Groundwork

Market rankings · Connecticut

Grocery and convenience stores in Connecticut

Every metro area, small-town market and county in Connecticut, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
2,512
911 chain locations (36%)
Official establishments
1,224
+5.3% since 2019
Household spending a year
$10.4B
On groceries
Listings per 10k households
17.5
6% below the U.S.
Spending per listing
$4.1M
22% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#5 of 51
Market score 69 · Upper middle

A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings around any address in Connecticut 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

There are 2,512 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Connecticut as of September 2026. 911 of them (36%) are chain locations, against 42% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 17.5, 6% below the U.S. rate of 18.7.

Households in Connecticut spend about $10.4B a year on groceries, or $7,222 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. Spread across 2,512 grocery and convenience stores, that is $4.1M per store, 22% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Connecticut was 1,224 in 2023, up 5.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,172 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, 60 SBA-backed loans worth $17.8M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Connecticut.

Among the 50 states and DC, Connecticut ranks #5 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 69 (upper middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Connecticut, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metro area scores highest (69). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Connecticut, the Torrington area scores highest (84).

Every market in Connecticut for grocery and convenience stores

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Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Connecticut, 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 Connecticut, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT6963617.9$4.3M+3.7%#61 of 387
2Waterbury-Shelton, CT6629416.3$4.3M+3.2%#82 of 387
3Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT6679217.0$4.2M+3.0%#83 of 387
4Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT6221218.3$3.8M+2.0%#118 of 387
5New Haven, CT5842618.5$3.8M+2.5%#139 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Connecticut, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Torrington, CT848217.1$4.2M+2.2%#10 of 538
2Putnam, CT807017.8$4M+3.0%#19 of 538

Counties

Counties in Connecticut, ranked for grocery and convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT788217.1$4.2M+2.2%#221 of 2,402
2Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT7610714.4$5.1M+2.3%#259 of 2,402
3Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT757017.8$4M+3.0%#294 of 2,402
4Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT7242418.0$4.4M+3.5%#381 of 2,402
5Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT7121217.7$4M+4.1%#409 of 2,402
6Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT7029416.3$4.3M+3.2%#433 of 2,402
7Capitol Planning Region, CT6968517.5$4.1M+3.1%#460 of 2,402
8Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT6921218.3$3.8M+2.0%#465 of 2,402
9South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT6442618.5$3.8M+2.5%#622 of 2,402

Questions

How many grocery and convenience stores are in Connecticut?

As of September 2026, map listings count 2,512 grocery and convenience stores in Connecticut. 911 of them (36%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 1,224 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 5.3% from 2019. Official counts also show 961 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in Connecticut spend on groceries?

About $10.4B a year, or $7,222 per household. That is 14% above the U.S. average (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,512 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $4.1M per store. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,434,007 households in Connecticut and national spending patterns by income.

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

Connecticut has 17.5 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 6% below the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $4.1M, 22% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Connecticut would have about 3,057, against 2,512 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,172 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.

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

Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Connecticut, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metro area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Connecticut, the Torrington area scores highest, at 84 (high). Among 9 scored counties in Connecticut, the Northwest Hills Planning Region scores highest, at 78 (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. Connecticut scores 69 for grocery and convenience stores (upper middle), #5 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 Connecticut. 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 Connecticut

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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.