Clothing and laundry · County · Wisconsin
Clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha County, WI
How Waukesha County, WI 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 68 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #438 of 2,087 scored counties
#27 of 62 scored counties in Wisconsin
- Listings
- 199
- 94 chain locations (47%)
- Official establishments
- 105
- −18.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $402.6M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,387 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2M
- 59% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.8
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 417,210
- +2.4% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 199 clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha County. Chain locations make up 47% of them, against 44% across the U.S. That is 11.8 per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Households in Waukesha County spend about $402.6M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $2,387 per household, 16% above the U.S. average. Spread across 199 clothing and shoe stores, that is $2M per store, 59% above 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.
Official counts show 105 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha County in 2023, down 18.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,606 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Official counts list 250 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $610K have gone to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Waukesha County grew 2.4%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha County is 68 (upper middle), #438 of 2,087 scored counties and #27 of 62 scored counties in Wisconsin. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Waukesha County compares
The same measures for Wisconsin 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 | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.8 | 12.7 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $2M | $1.6M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,606 | 1,839 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −18.6% | −16.1% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.4% | +1.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,387 | $2,003 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $106,076 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 68 | 72 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 129 → 105−18.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,712
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $33M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 250Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 19994 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 317The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $610K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Waukesha 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 Waukesha County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 417,210+2.4% since 2020
- Households
- 168,658
- Median age
- 44.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 550 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 749
- Median household income
- $106,076+21.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $137,605
- Median home value
- $398,200
- Jobs located here
- 265,439
- Daytime population
- 468,429Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 Wisconsin
Every Wisconsin market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Wisconsin for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Wisconsin, with Waukesha County marked.
Top counties in Wisconsin
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1St. Croix County, WI | 91 | 22 | 5.9 | $4M | +4.7% | #19 of 2,087 |
| 2Calumet County, WI | 85 | 13 | 6.1 | $3.5M | +2.9% | #72 of 2,087 |
| 3Pierce County, WI | 83 | 12 | 7.6 | $2.8M | +3.1% | #112 of 2,087 |
| 4Washington County, WI | 82 | 42 | 7.4 | $3M | +1.8% | #126 of 2,087 |
| 5Oconto County, WI | 81 | 8 | 4.8 | $4.1M | +2.9% | #138 of 2,087 |
| 6Waushara County, WI | 75 | 5 | 4.7 | $3.9M | +2.8% | #226 of 2,087 |
| 7Adams County, WI | 75 | 5 | 5.3 | $3.3M | +5.2% | #229 of 2,087 |
| 8Manitowoc County, WI | 75 | 21 | 6.0 | $3.1M | +0.4% | #230 of 2,087 |
| 9Grant County, WI | 75 | 13 | 6.5 | $2.8M | +0.9% | #231 of 2,087 |
| 10Polk County, WI | 75 | 18 | 9.2 | $2.1M | +1.7% | #241 of 2,087 |
| 27Waukesha County, WI | 68 | 199 | 11.8 | $2M | +2.4% | #438 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Waukesha 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 laundry64
- Clothing and shoe stores68
- Laundromats83
- Dry cleaners62
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Waukesha County, WI?
There are 199 clothing and shoe stores on map listings in Waukesha County as of September 2026. 94 of them (47%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 105 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 18.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 250 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Waukesha County, WI spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $402.6M a year, or $2,387 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 199 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $2M 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 168,658 households in Waukesha County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Waukesha County, WI compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Waukesha County has 11.8 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $2M, 59% above the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, Waukesha County would have about 317, against 199 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,606 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 18.6% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Waukesha County, WI growing?
Population estimates put Waukesha County at 417,210 people in 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 168,658 households. The median household income in Waukesha County is $106,076 a year, 31% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 21.5% 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. Waukesha County scores 68 for clothing and shoe stores (upper middle), #438 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Waukesha 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 Waukesha County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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.