Clothing and laundry · County · Florida
Clothing and shoe stores in Polk County, FL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing and shoe stores in Polk County, FL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 69 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #410 of 2,087 scored counties
#15 of 58 scored counties in Florida
- Listings
- 274
- 114 chain locations (42%)
- Official establishments
- 127
- −16.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $508.5M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,757 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.9M
- 46% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 9.5
- 41% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 874,790
- +19.8% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Polk County
The site report maps the clothing and shoe stores 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 Polk 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 274 clothing and shoe stores in Polk County. 114 of them (42%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 9.5, 41% below the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Household spending on clothing, shoes and related services in Polk County comes to about $508.5M a year: $1,757 per household, 15% below the U.S. average. That works out to $1.9M per store, 46% above the U.S. figure of $1.3M. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which clothing and shoe stores share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in Polk County was 127 in 2023, down 16.4% from 2019. That is one for every 2,279 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Official counts list 626 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $1.6M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Polk County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Polk County grew 19.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores in Polk County is 69 (upper middle), #410 of 2,087 scored counties and #15 of 58 scored counties in Florida. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Florida and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the clothing and shoe stores 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 | Polk County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 9.5 | 18.1 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $1.9M | $1.1M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 2,279 | 1,054 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −16.4% | −9.5% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +19.8% | +8.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,757 | $1,922 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $65,978 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 69 | 36 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 152 → 127−16.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,072
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $37.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 626Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 274114 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 400The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 4
- Amount
- $1.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Polk 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 Polk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 874,790+19.8% since 2020
- Households
- 289,425
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 1,799 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 440
- Median household income
- $65,978+30.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $87,487
- Median home value
- $266,500
- Jobs located here
- 284,856
- Daytime population
- 728,367Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Polk 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 and shoe stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardClothing and shoe stores across Florida
Every Florida market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Florida for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Florida, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Florida
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Flagler County, FL | 90 | 27 | 5.1 | $3.8M | +21.0% | #26 of 2,087 |
| 2Wakulla County, FL | 88 | 5 | 3.9 | $4.8M | +12.3% | #38 of 2,087 |
| 3Santa Rosa County, FL | 88 | 54 | 7.4 | $2.7M | +11.7% | #46 of 2,087 |
| 4Sumter County, FL | 85 | 36 | 5.1 | $3.6M | +21.1% | #71 of 2,087 |
| 5Baker County, FL | 82 | 5 | 5.5 | $3.5M | +5.8% | #123 of 2,087 |
| 6Citrus County, FL | 80 | 39 | 5.5 | $3.1M | +11.1% | #154 of 2,087 |
| 7St. Lucie County, FL | 79 | 112 | 8.1 | $2.2M | +21.4% | #174 of 2,087 |
| 8Lake County, FL | 78 | 124 | 7.5 | $2.5M | +18.1% | #182 of 2,087 |
| 9Hernando County, FL | 77 | 55 | 6.7 | $2.6M | +13.3% | #195 of 2,087 |
| 10Hendry County, FL | 73 | 12 | 8.5 | $2M | +21.5% | #297 of 2,087 |
| 15Polk County, FL | 69 | 274 | 9.5 | $1.9M | +19.8% | #410 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Polk 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 laundry66
- Clothing and shoe stores69
- Laundromats71
- Dry cleaners74
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Polk County, FL?
Polk County has 274 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. 114 of them (42%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 127 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 16.4% from 2019. Official counts also show 626 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Polk County, FL spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $508.5M a year, or $1,757 per household. That is 15% below the U.S. average (an index of 85, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 274 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $1.9M per store. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 289,425 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, FL compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Polk County has 9.5 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 41% below the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $1.9M, 46% above the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Polk County would have about 400, against 274 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,279 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 16.4% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, FL growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 874,790 people in 2025, up 19.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 289,425 households. The median household income in Polk County is $65,978 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.4% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Polk County scores 69 for clothing and shoe stores (upper middle), #410 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk County. It maps the clothing and shoe stores 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 and shoe stores · All 56 business types in Polk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk 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 Polk 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.