Home / Limited-service restaurants (fast food) / Arizona / Maricopa County, AZ

Maricopa County, AZ — Fast food Saturation

Name: Fast food density by ZIP code in Maricopa County, AZ
Creator: BizGapMap

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. 185 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 — 1.03× the U.S. rate (between 1.03× and 1.04× 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. 69 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 19 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 Maricopa County fast food — 103–104% of the U.S. rate

3,844 fast food are counted in Maricopa County — 6.9 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 103% 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 32% between 2015 and 2023 (2,904 → 3,823). 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 85003 (Phoenix), 85018 (Phoenix), 85305 (Glendale) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 85396 (Buckeye), 85373 (Sun City), 85335 (El Mirage).

BLS QCEW puts the latest county-wide count (2026 Q1) at 3,116 establishments, the freshest available signal.

Measured density: Maricopa County sits at 103% of the U.S. rate for fast food. 19 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 103% and 104% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 85003 and 85018; the lowest measured density is in 85396 and 85373.

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

3,844–3,982

published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (69 cells) (2023)

Per 10,000 present

6.9

residents + daytime workers

U.S. average

6.7

per 10,000 present

County index

1.03×

vs. U.S.

Latest quarter (QCEW)

3,116

2026 Q1 — county total

Residents

4,583,743

132 ZIPs with data

Workers

1,999,220

jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population

4,673,096

Census PEP, July 1 2024

Change since 2020

+5.1%

+227,681 people

Net migration 2024

+43,827

international +45,693, domestic −1,866

Jobs located here

2,224,322

LODES 2022, +6.5% since 2019

Maricopa County had an estimated 4,673,096 residents on July 1, 2024 — 5.1% more than in 2020 (+227,681). In the latest year it gained 57,471 people: births minus deaths +13,548, international migration +45,693, domestic migration −1,866. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

2,224,322 jobs were located in the county in 2022 (+6.5% since 2019), and 2,029,026 employed residents lived there (+4.6% 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

85387 Surprise

+113.5%

85396 Buckeye

+101.8%

85004 Phoenix

+73.2%

ZIP losing residents

2015–19 → 2020–24

Change

85256 Scottsdale

−43.2%

85006 Phoenix

−19.5%

85374 Surprise

−14.5%

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

824

no paid employees (2024)

Receipts

$38.7M

published gross receipts

Receipts per business

$47K

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 32% since 2015

Number of fast food in Maricopa 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.

2,904

2015

3,263

2018

3,352

2020

3,437

2021

3,645

2022

3,823

2023

Highest measured density

ZIP

vs. U.S. average

Index

85003 Phoenix

239%

85018 Phoenix

193%

85305 Glendale

190%

85215 Mesa

188%

85007 Phoenix

188%

85308 Glendale

170%

85016 Phoenix

167%

85206 Mesa

165%

85224 Chandler

164%

85306 Glendale

162%

85374 Surprise

162%

85392 Avondale

158%

85201 Mesa

156%

85210 Mesa

153%

85295 Gilbert

150%

Lowest measured density

ZIP

vs. U.S. average

Index

85396 Buckeye

21%

85373 Sun City

22%

85335 El Mirage

32%

85207 Mesa

34%

85298 Gilbert

36%

85383 Peoria

38%

85375 Sun City West

44%

85303 Glendale

46%

85037 Phoenix

48%

85304 Glendale

48%

85019 Phoenix

51%

85008 Phoenix

52%

85041 Phoenix

53%

85351 Sun City

54%

85307 Glendale

55%

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.

ZIP	Neighborhood	Type	Residents	Workers	Fast food	Index
85004	Phoenix	Employment hub	12,408	34,220	39	198%
85034	Phoenix	Destination	4,854	63,321	38	156%
85284	Tempe	Employment hub	19,492	46,184	40	141%
85012	Phoenix	Employment hub	8,704	36,543	22	122%
85054	Phoenix	Employment hub	10,346	23,688	11	74%
85256	Scottsdale	Employment hub	3,504	10,670	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.

