Market rankings · North Carolina
Clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in North Carolina
Markets across North Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 8,977
- 3,410 chain locations (38%)
- Official establishments
- 4,067
- −8.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $8.1B
- On clothing, shoes and related services
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.0
- 10% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $904K
- 3% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #28 of 51
- Market score 50 · Upper middle
A site report maps the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses 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 8,977 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in North Carolina. Chain locations make up 38% of them, against 37% across the U.S. That is 21.0 per 10,000 households, 10% below the U.S. rate of 23.3.
At $1,894 per household (8% below the U.S. average), households in North Carolina spend about $8.1B a year on clothing, shoes and related services. That is about $904K of household spending for each business on map listings, 3% above the U.S. figure of $880K.
Official counts show 4,067 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in North Carolina in 2023, down 8.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,053 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, 67 SBA-backed loans worth $30.1M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #28 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 50 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (80). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest (86).
Every market in North Carolina for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses
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 | 80 | 424 | 17.1 | $1.2M | +7.5% | #21 of 387 |
| 2Raleigh-Cary, NC | 72 | 1,228 | 21.4 | $1M | +12.6% | #49 of 387 |
| 3Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 63 | 92 | 20.9 | $950K | +10.3% | #110 of 387 |
| 4Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 59 | 2,378 | 22.1 | $926K | +10.1% | #135 of 387 |
| 5Jacksonville, NC | 56 | 137 | 18.2 | $956K | +6.0% | #159 of 387 |
| 6Winston-Salem, NC | 55 | 522 | 18.5 | $964K | +5.3% | #165 of 387 |
| 7Goldsboro, NC | 48 | 87 | 18.3 | $919K | +3.8% | #218 of 387 |
| 8Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 48 | 284 | 19.0 | $900K | +3.2% | #220 of 387 |
| 9Wilmington, NC | 45 | 479 | 24.0 | $798K | +15.9% | #242 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 44 | 1,529 | 21.6 | $920K | +0.9% | #247 of 387 |
| 10Greensboro-High Point, NC | 41 | 683 | 21.5 | $827K | +4.1% | #263 of 387 |
| 11Rocky Mount, NC | 34 | 120 | 20.5 | $820K | +2.8% | #297 of 387 |
| 12Asheville, NC | 32 | 428 | 26.5 | $705K | +3.6% | #308 of 387 |
| 13Greenville, NC | 31 | 174 | 23.3 | $726K | +5.4% | #314 of 387 |
| 14Fayetteville, NC | 27 | 306 | 20.5 | $828K | +1.6% | #332 of 387 |
| 15Burlington, NC | 27 | 201 | 28.7 | $611K | +8.5% | #337 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 86 | 50 | 10.0 | $1.8M | +12.3% | #9 of 536 |
| 2Brevard, NC | 75 | 14 | 9.6 | $1.9M | +2.9% | #59 of 536 |
| 3Marion, NC | 70 | 22 | 11.8 | $1.4M | +1.5% | #94 of 536 |
| 4Albemarle, NC | 65 | 40 | 15.8 | $1.1M | +9.8% | #137 of 536 |
| 5North Wilkesboro, NC | 64 | 27 | 10.0 | $1.5M | +0.6% | #141 of 536 |
| 6New Bern, NC | 63 | 86 | 16.4 | $1M | +3.6% | #153 of 536 |
| 7Forest City, NC | 62 | 43 | 16.1 | $986K | +2.1% | #162 of 536 |
