Market rankings · North Carolina
Barbershops in North Carolina
Markets across North Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for barbershops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,398
- 297 chain locations (12%)
- Official establishments
- 194
- +33.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.8B
- On personal care products and services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.6
- 6% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.6M
- 15% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #34 of 51
- Market score 42 · Lower middle
A site report maps the barbershops 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,398 barbershops in North Carolina. 297 of them (12%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. That is 5.6 per 10,000 households, 6% above the U.S. rate of 5.3.
Household spending on personal care products and services in North Carolina comes to about $3.8B a year: $897 per household, 11% below the U.S. average. Spread across 2,398 barbershops, that is $1.6M per shop, 15% below the U.S. figure of $1.9M. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which barbershops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 194 businesses with payroll in North Carolina classed as barber shops, up 33.8% from 2019. That is one for every 22,074 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 28.5% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 14 SBA-backed loans worth $4.2M have gone to businesses classed as barber shops in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #34 for barbershops, with a Groundwork market score of 42 (lower middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (73). Of the 21 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Kill Devil Hills area scores highest (75).
Every market in North Carolina for barbershops
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 | 73 | 126 | 5.1 | $1.9M | +7.5% | #31 of 387 |
| 2Asheville, NC | 70 | 52 | 3.2 | $2.8M | +3.6% | #50 of 387 |
| 3Wilmington, NC | 69 | 79 | 4.0 | $2.3M | +15.9% | #60 of 387 |
| 4Winston-Salem, NC | 60 | 134 | 4.8 | $1.8M | +5.3% | #116 of 387 |
| 5Raleigh-Cary, NC | 57 | 323 | 5.6 | $1.9M | +12.6% | #135 of 387 |
| 6Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 52 | 26 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +10.3% | #181 of 387 |
| 7Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 50 | 64 | 4.3 | $1.9M | +3.2% | #193 of 387 |
| 8Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 47 | 637 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +10.1% | #225 of 387 |
| 9Greensboro-High Point, NC | 46 | 189 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +4.1% | #240 of 387 |
| 10Burlington, NC | 45 | 34 | 4.9 | $1.7M | +8.5% | #249 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 33 | 432 | 6.1 | $1.6M | +0.9% | #317 of 387 |
| 11Jacksonville, NC | 28 | 77 | 10.2 | $818K | +6.0% | #341 of 387 |
| 12Fayetteville, NC | 24 | 167 | 11.2 | $722K | +1.6% | #355 of 387 |
| 13Goldsboro, NC | 23 | 34 | 7.2 | $1.1M | +3.8% | #358 of 387 |
| 14Rocky Mount, NC | 21 | 40 | 6.8 | $1.2M | +2.8% | #367 of 387 |
| 15Greenville, NC | 21 | 60 | 8.1 | $992K | +5.4% | #369 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kill Devil Hills, NC | 75 | 7 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +3.3% | #45 of 377 |
| 2Morehead City, NC | 68 | 12 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +4.1% | #80 of 377 |
| 3Waynesville, NC | 67 | 7 | 2.6 | $3.2M | +1.9% | #85 of 377 |
| 4Anderson Creek, NC | 66 | 20 | 4.0 | $2.1M | +12.3% | #97 of 377 |
| 5Forest City, NC | 49 | 9 | 3.4 | $2.2M | +2.1% | #206 of 377 |
| 6North Wilkesboro, NC | 47 | 8 | 3.0 | $2.5M | +0.6% | #215 of 377 |
