Market rankings · North Carolina
Bakeries and dessert shops in North Carolina
Markets across North Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for bakeries and dessert shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,724
- 1,297 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 2,514
- All snack bars and retail bakeries · +42.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $16.2B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 8.7
- 11% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.3M
- 5% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #18 of 51
- Market score 56 · Upper middle
A site report maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings around any address in North Carolina by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 3,724 bakeries and dessert shops in North Carolina. 1,297 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 35% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 8.7, 11% below the U.S. rate of 9.8.
Household spending on food away from home in North Carolina comes to about $16.2B a year: $3,776 per household, 7% below the U.S. average. That is about $4.3M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 5% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. That spending covers all food away from home, which bakeries and dessert shops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 2,514 businesses with payroll in North Carolina classed as snack bars and retail bakeries, up 42.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,703 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.6% over the same years. The official count takes in all snack bars and retail bakeries, not only bakeries and dessert shops: coffee shops and cafes are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 122 SBA-backed loans worth $53.9M have gone to businesses classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #18 for bakeries and dessert shops, with a Groundwork market score of 56 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (79). Of the 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest (90).
Every market in North Carolina for bakeries and dessert shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 79 | 192 | 7.7 | $5.4M | +7.5% | #8 of 387 |
| 2Raleigh-Cary, NC | 69 | 546 | 9.5 | $4.7M | +12.6% | #49 of 387 |
| 3Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 68 | 37 | 8.4 | $4.8M | +10.3% | #53 of 387 |
| 4Jacksonville, NC | 67 | 46 | 6.1 | $5.7M | +6.0% | #58 of 387 |
| 5Winston-Salem, NC | 65 | 211 | 7.5 | $4.7M | +5.3% | #75 of 387 |
| 6Greenville, NC | 64 | 47 | 6.3 | $5.3M | +5.4% | #80 of 387 |
| 7Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 64 | 990 | 9.2 | $4.5M | +10.1% | #85 of 387 |
| 8Goldsboro, NC | 62 | 33 | 6.9 | $4.8M | +3.8% | #99 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 61 | 602 | 8.5 | $4.7M | +0.9% | #106 of 387 |
| 9Rocky Mount, NC | 59 | 40 | 6.8 | $4.8M | +2.8% | #128 of 387 |
| 10Greensboro-High Point, NC | 56 | 249 | 7.9 | $4.5M | +4.1% | #152 of 387 |
| 11Burlington, NC | 49 | 61 | 8.7 | $4M | +8.5% | #206 of 387 |
| 12Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 48 | 111 | 7.4 | $4.6M | +3.2% | #212 of 387 |
| 13Fayetteville, NC | 46 | 112 | 7.5 | $4.5M | +1.6% | #233 of 387 |
| 14Wilmington, NC | 41 | 225 | 11.3 | $3.4M | +15.9% | #275 of 387 |
| 15Asheville, NC | 28 | 193 | 12.0 | $3.1M | +3.6% | #357 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 90 | 25 | 5.0 | $7.2M | +12.3% | #2 of 507 |
| 2Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 66 | 27 | 6.9 | $4.7M | +3.4% | #85 of 507 |
| 3Wilson, NC | 65 | 20 | 6.0 | $5.3M | +1.7% | #98 of 507 |
| 4Elizabeth City, NC | 65 | 11 | 7.0 | $4.9M | +4.5% | #100 of 507 |
| 5North Wilkesboro, NC | 64 | 10 | 3.7 | $8.1M | +0.6% | #103 of 507 |