ZIP	Neighborhood	Residents	Workers	Fast food	Per 10k	Index	Status
85337	Gila Bend	2,041	712	7	29.2	438%	Very high density
85003	Phoenix	10,875	8,327	24	16.0	239%	High density
85004	Phoenix	12,408	34,220	39	13.2	198%	High density
85018	Phoenix	37,297	21,900	62	12.9	193%	High density
85305	Glendale	18,043	11,244	30	12.7	190%	High density
85215	Mesa	16,888	12,413	29	12.6	188%	High density
85007	Phoenix	13,575	7,980	22	12.5	188%	High density
85308	Glendale	65,095	23,481	87	11.3	170%	High density
85016	Phoenix	37,074	57,139	73	11.1	167%	High density
85206	Mesa	37,235	23,612	54	11.0	165%	High density
85224	Chandler	47,963	32,270	70	10.9	164%	High density
85306	Glendale	24,911	9,327	32	10.8	162%	High density
85374	Surprise	41,420	13,597	52	10.8	162%	High density
85392	Avondale	39,079	7,264	45	10.5	158%	High density
85034	Phoenix	4,854	63,321	38	10.4	156%	High density
85201	Mesa	51,400	16,452	62	10.4	156%	High density
85210	Mesa	39,015	21,638	51	10.2	153%	High density
85295	Gilbert	56,744	14,016	64	10.0	150%	High density
85260	Scottsdale	39,896	54,537	67	10.0	150%	Above average
85204	Mesa	65,155	16,824	73	9.9	149%	Above average
85032	Phoenix	70,839	18,582	79	9.9	148%	Above average
85015	Phoenix	41,490	9,699	45	9.7	146%	Above average
85382	Peoria	43,729	16,958	50	9.6	144%	Above average
85202	Mesa	38,750	16,729	45	9.6	143%	Above average
85254	Scottsdale	45,558	26,434	56	9.5	143%	Above average
85284	Tempe	19,492	46,184	40	9.4	141%	Above average
85226	Chandler	42,294	46,668	61	9.3	139%	Above average
85209	Mesa	43,150	11,648	45	9.2	138%	Above average
85296	Gilbert	53,076	16,591	56	9.1	137%	Above average
85283	Tempe	47,459	22,683	53	9.0	135%	Above average
85381	Peoria	27,650	9,520	29	8.9	134%	Above average
85323	Avondale	47,043	10,379	46	8.8	132%	Above average
85282	Tempe	53,624	45,325	67	8.8	132%	Above average
85251	Scottsdale	40,780	46,575	56	8.7	131%	Above average
85281	Tempe	72,762	95,380	105	8.7	131%	Above average
85006	Phoenix	21,905	11,784	24	8.6	129%	Above average
85033	Phoenix	57,591	6,089	52	8.6	129%	Above average
85023	Phoenix	35,034	12,364	35	8.5	127%	Above average
85031	Phoenix	31,191	6,897	29	8.4	125%	Above average
85027	Phoenix	39,487	55,679	56	8.3	125%	Above average
85250	Scottsdale	15,394	12,601	18	8.3	124%	Above average
85248	Chandler	37,095	20,548	39	8.2	123%	Above average
85297	Gilbert	37,475	12,659	36	8.2	123%	Above average
85012	Phoenix	8,704	36,543	22	8.2	122%	Above average
85205	Mesa	45,116	14,316	42	8.0	120%	Above average
85257	Scottsdale	29,812	13,226	29	8.0	119%	Above average
85022	Phoenix	53,811	7,717	45	7.8	117%	Above average
85020	Phoenix	34,916	18,360	34	7.7	116%	Above average
85013	Phoenix	22,490	12,620	22	7.6	115%	Above average
85302	Glendale	40,612	5,768	33	7.6	114%	Above average
85390	Wickenburg	10,298	3,342	9	7.5	113%	Above average
85042	Phoenix	45,903	6,861	37	7.5	112%	Above average
85338	Goodyear	67,451	27,994	61	7.5	112%	Above average
85310	Glendale	19,964	3,308	16	7.4	111%	Above average
85258	Scottsdale	25,545	32,832	31	7.4	111%	Above average
85044	Phoenix	39,347	17,205	35	7.3	109%	Above average
85388	Surprise	35,369	3,993	27	7.2	108%	Above average
85234	Gilbert	51,283	15,149	42	7.1	107%	Above average
85142	Queen Creek	93,700	15,299	71	7.0	105%	Above average