| 8Waynesville, NC | 60 | 45 | 16.6 | $1M | +1.9% | #183 of 536 |
| 9Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 51 | 70 | 18.0 | $922K | +3.4% | #260 of 536 |
| 10Morehead City, NC | 47 | 86 | 26.9 | $699K | +4.1% | #300 of 536 |
| 11Sanford, NC | 47 | 62 | 24.7 | $696K | +10.8% | #301 of 536 |
| 12Washington, NC | 45 | 34 | 17.5 | $957K | 0.0% | #314 of 536 |
| 13Elizabeth City, NC | 43 | 36 | 22.8 | $757K | +4.5% | #332 of 536 |
| 14Kinston, NC | 42 | 42 | 18.0 | $851K | +1.4% | #341 of 536 |
| 15Roanoke Rapids, NC | 41 | 41 | 14.5 | $1.1M | −4.3% | #348 of 536 |
| 16Wilson, NC | 41 | 62 | 18.7 | $878K | +1.7% | #349 of 536 |
| 17Laurinburg, NC | 40 | 18 | 14.3 | $1.1M | −0.3% | #358 of 536 |
| 18Lumberton, NC | 39 | 87 | 20.2 | $732K | +3.4% | #371 of 536 |
| 19Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35 | 110 | 65.3 | $319K | +3.3% | #415 of 536 |
| 20Mount Airy, NC | 34 | 69 | 23.1 | $704K | +1.3% | #417 of 536 |
| 21Henderson, NC | 28 | 36 | 22.3 | $716K | +0.2% | #455 of 536 |
| 22Rockingham, NC | 21 | 38 | 22.3 | $673K | −1.6% | #500 of 536 |
| 23Boone, NC | 21 | 80 | 37.7 | $452K | +0.6% | #505 of 536 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 91 | 35 | 10.6 | $2.1M | +11.0% | #15 of 2,210 |
| 2Lincoln County, NC | 84 | 40 | 10.9 | $1.8M | +13.2% | #83 of 2,210 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 83 | 25 | 8.8 | $2.1M | +18.8% | #96 of 2,210 |
| 4Union County, NC | 82 | 109 | 12.9 | $1.8M | +11.7% | #108 of 2,210 |
| 5Hoke County, NC | 80 | 14 | 7.3 | $2.4M | +9.0% | #129 of 2,210 |
| 6Harnett County, NC | 80 | 50 | 10.0 | $1.8M | +12.3% | #140 of 2,210 |
| 7Pender County, NC | 80 | 28 | 11.1 | $1.7M | +19.0% | #141 of 2,210 |
| 8Orange County, NC | 80 | 87 | 15.2 | $1.5M | +6.1% | #148 of 2,210 |
| 9Granville County, NC | 77 | 22 | 9.8 | $1.9M | +2.1% | #185 of 2,210 |
| 10Davie County, NC | 76 | 26 | 15.1 | $1.3M | +6.9% | #220 of 2,210 |
| 11Currituck County, NC | 72 | 15 | 12.7 | $1.7M | +16.7% | #318 of 2,210 |
| 12Polk County, NC | 72 | 11 | 12.3 | $1.5M | +6.0% | #321 of 2,210 |
| 13Alexander County, NC | 71 | 10 | 7.1 | $2.3M | +1.5% | #332 of 2,210 |
| 14Davidson County, NC | 71 | 86 | 12.3 | $1.4M | +6.6% | #351 of 2,210 |
| 15Iredell County, NC | 71 | 119 | 15.6 | $1.3M | +12.9% | #354 of 2,210 |
| 16Stokes County, NC | 69 | 12 | 6.1 | $2.7M | +3.5% | #392 of 2,210 |
| 17Transylvania County, NC | 68 | 14 | 9.6 | $1.9M | +2.9% | #423 of 2,210 |
| 18Clay County, NC | 67 | 5 | 9.8 | $1.7M | +9.9% | #451 of 2,210 |
| 19Montgomery County, NC | 66 | 9 | 8.5 | $2M | +2.7% | #471 of 2,210 |
| 20Yancey County, NC | 66 | 8 | 9.8 | $1.8M | +3.2% | #477 of 2,210 |
| 21Henderson County, NC | 65 | 78 | 15.3 | $1.2M | +5.0% | #545 of 2,210 |
| 22Person County, NC | 64 | 21 | 13.1 | $1.3M | +3.7% | #566 of 2,210 |
| 23McDowell County, NC | 62 | 22 | 11.8 | $1.4M | +1.5% | #622 of 2,210 |
| 24Brunswick County, NC | 61 | 116 | 16.8 | $1.1M | +26.5% | #688 of 2,210 |
| 25Wake County, NC | 61 | 1,030 | 22.4 | $1M | +11.2% | #691 of 2,210 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Duplin County, NC | 60 | 30 | 14.4 | $1.1M | +6.0% | #722 of 2,210 |
| 27Wilkes County, NC | 59 | 27 | 10.0 | $1.5M | +0.6% | #737 of 2,210 |
| 28Rowan County, NC | 59 | 93 | 15.8 | $1.1M | +5.6% | #755 of 2,210 |
| 29Stanly County, NC | 59 | 40 | 15.8 | $1.1M | +9.8% | #758 of 2,210 |
| 30Avery County, NC | 58 | 9 | 13.3 | $1.3M | +1.1% | #777 of 2,210 |
| 31Rockingham County, NC | 57 | 52 | 13.1 | $1.2M | +3.3% | #813 of 2,210 |
