Market rankings · Connecticut
Clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Connecticut
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Connecticut, ranked by the Groundwork market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,517
- 1,523 chain locations (43%)
- Official establishments
- 1,486
- −15.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.7B
- On clothing, shoes and related services
- Listings per 10k households
- 24.5
- 5% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 19% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #13 of 51
- Market score 64 · Upper middle
A site report maps the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings around any address in Connecticut 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
Connecticut has 3,517 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 43% of them, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 24.5, 5% above the U.S. rate of 23.3.
Household spending on clothing, shoes and related services in Connecticut comes to about $3.7B a year: $2,564 per household, 25% above the U.S. average. That is about $1M of household spending for each business on map listings, 19% above the U.S. figure of $880K.
Official counts show 1,486 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Connecticut in 2023, down 15.5% from 2019. That is one for every 965 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count fell 12.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 38 SBA-backed loans worth $10M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Connecticut.
Among the 50 states and DC, Connecticut ranks #13 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 64 (upper middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Connecticut, the Waterbury-Shelton metro area scores highest (88). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Connecticut, the Putnam area scores highest (91).
Every market in Connecticut for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Connecticut, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 88 | 268 | 14.9 | $1.6M | +3.2% | #6 of 387 |
| 2Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 68 | 1,043 | 22.4 | $1.1M | +3.0% | #68 of 387 |
| 3Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 58 | 278 | 24.0 | $983K | +2.0% | #144 of 387 |
| 4New Haven, CT | 52 | 618 | 26.8 | $915K | +2.5% | #193 of 387 |
| 5Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 46 | 1,211 | 34.1 | $839K | +3.7% | #235 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Putnam, CT | 91 | 37 | 9.4 | $2.5M | +3.0% | #3 of 536 |
| 2Torrington, CT | 84 | 62 | 13.0 | $1.9M | +2.2% | #11 of 536 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 87 | 37 | 9.4 | $2.5M | +3.0% | #44 of 2,210 |
| 2Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 79 | 62 | 13.0 | $1.9M | +2.2% | #155 of 2,210 |
| 3Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT | 76 | 268 | 14.9 | $1.6M | +3.2% | #215 of 2,210 |
| 4Capitol Planning Region, CT | 61 | 846 | 21.6 | $1.2M | +3.1% | #683 of 2,210 |
| 5Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT | 54 | 314 | 26.2 | $975K | +4.1% | #969 of 2,210 |
| 6Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 52 | 278 | 24.0 | $983K | +2.0% | #1,063 of 2,210 |
| 7Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT | 50 | 197 | 26.6 | $993K | +2.3% | #1,130 of 2,210 |
| 8South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 49 | 618 | 26.8 | $915K | +2.5% | #1,172 of 2,210 |
| 9Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 44 | 897 | 38.1 | $792K | +3.5% | #1,352 of 2,210 |
Questions
How many clothing, shoe and laundry businesses are in Connecticut?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,517 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Connecticut. 1,523 of them (43%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and jewelry stores, laundromats and dry cleaners. Official counts show 1,486 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in 2023, down 15.5% from 2019. Official counts also show 2,131 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Connecticut spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $3.7B a year, or $2,564 per household. That is 25% above the U.S. average (an index of 125, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,517 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings, it comes to $1M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,434,007 households in Connecticut and national spending patterns by income.
How does Connecticut compare with the U.S. for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?
Connecticut has 24.5 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 23.3. Spending per business is $1M, 19% above the U.S. figure of $880K. At the U.S. ratio of clothing, shoe and laundry businesses to household spending, Connecticut would have about 4,177, against 3,517 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 965 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. The official count fell 15.5% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Connecticut has the highest market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Connecticut, the Waterbury-Shelton metro area scores highest, at 88 (high). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Connecticut, the Putnam area scores highest, at 91 (very high). Among 9 scored counties in Connecticut, the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region scores highest, at 87 (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. Connecticut scores 64 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (upper middle), #13 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 Connecticut. It maps the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses 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.
Clothing, shoes and laundry in other states
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Top markets for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Connecticut
Related business types in Connecticut
- Clothing and shoe stores2,287 listings
- Laundromats320 listings
- Dry cleaners263 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Connecticut?
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.