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Gas stations in Cowlitz County, WA

Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gas stations in Cowlitz County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.

Groundwork market score · out of 100

Score 60 out of 100: Upper middle

Ranked #768 of 2,358 scored counties
#27 of 34 scored counties in Washington

Listings
66
54 chain locations (82%)
Official establishments
44
−4.3% since 2019
Household spending a year
$129.9M
On gasoline and other fuels · $2,956 a household
Spending per listing
$2M
17% below the U.S.
Listings per 10k households
15.0
38% above the U.S.
Population, 2025
114,885
+3.5% since 2020

See the gas stations around any address in Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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

Households in Cowlitz County spend about $129.9M a year on gasoline and other fuels, or $2,956 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. Spread across 66 gas stations, that is $2M per station, 17% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.

Cowlitz County has 66 gas stations on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 82% of them, against 84% across the U.S. That comes to 15.0 for every 10,000 households, 38% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.

In 2023, official counts showed 44 businesses with payroll in Cowlitz County classed as gasoline stations, down 4.3% from 2019. That is one for every 999 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $17.6M have gone to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Cowlitz County.

Population estimates put the population change in Cowlitz County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.5%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). For gas stations, Cowlitz County has a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle): #768 of 2,358 scored counties and #27 of 34 scored counties in Washington.

How Cowlitz County compares

The same measures for Washington 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.

Gas stations in Cowlitz County, WA compared with Washington and the U.S.
MeasureCowlitz CountyWashingtonU.S.
Listings per 10k households15.09.510.9
Spending per listing$2M$2.9M$2.4M
Households per official establishment9991,6971,184
Official establishment growth, 2019–2023−4.3%−3.9%−3.1%
Population growth, 2020–2025+3.5%+3.6%+3.1%
Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels$2,956$2,729$2,595
Median household income$76,531$98,141$80,734
Groundwork market score6074

Official counts and lending

Businesses

Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
46 → 44−4.3% over the period
Employees, 2023
450
Annual payroll, 2023
$12.7M
One-person businesses, 2023
0Businesses with no payroll
Map listings, September 2026
6654 chain locations
Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
55The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here

SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022

Loans
7
Amount
$17.6M

SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County

Population, 2025 estimate
114,885+3.5% since 2020
Households
43,943
Median age
42.1
Homes lived in by their owners
68%
Vehicles per household
2.1
Land area
1,141 sq. mi.
People per square mile
98
Median household income
$76,531+40.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Average household income
$95,669
Median home value
$397,500
Jobs located here
40,531
Daytime population
95,784Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

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

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Gas stations across Washington

Every Washington market ranked →

The highest-scoring counties in Washington for gas stations, numbered among those based in Washington, with Cowlitz County marked.

Top counties in Washington

Counties in Washington ranked for gas stations by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Douglas County, WA9395.7$5.7M+8.0%#9 of 2,358
2Clark County, WA821547.9$3.7M+5.3%#112 of 2,358
3Snohomish County, WA812708.5$3.4M+4.9%#132 of 2,358
4Mason County, WA813413.1$2.5M+7.8%#141 of 2,358
5Stevens County, WA802713.9$2.4M+6.6%#158 of 2,358
6Benton County, WA78759.6$3M+6.9%#195 of 2,358
7Pierce County, WA763209.1$3.2M+2.5%#234 of 2,358
8Kitsap County, WA761079.9$3M+2.7%#236 of 2,358
9Island County, WA74215.8$5.1M−1.5%#278 of 2,358
10Skagit County, WA746011.5$2.7M+2.4%#299 of 2,358
27Cowlitz County, WA606615.0$2M+3.5%#768 of 2,358

Other business types in Cowlitz County

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

Questions

How many gas stations are in Cowlitz County, WA?

Map listings as of September 2026 show 66 gas stations in Cowlitz County. 54 of them (82%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 44 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 4.3% from 2019.

How much do households in Cowlitz County, WA spend on gasoline and other fuels?

About $129.9M a year, or $2,956 per household. That is 14% above the U.S. average (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 66 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $2M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 43,943 households in Cowlitz County and national spending patterns by income.

How does Cowlitz County, WA compare with the U.S. for gas stations?

Cowlitz County has 15.0 gas stations per 10,000 households, 38% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $2M, 17% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the U.S. ratio of gas stations to household spending, Cowlitz County would have about 55, against 66 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 999 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 4.3% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.

How fast is Cowlitz County, WA growing?

Population estimates put Cowlitz County at 114,885 people in 2025, up 3.5% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 43,943 households. Median household income in Cowlitz County is $76,531, 5% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 40.4%, 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. Cowlitz County scores 60 for gas stations (upper middle), #768 of 2,358 scored counties.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

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

Screening a site or an acquisition in Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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.