Groundwork

Market rankings · Maine

Clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Maine

Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maine, ranked by the Groundwork market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
1,081
372 chain locations (34%)
Official establishments
453
−14.8% since 2019
Household spending a year
$1.3B
On clothing, shoes and related services
Listings per 10k households
18.1
22% below the U.S.
Spending per listing
$1.2M
37% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#2 of 51
Market score 83 · High

A site report maps the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings around any address in Maine by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

Maine has 1,081 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 372 of them (34%) are chain locations, against 37% across the U.S. That comes to 18.1 for every 10,000 households, 22% below the U.S. rate of 23.3.

At $2,189 per household (7% above the U.S. average), households in Maine spend about $1.3B a year on clothing, shoes and related services. That is about $1.2M of household spending for each business on map listings, 37% above the U.S. figure of $880K.

Official counts show 453 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Maine in 2023, down 14.8% from 2019. That is one for every 1,318 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, 6 SBA-backed loans worth $1.9M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Maine.

Among the 50 states and DC, Maine ranks #2 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 83 (high). Of the 3 scored metro areas in or partly in Maine, the Lewiston-Auburn metro area scores highest (89). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Maine, the Augusta-Waterville area, scores 84.

Every market in Maine for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maine, 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

Metro areas reaching Maine, ranked for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Lewiston-Auburn, ME89469.8$2.1M+4.8%#4 of 387
2Bangor, ME8210716.4$1.3M+3.8%#15 of 387
3Portland-South Portland, ME6058324.3$996K+4.5%#126 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Maine, ranked for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Augusta-Waterville, ME846612.2$1.7M+3.5%#12 of 536

Counties

Counties in Maine, ranked for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Oxford County, ME85156.2$3.2M+4.2%#64 of 2,210
2Androscoggin County, ME85469.8$2.1M+4.8%#71 of 2,210
3Sagadahoc County, ME822012.2$1.9M+3.4%#106 of 2,210
4Somerset County, ME80219.0$2.1M+2.3%#131 of 2,210
5Waldo County, ME79179.7$2.1M+2.6%#152 of 2,210
6Kennebec County, ME786612.2$1.7M+3.5%#174 of 2,210
7Piscataquis County, ME721113.1$1.5M+3.5%#323 of 2,210
8Washington County, ME70149.9$1.9M+0.8%#370 of 2,210
9Aroostook County, ME693812.7$1.5M−0.7%#403 of 2,210
10Penobscot County, ME6810716.4$1.3M+3.8%#438 of 2,210
11Lincoln County, ME663219.3$1.1M+3.8%#505 of 2,210
12Franklin County, ME622318.1$1.1M+4.6%#640 of 2,210
13York County, ME5620222.1$1.1M+4.8%#877 of 2,210
14Knox County, ME514222.7$970K+1.1%#1,110 of 2,210
15Cumberland County, ME5136127.3$915K+4.5%#1,117 of 2,210
16Hancock County, ME496625.8$826K+3.0%#1,176 of 2,210

Questions

How many clothing, shoe and laundry businesses are in Maine?

Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,081 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Maine. 372 of them (34%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and jewelry stores, laundromats and dry cleaners. Official counts show 453 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in 2023, down 14.8% from 2019. Another 624 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.

How much do households in Maine spend on clothing, shoes and related services?

About $1.3B a year, or $2,189 per household. That is 7% above the U.S. average (an index of 107, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,081 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings, it comes to $1.2M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 597,159 households in Maine and national spending patterns by income.

How does Maine compare with the U.S. for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?

Maine has 18.1 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses per 10,000 households, 22% below the U.S. rate of 23.3. Spending per business is $1.2M, 37% above the U.S. figure of $880K. At the U.S. ratio of clothing, shoe and laundry businesses to household spending, Maine would have about 1,485, against 1,081 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,318 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. The official count fell 14.8% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.0% for the U.S.

Which market in Maine has the highest market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?

Among 3 scored metro areas in or partly in Maine, the Lewiston-Auburn metro area scores highest, at 89 (high). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Maine is the Augusta-Waterville area, at 84 (high). Among 16 scored counties in Maine, Oxford County scores highest, at 85 (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. Maine scores 83 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (high), #2 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 Maine. 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

All 51 states

Top markets for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Maine

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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.