Food vending is a visible part of the U.S. mobile food-service economy, but the most useful official count is narrower than the whole market. In 2023, the Census Bureau recorded 12,487 establishments in NAICS 722330, Mobile food services, with 38,438 employees and $996.319 million in annual payroll. The figures below combine that industry footprint with broader USDA measures of food-away-from-home demand.
Contents
- U.S. mobile food-service footprint
- Where food vending establishments are concentrated
- Employment across leading states
- Payroll and the scale of state markets
- Consumer spending on food away from home
- Prices, food dollars, and market context
U.S. mobile food-service footprint
The closest official industry measure for food vending is the 2017 NAICS classification 722330, Mobile food services. It covers mobile food-service establishments such as food trucks and carts with paid employees. It does not provide a complete count of informal vendors or businesses without employees, so it should be read as a measured, employer-based footprint rather than a census of every food cart.
According to the 2023 County Business Patterns: U.S. Data, the United States had 12,487 establishments in this classification in 2023. Census employment was 38,438 people in the week of March 12, 2023. That week-specific employment measure is different from an annual average: it is a snapshot of jobs reported for the reference week.
The same Census series reports first-quarter payroll of $196,912 thousand in 2023, or about $196.912 million as reported in the source’s $1,000 units. Annual payroll was $996,319 thousand, or about $996.319 million. These are payroll totals for the covered employer establishments, not total sales or profits.
The relationship between the measures is useful for interpreting the industry. Establishment counts describe the number of employer locations or businesses captured by the series; employment describes people working in the reference week; and payroll describes compensation over the reporting period. None of the three is a direct measure of customer transactions, cart revenue, or the number of operating units in the informal economy.
Where food vending establishments are concentrated
The 2023 County Business Patterns: State Data shows a clear concentration in a small group of states. California recorded 1,329 mobile food-service establishments in 2023, followed by Florida with 1,151 and Texas with 1,140. New York had 632 establishments.
The next group included Oregon with 498, Washington with 411, and Colorado with 407. North Carolina recorded 367 establishments, Pennsylvania 363, and Ohio 359. Virginia had 339.
| State | Mobile food-service establishments, 2023 |
|---|---|
| California | 1,329 |
| Florida | 1,151 |
| Texas | 1,140 |
| New York | 632 |
| Oregon | 498 |
| Washington | 411 |
| Colorado | 407 |
| North Carolina | 367 |
| Pennsylvania | 363 |
| Ohio | 359 |
| Virginia | 339 |
These state counts are not a ranking of all food vendors. They use the Census employer-based classification and the state file’s FIPS-to-state mapping. A state with a large measured count may have a substantial formal mobile food-service presence, while a lower count does not establish that informal, seasonal, or nonemployer vending activity is small.
Employment across leading states
California also led the listed states for employment, with 4,788 people in mobile food services in the week of March 12, 2023. Texas reported 3,647 employees and Florida 3,091. Those three states therefore had the largest employment totals among the state figures provided.
Oregon reported 1,762 employees, ahead of Washington at 1,444 and New York at 1,264. Ohio recorded 1,153 employees, while North Carolina had 1,133 and Colorado had 1,120. Pennsylvania reported 1,024 employees and Virginia 1,008.
The state employment figures show that establishment count alone does not describe the full operating footprint. For example, Oregon’s 498 establishments were associated with 1,762 employees in the reference week, while Colorado’s 407 establishments were associated with 1,120 employees. These figures should not be converted into staffing averages without additional analysis because the claims provide a reference-week employment count, not a comparable measure of operating schedules, hours, or establishment type.
The measurement date matters for seasonal businesses. Census employment here is specifically for the week of March 12, 2023. A different week could capture a different mix of event activity, weather, seasonal operations, and staffing. The figures are best used as a common benchmark across the listed states for that reporting period.
Payroll and the scale of state markets
California reported $148,202 thousand in annual payroll in 2023, equivalent to about $148.202 million in the source’s units. Texas reported $89,107 thousand, or about $89.107 million, and Florida reported $76,548 thousand, or about $76.548 million.
