Clothing and laundry · County · North Carolina
Clothing and shoe stores in Mecklenburg County, NC
How Mecklenburg County, NC 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 45 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,233 of 2,087 scored counties
#50 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 1,079
- 569 chain locations (53%)
- Official establishments
- 535
- −3.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $989.3M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,121 a household
- Spending per listing
- $917K
- 28% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 23.1
- 43% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 1,233,383
- +10.5% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 1,079 clothing and shoe stores in Mecklenburg County. 569 of them (53%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 23.1, 43% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
At $2,121 per household (3% above the U.S. average), households in Mecklenburg County spend about $989.3M a year on clothing, shoes and related services. Spread across 1,079 clothing and shoe stores, that is $917K per store, 28% 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 535 businesses with payroll in Mecklenburg County classed as clothing and shoe stores, down 3.4% from 2019. That is one for every 872 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Another 1,046 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 14 SBA-backed loans worth $2.8M have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Mecklenburg County.
Population estimates show Mecklenburg County grew 10.5% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores in Mecklenburg County is 45 (lower middle), #1,233 of 2,087 scored counties and #50 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina.
How Mecklenburg 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 | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 23.1 | 15.4 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $917K | $1.2M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 872 | 1,297 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −3.4% | −8.1% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +10.5% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,121 | $1,894 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $87,005 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 45 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 554 → 535−3.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 7,285
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $165.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 1,046Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,079569 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 779The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 14
- Amount
- $2.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 1,233,383+10.5% since 2020
- Households
- 466,527
- Median age
- 36.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 524 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 2,205
- Median household income
- $87,005+30.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $128,768
- Median home value
- $406,800
- Jobs located here
- 829,972
- Daytime population
- 1,424,612Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 |
| 50Mecklenburg County, NC | 45 | 1,079 | 23.1 | $917K | +10.5% | #1,233 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Mecklenburg 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 stores45
- Laundromats72
- Dry cleaners38
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Mecklenburg County, NC?
There are 1,079 clothing and shoe stores on map listings in Mecklenburg County as of September 2026. 569 of them (53%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 535 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 3.4% from 2019. Official counts list 1,046 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Mecklenburg County, NC spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $989.3M a year, or $2,121 per household. That is 3% above the U.S. average (an index of 103, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,079 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $917K 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 466,527 households in Mecklenburg County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Mecklenburg County, NC compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Mecklenburg County has 23.1 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 43% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $917K, 28% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Mecklenburg County would have about 779, against 1,079 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 872 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 3.4% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Mecklenburg County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Mecklenburg County at 1,233,383 people in 2025, up 10.5% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 466,527 households. The median household income in Mecklenburg County is $87,005 a year, 8% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.6% 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. Mecklenburg County scores 45 for clothing and shoe stores (lower middle), #1,233 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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.