Clothing and laundry · County · North Carolina
Dry cleaners in Wake County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for dry cleaners in Wake County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 55 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #220 of 507 scored counties
#10 of 24 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 80
- 28 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 59
- −27.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.1B
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,309 a household
- Spending per listing
- $13.3M
- 15% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 1.7
- 31% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 1,257,235
- +11.2% since 2020
See the dry cleaners around any address in Wake 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 Wake 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
Household spending on clothing, shoes and related services in Wake County comes to about $1.1B a year: $2,309 per household, 12% above the U.S. average. That is about $13.3M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 15% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only dry cleaners.
There are 80 dry cleaners on map listings in Wake County as of September 2026. 28 of them (35%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 1.7 for every 10,000 households, 31% above the U.S. rate of 1.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 59 businesses with payroll in Wake County classed as dry cleaning and laundry services, down 27.2% from 2019. That is one for every 7,800 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $319K have gone to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Wake County.
Population estimates put the population change in Wake County from 2020 to 2025 at +11.2%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For dry cleaners, Wake County has a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle): #220 of 507 scored counties and #10 of 24 scored counties in North Carolina.
How Wake 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 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 | Wake County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Spending per listing | $13.3M | $16.2M | $15.7M |
| Households per official establishment | 7,800 | 9,371 | 8,177 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −27.2% | −20.2% | −18.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +11.2% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $2,309 | $1,894 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $105,768 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 55 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 81 → 59−27.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 409
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $10.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 8028 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 68The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $319K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Wake 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 Wake County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 1,257,235+11.2% since 2020
- Households
- 460,175
- Median age
- 38.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 835 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,412
- Median household income
- $105,768+31.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $139,587
- Median home value
- $461,300
- Jobs located here
- 687,531
- Daytime population
- 1,293,967Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Wake 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 Wake 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for dry cleaners, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Wake County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brunswick County, NC | 80 | 5 | 0.7 | $25.9M | +26.5% | #16 of 507 |
| 2Buncombe County, NC | 69 | 7 | 0.7 | $27.9M | +2.9% | #74 of 507 |
| 3Iredell County, NC | 69 | 7 | 0.9 | $21.7M | +12.9% | #76 of 507 |
| 4Cabarrus County, NC | 64 | 10 | 1.2 | $17.6M | +9.9% | #123 of 507 |
| 5Pitt County, NC | 62 | 5 | 0.7 | $25.3M | +5.4% | #135 of 507 |
| 6New Hanover County, NC | 60 | 8 | 0.8 | $25.5M | +8.6% | #158 of 507 |
| 7Union County, NC | 60 | 11 | 1.3 | $17.3M | +11.7% | #169 of 507 |
| 8Gaston County, NC | 58 | 12 | 1.3 | $14M | +7.8% | #184 of 507 |
| 9Durham County, NC | 57 | 17 | 1.2 | $17.1M | +7.7% | #194 of 507 |
| 10Wake County, NC | 55 | 80 | 1.7 | $13.3M | +11.2% | #220 of 507 |
Other business types in Wake 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 laundry61
- Clothing and shoe stores64
- Laundromats84
- Dry cleaners55
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many dry cleaners are in Wake County, NC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 80 dry cleaners in Wake County. 28 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count dry cleaners. Official counts show 59 businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in 2023, down 27.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Wake County, NC spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $1.1B a year, or $2,309 per household. That is 12% above the U.S. average (an index of 112, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 80 dry cleaners on map listings, it comes to $13.3M 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 460,175 households in Wake County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Wake County, NC compare with the U.S. for dry cleaners?
Wake County has 1.7 dry cleaners per 10,000 households, 31% above the U.S. rate of 1.3. Spending per shop is $13.3M, 15% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. At the U.S. ratio of dry cleaners to household spending, Wake County would have about 68, against 80 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,800 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. The official count fell 27.2% from 2019 to 2023, against −18.7% for the U.S.
How fast is Wake County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Wake County at 1,257,235 people in 2025, up 11.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 460,175 households. Median household income in Wake County is $105,768, 31% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.2%, 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. Wake County scores 55 for dry cleaners (upper middle), #220 of 507 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Wake 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 Wake County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Wake 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 Wake 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.