Market rankings · North Carolina
HVAC and plumbing companies in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for HVAC and plumbing companies, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,712
- 126 chain locations (5%)
- Official establishments
- 3,973
- +11.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $12.4B
- On home repairs, maintenance and insurance
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.3
- In line with the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.6M
- 4% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #25 of 51
- Market score 53 · Upper middle
A site report maps the HVAC and plumbing companies on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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
North Carolina has 2,712 HVAC and plumbing companies on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 5% of them, against 4% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 6.3, in line with the U.S. rate of 6.3.
Households in North Carolina spend about $12.4B a year on home repairs, maintenance and insurance, or $2,889 per household, 4% below the U.S. average. That works out to $4.6M per company, 4% below the U.S. figure of $4.8M. The spending figure covers all home repairs, maintenance and insurance, not only HVAC and plumbing companies.
In 2023, official counts showed 3,973 businesses with payroll in North Carolina classed as plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, up 11.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,078 households, against one for every 1,162 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.6% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 97 SBA-backed loans worth $53.7M have gone to businesses classed as plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #25 for HVAC and plumbing companies, with a Groundwork market score of 53 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (84). Of the 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Lumberton area scores highest (74).
Every market in North Carolina for HVAC and plumbing companies
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 84 | 122 | 4.9 | $6.5M | +7.5% | #7 of 387 |
| 2Raleigh-Cary, NC | 65 | 415 | 7.2 | $4.7M | +12.6% | #70 of 387 |
| 3Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 64 | 721 | 6.7 | $4.7M | +10.1% | #79 of 387 |
| 4Goldsboro, NC | 62 | 22 | 4.6 | $5.6M | +3.8% | #90 of 387 |
| 5Greenville, NC | 57 | 39 | 5.2 | $4.9M | +5.4% | #135 of 387 |
| 6Jacksonville, NC | 56 | 47 | 6.2 | $4.4M | +6.0% | #142 of 387 |
| 7Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 56 | 34 | 7.7 | $3.9M | +10.3% | #146 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 55 | 435 | 6.1 | $4.9M | +0.9% | #151 of 387 |
| 8Fayetteville, NC | 55 | 80 | 5.4 | $4.9M | +1.6% | #153 of 387 |
| 9Winston-Salem, NC | 53 | 169 | 6.0 | $4.6M | +5.3% | #173 of 387 |
| 10Rocky Mount, NC | 51 | 31 | 5.3 | $4.9M | +2.8% | #188 of 387 |
| 11Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 46 | 92 | 6.2 | $4.3M | +3.2% | #226 of 387 |
| 12Wilmington, NC | 46 | 156 | 7.8 | $3.7M | +15.9% | #231 of 387 |
| 13Greensboro-High Point, NC | 45 | 206 | 6.5 | $4.2M | +4.1% | #238 of 387 |
| 14Asheville, NC | 44 | 107 | 6.6 | $4.3M | +3.6% | #243 of 387 |
| 15Burlington, NC | 43 | 45 | 6.4 | $4.2M | +8.5% | #250 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lumberton, NC | 74 | 12 | 2.8 | $7.9M | +3.4% | #31 of 476 |