85014	Phoenix	25,911	14,079	23	7.0	105%	Above average
85301	Glendale	68,178	16,191	53	6.9	104%	Above average
85233	Gilbert	39,077	23,842	34	6.7	100%	Below average
85051	Phoenix	45,768	7,612	33	6.7	100%	Below average
85024	Phoenix	26,199	8,939	20	6.5	98%	Below average
85040	Phoenix	34,117	54,447	40	6.5	98%	Below average
85203	Mesa	38,035	7,037	27	6.5	97%	Below average
85340	Litchfield Park	40,919	6,613	28	6.3	95%	Below average
85395	Goodyear	40,414	14,896	30	6.3	94%	Below average
85085	Phoenix	31,458	18,208	25	6.2	92%	Below average
85029	Phoenix	49,683	24,853	38	6.1	92%	Below average
85017	Phoenix	46,129	30,055	36	5.9	88%	Below average
85339	Laveen	54,641	7,014	34	5.8	88%	Below average
85053	Phoenix	29,773	9,403	20	5.8	87%	Below average
85268	Fountain Hills	23,849	4,952	15	5.7	85%	Below average
85028	Phoenix	18,752	8,349	13	5.7	85%	Below average
85331	Cave Creek	31,968	6,723	20	5.7	85%	Below average
85212	Mesa	55,283	15,527	35	5.6	83%	Below average
85021	Phoenix	39,828	19,533	27	5.4	82%	Below average
85363	Youngtown	7,015	1,004	4	5.3	80%	Below average
85048	Phoenix	34,664	5,417	19	5.1	76%	Below average
85259	Scottsdale	21,670	3,897	12	5.1	76%	Below average
85345	Peoria	60,918	12,700	34	5.1	76%	Below average
85054	Phoenix	10,346	23,688	11	5.0	74%	Below average
85286	Chandler	50,621	30,358	32	4.9	73%	Below average
85208	Mesa	37,225	2,914	18	4.7	70%	Below average
85326	Buckeye	75,359	9,519	37	4.6	69%	Below average
85050	Phoenix	33,118	11,007	17	4.4	66%	Below average
85009	Phoenix	52,064	32,551	30	4.4	66%	Below average
85249	Chandler	48,746	6,387	22	4.2	63%	Below average
85255	Scottsdale	45,346	32,815	26	4.2	63%	Below average
85225	Chandler	72,297	23,210	35	4.2	63%	Below average
85086	Phoenix	43,270	7,357	19	4.0	61%	Below average
85035	Phoenix	53,424	5,013	22	3.9	59%	Below average
85379	Surprise	51,035	6,488	21	3.9	58%	Below average
85353	Tolleson	49,120	21,345	23	3.8	58%	Below average
85043	Phoenix	41,331	58,925	27	3.8	57%	Below average
85253	Paradise Valley	17,904	11,400	9	3.8	57%	Below average
85213	Mesa	36,836	5,904	15	3.8	57%	Below average
85307	Glendale	14,223	4,234	6	3.7	55%	Below average
85351	Sun City	27,592	6,313	11	3.6	54%	Below average
85041	Phoenix	63,862	6,826	24	3.6	53%	Below average
85008	Phoenix	59,716	25,936	25	3.4	52%	Below average
85019	Phoenix	27,429	4,365	10	3.4	51%	Below average
85304	Glendale	29,861	2,366	10	3.2	48%	Far below average
85037	Phoenix	54,608	8,965	19	3.2	48%	Far below average
85303	Glendale	33,663	3,794	11	3.1	46%	Far below average
85375	Sun City West	27,680	5,497	9	3.0	44%	Far below average
85383	Peoria	74,390	10,358	20	2.5	38%	Far below average
85298	Gilbert	44,114	3,645	11	2.4	36%	Far below average
85207	Mesa	51,178	5,005	12	2.2	34%	Far below average
85335	El Mirage	36,088	3,265	8	2.1	32%	Far below average
85373	Sun City	20,254	1,256	3	1.4	22%	Far below average
85396	Buckeye	42,181	2,109	6	1.4	21%	Far below average
85001	Phoenix	—	2,247	0–2	—	—	Not published
85002	Phoenix	—	227	0–2	—	—	Not published
85005	Phoenix	—	776	0–2	—	—	Not published
85010	Phoenix	—	88	0–2	—	—	Not published
85011	Phoenix	—	40	0–2	—	—	Not published
85026	Phoenix	0	382	0–2	—	—	Not published
85030	Phoenix	—	17	0–2	—	—	Not published
85036	Phoenix	—	703	0–2	—	—	Not published