Among the other listed states, Oregon reported $52,023 thousand in annual payroll and Washington reported $47,589 thousand. New York’s annual payroll was $37,278 thousand. Colorado reported $34,860 thousand, Ohio $32,494 thousand, Pennsylvania $26,562 thousand, North Carolina $25,895 thousand, and Virginia $25,017 thousand.
| State | Employees in week of Mar. 12, 2023 | Annual payroll, 2023 ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|
| California | 4,788 | 148,202 |
| Texas | 3,647 | 89,107 |
| Florida | 3,091 | 76,548 |
| Oregon | 1,762 | 52,023 |
| Washington | 1,444 | 47,589 |
| New York | 1,264 | 37,278 |
| Ohio | 1,153 | 32,494 |
| Colorado | 1,120 | 34,860 |
| North Carolina | 1,133 | 25,895 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,024 | 26,562 |
| Virginia | 1,008 | 25,017 |
Annual payroll is a labor-compensation measure, not a revenue estimate. The Census source reports it in $1,000, so the table preserves those units to avoid suggesting greater precision than the underlying series. It also cannot by itself show vendor profitability, menu prices, food costs, vehicle costs, permits, or owner income.
Consumer spending on food away from home
The mobile food-service totals sit inside a much larger food-away-from-home market. The USDA Economic Research Service reported that U.S. spending on food by consumers, businesses, and government entities reached $2.57 trillion in 2023. Per-person food spending was $7,672.
Food-away-from-home spending rose 12.0% per person to $4,485 in 2023. Food-at-home spending rose 1.8% to $3,187 per person. In the same year, food-away-from-home establishments accounted for 58.5% of U.S. food spending, compared with 41.5% for food-at-home outlets.
Food represented 11.2% of disposable personal income in 2023, while disposable personal income itself rose 8.1%. Food-away-from-home spending represented 5.9% of disposable personal income, and food-at-home spending represented 5.3%.
These USDA figures provide demand context for food carts, trucks, and other mobile vendors, but they are not cart-only sales. The food-away-from-home category broadly includes restaurants and other outlets. A mobile vendor can participate in that spending environment, yet the national totals should not be attributed to food vending alone.
Prices, food dollars, and market context
The USDA’s Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Prices and Spending reports $2.51 trillion in U.S. total food spending in 2025, measured in inflation-adjusted dollars in that series. Inflation-adjusted food-away-from-home spending reached $1.41 trillion, while inflation-adjusted food-at-home spending reached $1.10 trillion. The same series reports that consumers spent 9.7% of disposable personal income on food in 2025: 4.9% on food away from home and 4.8% on food at home.
The 2025 figures are a different measurement point from the 2023 Census industry counts. They are also subject to the USDA series’ stated treatment: the 2025 figures are nominal unless the claim specifically identifies them as inflation-adjusted. They describe broad U.S. food spending rather than the mobile food-service industry alone.
The USDA food-dollar series helps explain why the amount paid for prepared food is not the same as the farm value of ingredients. In 2024, food services received 38.6 cents of each typical U.S. consumer dollar spent on domestically produced food. Wholesale trade received 6.3 cents, retail trade 13.8 cents, and food processing 16.1 cents.
For food away from home specifically, the Food Dollar - Summary Findings reports a 7.1-cent farm share and a 92.9-cent marketing share in 2024. For food at home, the farm share was 18.5 cents and the marketing share was 81.5 cents. The 2024 food-dollar series uses an updated methodology and is not directly comparable with older releases.
Price movement also matters for interpreting spending growth. USDA reported that food-away-from-home prices rose an average of 7.1% in 2023, while inflation-adjusted monthly food-away-from-home spending rose an average of 3.0%. From January through July 2024, inflation-adjusted monthly food-away-from-home spending grew an average of 0.9% year over year.
Together, these measures show three different layers of the market: the Census count of formal mobile food-service employers, the broader USDA demand totals for eating away from home, and the food-dollar breakdown between farm and marketing activities. Keeping those scopes separate is essential when using food vending statistics to understand the size and operating context of food carts and trucks.