Clothing and laundry · County · New York
Clothing and shoe stores in Albany County, NY
How Albany County, NY compares with other counties and the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 48 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,132 of 2,087 scored counties
#49 of 60 scored counties in New York
- Listings
- 246
- 154 chain locations (63%)
- Official establishments
- 149
- −17.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $316.4M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,349 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 18.3
- 13% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 321,225
- +2.2% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Albany 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 Albany 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
Households in Albany County spend about $316.4M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $2,349 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. Spread across 246 clothing and shoe stores, that is $1.3M per store, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.3M. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores.
There are 246 clothing and shoe stores on map listings in Albany County as of September 2026. 154 of them (63%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. That comes to 18.3 for every 10,000 households, 13% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
In 2023, official counts showed 149 businesses with payroll in Albany County classed as clothing and shoe stores, down 17.2% from 2019. That is one for every 904 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Official counts also show 144 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $90K have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Albany County.
Population estimates show Albany County grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores in Albany County is 48 (lower middle), #1,132 of 2,087 scored counties and #49 of 60 scored counties in New York.
How Albany County compares
The same measures for New York 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 | Albany County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 18.3 | 19.3 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $1.3M | $1.3M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 904 | 1,039 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −17.2% | −16.7% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.2% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,349 | $2,448 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $85,333 | $85,974 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 48 | 39 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 180 → 149−17.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,147
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $43.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 144Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 246154 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 249The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $90K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Albany 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 Albany County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 321,225+2.2% since 2020
- Households
- 134,703
- Median age
- 40.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 57%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.5
- Land area
- 523 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 606
- Median household income
- $85,333+28.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $111,519
- Median home value
- $294,600
- Jobs located here
- 249,261
- Daytime population
- 417,371Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Albany 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 Albany 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 New York
Every New York market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New York for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in New York, with Albany County marked.
Top counties in New York
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Putnam County, NY | 88 | 23 | 6.5 | $4.5M | +1.4% | #39 of 2,087 |
| 2Sullivan County, NY | 88 | 20 | 6.4 | $3.5M | +2.7% | #40 of 2,087 |
| 3Schenectady County, NY | 84 | 50 | 7.5 | $3M | +3.0% | #87 of 2,087 |
| 4Wayne County, NY | 83 | 17 | 4.4 | $4.7M | +0.1% | #102 of 2,087 |
| 5Oswego County, NY | 82 | 14 | 3.0 | $7M | +1.0% | #114 of 2,087 |
| 6Rensselaer County, NY | 82 | 37 | 5.5 | $4.2M | −0.2% | #120 of 2,087 |
| 7Schoharie County, NY | 81 | 5 | 3.9 | $5.4M | +1.4% | #136 of 2,087 |
| 8Madison County, NY | 81 | 13 | 5.0 | $4.4M | −1.2% | #137 of 2,087 |
| 9Montgomery County, NY | 81 | 12 | 6.1 | $3.3M | +1.1% | #141 of 2,087 |
| 10Greene County, NY | 80 | 11 | 5.9 | $3.8M | −1.1% | #151 of 2,087 |
| 49Albany County, NY | 48 | 246 | 18.3 | $1.3M | +2.2% | #1,132 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Albany 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 laundry44
- Clothing and shoe stores48
- Laundromats54
- Dry cleaners54
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Albany County, NY?
As of September 2026, map listings count 246 clothing and shoe stores in Albany County. 154 of them (63%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 149 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 17.2% from 2019. Another 144 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Albany County, NY spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $316.4M a year, or $2,349 per household. That is 14% above the U.S. average (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 246 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $1.3M per store. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which clothing and shoe stores share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 134,703 households in Albany County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Albany County, NY compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Albany County has 18.3 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 13% 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 U.S. ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Albany County would have about 249, against 246 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 904 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 17.2% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Albany County, NY growing?
Population estimates put Albany County at 321,225 people in 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 134,703 households. Median household income in Albany County is $85,333, 6% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 28.8%, 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. Albany County scores 48 for clothing and shoe stores (lower middle), #1,132 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Albany 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 Albany County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Albany 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 Albany 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.