| 6Lumberton, NC | 62 | 26 | 6.0 | $4.7M | +3.4% | #121 of 507 |
| 7Sanford, NC | 62 | 19 | 7.6 | $4.5M | +10.8% | #122 of 507 |
| 8New Bern, NC | 62 | 42 | 8.0 | $4.3M | +3.6% | #123 of 507 |
| 9Roanoke Rapids, NC | 59 | 11 | 3.9 | $7.7M | −4.3% | #155 of 507 |
| 10Rockingham, NC | 58 | 6 | 3.5 | $8.2M | −1.6% | #166 of 507 |
| 11Henderson, NC | 58 | 8 | 5.0 | $6.2M | +0.2% | #169 of 507 |
| 12Albemarle, NC | 57 | 24 | 9.5 | $3.6M | +9.8% | #180 of 507 |
| 13Washington, NC | 56 | 14 | 7.2 | $4.6M | 0.0% | #191 of 507 |
| 14Forest City, NC | 52 | 21 | 7.9 | $3.9M | +2.1% | #234 of 507 |
| 15Waynesville, NC | 51 | 25 | 9.2 | $3.7M | +1.9% | #252 of 507 |
| 16Marion, NC | 50 | 14 | 7.5 | $4.3M | +1.5% | #261 of 507 |
| 17Kinston, NC | 48 | 16 | 6.9 | $4.3M | +1.4% | #275 of 507 |
| 18Brevard, NC | 47 | 15 | 10.3 | $3.4M | +2.9% | #290 of 507 |
| 19Morehead City, NC | 39 | 46 | 14.4 | $2.6M | +4.1% | #375 of 507 |
| 20Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35 | 89 | 52.9 | $797K | +3.3% | #412 of 507 |
| 21Mount Airy, NC | 31 | 33 | 11.0 | $2.9M | +1.3% | #443 of 507 |
| 22Boone, NC | 19 | 33 | 15.6 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #499 of 507 |
| Laurinburg, NC | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $9.3M | −0.3% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 96 | 16 | 4.8 | $9.2M | +11.0% | #1 of 1,889 |
| 2Franklin County, NC | 90 | 10 | 3.5 | $10.4M | +18.8% | #13 of 1,889 |
| 3Lincoln County, NC | 87 | 21 | 5.7 | $7M | +13.2% | #31 of 1,889 |
| 4Davie County, NC | 86 | 10 | 5.8 | $6.6M | +6.9% | #38 of 1,889 |
| 5Harnett County, NC | 85 | 25 | 5.0 | $7.2M | +12.3% | #48 of 1,889 |
| 6Hoke County, NC | 83 | 8 | 4.2 | $8.4M | +9.0% | #59 of 1,889 |
| 7Person County, NC | 80 | 5 | 3.1 | $11.2M | +3.7% | #83 of 1,889 |
| 8Johnston County, NC | 79 | 56 | 6.5 | $6M | +17.9% | #101 of 1,889 |
| 9Davidson County, NC | 77 | 39 | 5.6 | $6.2M | +6.6% | #129 of 1,889 |
| 10Granville County, NC | 75 | 12 | 5.3 | $6.9M | +2.1% | #163 of 1,889 |
| 11Orange County, NC | 74 | 40 | 7.0 | $6.3M | +6.1% | #182 of 1,889 |
| 12Union County, NC | 73 | 66 | 7.8 | $5.9M | +11.7% | #207 of 1,889 |
| 13Gaston County, NC | 73 | 63 | 6.7 | $5.3M | +7.8% | #209 of 1,889 |
| 14Stokes County, NC | 71 | 10 | 5.1 | $6.3M | +3.5% | #239 of 1,889 |
| 15Rowan County, NC | 70 | 34 | 5.8 | $6M | +5.6% | #263 of 1,889 |
| 16Alexander County, NC | 69 | 7 | 5.0 | $6.7M | +1.5% | #284 of 1,889 |
| 17Yadkin County, NC | 69 | 8 | 5.3 | $6.4M | +2.9% | #286 of 1,889 |
| 18Randolph County, NC | 68 | 31 | 5.4 | $6.1M | +3.5% | #310 of 1,889 |
| 19Montgomery County, NC | 66 | 6 | 5.6 | $5.8M | +2.7% | #366 of 1,889 |
| 20Moore County, NC | 66 | 37 | 8.4 | $4.8M | +10.3% | #375 of 1,889 |
| 21Ashe County, NC | 65 | 7 | 5.7 | $5.6M | +3.5% | #388 of 1,889 |
| 22Durham County, NC | 65 | 131 | 9.2 | $4.5M | +7.7% | #402 of 1,889 |
| 23Onslow County, NC | 64 | 46 | 6.1 | $5.7M | +6.0% | #417 of 1,889 |
| 24Iredell County, NC | 64 | 70 | 9.2 | $4.4M | +12.9% | #429 of 1,889 |
| 25Wake County, NC | 63 | 480 | 10.4 | $4.5M | +11.2% | #457 of 1,889 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Wilkes County, NC | 62 | 10 | 3.7 | $8.1M | +0.6% | #458 of 1,889 |
| 27Wilson County, NC | 62 | 20 | 6.0 | $5.3M | +1.7% | #467 of 1,889 |
| 28Rockingham County, NC | 62 | 26 | 6.6 | $4.9M | +3.3% | #475 of 1,889 |
| 29Wayne County, NC | 62 | 33 | 6.9 | $4.8M | +3.8% | #478 of 1,889 |
| 30Cleveland County, NC | 62 | 27 | 6.9 | $4.7M | +3.4% | #480 of 1,889 |
| 31Pasquotank County, NC | 61 | 11 | 7.0 | $4.9M | +4.5% | #509 of 1,889 |
| 32Cabarrus County, NC | 61 | 79 | 9.4 | $4.5M | +9.9% | #518 of 1,889 |
| 33Pitt County, NC | 60 | 47 | 6.3 | $5.3M | +5.4% | #539 of 1,889 |
| 34Lee County, NC | 60 | 19 | 7.6 | $4.5M | +10.8% | #550 of 1,889 |