| 32Cabarrus County, NC | 57 | 152 | 18.0 | $1.2M | +9.9% | #821 of 2,210 |
| 33Johnston County, NC | 57 | 173 | 20.2 | $963K | +17.9% | #839 of 2,210 |
| 34Burke County, NC | 56 | 47 | 12.9 | $1.3M | +1.6% | #860 of 2,210 |
| 35Yadkin County, NC | 56 | 21 | 14.0 | $1.2M | +2.9% | #862 of 2,210 |
| 36Randolph County, NC | 56 | 80 | 13.9 | $1.2M | +3.5% | #865 of 2,210 |
| 37Durham County, NC | 56 | 281 | 19.8 | $1M | +7.7% | #879 of 2,210 |
| 38Gaston County, NC | 56 | 169 | 18.1 | $995K | +7.8% | #880 of 2,210 |
| 39Moore County, NC | 56 | 92 | 20.9 | $950K | +10.3% | #887 of 2,210 |
| 40Caldwell County, NC | 55 | 39 | 11.8 | $1.4M | +0.7% | #903 of 2,210 |
| 41Rutherford County, NC | 54 | 43 | 16.1 | $986K | +2.1% | #967 of 2,210 |
| 42Haywood County, NC | 52 | 45 | 16.6 | $1M | +1.9% | #1,057 of 2,210 |
| 43Cherokee County, NC | 52 | 24 | 18.1 | $874K | +6.8% | #1,073 of 2,210 |
| 44Edgecombe County, NC | 49 | 26 | 13.2 | $1.2M | +0.7% | #1,155 of 2,210 |
| 45Onslow County, NC | 49 | 137 | 18.2 | $956K | +6.0% | #1,168 of 2,210 |
| 46Bladen County, NC | 48 | 17 | 14.4 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #1,196 of 2,210 |
| 47Craven County, NC | 48 | 82 | 19.1 | $902K | +3.5% | #1,203 of 2,210 |
| 48Sampson County, NC | 46 | 36 | 16.7 | $947K | +4.1% | #1,277 of 2,210 |
| 49Anson County, NC | 45 | 7 | 8.2 | $1.8M | −2.1% | #1,288 of 2,210 |
| 50Cleveland County, NC | 44 | 70 | 18.0 | $922K | +3.4% | #1,344 of 2,210 |
| 51Mecklenburg County, NC | 44 | 1,458 | 31.3 | $679K | +10.5% | #1,358 of 2,210 |
| 52Swain County, NC | 43 | 7 | 11.6 | $1.4M | −0.6% | #1,363 of 2,210 |
| 53Martin County, NC | 43 | 14 | 14.7 | $1M | −1.6% | #1,370 of 2,210 |
| 54Wayne County, NC | 43 | 87 | 18.3 | $919K | +3.8% | #1,377 of 2,210 |
| 55Lee County, NC | 43 | 62 | 24.7 | $696K | +10.8% | #1,398 of 2,210 |
| 56Mitchell County, NC | 42 | 12 | 18.2 | $897K | +1.1% | #1,413 of 2,210 |
| 57Carteret County, NC | 40 | 86 | 26.9 | $699K | +4.1% | #1,527 of 2,210 |
| 58Jackson County, NC | 40 | 44 | 23.9 | $694K | +6.9% | #1,528 of 2,210 |
| 59Beaufort County, NC | 39 | 34 | 17.5 | $957K | 0.0% | #1,541 of 2,210 |
| 60Columbus County, NC | 39 | 40 | 20.0 | $782K | 0.0% | #1,552 of 2,210 |
| 61Forsyth County, NC | 39 | 377 | 23.6 | $772K | +5.0% | #1,555 of 2,210 |
| 62Ashe County, NC | 39 | 26 | 21.3 | $769K | +3.5% | #1,556 of 2,210 |
| 63Guilford County, NC | 38 | 551 | 25.1 | $734K | +4.4% | #1,598 of 2,210 |
| 64New Hanover County, NC | 37 | 335 | 31.9 | $609K | +8.6% | #1,642 of 2,210 |
| 65Scotland County, NC | 36 | 18 | 14.3 | $1.1M | −0.3% | #1,654 of 2,210 |
| 66Lenoir County, NC | 36 | 42 | 18.0 | $851K | +1.4% | #1,662 of 2,210 |
| 67Pasquotank County, NC | 36 | 36 | 22.8 | $757K | +4.5% | #1,673 of 2,210 |
| 68Alleghany County, NC | 35 | 10 | 19.3 | $794K | +5.4% | #1,692 of 2,210 |
| 69Catawba County, NC | 35 | 188 | 28.4 | $629K | +5.8% | #1,712 of 2,210 |
| 70Wilson County, NC | 34 | 62 | 18.7 | $878K | +1.7% | #1,722 of 2,210 |
| 71Robeson County, NC | 34 | 87 | 20.2 | $732K | +3.4% | #1,730 of 2,210 |
| 72Pitt County, NC | 34 | 174 | 23.3 | $726K | +5.4% | #1,731 of 2,210 |
| 73Chowan County, NC | 34 | 15 | 24.5 | $706K | +2.8% | #1,733 of 2,210 |
| 74Nash County, NC | 33 | 94 | 24.2 | $713K | +3.9% | #1,762 of 2,210 |
| 75Alamance County, NC | 32 | 201 | 28.7 | $611K | +8.5% | #1,804 of 2,210 |
| 76Dare County, NC | 31 | 110 | 65.3 | $319K | +3.3% | #1,837 of 2,210 |
| 77Buncombe County, NC | 30 | 346 | 34.0 | $564K | +2.9% | #1,858 of 2,210 |
