Groundwork

Market rankings · Arizona

Grocery and convenience stores in Arizona

Markets across Arizona ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
3,824
2,107 chain locations (55%)
Official establishments
1,159
+2.3% since 2019
Household spending a year
$17.4B
On groceries
Listings per 10k households
13.4
28% below the U.S.
Spending per listing
$4.5M
34% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#1 of 51
Market score 86 · High

A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings around any address in Arizona by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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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

Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,824 grocery and convenience stores in Arizona. 2,107 of them (55%) are chain locations, against 42% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 13.4, 28% below the U.S. rate of 18.7.

Households in Arizona spend about $17.4B a year on groceries, or $6,084 per household, 4% below the U.S. average. That is about $4.5M of household spending for each store on map listings, 34% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Arizona was 1,159 in 2023, up 2.3% from 2019. That is one for every 2,464 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 30 SBA-backed loans worth $23.6M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Arizona.

Among the 50 states and DC, Arizona ranks #1 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 86 (high). Of the 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Arizona, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area scores highest (87). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Arizona, the Payson area scores highest (68).

Every market in Arizona for grocery and convenience stores

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Arizona, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.

Metro areas

Metro areas reaching Arizona, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ872,38412.6$5M+7.3%#5 of 387
2Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ7515714.1$4.1M+6.5%#32 of 387
3Tucson, AZ7453412.2$4.8M+2.8%#34 of 387
4Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ6913813.5$4M+6.5%#63 of 387
5Yuma, AZ6012615.9$3.5M+9.2%#128 of 387
6Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ478316.3$3.4M+0.6%#217 of 387
7Flagstaff, AZ4210418.9$3.1M−0.6%#249 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Arizona, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Payson, AZ684117.3$3.2M+0.9%#101 of 538
2Safford, AZ662116.5$3.4M+4.0%#116 of 538
3Show Low, AZ567919.7$2.7M+3.0%#229 of 538
4Nogales, AZ348650.7$1.1M+4.8%#429 of 538

Counties

Counties in Arizona, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Pinal County, AZ9217010.5$5.7M+25.4%#31 of 2,402
2Maricopa County, AZ872,21412.8$4.9M+5.5%#74 of 2,402
3Yavapai County, AZ8115714.1$4.1M+6.5%#167 of 2,402
4Pima County, AZ7953412.2$4.8M+2.8%#198 of 2,402
5Mohave County, AZ7413813.5$4M+6.5%#320 of 2,402
6Yuma County, AZ7112615.9$3.5M+9.2%#417 of 2,402
7Gila County, AZ604117.3$3.2M+0.9%#802 of 2,402
8Cochise County, AZ598316.3$3.4M+0.6%#828 of 2,402
9Graham County, AZ582116.5$3.4M+4.0%#863 of 2,402
10Coconino County, AZ5610418.9$3.1M−0.6%#933 of 2,402
11Navajo County, AZ517919.7$2.7M+3.0%#1,169 of 2,402
12Apache County, AZ373717.5$2.8M−2.2%#1,699 of 2,402
13Santa Cruz County, AZ338650.7$1.1M+4.8%#1,881 of 2,402
14La Paz County, AZ172932.4$1.6M+0.9%#2,269 of 2,402
Greenlee County, AZNot scored513.9$4.1M−2.3%

Markets with fewer than 5 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many grocery and convenience stores are in Arizona?

There are 3,824 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Arizona as of September 2026. 2,107 of them (55%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 1,159 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 2.3% from 2019. Official counts also show 1,180 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in Arizona spend on groceries?

About $17.4B a year, or $6,084 per household. That is 4% below the U.S. average (an index of 96, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,824 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $4.5M per store. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,856,081 households in Arizona and national spending patterns by income.

How does Arizona compare with the U.S. for grocery and convenience stores?

Arizona has 13.4 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 28% below the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $4.5M, 34% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the national ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Arizona would have about 5,128, against 3,824 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,464 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.

Which market in Arizona has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?

Among 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Arizona, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area scores highest, at 87 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Arizona, the Payson area scores highest, at 68 (upper middle). Among 14 scored counties in Arizona, Pinal County scores highest, at 92 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.

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. Arizona scores 86 for grocery and convenience stores (high), #1 of the 50 states and DC.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Arizona. It maps the grocery and convenience stores 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.

Grocery and convenience stores in other states

All 51 states

Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Arizona

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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.