| 7Marion, NC | 46 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +1.5% | #219 of 377 |
| 8Mount Airy, NC | 45 | 11 | 3.7 | $2.1M | +1.3% | #225 of 377 |
| 9Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 45 | 18 | 4.6 | $1.7M | +3.4% | #226 of 377 |
| 10Albemarle, NC | 44 | 15 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +9.8% | #231 of 377 |
| 11Elizabeth City, NC | 43 | 9 | 5.7 | $1.4M | +4.5% | #239 of 377 |
| 12Sanford, NC | 39 | 22 | 8.7 | $940K | +10.8% | #262 of 377 |
| 13Washington, NC | 35 | 9 | 4.6 | $1.7M | 0.0% | #282 of 377 |
| 14New Bern, NC | 35 | 42 | 8.0 | $1M | +3.6% | #286 of 377 |
| 15Wilson, NC | 29 | 21 | 6.4 | $1.2M | +1.7% | #312 of 377 |
| 16Henderson, NC | 23 | 9 | 5.6 | $1.3M | +0.2% | #333 of 377 |
| 17Lumberton, NC | 23 | 32 | 7.4 | $920K | +3.4% | #335 of 377 |
| 18Kinston, NC | 20 | 17 | 7.3 | $978K | +1.4% | #338 of 377 |
| 19Laurinburg, NC | 19 | 7 | 5.6 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #341 of 377 |
| 20Roanoke Rapids, NC | 14 | 14 | 5.0 | $1.5M | −4.3% | #351 of 377 |
| 21Rockingham, NC | 8 | 13 | 7.6 | $914K | −1.6% | #368 of 377 |
| Boone, NC | Not scored | 3 | 1.4 | $5.6M | +0.6% | |
| Brevard, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.1M | +2.9% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 93 | 5 | 1.5 | $6.9M | +11.0% | #4 of 1,356 |
| 2Brunswick County, NC | 84 | 13 | 1.9 | $4.8M | +26.5% | #37 of 1,356 |
| 3Orange County, NC | 78 | 22 | 3.8 | $2.7M | +6.1% | #96 of 1,356 |
| 4Union County, NC | 77 | 25 | 3.0 | $3.6M | +11.7% | #102 of 1,356 |
| 5Buncombe County, NC | 74 | 31 | 3.0 | $3M | +2.9% | #152 of 1,356 |
| 6Johnston County, NC | 72 | 39 | 4.6 | $2M | +17.9% | #191 of 1,356 |
| 7Franklin County, NC | 68 | 10 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +18.8% | #282 of 1,356 |
| 8Dare County, NC | 66 | 7 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +3.3% | #307 of 1,356 |
| 9Cabarrus County, NC | 66 | 36 | 4.3 | $2.3M | +9.9% | #311 of 1,356 |
| 10Pender County, NC | 66 | 11 | 4.3 | $2.1M | +19.0% | #317 of 1,356 |
| 11Macon County, NC | 65 | 5 | 2.7 | $3M | +5.8% | #331 of 1,356 |
| 12Iredell County, NC | 65 | 37 | 4.8 | $2M | +12.9% | #344 of 1,356 |
| 13Durham County, NC | 63 | 90 | 6.3 | $1.5M | +7.7% | #397 of 1,356 |
| 14Harnett County, NC | 61 | 20 | 4.0 | $2.1M | +12.3% | #426 of 1,356 |
| 15Carteret County, NC | 60 | 12 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +4.1% | #452 of 1,356 |
| 16Lincoln County, NC | 60 | 16 | 4.3 | $2.2M | +13.2% | #453 of 1,356 |
| 17Haywood County, NC | 59 | 7 | 2.6 | $3.2M | +1.9% | #460 of 1,356 |
| 18Henderson County, NC | 58 | 20 | 3.9 | $2.2M | +5.0% | #490 of 1,356 |
| 19Forsyth County, NC | 58 | 86 | 5.4 | $1.6M | +5.0% | #504 of 1,356 |
| 20Wake County, NC | 57 | 274 | 6.0 | $1.8M | +11.2% | #529 of 1,356 |
| 21Moore County, NC | 56 | 26 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +10.3% | #552 of 1,356 |
| 22Stokes County, NC | 55 | 6 | 3.1 | $2.6M | +3.5% | #563 of 1,356 |
| 23Davie County, NC | 55 | 9 | 5.2 | $1.8M | +6.9% | #576 of 1,356 |
| 24New Hanover County, NC | 55 | 55 | 5.2 | $1.8M | +8.6% | #577 of 1,356 |
| 25Burke County, NC | 54 | 10 | 2.8 | $2.9M | +1.6% | #585 of 1,356 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Davidson County, NC | 52 | 29 | 4.2 | $2M | +6.6% | #654 of 1,356 |
| 27Randolph County, NC | 51 | 20 | 3.5 | $2.3M | +3.5% | #673 of 1,356 |
| 28Jackson County, NC | 51 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +6.9% | #677 of 1,356 |
| 29Rowan County, NC | 50 | 30 | 5.1 | $1.6M | +5.6% | #702 of 1,356 |
| 30Alamance County, NC | 49 | 34 | 4.9 | $1.7M | +8.5% | #729 of 1,356 |
