Auto · Small-town market · North Carolina
Gas stations in the Sanford, NC area
The gas stations in the Sanford, NC area, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other small-town markets.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 84 out of 100: High
Ranked #16 of 536 scored small-town markets
#2 of 23 scored small-town markets based in North Carolina
- Listings
- 36
- 33 chain locations (92%)
- Official establishments
- 28
- −17.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $82.2M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $3,267 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.3M
- 4% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.3
- 31% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 70,258
- +10.8% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in the Sanford area
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 the Sanford area. 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
The Groundwork market score for gas stations in the Sanford area is 84 (high), #16 of 536 scored small-town markets and #2 of 23 scored small-town markets based in North Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of small-town markets for gas stations.
At $3,267 per household (26% above the U.S. average), households in the Sanford area spend about $82.2M a year on gasoline and other fuels. That works out to $2.3M per station, 4% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
There are 36 gas stations on map listings in the Sanford area as of September 2026. 33 of them (92%) are chain locations, against 84% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.3, 31% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in the Sanford area was 28 in 2023, down 17.6% from 2019. That is one for every 898 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $3.9M have gone to businesses classed as gasoline stations in the Sanford area. Population estimates put the population change in the Sanford area from 2020 to 2025 at +10.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How the Sanford area compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | Sanford area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.3 | 12.2 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $2.3M | $2.5M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 898 | 1,006 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −17.6% | −5.6% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +10.8% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $3,267 | $3,002 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $65,387 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 84 | 66 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 28−17.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 209
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 3633 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 34The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $3.9M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in the Sanford area, 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 the Sanford area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 70,258+10.8% since 2020
- Households
- 25,145
- Median age
- 39.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 255 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 258
- Median household income
- $65,387+30.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $81,746
- Median home value
- $240,200
- Jobs located here
- 27,081
- Daytime population
- 64,849Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Sanford area?
These figures cover the whole small-town market. 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 the Sanford area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring small-town markets in North Carolina for gas stations, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with the Sanford area marked.
Top small-town markets in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 84 | 71 | 14.2 | $2.3M | +12.3% | #15 of 536 |
| 2Sanford, NC | 84 | 36 | 14.3 | $2.3M | +10.8% | #16 of 536 |
| 3Brevard, NC | 82 | 16 | 11.0 | $2.8M | +2.9% | #21 of 536 |
| 4New Bern, NC | 82 | 61 | 11.6 | $2.5M | +3.6% | #23 of 536 |
| 5Boone, NC | 79 | 17 | 8.0 | $3.7M | +0.6% | #30 of 536 |
| 6Waynesville, NC | 78 | 37 | 13.6 | $2.3M | +1.9% | #37 of 536 |
| 7Forest City, NC | 77 | 35 | 13.1 | $2.4M | +2.1% | #42 of 536 |
| 8Mount Airy, NC | 68 | 48 | 16.1 | $2.1M | +1.3% | #90 of 536 |
| 9Morehead City, NC | 68 | 47 | 14.7 | $2M | +4.1% | #91 of 536 |
| 10Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 67 | 54 | 13.9 | $2.3M | +3.4% | #99 of 536 |
Other business types in the Sanford area
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 the Sanford, NC area?
As of September 2026, map listings count 36 gas stations in the Sanford area. 33 of them (92%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 17.6% from 2019.
How much do households in the Sanford, NC area spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $82.2M a year, or $3,267 per household. That is 26% above the U.S. average (an index of 126, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 36 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $2.3M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 25,145 households in the Sanford area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Sanford, NC area compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
The Sanford area has 14.3 gas stations per 10,000 households, 31% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $2.3M, 4% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the U.S. ratio of gas stations to household spending, the Sanford area would have about 34, against 36 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 898 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 17.6% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is the Sanford, NC area growing?
Population estimates put the Sanford area at 70,258 people in 2025, up 10.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 25,145 households. Median household income in the Sanford area is $65,387, 19% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 30.8%, 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. A small-town market is a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people and the county or counties tied to it by commuting. 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 Sanford area scores 84 for gas stations (high), #16 of 536 scored small-town markets.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Sanford area. 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 the Sanford area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Sanford area?
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 the Sanford area. 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.