Clothing and laundry · County · Maryland
Dry cleaners in Howard County, MD
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for dry cleaners in Howard County, MD, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 42 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #331 of 507 scored counties
#6 of 11 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 24
- 6 chain locations (25%)
- Official establishments
- 27
- −20.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $334.4M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,762 a household
- Spending per listing
- $13.9M
- 11% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 2.0
- 54% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 339,183
- +1.9% since 2020
See the dry cleaners around any address in Howard County
The site report maps the dry cleaners 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 Howard 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 24 dry cleaners in Howard County. 6 of them (25%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 2.0 for every 10,000 households, 54% above the U.S. rate of 1.3.
At $2,762 per household (34% above the U.S. average), households in Howard County spend about $334.4M a year on clothing, shoes and related services. Spread across 24 dry cleaners, that is $13.9M per shop, 11% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which dry cleaners share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 27 businesses with payroll in Howard County classed as dry cleaning and laundry services, down 20.6% from 2019. That is one for every 4,484 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $1.5M has gone to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Howard County.
Population estimates put the population change in Howard County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.9%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Howard County scores 42 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for dry cleaners, ranking #331 of 507 scored counties and #6 of 11 scored counties in Maryland.
How Howard County compares
The same measures for Maryland and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the dry cleaners 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 | Howard County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Spending per listing | $13.9M | $16.3M | $15.7M |
| Households per official establishment | 4,484 | 6,074 | 8,177 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −20.6% | −19.5% | −18.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.9% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,762 | $2,283 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $149,763 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 42 | 39 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 34 → 27−20.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 119
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 246 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 21The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $1.5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Howard 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 Howard County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 339,183+1.9% since 2020
- Households
- 121,065
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 251 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,340
- Median household income
- $149,763+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $184,243
- Median home value
- $597,900
- Jobs located here
- 185,575
- Daytime population
- 363,145Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Howard 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 dry cleaners on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Howard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardDry cleaners across Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for dry cleaners, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Howard County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frederick County, MD | 84 | 8 | 0.8 | $32.4M | +11.0% | #8 of 507 |
| 2Charles County, MD | 77 | 6 | 1.0 | $24.8M | +5.9% | #30 of 507 |
| 3Carroll County, MD | 67 | 6 | 0.9 | $25.9M | +2.2% | #85 of 507 |
| 4Harford County, MD | 55 | 13 | 1.3 | $18.2M | +2.0% | #216 of 507 |
| 5Anne Arundel County, MD | 51 | 30 | 1.3 | $18.7M | +1.7% | #246 of 507 |
| 6Howard County, MD | 42 | 24 | 2.0 | $13.9M | +1.9% | #331 of 507 |
| 7Montgomery County, MD | 41 | 70 | 1.8 | $14.5M | +1.3% | #345 of 507 |
| 8Wicomico County, MD | 39 | 9 | 2.2 | $8.5M | +3.2% | #368 of 507 |
| 9Prince George’s County, MD | 34 | 57 | 1.6 | $13.5M | +0.5% | #400 of 507 |
| 10Baltimore County, MD | 34 | 53 | 1.6 | $13.4M | −0.7% | #401 of 507 |
Other business types in Howard 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 laundry60
- Clothing and shoe stores64
- Laundromats86
- Dry cleaners42
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many dry cleaners are in Howard County, MD?
There are 24 dry cleaners on map listings in Howard County as of September 2026. 6 of them (25%) are chain locations. The listings count dry cleaners. Official counts show 27 businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in 2023, down 20.6% from 2019.
How much do households in Howard County, MD spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $334.4M a year, or $2,762 per household. That is 34% above the U.S. average (an index of 134, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 24 dry cleaners on map listings, it comes to $13.9M per shop. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only dry cleaners. It is estimated from the incomes of the 121,065 households in Howard County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Howard County, MD compare with the U.S. for dry cleaners?
Howard County has 2.0 dry cleaners per 10,000 households, 54% above the U.S. rate of 1.3. Spending per shop is $13.9M, 11% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. At the national ratio of dry cleaners to household spending, Howard County would have about 21, against 24 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,484 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. The official count fell 20.6% from 2019 to 2023, against −18.7% for the U.S.
How fast is Howard County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Howard County at 339,183 people in 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 121,065 households. The median household income in Howard County is $149,763 a year, 86% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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. Howard County scores 42 for dry cleaners (lower middle), #331 of 507 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Howard County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for dry cleaners · All 56 business types in Howard County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Howard 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 Howard 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.