| 31Catawba County, NC | 49 | 35 | 5.3 | $1.6M | +5.8% | #733 of 1,356 |
| 32Cherokee County, NC | 48 | 5 | 3.8 | $2M | +6.8% | #750 of 1,356 |
| 33Guilford County, NC | 47 | 153 | 7.0 | $1.3M | +4.4% | #791 of 1,356 |
| 34Alexander County, NC | 46 | 5 | 3.5 | $2.3M | +1.5% | #797 of 1,356 |
| 35Gaston County, NC | 46 | 56 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +7.8% | #819 of 1,356 |
| 36Mecklenburg County, NC | 45 | 356 | 7.6 | $1.3M | +10.5% | #843 of 1,356 |
| 37Rutherford County, NC | 44 | 9 | 3.4 | $2.2M | +2.1% | #848 of 1,356 |
| 38Wilkes County, NC | 43 | 8 | 3.0 | $2.5M | +0.6% | #871 of 1,356 |
| 39Rockingham County, NC | 42 | 16 | 4.0 | $1.9M | +3.3% | #892 of 1,356 |
| 40McDowell County, NC | 40 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +1.5% | #924 of 1,356 |
| 41Stanly County, NC | 40 | 15 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +9.8% | #935 of 1,356 |
| 42Surry County, NC | 39 | 11 | 3.7 | $2.1M | +1.3% | #939 of 1,356 |
| 43Cleveland County, NC | 39 | 18 | 4.6 | $1.7M | +3.4% | #943 of 1,356 |
| 44Hoke County, NC | 39 | 13 | 6.8 | $1.2M | +9.0% | #951 of 1,356 |
| 45Granville County, NC | 37 | 13 | 5.8 | $1.5M | +2.1% | #978 of 1,356 |
| 46Person County, NC | 37 | 9 | 5.6 | $1.5M | +3.7% | #979 of 1,356 |
| 47Pasquotank County, NC | 37 | 9 | 5.7 | $1.4M | +4.5% | #980 of 1,356 |
| 48Onslow County, NC | 36 | 77 | 10.2 | $818K | +6.0% | #1,010 of 1,356 |
| 49Nash County, NC | 35 | 23 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +3.9% | #1,022 of 1,356 |
| 50Lee County, NC | 34 | 22 | 8.7 | $940K | +10.8% | #1,042 of 1,356 |
| 51Caldwell County, NC | 33 | 14 | 4.3 | $1.8M | +0.7% | #1,043 of 1,356 |
| 52Beaufort County, NC | 30 | 9 | 4.6 | $1.7M | 0.0% | #1,099 of 1,356 |
| 53Duplin County, NC | 29 | 14 | 6.7 | $1.1M | +6.0% | #1,122 of 1,356 |
| 54Wayne County, NC | 29 | 34 | 7.2 | $1.1M | +3.8% | #1,123 of 1,356 |
| 55Pitt County, NC | 28 | 60 | 8.1 | $992K | +5.4% | #1,145 of 1,356 |
| 56Cumberland County, NC | 28 | 154 | 11.9 | $679K | +0.4% | #1,151 of 1,356 |
| 57Craven County, NC | 25 | 39 | 9.1 | $906K | +3.5% | #1,178 of 1,356 |
| 58Sampson County, NC | 24 | 16 | 7.4 | $1M | +4.1% | #1,184 of 1,356 |
| 59Bladen County, NC | 23 | 6 | 5.1 | $1.4M | +1.3% | #1,188 of 1,356 |
| 60Wilson County, NC | 23 | 21 | 6.4 | $1.2M | +1.7% | #1,192 of 1,356 |
| 61Vance County, NC | 20 | 9 | 5.6 | $1.3M | +0.2% | #1,221 of 1,356 |
| 62Robeson County, NC | 19 | 32 | 7.4 | $920K | +3.4% | #1,237 of 1,356 |
| 63Scotland County, NC | 17 | 7 | 5.6 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #1,246 of 1,356 |
| 64Columbus County, NC | 16 | 12 | 6.0 | $1.2M | 0.0% | #1,260 of 1,356 |
| 65Lenoir County, NC | 15 | 17 | 7.3 | $978K | +1.4% | #1,273 of 1,356 |
| 66Edgecombe County, NC | 13 | 17 | 8.7 | $864K | +0.7% | #1,285 of 1,356 |
| 67Halifax County, NC | 8 | 13 | 6.4 | $1.1M | −3.9% | #1,317 of 1,356 |
| 68Richmond County, NC | 6 | 13 | 7.6 | $914K | −1.6% | #1,332 of 1,356 |
| 69Washington County, NC | 3 | 5 | 10.5 | $666K | −3.1% | #1,347 of 1,356 |
| Watauga County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 1.4 | $5.6M | +0.6% | |
| Yadkin County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.1M | +2.9% | |
| Transylvania County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.1M | +2.9% | |
| Currituck County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 2.5 | $4M | +16.7% | |
| Ashe County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.5% | |
| Montgomery County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $4.2M | +2.7% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $6.7M | +0.4% | |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.7 | $1.5M | −2.1% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $6.7M | +5.9% | |