| 35Burke County, NC | 59 | 23 | 6.3 | $5.2M | +1.6% | #578 of 1,889 |
| 36Nash County, NC | 59 | 28 | 7.2 | $4.7M | +3.9% | #585 of 1,889 |
| 37Robeson County, NC | 59 | 26 | 6.0 | $4.7M | +3.4% | #587 of 1,889 |
| 38Duplin County, NC | 58 | 12 | 5.8 | $5.4M | +6.0% | #612 of 1,889 |
| 39Edgecombe County, NC | 58 | 12 | 6.1 | $5.1M | +0.7% | #615 of 1,889 |
| 40Richmond County, NC | 57 | 6 | 3.5 | $8.2M | −1.6% | #638 of 1,889 |
| 41Vance County, NC | 57 | 8 | 5.0 | $6.2M | +0.2% | #641 of 1,889 |
| 42Craven County, NC | 57 | 35 | 8.2 | $4.2M | +3.5% | #665 of 1,889 |
| 43Sampson County, NC | 57 | 16 | 7.4 | $4.2M | +4.1% | #667 of 1,889 |
| 44Mecklenburg County, NC | 55 | 513 | 11.0 | $3.9M | +10.5% | #752 of 1,889 |
| 45Guilford County, NC | 54 | 192 | 8.7 | $4.2M | +4.4% | #788 of 1,889 |
| 46Forsyth County, NC | 54 | 144 | 9.0 | $4M | +5.0% | #793 of 1,889 |
| 47Stanly County, NC | 54 | 24 | 9.5 | $3.6M | +9.8% | #799 of 1,889 |
| 48Halifax County, NC | 53 | 10 | 4.9 | $6M | −3.9% | #805 of 1,889 |
| 49Caldwell County, NC | 52 | 21 | 6.4 | $5M | +0.7% | #849 of 1,889 |
| 50Beaufort County, NC | 52 | 14 | 7.2 | $4.6M | 0.0% | #851 of 1,889 |
| 51Alamance County, NC | 52 | 61 | 8.7 | $4M | +8.5% | #864 of 1,889 |
| 52Bladen County, NC | 50 | 6 | 5.1 | $5.8M | +1.3% | #914 of 1,889 |
| 53Henderson County, NC | 50 | 48 | 9.4 | $3.9M | +5.0% | #937 of 1,889 |
| 54Brunswick County, NC | 50 | 75 | 10.9 | $3.5M | +26.5% | #940 of 1,889 |
| 55Rutherford County, NC | 49 | 21 | 7.9 | $3.9M | +2.1% | #969 of 1,889 |
| 56Pender County, NC | 49 | 27 | 10.7 | $3.6M | +19.0% | #971 of 1,889 |
| 57Perquimans County, NC | 47 | 5 | 8.9 | $3.9M | +3.6% | #1,040 of 1,889 |
| 58Haywood County, NC | 47 | 25 | 9.2 | $3.7M | +1.9% | #1,045 of 1,889 |
| 59Lenoir County, NC | 46 | 16 | 6.9 | $4.3M | +1.4% | #1,072 of 1,889 |
| 60McDowell County, NC | 46 | 14 | 7.5 | $4.3M | +1.5% | #1,073 of 1,889 |
| 61Cherokee County, NC | 46 | 11 | 8.3 | $3.7M | +6.8% | #1,086 of 1,889 |
| 62Catawba County, NC | 43 | 60 | 9.1 | $3.9M | +5.8% | #1,184 of 1,889 |
| 63Transylvania County, NC | 43 | 15 | 10.3 | $3.4M | +2.9% | #1,196 of 1,889 |
| 64New Hanover County, NC | 42 | 123 | 11.7 | $3.3M | +8.6% | #1,225 of 1,889 |
| 65Polk County, NC | 42 | 11 | 12.3 | $3M | +6.0% | #1,230 of 1,889 |
| 66Cumberland County, NC | 41 | 104 | 8.0 | $4.2M | +0.4% | #1,244 of 1,889 |
| 67Jackson County, NC | 39 | 26 | 14.1 | $2.3M | +6.9% | #1,338 of 1,889 |
| 68Currituck County, NC | 39 | 24 | 20.3 | $2.1M | +16.7% | #1,340 of 1,889 |
| 69Anson County, NC | 38 | 6 | 7.0 | $4.1M | −2.1% | #1,356 of 1,889 |
| 70Macon County, NC | 36 | 19 | 10.3 | $3.3M | +5.8% | #1,445 of 1,889 |
| 71Carteret County, NC | 33 | 46 | 14.4 | $2.6M | +4.1% | #1,548 of 1,889 |
| 72Hertford County, NC | 32 | 5 | 6.0 | $4.9M | −11.2% | #1,555 of 1,889 |
| 73Buncombe County, NC | 30 | 143 | 14.0 | $2.7M | +2.9% | #1,625 of 1,889 |
| 74Dare County, NC | 30 | 89 | 52.9 | $797K | +3.3% | #1,631 of 1,889 |
| 75Columbus County, NC | 29 | 15 | 7.5 | $4M | 0.0% | #1,636 of 1,889 |
| 76Surry County, NC | 29 | 33 | 11.0 | $2.9M | +1.3% | #1,656 of 1,889 |
| 77Watauga County, NC | 15 | 33 | 15.6 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #1,858 of 1,889 |
| 78Swain County, NC | 11 | 9 | 15.0 | $2.2M | −0.6% | #1,879 of 1,889 |
| Scotland County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $9.3M | −0.3% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $27.9M | +0.4% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.4 | $13.9M | +5.9% | |
| Martin County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $14.2M | −1.6% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 5.8 | $5.1M | +1.3% | |
| Yancey County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $27.6M | +3.2% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $6.2M | +1.6% | |
