Clothing and laundry · County · Iowa
Clothing and shoe stores in Polk County, IA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing and shoe stores in Polk County, IA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 55 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #875 of 2,087 scored counties
#22 of 66 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 344
- 151 chain locations (44%)
- Official establishments
- 153
- −11.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $432.5M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,106 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 16.8
- 4% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 516,546
- +4.8% 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 344 clothing and shoe stores in Polk County. 151 of them (44%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. That comes to 16.8 for every 10,000 households, 4% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Households in Polk County spend about $432.5M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $2,106 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. Spread across 344 clothing and shoe stores, that is $1.3M per store, in line with 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 153 in 2023, down 11.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,342 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Another 303 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $2.3M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Polk County.
Population estimates put the population change in Polk County from 2020 to 2025 at +4.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For clothing and shoe stores, Polk County has a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle): #875 of 2,087 scored counties and #22 of 66 scored counties in Iowa.
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Iowa 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 | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 16.8 | 15.6 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $1.3M | $1.3M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,342 | 1,499 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −11.0% | −14.3% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.8% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,106 | $1,967 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $83,576 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 55 | 48 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 172 → 153−11.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,873
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $42.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 303Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 344151 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 340The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $2.3M
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
- 516,546+4.8% since 2020
- Households
- 205,358
- Median age
- 37.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 573 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 879
- Median household income
- $83,576+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,398
- Median home value
- $262,100
- Jobs located here
- 309,340
- Daytime population
- 566,731Residents 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 Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Warren County, IA | 91 | 14 | 6.8 | $3.2M | +9.0% | #23 of 2,087 |
| 2Benton County, IA | 77 | 8 | 7.8 | $2.6M | +1.8% | #194 of 2,087 |
| 3Bremer County, IA | 75 | 7 | 7.2 | $2.8M | +1.1% | #233 of 2,087 |
| 4Jasper County, IA | 75 | 11 | 7.3 | $2.6M | +0.9% | #236 of 2,087 |
| 5Buchanan County, IA | 73 | 5 | 6.1 | $3.1M | +1.3% | #276 of 2,087 |
| 6Boone County, IA | 71 | 10 | 9.1 | $2.2M | +0.4% | #350 of 2,087 |
| 7Marshall County, IA | 70 | 11 | 7.1 | $2.6M | −0.5% | #371 of 2,087 |
| 8Jones County, IA | 70 | 7 | 8.5 | $2.2M | +2.9% | #378 of 2,087 |
| 9Cedar County, IA | 68 | 5 | 6.6 | $3M | −0.7% | #421 of 2,087 |
| 10Jackson County, IA | 67 | 5 | 6.1 | $3.1M | −0.8% | #449 of 2,087 |
| 22Polk County, IA | 55 | 344 | 16.8 | $1.3M | +4.8% | #875 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 laundry54
- Clothing and shoe stores55
- Laundromats67
- Dry cleaners63
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Polk County, IA?
Polk County has 344 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. 151 of them (44%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 153 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 11.0% from 2019. Official counts list 303 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Polk County, IA spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $432.5M a year, or $2,106 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 344 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $1.3M 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 205,358 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, IA compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Polk County has 16.8 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 4% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $1.3M, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Polk County would have about 340, against 344 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,342 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 11.0% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 516,546 people in 2025, up 4.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 205,358 households. The median household income in Polk County is $83,576 a year, 4% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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 55 for clothing and shoe stores (upper middle), #875 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.