many are home-based, mobile, or part-time.

We show them beside the density index, not inside it. In categories such as nail and beauty salons, child care, and pet care, one-person businesses can outnumber employer establishments, so the employer-only count understates how many businesses exist. That is not evidence of higher demand.

Receipts are gross revenue reported for these businesses — not profit, and not the size of the local market. Census publishes this only at county level, so it is not shown on the ZIP map. See methodology.

Saturation map

Each ZIP area is shaded by its density of this business type per person present (residents + workers) vs. the U.S. average. Click any ZIP to zoom to its boundary, see its numbers, and switch to aerial imagery. Individual mapped shops appear as dots at street level — Show locations zooms you in to them (scroll or double-click to zoom).

Basemap:
Under 50% 50–100% 100–150% 150–250% 250%+ 0–2 (not published) / no data ZIP total (dot size) Mapped shop (OpenStreetMap, street level)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap.

White dots are ZIP totals from the official Census count — the bigger the dot, the more fast food in that ZIP. They are aggregated, not individual shops. Turquoise dots are individual locations mapped in OpenStreetMap, shown only at street level; they are crowd-sourced and indicative, may be incomplete, and do not equal the official counts. Only the official ZIP totals feed the saturation index.

Market trend — up 15% since 2015

Number of fast food in DeKalb County across 2015–2023, on a consistent set of ZIP codes present in every year — so changes are real, not ZIP-boundary artifacts. 2015/2018 are pre-pandemic baselines; 2020/2021 are COVID-distorted.

598
2015
650
2018
663
2020
672
2021
657
2022
687
2023

Highest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
30329 Atlanta
209%
30084 Tucker
187%
30341 Atlanta
180%
30035 Decatur
162%
30033 Decatur
157%
30034 Decatur
145%
30360 Atlanta
138%
30032 Decatur
135%
30030 Decatur
128%
30345 Atlanta
124%
30340 Atlanta
122%
30002 Avondale Estates
107%
30338 Atlanta
105%
30087 Stone Mountain
97%
30038 Lithonia
96%

Lowest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
30021 Clarkston
26%
30294 Ellenwood
50%
30317 Atlanta
52%
30319 Atlanta
59%
30083 Stone Mountain
74%
30088 Stone Mountain
75%
30058 Lithonia
85%
30038 Lithonia
96%
30087 Stone Mountain
97%
30338 Atlanta
105%
30002 Avondale Estates
107%
30340 Atlanta
122%
30345 Atlanta
124%
30030 Decatur
128%
30032 Decatur
135%
Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A ZIP with few fast food may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. We rank only residential and mixed ZIPs here; employment hubs and visitor destinations are listed separately below. ZIPs where Census did not publish a count (0–2 businesses) are not ranked: they may be the least served of all, but the data cannot tell 0 from 1 or 2. Verify those locally.

Employment hubs & destinations

These ZIPs have far more workers (or visitors) than residents, so their counts are driven by daytime and visitor demand — not a place to read "shortage" from resident numbers alone.

ZIPNeighborhoodType ResidentsWorkersFast foodIndex
30346Atlanta Employment hub 4,41131,266 24 179%
30322Atlanta Employment hub 2,52123,739 0–2 —

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

All ZIP codes

Click a column header to sort. Index = fast food per 10,000 people present (residents + 0.5×workers) ÷ the U.S. average. 100% = exactly average.