| Avery County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 5.9 | $5.9M | +1.1% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.8 | $11.2M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $24.4M | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 6.1 | $5.3M | +1.1% | |
| Chowan County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 6.5 | $5.2M | +2.8% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $6.1M | +3.7% | |
| Clay County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.9 | $5.7M | +9.9% | |
| Alleghany County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.8 | $5.1M | +5.4% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 5.0 | $8.1M | +8.8% | |
| Washington County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $13.8M | −3.1% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 9.5 | $3.4M | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 9.7 | $3.3M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 8.5 | $3.7M | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 15.5 | $1.9M | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $4.3M | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many bakeries and dessert shops are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 3,724 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings as of September 2026. 1,297 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count bakeries, ice cream, donut and dessert shops, candy stores. Official counts show 2,514 businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in 2023, up 42.6% from 2019. That count covers all snack bars and retail bakeries (coffee shops and cafes included), not only bakeries and dessert shops. Official counts list 469 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on food away from home?
About $16.2B a year, or $3,776 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,724 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, it comes to $4.3M per shop. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only bakeries and dessert shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for bakeries and dessert shops?
North Carolina has 8.7 bakeries and dessert shops per 10,000 households, 11% below the U.S. rate of 9.8. Spending per shop is $4.3M, 5% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. At the national ratio of bakeries and dessert shops to household spending, North Carolina would have about 3,903, against 3,724 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,703 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. The official count rose 42.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.6% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for bakeries and dessert shops?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 79 (high). Among 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest, at 90 (very high). Among 78 scored counties in North Carolina, Chatham County scores highest, at 96 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. North Carolina scores 56 for bakeries and dessert shops (upper middle), #18 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in North Carolina. It maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Bakeries and dessert shops in other states
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Top markets for bakeries and dessert shops across the U.S. · All business types in North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Restaurants and cafes41,739 listings
- Sit-down restaurants22,819 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops5,755 listings
- Pizza3,190 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes3,980 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.