| 2Washington, NC | 73 | 7 | 3.6 | $7M | 0.0% | #32 of 476 |
| 3Anderson Creek, NC | 72 | 24 | 4.8 | $5.7M | +12.3% | #41 of 476 |
| 4Waynesville, NC | 65 | 15 | 5.5 | $4.8M | +1.9% | #89 of 476 |
| 5Sanford, NC | 64 | 15 | 6.0 | $4.4M | +10.8% | #99 of 476 |
| 6New Bern, NC | 63 | 32 | 6.1 | $4.3M | +3.6% | #107 of 476 |
| 7Henderson, NC | 60 | 5 | 3.1 | $7.8M | +0.2% | #133 of 476 |
| 8Elizabeth City, NC | 60 | 11 | 7.0 | $3.8M | +4.5% | #144 of 476 |
| 9North Wilkesboro, NC | 56 | 10 | 3.7 | $6.5M | +0.6% | #161 of 476 |
| 10Morehead City, NC | 47 | 27 | 8.4 | $3.4M | +4.1% | #273 of 476 |
| 11Boone, NC | 45 | 13 | 6.1 | $4.1M | +0.6% | #282 of 476 |
| 12Brevard, NC | 44 | 11 | 7.5 | $3.6M | +2.9% | #294 of 476 |
| 13Wilson, NC | 42 | 20 | 6.0 | $4.1M | +1.7% | #310 of 476 |
| 14Albemarle, NC | 42 | 20 | 7.9 | $3.3M | +9.8% | #317 of 476 |
| 15Rockingham, NC | 41 | 8 | 4.7 | $4.8M | −1.6% | #319 of 476 |
| 16Roanoke Rapids, NC | 40 | 12 | 4.2 | $5.4M | −4.3% | #334 of 476 |
| 17Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 40 | 30 | 7.7 | $3.3M | +3.4% | #340 of 476 |
| 18Kinston, NC | 38 | 16 | 6.9 | $3.4M | +1.4% | #362 of 476 |
| 19Forest City, NC | 37 | 22 | 8.3 | $2.9M | +2.1% | #374 of 476 |
| 20Marion, NC | 37 | 16 | 8.6 | $2.9M | +1.5% | #375 of 476 |
| 21Mount Airy, NC | 35 | 21 | 7.0 | $3.5M | +1.3% | #384 of 476 |
| 22Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35 | 27 | 16.0 | $2M | +3.3% | #389 of 476 |
| Laurinburg, NC | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $14.6M | −0.3% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durham County, NC | 87 | 68 | 4.8 | $6.5M | +7.7% | #19 of 1,707 |
| 2Mecklenburg County, NC | 86 | 241 | 5.2 | $6.3M | +10.5% | #21 of 1,707 |
| 3Hoke County, NC | 84 | 7 | 3.6 | $7.3M | +9.0% | #29 of 1,707 |
| 4Orange County, NC | 80 | 25 | 4.4 | $7.6M | +6.1% | #61 of 1,707 |
| 5Jackson County, NC | 77 | 7 | 3.8 | $6.7M | +6.9% | #89 of 1,707 |
| 6Chatham County, NC | 77 | 17 | 5.2 | $6.6M | +11.0% | #90 of 1,707 |
| 7Wake County, NC | 76 | 311 | 6.8 | $5.2M | +11.2% | #103 of 1,707 |
| 8Robeson County, NC | 71 | 12 | 2.8 | $7.9M | +3.4% | #180 of 1,707 |
| 9Lincoln County, NC | 71 | 18 | 4.9 | $6.2M | +13.2% | #183 of 1,707 |
| 10Forsyth County, NC | 70 | 84 | 5.3 | $5.3M | +5.0% | #212 of 1,707 |
| 11Beaufort County, NC | 67 | 7 | 3.6 | $7M | 0.0% | #269 of 1,707 |
| 12Harnett County, NC | 67 | 24 | 4.8 | $5.7M | +12.3% | #277 of 1,707 |
| 13Brunswick County, NC | 67 | 40 | 5.8 | $5M | +26.5% | #281 of 1,707 |
| 14Wayne County, NC | 65 | 22 | 4.6 | $5.6M | +3.8% | #337 of 1,707 |
| 15Moore County, NC | 62 | 34 | 7.7 | $3.9M | +10.3% | #440 of 1,707 |
| 16Pitt County, NC | 61 | 39 | 5.2 | $4.9M | +5.4% | #464 of 1,707 |
| 17Onslow County, NC | 61 | 47 | 6.2 | $4.4M | +6.0% | #470 of 1,707 |
| 18Caldwell County, NC | 60 | 13 | 3.9 | $6.3M | +0.7% | #480 of 1,707 |
| 19Alexander County, NC | 60 | 6 | 4.2 | $6.1M | +1.5% | #485 of 1,707 |
| 20Duplin County, NC | 60 | 9 | 4.3 | $5.6M | +6.0% | #490 of 1,707 |
| 21Cabarrus County, NC | 60 | 59 | 7.0 | $4.5M | +9.9% | #498 of 1,707 |
| 22Nash County, NC | 59 | 20 | 5.2 | $5.2M | +3.9% | #529 of 1,707 |
| 23Guilford County, NC | 59 | 140 | 6.4 | $4.4M | +4.4% | #540 of 1,707 |
| 24Vance County, NC | 58 | 5 | 3.1 | $7.8M | +0.2% | #550 of 1,707 |