ZIPNeighborhood ResidentsWorkersFast food Per 10kIndexStatus
30329Atlanta 27,27822,847 54 14.0 209% High density
30084Tucker 38,24226,301 64 12.5 187% High density
30341Atlanta 36,02122,657 57 12.0 180% High density
30346Atlanta 4,41131,266 24 12.0 179% High density
30035Decatur 21,5696,872 27 10.8 162% High density
30033Decatur 31,31017,371 42 10.5 157% High density
30034Decatur 41,8475,209 43 9.7 145% Above average
30360Atlanta 16,8555,501 18 9.2 138% Above average
30032Decatur 42,9485,351 41 9.0 135% Above average
30030Decatur 31,75613,621 33 8.6 128% Above average
30345Atlanta 24,4928,836 24 8.3 124% Above average
30340Atlanta 30,06221,209 33 8.1 122% Above average
30002Avondale Estates 5,225769 4 7.1 107% Above average
30338Atlanta 39,46521,098 35 7.0 105% Above average
30087Stone Mountain 38,9775,749 27 6.5 97% Below average
30038Lithonia 43,7766,410 30 6.4 96% Below average
30058Lithonia 62,6148,116 38 5.7 85% Below average
30088Stone Mountain 29,2401,260 15 5.0 75% Below average
30083Stone Mountain 62,7248,304 33 4.9 74% Below average
30319Atlanta 45,98519,199 22 4.0 59% Below average
30317Atlanta 15,6223,096 6 3.5 52% Below average
30294Ellenwood 41,98312,482 16 3.3 50% Far below average
30021Clarkston 27,7811,886 5 1.7 26% Far below average
30031Decatur —91 0–2 — — Not published
30036Decatur —134 0–2 — — Not published
30037Decatur —438 0–2 — — Not published
30072Pine Lake 80026 0–2 — — Not published
30074Redan —39 0–2 — — Not published
30079Scottdale 4,831948 0–2 — — Not published
30085Tucker —540 0–2 — — Not published
30086Stone Mountain —19 0–2 — — Not published
30322Atlanta 2,52123,739 0–2 — — Not published
30333Atlanta —397 0–2 — — Not published
30356Atlanta —90 0–2 — — Not published
30359Atlanta —55 0–2 — — Not published
30362Atlanta —52 0–2 — — Not published
30366Atlanta —103 0–2 — — Not published
31107Atlanta —12 0–2 — — Not published
31119Atlanta —12 0–2 — — Not published
31141Atlanta —7 0–2 — — Not published
31145Atlanta —9 0–2 — — Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Find an actual space in Atlanta

The numbers above tell you how the market looks. To find a specific storefront, these marketplaces list available retail space for lease.

LoopNet
Largest commercial marketplace
Browse Atlanta retail space →
Crexi
Free listings + market data
Browse Atlanta retail space →
CityFeet
Retail space for lease
Browse Atlanta retail space →

Open vacancy data (actual empty units) is only published by some cities; where it exists we show it directly. Listings above are third-party.

Census withholds some ZIP-by-industry cells to protect small businesses. 0–2 means the cell was not published (Census publishes industry counts only at 3+ per ZIP), so the ZIP is left unranked rather than counted as zero. ~ means the count is estimated from the broader industry group and can be off by a business or two.

Follow DeKalb County and fast food

When a data vintage changes or a section of this report is revised, we post it to a public update feed. No email address, no account, no tracking — and nothing is sent unless something actually changed.

Subscribe to updates (RSS) How these numbers are built →

Methodology & sources

Establishments. U.S. Census ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP 2023), NAICS 722513 — limited-service restaurants. Counts establishments with paid employees. ZBP is published annually with a ~2-year lag.

Fresh county signal. BLS QCEW (quarterly) is newer than ZBP — 2026 Q1 shows 690 establishments county-wide for this industry. It cannot be broken down by ZIP.

Population. U.S. Census American Community Survey 2024 5-year ZCTA population (table B01003). Workers are the ZIP's total employment from the same 2023 ZBP file.

Demand ("people present"). Demand comes from residents and daytime workers: residents + 0.5 × workers. This is the single documented assumption in the model and can be tuned.

Index. index = (ZIP establishments ÷ ZIP demand × 10,000) ÷ the U.S. average for this industry (6.67 per 10,000 present). It is a supply-side density measure; it does not capture income, rent, tourism, or whether locals actually want more.

Read the full methodology →  ·  Data sources & vintages →

BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.