Groundwork

Market rankings · District of Columbia

Dry cleaners in the District of Columbia

Every metro area, small-town market and county in the District of Columbia, ranked by the Groundwork market score for dry cleaners, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
74
4 chain locations (5%)
Official establishments
80
−29.2% since 2019
Household spending a year
$782.4M
On clothing, shoes and related services
Listings per 10k households
2.3
77% above the U.S.
Spending per listing
$10.6M
33% below the U.S.
Rank among states
#45 of 51
Market score 32 · Lower middle

A site report maps the dry cleaners on map listings around any address in the District of Columbia by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

There are 74 dry cleaners on map listings in the District of Columbia as of September 2026. 4 of them (5%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 2.3 for every 10,000 households, 77% above the U.S. rate of 1.3.

Household spending on clothing, shoes and related services in the District of Columbia comes to about $782.4M a year: $2,411 per household, 17% above the U.S. average. Spread across 74 dry cleaners, that is $10.6M per shop, 33% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only dry cleaners.

Official counts show 80 businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in the District of Columbia in 2023, down 29.2% from 2019. That is one for every 4,056 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count fell 18.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $4.1M have gone to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in the District of Columbia.

Among the 50 states and DC, the District of Columbia ranks #45 for dry cleaners, with a Groundwork market score of 32 (lower middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, scores 40.

Every market in the District of Columbia for dry cleaners

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in the District of Columbia, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.

Metro areas

Metro areas reaching the District of Columbia, ranked for dry cleaners by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV404171.8$14.5M+3.3%#187 of 272

Counties

Counties in the District of Columbia, ranked for dry cleaners by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
District of ColumbiaNot scored742.3$10.6M+3.4%

Markets with fewer than 5 dry cleaners on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many dry cleaners are in the District of Columbia?

As of September 2026, map listings count 74 dry cleaners in the District of Columbia. 4 of them (5%) are chain locations. The listings count dry cleaners. Official counts show 80 businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in 2023, down 29.2% from 2019.

How much do households in the District of Columbia spend on clothing, shoes and related services?

About $782.4M a year, or $2,411 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 74 dry cleaners on map listings, it comes to $10.6M per shop. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which dry cleaners share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 324,491 households in the District of Columbia and national spending patterns by income.

How does the District of Columbia compare with the U.S. for dry cleaners?

The District of Columbia has 2.3 dry cleaners per 10,000 households, 77% above the U.S. rate of 1.3. Spending per shop is $10.6M, 33% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. At the U.S. ratio of dry cleaners to household spending, the District of Columbia would have about 50, against 74 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,056 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. The official count fell 29.2% from 2019 to 2023, against −18.7% for the U.S.

Which market in the District of Columbia has the highest market score for dry cleaners?

The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia is the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, at 40 (lower middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.

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. The District of Columbia scores 32 for dry cleaners (lower middle), #45 of the 50 states and DC.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the District of Columbia. It maps the dry cleaners 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.

Dry cleaners in other states

All 51 states

Top markets for dry cleaners across the U.S. · All business types in the District of Columbia

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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.