Groundwork

Clothing and laundry · County · South Carolina

Dry cleaners in Charleston County, SC

The dry cleaners in Charleston County, SC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.

Groundwork market score · out of 100

Score 40 out of 100: Lower middle

Ranked #356 of 507 scored counties
#11 of 16 scored counties in South Carolina

Listings
34
4 chain locations (12%)
Official establishments
31
−6.1% since 2019
Household spending a year
$381.2M
On clothing, shoes and related services · $2,130 a household
Spending per listing
$11.2M
28% below the U.S.
Listings per 10k households
1.9
46% above the U.S.
Population, 2025
436,200
+6.4% since 2020

See the dry cleaners around any address in Charleston 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 Charleston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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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

As of September 2026, map listings count 34 dry cleaners in Charleston County. 4 of them (12%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That is 1.9 per 10,000 households, 46% above the U.S. rate of 1.3.

Households in Charleston County spend about $381.2M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $2,130 per household, 4% above the U.S. average. Spread across 34 dry cleaners, that is $11.2M per shop, 28% 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.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Charleston County was 31 in 2023, down 6.1% from 2019. That is one for every 5,773 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $1.9M has gone to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Charleston County.

Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Charleston County grew 6.4%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Charleston County scores 40 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for dry cleaners, ranking #356 of 507 scored counties and #11 of 16 scored counties in South Carolina.

How Charleston County compares

The same measures for South 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.

Dry cleaners in Charleston County, SC compared with South Carolina and the U.S.
MeasureCharleston CountySouth CarolinaU.S.
Listings per 10k households1.91.21.3
Spending per listing$11.2M$14.9M$15.7M
Households per official establishment5,7739,5408,177
Official establishment growth, 2019–2023−6.1%−11.9%−18.7%
Population growth, 2020–2025+6.4%+8.5%+3.1%
Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services$2,130$1,838$2,055
Median household income$88,494$69,324$80,734
Groundwork market score4042

Official counts and lending

Businesses

Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
33 → 31−6.1% over the period
Employees, 2023
238
Annual payroll, 2023
$8.5M
One-person businesses, 2023
Not publishedNot published for this business type
Map listings, September 2026
344 chain locations
Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
24The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here

SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022

Loans
1
Amount
$1.9M

SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in Charleston 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 Charleston County

Population, 2025 estimate
436,200+6.4% since 2020
Households
178,975
Median age
40.2
Homes lived in by their owners
64%
Vehicles per household
1.7
Land area
918 sq. mi.
People per square mile
458
Median household income
$88,494+38.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Average household income
$131,674
Median home value
$489,100
Jobs located here
279,531
Daytime population
508,326Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Charleston 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 Charleston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Dry cleaners across South Carolina

Every South Carolina market ranked →

The highest-scoring counties in South Carolina for dry cleaners, numbered among those based in South Carolina, with Charleston County marked.

Top counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina ranked for dry cleaners by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Berkeley County, SC8560.6$30.2M+18.7%#5 of 507
2Dorchester County, SC7750.8$24.4M+10.1%#32 of 507
3Aiken County, SC7550.7$25.6M+7.3%#37 of 507
4Anderson County, SC6670.8$21.2M+7.7%#91 of 507
5Spartanburg County, SC64110.8$21.1M+15.6%#118 of 507
6Horry County, SC63140.9$20M+20.9%#130 of 507
7York County, SC61141.2$17M+8.1%#154 of 507
8Beaufort County, SC53101.2$17.2M+8.9%#232 of 507
9Greenville County, SC47361.6$11.9M+10.6%#292 of 507
10Lancaster County, SC4382.0$9.8M+18.3%#327 of 507
11Charleston County, SC40341.9$11.2M+6.4%#356 of 507

Other business types in Charleston County

Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.

Questions

How many dry cleaners are in Charleston County, SC?

Charleston County has 34 dry cleaners on map listings as of September 2026. 4 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count dry cleaners. Official counts show 31 businesses with payroll classed as dry cleaning and laundry services in 2023, down 6.1% from 2019.

How much do households in Charleston County, SC spend on clothing, shoes and related services?

About $381.2M a year, or $2,130 per household. That is 4% above the U.S. average (an index of 104, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 34 dry cleaners on map listings, it comes to $11.2M per shop. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only dry cleaners. It is estimated from the incomes of the 178,975 households in Charleston County and national spending patterns by income.

How does Charleston County, SC compare with the U.S. for dry cleaners?

Charleston County has 1.9 dry cleaners per 10,000 households, 46% above the U.S. rate of 1.3. Spending per shop is $11.2M, 28% below the U.S. figure of $15.7M. At the national ratio of dry cleaners to household spending, Charleston County would have about 24, against 34 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 5,773 households, against one for every 8,177 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.1% from 2019 to 2023, against −18.7% for the U.S.

How fast is Charleston County, SC growing?

Population estimates put Charleston County at 436,200 people in 2025, up 6.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 178,975 households. The median household income in Charleston County is $88,494 a year, 10% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 38.2% 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. Charleston County scores 40 for dry cleaners (lower middle), #356 of 507 scored counties.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Charleston 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 Charleston County

Screening a site or an acquisition in Charleston 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 Charleston 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.