Clothing and laundry · County · North Carolina
Clothing and shoe stores in Buncombe County, NC
The clothing and shoe stores in Buncombe County, NC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 31 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,688 of 2,087 scored counties
#76 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 255
- 129 chain locations (51%)
- Official establishments
- 167
- +0.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $195M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,915 a household
- Spending per listing
- $765K
- 40% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 25.0
- 54% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 277,417
- +2.9% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Buncombe 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 Buncombe 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
For clothing and shoe stores, Buncombe County has a Groundwork market score of 31 (lower middle): #1,688 of 2,087 scored counties and #76 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 255 clothing and shoe stores in Buncombe County. 129 of them (51%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. That comes to 25.0 for every 10,000 households, 54% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Households in Buncombe County spend about $195M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $1,915 per household, 7% below the U.S. average. That works out to $765K per store, 40% below 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.
In 2023, official counts showed 167 businesses with payroll in Buncombe County classed as clothing and shoe stores, up 0.6% from 2019. That is one for every 610 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $18K has gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Buncombe County. Population estimates put the population change in Buncombe County from 2020 to 2025 at +2.9%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Buncombe County compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | Buncombe County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 25.0 | 15.4 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $765K | $1.2M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 610 | 1,297 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +0.6% | −8.1% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.9% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,915 | $1,894 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $74,436 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 31 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 166 → 167+0.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,766
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $41.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 166Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 255129 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 154The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $18K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Buncombe 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 Buncombe County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 277,417+2.9% since 2020
- Households
- 101,855
- Median age
- 43.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 66%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 657 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 418
- Median household income
- $74,436+42.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $105,560
- Median home value
- $391,800
- Jobs located here
- 142,929
- Daytime population
- 299,325Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Buncombe 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 Buncombe 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Buncombe County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 94 | 20 | 6.1 | $3.7M | +11.0% | #8 of 2,087 |
| 2Franklin County, NC | 84 | 15 | 5.3 | $3.5M | +18.8% | #84 of 2,087 |
| 3Harnett County, NC | 84 | 31 | 6.2 | $2.9M | +12.3% | #89 of 2,087 |
| 4Orange County, NC | 84 | 45 | 7.8 | $2.8M | +6.1% | #92 of 2,087 |
| 5Union County, NC | 84 | 77 | 9.1 | $2.5M | +11.7% | #95 of 2,087 |
| 6Lincoln County, NC | 84 | 32 | 8.7 | $2.3M | +13.2% | #98 of 2,087 |
| 7Hoke County, NC | 80 | 9 | 4.7 | $3.7M | +9.0% | #152 of 2,087 |
| 8Granville County, NC | 76 | 17 | 7.6 | $2.4M | +2.1% | #215 of 2,087 |
| 9Pender County, NC | 76 | 24 | 9.5 | $2M | +19.0% | #221 of 2,087 |
| 10Davie County, NC | 76 | 19 | 11.0 | $1.7M | +6.9% | #224 of 2,087 |
| 76Buncombe County, NC | 31 | 255 | 25.0 | $765K | +2.9% | #1,688 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Buncombe 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 laundry30
- Clothing and shoe stores31
- Laundromats64
- Dry cleaners69
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Buncombe County, NC?
There are 255 clothing and shoe stores on map listings in Buncombe County as of September 2026. 129 of them (51%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 167 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, up 0.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 166 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Buncombe County, NC spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $195M a year, or $1,915 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 255 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $765K 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 101,855 households in Buncombe County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Buncombe County, NC compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Buncombe County has 25.0 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 54% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $765K, 40% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Buncombe County would have about 154, against 255 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 610 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.6% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Buncombe County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Buncombe County at 277,417 people in 2025, up 2.9% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 101,855 households. The median household income in Buncombe County is $74,436 a year, 8% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 42.6% 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. Buncombe County scores 31 for clothing and shoe stores (lower middle), #1,688 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Buncombe 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 Buncombe County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Buncombe 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 Buncombe 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.