Clothing and laundry · County · North Carolina
Clothing and shoe stores in Watauga County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing and shoe stores in Watauga County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 16 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,014 of 2,087 scored counties
#85 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 62
- 26 chain locations (42%)
- Official establishments
- 47
- −6.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $36.1M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,705 a household
- Spending per listing
- $583K
- 54% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 29.2
- 80% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 54,786
- +0.6% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Watauga 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 Watauga 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
The Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores in Watauga County is 16 (low), #2,014 of 2,087 scored counties and #85 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Households in Watauga County spend about $36.1M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $1,705 per household, 17% below the U.S. average. Spread across 62 clothing and shoe stores, that is $583K per store, 54% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores.
Watauga County has 62 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 26 are chain locations, or 42%, against 44% across the U.S. That is 29.2 per 10,000 households, 80% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in Watauga County was 47 in 2023, down 6.0% from 2019. That is one for every 451 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Population estimates show Watauga County grew 0.6% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Watauga 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 | Watauga County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 29.2 | 15.4 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $583K | $1.2M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 451 | 1,297 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −6.0% | −8.1% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.6% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,705 | $1,894 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $51,693 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 16 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 50 → 47−6.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 466
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $8.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 23Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6226 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 28The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Watauga 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 Watauga County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 54,786+0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 21,198
- Median age
- 35.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 62%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 312 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 176
- Median household income
- $51,693+8.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $83,665
- Median home value
- $358,900
- Jobs located here
- 24,062
- Daytime population
- 59,737Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga 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 |
| 85Watauga County, NC | 16 | 62 | 29.2 | $583K | +0.6% | #2,014 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Watauga 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 laundry16
- Clothing and shoe stores16
- Laundromats
- Dry cleaners
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Watauga County, NC?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 62 clothing and shoe stores in Watauga County. 26 of them (42%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 47 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 6.0% from 2019. Another 23 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Watauga County, NC spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $36.1M a year, or $1,705 per household. That is 17% below the U.S. average (an index of 83, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 62 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $583K 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 21,198 households in Watauga County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Watauga County, NC compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Watauga County has 29.2 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 80% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $583K, 54% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the U.S. ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Watauga County would have about 28, against 62 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 451 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.0% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Watauga County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Watauga County at 54,786 people in 2025, up 0.6% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 21,198 households. Median household income in Watauga County is $51,693, 36% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 8.8%, 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. Watauga County scores 16 for clothing and shoe stores (low), #2,014 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Watauga 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 Watauga County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Watauga 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 Watauga 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.