| 78Hertford County, NC | 29 | 12 | 14.5 | $1.1M | −11.2% | #1,864 of 2,210 |
| 79Surry County, NC | 29 | 69 | 23.1 | $704K | +1.3% | #1,872 of 2,210 |
| 80Halifax County, NC | 26 | 40 | 19.6 | $783K | −3.9% | #1,941 of 2,210 |
| 81Macon County, NC | 26 | 70 | 38.0 | $453K | +5.8% | #1,957 of 2,210 |
| 82Cumberland County, NC | 25 | 292 | 22.5 | $753K | +0.4% | #1,966 of 2,210 |
| 83Vance County, NC | 24 | 36 | 22.3 | $716K | +0.2% | #1,991 of 2,210 |
| 84Washington County, NC | 20 | 8 | 16.9 | $899K | −3.1% | #2,065 of 2,210 |
| 85Richmond County, NC | 20 | 38 | 22.3 | $673K | −1.6% | #2,071 of 2,210 |
| 86Watauga County, NC | 16 | 80 | 37.7 | $452K | +0.6% | #2,150 of 2,210 |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $3.5M | +0.4% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.8 | $3.5M | +5.9% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.9 | $5.2M | +1.3% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $4.3M | +1.6% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 5.6 | $2.9M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $12.6M | −5.4% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 7.1 | $2.4M | +3.6% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $3.1M | +3.7% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +8.8% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $6.8M | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $6.7M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 8.5 | $1.9M | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 5.2 | $2.9M | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $2.3M | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many clothing, shoe and laundry businesses are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 8,977 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 3,410 of them (38%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and jewelry stores, laundromats and dry cleaners. Official counts show 4,067 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in 2023, down 8.3% from 2019. Official counts also show 7,085 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $8.1B a year, or $1,894 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 8,977 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings, it comes to $904K per business. 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 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?
North Carolina has 21.0 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses per 10,000 households, 10% below the U.S. rate of 23.3. Spending per business is $904K, 3% above the U.S. figure of $880K. At the national ratio of clothing, shoe and laundry businesses to household spending, North Carolina would have about 9,214, against 8,977 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,053 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. The official count fell 8.3% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.0% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest, at 86 (high). Among 86 scored counties in North Carolina, Chatham County scores highest, at 91 (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 50 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (upper middle), #28 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 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 North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Clothing and shoe stores6,581 listings
- Laundromats482 listings
- Dry cleaners502 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.