BizGapMap

Home / Limited-service restaurants (fast food) / Ohio / Summit County, OH

Summit County, OH — 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. 40 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 — 1.16× the U.S. rate (between 1.16× and 1.18× 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. 13 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 5 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

Above the U.S. rate   Summit County fast food — 116–118% of the U.S. rate

486 fast food are counted in Summit County — 7.7 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 116% 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 14% between 2015 and 2023 (425 → 483). 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 44056 (Macedonia), 44319 (Akron), 44221 (Cuyahoga Falls) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 44321 (Akron), 44307 (Akron), 44301 (Akron).

BLS QCEW puts the latest county-wide count (2026 Q1) at 483 establishments, the freshest available signal.

Measured density: Summit County sits at 116% of the U.S. rate for fast food. 5 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 116% and 118% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 44056 and 44319; the lowest measured density is in 44321 and 44307.

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
486–512
published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (13 cells) (2023)
Per 10,000 present
7.7
residents + daytime workers
U.S. average
6.7
per 10,000 present
County index
1.16×
vs. U.S.
Latest quarter (QCEW)
483
2026 Q1 — county total
Residents
513,150
32 ZIPs with data
Workers
229,897
jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population
538,370
Census PEP, July 1 2024
Change since 2020
−0.3%
−1,465 people
Net migration 2024
+2,333
international +2,345, domestic −12
Jobs located here
265,792
LODES 2022, −3.4% since 2019

Summit County had an estimated 538,370 residents on July 1, 2024 — 0.3% fewer than in 2020 (−1,465). In the latest year it gained 1,351 people: births minus deaths −983, international migration +2,345, domestic migration −12. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

265,792 jobs were located in the county in 2022 (−3.4% since 2019), and 249,091 employed residents lived there (−2.7% 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
44087 Twinsburg
+6.4%
44056 Macedonia
+2.3%
ZIP losing residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
44203 Barberton
−4.3%
44067 Northfield
−2.5%

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
94
no paid employees (2024)
Receipts
$4.0M
published gross receipts
Receipts per business
$43K
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 14% since 2015

Number of fast food in Summit 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.

425
2015
492
2018
458
2020
464
2021
487
2022
483
2023

Highest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
44056 Macedonia
210%
44319 Akron
210%
44221 Cuyahoga Falls
169%
44312 Akron
162%
44313 Akron
159%
44303 Akron
156%
44333 Akron
141%
44311 Akron
139%
44224 Stow
133%
44223 Cuyahoga Falls
125%
44278 Tallmadge
124%
44320 Akron
114%
44306 Akron
110%
44087 Twinsburg
107%
44067 Northfield
102%

Lowest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
44321 Akron
41%
44307 Akron
46%
44301 Akron
60%
44305 Akron
63%
44310 Akron
64%
44236 Hudson
80%
44262 Munroe Falls
81%
44314 Akron
84%
44203 Barberton
94%
44286 Richfield
101%
44067 Northfield
102%
44087 Twinsburg
107%
44306 Akron
110%
44320 Akron
114%
44278 Tallmadge
124%
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
44308Akron Destination 1,03011,074 7 160%

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
44304Akron 4,0005,534 13 19.2 288% Very high density
44056Macedonia 12,1527,054 22 14.0 210% High density
44319Akron 21,5386,911 35 14.0 210% High density
44221Cuyahoga Falls 28,5468,612 37 11.3 169% High density
44312Akron 30,2809,670 38 10.8 162% High density
44308Akron 1,03011,074 7 10.7 160% High density
44313Akron 26,6315,213 31 10.6 159% High density
44303Akron 7,3232,604 9 10.4 156% High density
44333Akron 19,62022,554 29 9.4 141% Above average
44311Akron 7,5476,422 10 9.3 139% Above average
44224Stow 39,20014,322 41 8.8 133% Above average
44223Cuyahoga Falls 18,45911,126 20 8.3 125% Above average
44278Tallmadge 18,4246,825 18 8.2 124% Above average
44320Akron 17,6906,626 16 7.6 114% Above average
44306Akron 20,9057,339 18 7.3 110% Above average
44087Twinsburg 22,18520,370 23 7.1 107% Above average
44067Northfield 19,9434,034 15 6.8 102% Above average
44286Richfield 6,2958,121 7 6.8 101% Above average
44203Barberton 38,70112,331 28 6.2 94% Below average
44314Akron 17,8853,301 11 5.6 84% Below average
44262Munroe Falls 5,0001,119 3 5.4 81% Below average
44236Hudson 25,94115,525 18 5.3 80% Below average
44310Akron 25,49610,356 13 4.2 64% Below average
44305Akron 21,1035,506 10 4.2 63% Below average
44301Akron 13,6682,735 6 4.0 60% Below average
44307Akron 6,6536,322 3 3.1 46% Far below average
44321Akron 15,8785,097 5 2.7 41% Far below average
44210Bath —477 0–2 — — Not published
44216Clinton 9,465709 0–2 — — Not published
44222Cuyahoga Falls —138 0–2 — — Not published
44232Green 089 0–2 — — Not published
44237Hudson —1,203 0–2 — — Not published
44250Lakemore 1,745116 0–2 — — Not published
44264Peninsula 3,4621,428 0–2 — — Not published
44302Akron 5,474670 0–2 — — Not published
44309Akron —1,281 0–2 — — Not published
44316Akron —3,002 0–2 — — Not published
44317Akron —562 0–2 — — Not published
44325Akron 911271 0–2 — — Not published
44334Fairlawn —24 0–2 — — Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Find an actual space in Akron

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 Akron retail space →
Crexi
Free listings + market data
Browse Akron retail space →
CityFeet
Retail space for lease
Browse Akron 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 Summit 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 483 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.