Clothing and laundry · County · Washington
Clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,025 of 2,210 scored counties
#25 of 31 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 177
- 52 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 59
- −22.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $172.4M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,833 a household
- Spending per listing
- $974K
- 11% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 18.8
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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 177 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses in Whatcom County. Of those, 52 are chain locations, or 29%, against 37% across the U.S. That is 18.8 per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 23.3.
Household spending on clothing, shoes and related services in Whatcom County comes to about $172.4M a year: $1,833 per household, 11% below the U.S. average. Spread across 177 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, that is $974K per business, 11% above the U.S. figure of $880K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Whatcom County was 59 in 2023, down 22.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,594 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. Another 129 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $100K have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Whatcom County.
Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 53 (upper middle): #1,025 of 2,210 scored counties and #25 of 31 scored counties in Washington.
How Whatcom County compares
The same measures for Washington and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 18.8 | 15.5 | 23.3 |
| Spending per listing | $974K | $1.3M | $880K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,594 | 1,473 | 1,008 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −22.4% | −16.1% | −12.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,833 | $2,048 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 86 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 76 → 59−22.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 757
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $15.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 129Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 17752 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 196The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $100K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in Whatcom County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardClothing, shoes and laundry across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses, numbered among those based in Washington, with Whatcom County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Mason County, WA | 83 | 12 | 4.6 | $3.9M | +7.8% | #87 of 2,210 |
| 2Clark County, WA | 80 | 207 | 10.6 | $1.9M | +5.3% | #135 of 2,210 |
| 3Kittitas County, WA | 75 | 21 | 10.5 | $1.7M | +4.2% | #237 of 2,210 |
| 4Klickitat County, WA | 74 | 9 | 9.1 | $1.9M | +6.6% | #262 of 2,210 |
| 5Island County, WA | 71 | 27 | 7.5 | $2.5M | −1.5% | #331 of 2,210 |
| 6Pend Oreille County, WA | 71 | 5 | 8.4 | $2M | +7.1% | #338 of 2,210 |
| 7Kitsap County, WA | 71 | 136 | 12.5 | $1.6M | +2.7% | #344 of 2,210 |
| 8Whitman County, WA | 70 | 12 | 6.4 | $2.5M | +1.5% | #362 of 2,210 |
| 9Stevens County, WA | 70 | 18 | 9.3 | $1.8M | +6.6% | #374 of 2,210 |
| 10Pierce County, WA | 68 | 455 | 13.0 | $1.6M | +2.5% | #430 of 2,210 |
| 25Whatcom County, WA | 53 | 177 | 18.8 | $974K | +3.9% | #1,025 of 2,210 |
Other business types in Whatcom County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
- Clothing, shoes and laundry53
- Clothing and shoe stores55
- Laundromats66
- Dry cleaners73
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing, shoe and laundry businesses are in Whatcom County, WA?
There are 177 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. 52 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and jewelry stores, laundromats and dry cleaners. Official counts show 59 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores, laundromats and dry cleaners in 2023, down 22.4% from 2019. Official counts list 129 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $172.4M a year, or $1,833 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 177 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses on map listings, it comes to $974K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses?
Whatcom County has 18.8 clothing, shoe and laundry businesses per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 23.3. Spending per business is $974K, 11% above the U.S. figure of $880K. At the national ratio of clothing, shoe and laundry businesses to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 196, against 177 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,594 households, against one for every 1,008 across the U.S. The official count fell 22.4% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, before inflation.
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. Whatcom County scores 53 for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (upper middle), #1,025 of 2,210 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for clothing, shoe and laundry businesses · All 56 business types in Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.