85038	Phoenix	—	53	0–2	—	—	Not published
85045	Phoenix	7,600	182	0–2	—	—	Not published
85046	Phoenix	—	134	0–2	—	—	Not published
85060	Phoenix	—	29	0–2	—	—	Not published
85063	Phoenix	—	12	0–2	—	—	Not published
85064	Phoenix	—	87	0–2	—	—	Not published
85066	Phoenix	—	12	0–2	—	—	Not published
85067	Phoenix	—	17	0–2	—	—	Not published
85068	Phoenix	—	34	0–2	—	—	Not published
85069	Phoenix	—	13	0–2	—	—	Not published
85070	Phoenix	—	22	0–2	—	—	Not published
85071	Phoenix	—	14	0–2	—	—	Not published
85072	Phoenix	—	110	0–2	—	—	Not published
85075	Phoenix	—	152	0–2	—	—	Not published
85076	Phoenix	—	254	0–2	—	—	Not published
85079	Phoenix	—	9	0–2	—	—	Not published
85080	Phoenix	—	765	0–2	—	—	Not published
85082	Phoenix	—	188	0–2	—	—	Not published
85083	Phoenix	21,022	3,166	0–2	—	—	Not published
85087	New River	10,157	843	0–2	—	—	Not published
85211	Mesa	—	209	0–2	—	—	Not published
85214	Mesa	—	113	0–2	—	—	Not published
85216	Mesa	—	69	0–2	—	—	Not published
85236	Higley	0	901	8	—	—	Not published
85244	Chandler	—	246	0–2	—	—	Not published
85246	Chandler	—	191	0–2	—	—	Not published
85252	Scottsdale	—	393	0–2	—	—	Not published
85256	Scottsdale	3,504	10,670	0–2	—	—	Not published
85261	Scottsdale	—	60	0–2	—	—	Not published
85262	Scottsdale	14,329	3,785	0–2	—	—	Not published
85263	Rio Verde	3,472	326	0–2	—	—	Not published
85264	Fort Mcdowell	1,261	970	0–2	—	—	Not published
85266	Scottsdale	12,516	2,243	0–2	—	—	Not published
85267	Scottsdale	—	41	0–2	—	—	Not published
85269	Fountain Hills	—	23	0–2	—	—	Not published
85271	Scottsdale	—	19	0–2	—	—	Not published
85274	Mesa	—	89	0–2	—	—	Not published
85275	Mesa	—	29	0–2	—	—	Not published
85277	Mesa	—	121	0–2	—	—	Not published
85280	Tempe	—	254	0–2	—	—	Not published
85285	Tempe	—	1,652	0–2	—	—	Not published
85287	Tempe	—	675	0–2	—	—	Not published
85288	Tempe	—	5,949	4	—	—	Not published
85299	Gilbert	—	128	0–2	—	—	Not published
85309	Luke Air Force Base	960	708	0–2	—	—	Not published
85311	Glendale	—	58	0–2	—	—	Not published
85312	Glendale	—	63	0–2	—	—	Not published
85318	Glendale	—	136	0–2	—	—	Not published
85320	Aguila	458	17	0–2	—	—	Not published
85322	Arlington	476	187	0–2	—	—	Not published
85327	Cave Creek	—	89	0–2	—	—	Not published
85329	Cashion	2,252	144	0–2	—	—	Not published
85342	Morristown	1,823	213	0–2	—	—	Not published
85354	Tonopah	8,531	2,543	0–2	—	—	Not published
85355	Waddell	14,460	1,453	0–2	—	—	Not published
85358	Wickenburg	—	176	4	—	—	Not published
85361	Wittmann	7,991	376	0–2	—	—	Not published
85372	Sun City	—	169	0–2	—	—	Not published
85376	Sun City West	—	14	0–2	—	—	Not published
85377	Carefree	3,437	1,892	0–2	—	—	Not published
85378	Surprise	9,765	1,700	0–2	—	—	Not published
85380	Peoria	—	5	0–2	—	—	Not published
85385	Peoria	—	14	0–2	—	—	Not published
85387	Surprise	22,442	913	0–2	—	—	Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

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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.

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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 3,116 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.

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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.