Auto · County · Michigan
Gas stations in Clare County, MI
How Clare County, MI compares with other counties and the U.S. for gas stations: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 19 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,234 of 2,358 scored counties
#73 of 75 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 34
- 30 chain locations (88%)
- Official establishments
- 23
- −8.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $30M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $2,399 a household
- Spending per listing
- $884K
- 63% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 27.2
- 2.5 times the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 31,543
- +2.3% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Clare County
The site report maps the gas stations 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 Clare 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
Clare County scores 19 (low) on the Groundwork market score for gas stations, ranking #2,234 of 2,358 scored counties and #73 of 75 scored counties in Michigan. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
At $2,399 per household (8% below the U.S. average), households in Clare County spend about $30M a year on gasoline and other fuels. Spread across 34 gas stations, that is $884K per station, 63% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
There are 34 gas stations on map listings in Clare County as of September 2026. Of those, 30 are chain locations, or 88%, against 84% across the U.S. That comes to 27.2 for every 10,000 households, 2.5 times the U.S. rate of 10.9.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in Clare County was 23 in 2023, down 8.0% from 2019. That is one for every 544 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $50K has gone to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Clare County. Population estimates put the population change in Clare County from 2020 to 2025 at +2.3%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Clare County compares
The same measures for Michigan and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations 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 | Clare County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 27.2 | 13.6 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $884K | $1.9M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 544 | 1,152 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −8.0% | −1.3% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.3% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $2,399 | $2,576 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $49,384 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 19 | 30 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 25 → 23−8.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 169
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $6.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 3430 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 13The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $50K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Clare 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 Clare County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 31,543+2.3% since 2020
- Households
- 12,521
- Median age
- 47.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 87%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 564 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 55
- Median household income
- $49,384+24.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $68,316
- Median home value
- $133,800
- Jobs located here
- 6,145
- Daytime population
- 27,541Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Clare 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 gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Clare County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across Michigan
Every Michigan market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Michigan for gas stations, numbered among those based in Michigan, with Clare County marked.
Top counties in Michigan
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ottawa County, MI | 79 | 105 | 9.4 | $3.1M | +3.9% | #170 of 2,358 |
| 2Livingston County, MI | 75 | 83 | 10.9 | $2.8M | +1.7% | #262 of 2,358 |
| 3Benzie County, MI | 71 | 6 | 7.8 | $3.7M | +3.1% | #361 of 2,358 |
| 4Clinton County, MI | 71 | 34 | 10.7 | $2.8M | +1.6% | #374 of 2,358 |
| 5Barry County, MI | 68 | 32 | 13.1 | $2.3M | +2.2% | #465 of 2,358 |
| 6Kent County, MI | 67 | 251 | 9.8 | $2.7M | +2.5% | #484 of 2,358 |
| 7Allegan County, MI | 67 | 57 | 12.5 | $2.4M | +2.1% | #491 of 2,358 |
| 8Leelanau County, MI | 67 | 14 | 14.5 | $2.1M | +3.0% | #498 of 2,358 |
| 9Kalamazoo County, MI | 66 | 86 | 8.0 | $3.2M | +0.8% | #512 of 2,358 |
| 10Lapeer County, MI | 66 | 42 | 12.1 | $2.5M | +1.0% | #525 of 2,358 |
| 73Clare County, MI | 19 | 34 | 27.2 | $884K | +2.3% | #2,234 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Clare 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
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Clare County, MI?
As of September 2026, map listings count 34 gas stations in Clare County. 30 of them (88%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 23 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 8.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Clare County, MI spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $30M a year, or $2,399 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 34 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $884K per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 12,521 households in Clare County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Clare County, MI compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Clare County has 27.2 gas stations per 10,000 households, 2.5 times the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $884K, 63% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the U.S. ratio of gas stations to household spending, Clare County would have about 13, against 34 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 544 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 8.0% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Clare County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Clare County at 31,543 people in 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 12,521 households. Median household income in Clare County is $49,384, 39% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 24.8%, 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. Clare County scores 19 for gas stations (low), #2,234 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Clare County. It maps the gas stations 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 gas stations · All 56 business types in Clare County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Clare 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 Clare 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.