Market rankings · Massachusetts
Grocery and convenience stores in Massachusetts
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Massachusetts, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 5,171
- 1,991 chain locations (39%)
- Official establishments
- 3,098
- +2.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $20.6B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 18.6
- In line with the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4M
- 17% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #14 of 51
- Market score 60 · Upper middle
A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings around any address in Massachusetts by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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
Massachusetts has 5,171 grocery and convenience stores on map listings as of September 2026. 1,991 of them (39%) are chain locations, against 42% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 18.6, in line with the U.S. rate of 18.7.
Households in Massachusetts spend about $20.6B a year on groceries, or $7,382 per household, 17% above the U.S. average. Spread across 5,171 grocery and convenience stores, that is $4M per store, 17% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Massachusetts was 3,098 in 2023, up 2.5% from 2019. That is one for every 899 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, 139 SBA-backed loans worth $40.8M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Massachusetts.
Among the 50 states and DC, Massachusetts ranks #14 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle). Of the 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Massachusetts, the Worcester metro area scores highest (67). Of the 3 scored small-town markets in or partly in Massachusetts, the Greenfield area scores highest (51).
Every market in Massachusetts for grocery and convenience stores
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Massachusetts, 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
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Worcester, MA | 67 | 574 | 17.1 | $4.2M | +3.7% | #73 of 387 |
| 2Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 64 | 118 | 19.0 | $3.7M | +10.4% | #100 of 387 |
| 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 63 | 3,448 | 17.8 | $4.3M | +2.3% | #107 of 387 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 55 | 1,270 | 18.8 | $3.7M | +2.1% | #168 of 387 |
| 4Barnstable Town, MA | 42 | 258 | 24.4 | $3M | +2.4% | #251 of 387 |
| 5Springfield, MA | 40 | 367 | 19.9 | $3.3M | +0.2% | #262 of 387 |
| 6Pittsfield, MA | 31 | 218 | 37.9 | $1.8M | −1.2% | #320 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Greenfield, MA | 51 | 77 | 24.4 | $2.7M | −0.3% | #275 of 538 |
| 2Vineyard Haven, MA | 44 | 29 | 38.2 | $2M | +3.1% | #345 of 538 |
| 3Nantucket, MA | 44 | 22 | 41.9 | $2M | +3.6% | #348 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hampshire County, MA | 71 | 118 | 19.0 | $3.7M | +10.4% | #415 of 2,402 |
| 2Norfolk County, MA | 70 | 439 | 15.5 | $5.1M | +2.2% | #428 of 2,402 |
| 3Middlesex County, MA | 70 | 1,025 | 16.2 | $4.9M | +2.8% | #429 of 2,402 |
| 4Plymouth County, MA | 70 | 358 | 17.6 | $4.3M | +3.5% | #432 of 2,402 |
| 5Worcester County, MA | 70 | 574 | 17.1 | $4.2M | +3.7% | #435 of 2,402 |
| 6Essex County, MA | 63 | 578 | 18.5 | $4M | +2.3% | #653 of 2,402 |
| 7Bristol County, MA | 62 | 455 | 19.5 | $3.5M | +2.9% | #707 of 2,402 |
| 8Suffolk County, MA | 54 | 653 | 20.0 | $3.6M | +0.1% | #1,012 of 2,402 |
| 9Barnstable County, MA | 53 | 258 | 24.4 | $3M | +2.4% | #1,067 of 2,402 |
| 10Hampden County, MA | 51 | 367 | 19.9 | $3.3M | +0.2% | #1,156 of 2,402 |
| 11Franklin County, MA | 45 | 77 | 24.4 | $2.7M | −0.3% | #1,390 of 2,402 |
| 12Dukes County, MA | 42 | 29 | 38.2 | $2M | +3.1% | #1,532 of 2,402 |
| 13Nantucket County, MA | 42 | 22 | 41.9 | $2M | +3.6% | #1,535 of 2,402 |
| 14Berkshire County, MA | 39 | 218 | 37.9 | $1.8M | −1.2% | #1,653 of 2,402 |
Questions
How many grocery and convenience stores are in Massachusetts?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 5,171 grocery and convenience stores in Massachusetts. 1,991 of them (39%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 3,098 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 2.5% from 2019. Official counts list 1,194 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Massachusetts spend on groceries?
About $20.6B a year, or $7,382 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 5,171 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $4M per store. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,785,042 households in Massachusetts and national spending patterns by income.
How does Massachusetts compare with the U.S. for grocery and convenience stores?
Massachusetts has 18.6 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $4M, 17% above the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Massachusetts would have about 6,068, against 5,171 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 899 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Massachusetts has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?
Among 7 scored metro areas in or partly in Massachusetts, the Worcester metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 3 scored small-town markets in or partly in Massachusetts, the Greenfield area scores highest, at 51 (upper middle). Among 14 scored counties in Massachusetts, Hampshire County scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). 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. Massachusetts scores 60 for grocery and convenience stores (upper middle), #14 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 Massachusetts. 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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
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- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Massachusetts
Related business types in Massachusetts
- Grocery stores1,881 listings
- Convenience stores2,260 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Massachusetts?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.