| Martin County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.2 | $1.7M | −1.6% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $5M | +1.3% | |
| Hertford County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $2M | −11.2% | |
| Polk County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $7.8M | +6.0% | |
| Yancey County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $3.3M | +3.2% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2M | +1.6% | |
| Avery County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.4 | $1.9M | +1.1% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.8 | $2.7M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $5.9M | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $5.1M | +1.1% | |
| Swain County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $4.7M | −0.6% | |
| Chowan County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.9 | $1.7M | +2.8% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.6% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.7 | $2.2M | +3.7% | |
| Clay County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $4.1M | +9.9% | |
| Alleghany County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $1.9M | +5.4% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +8.8% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $3.2M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $1.1M | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 barbershops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many barbershops are in North Carolina?
There are 2,398 barbershops on map listings in North Carolina as of September 2026. 297 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count barbershops. Official counts show 194 businesses with payroll classed as barber shops in 2023, up 33.8% from 2019. Another 4,254 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on personal care products and services?
About $3.8B a year, or $897 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,398 barbershops on map listings, it comes to $1.6M per shop. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only barbershops. 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 barbershops?
North Carolina has 5.6 barbershops per 10,000 households, 6% above the U.S. rate of 5.3. Spending per shop is $1.6M, 15% below the U.S. figure of $1.9M. At the national ratio of barbershops to household spending, North Carolina would have about 2,036, against 2,398 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 22,074 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S. The official count rose 33.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +28.5% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for barbershops?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). Among 21 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Kill Devil Hills area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 69 scored counties in North Carolina, Chatham County scores highest, at 93 (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 42 for barbershops (lower middle), #34 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 barbershops 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.
Barbershops in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
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- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for barbershops across the U.S. · All business types in North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Salons, barbers and spas21,458 listings
- Hair salons11,173 listings
- Nail salons2,739 listings
- Spas and skin care4,736 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.