| 25Lee County, NC | 58 | 15 | 6.0 | $4.4M | +10.8% | #577 of 1,707 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Haywood County, NC | 57 | 15 | 5.5 | $4.8M | +1.9% | #607 of 1,707 |
| 27Iredell County, NC | 57 | 64 | 8.4 | $3.6M | +12.9% | #619 of 1,707 |
| 28Burke County, NC | 56 | 17 | 4.7 | $5.4M | +1.6% | #630 of 1,707 |
| 29Davie County, NC | 56 | 12 | 6.9 | $4.2M | +6.9% | #649 of 1,707 |
| 30Craven County, NC | 55 | 28 | 6.5 | $4M | +3.5% | #686 of 1,707 |
| 31Wilkes County, NC | 54 | 10 | 3.7 | $6.5M | +0.6% | #692 of 1,707 |
| 32Cumberland County, NC | 53 | 73 | 5.6 | $4.6M | +0.4% | #741 of 1,707 |
| 33Gaston County, NC | 53 | 67 | 7.2 | $3.8M | +7.8% | #759 of 1,707 |
| 34Pasquotank County, NC | 53 | 11 | 7.0 | $3.8M | +4.5% | #761 of 1,707 |
| 35Montgomery County, NC | 52 | 6 | 5.6 | $4.5M | +2.7% | #780 of 1,707 |
| 36Alamance County, NC | 52 | 45 | 6.4 | $4.2M | +8.5% | #790 of 1,707 |
| 37Buncombe County, NC | 51 | 68 | 6.7 | $4.4M | +2.9% | #820 of 1,707 |
| 38Sampson County, NC | 51 | 12 | 5.6 | $4.3M | +4.1% | #821 of 1,707 |
| 39Rockingham County, NC | 50 | 18 | 4.5 | $5.4M | +3.3% | #845 of 1,707 |
| 40Edgecombe County, NC | 50 | 11 | 5.6 | $4.3M | +0.7% | #857 of 1,707 |
| 41Pender County, NC | 50 | 19 | 7.5 | $3.9M | +19.0% | #868 of 1,707 |
| 42Polk County, NC | 49 | 7 | 7.8 | $3.6M | +6.0% | #909 of 1,707 |
| 43Franklin County, NC | 48 | 21 | 7.4 | $3.8M | +18.8% | #932 of 1,707 |
| 44Catawba County, NC | 48 | 56 | 8.5 | $3.2M | +5.8% | #944 of 1,707 |
| 45Bladen County, NC | 47 | 6 | 5.1 | $4.4M | +1.3% | #955 of 1,707 |
| 46Rowan County, NC | 47 | 42 | 7.1 | $3.8M | +5.6% | #962 of 1,707 |
| 47Davidson County, NC | 46 | 50 | 7.2 | $3.7M | +6.6% | #1,000 of 1,707 |
| 48New Hanover County, NC | 46 | 97 | 9.3 | $3.2M | +8.6% | #1,009 of 1,707 |
| 49Columbus County, NC | 45 | 10 | 5.0 | $4.7M | 0.0% | #1,018 of 1,707 |
| 50Stokes County, NC | 45 | 11 | 5.6 | $4.5M | +3.5% | #1,021 of 1,707 |
| 51Henderson County, NC | 45 | 36 | 7.0 | $3.9M | +5.0% | #1,028 of 1,707 |
| 52Union County, NC | 44 | 98 | 11.6 | $3M | +11.7% | #1,084 of 1,707 |
| 53Johnston County, NC | 43 | 83 | 9.7 | $3M | +17.9% | #1,122 of 1,707 |
| 54Martin County, NC | 41 | 5 | 5.3 | $4.5M | −1.6% | #1,159 of 1,707 |
| 55Carteret County, NC | 40 | 27 | 8.4 | $3.4M | +4.1% | #1,210 of 1,707 |
| 56Richmond County, NC | 39 | 8 | 4.7 | $4.8M | −1.6% | #1,227 of 1,707 |
| 57Person County, NC | 39 | 12 | 7.5 | $3.6M | +3.7% | #1,242 of 1,707 |
| 58Watauga County, NC | 38 | 13 | 6.1 | $4.1M | +0.6% | #1,269 of 1,707 |
| 59Ashe County, NC | 38 | 9 | 7.4 | $3.4M | +3.5% | #1,282 of 1,707 |
| 60Currituck County, NC | 38 | 20 | 16.9 | $1.9M | +16.7% | #1,296 of 1,707 |
| 61Wilson County, NC | 36 | 20 | 6.0 | $4.1M | +1.7% | #1,324 of 1,707 |
| 62Transylvania County, NC | 36 | 11 | 7.5 | $3.6M | +2.9% | #1,335 of 1,707 |
| 63Yadkin County, NC | 36 | 12 | 8.0 | $3.3M | +2.9% | #1,344 of 1,707 |
| 64Stanly County, NC | 36 | 20 | 7.9 | $3.3M | +9.8% | #1,346 of 1,707 |
| 65Macon County, NC | 35 | 14 | 7.6 | $3.5M | +5.8% | #1,361 of 1,707 |
| 66Chowan County, NC | 35 | 7 | 11.4 | $2.3M | +2.8% | #1,382 of 1,707 |
| 67Lenoir County, NC | 34 | 16 | 6.9 | $3.4M | +1.4% | #1,399 of 1,707 |
| 68Cleveland County, NC | 34 | 30 | 7.7 | $3.3M | +3.4% | #1,401 of 1,707 |
| 69Rutherford County, NC | 33 | 22 | 8.3 | $2.9M | +2.1% | #1,434 of 1,707 |
| 70Randolph County, NC | 31 | 48 | 8.3 | $3.1M | +3.5% | #1,477 of 1,707 |
| 71McDowell County, NC | 31 | 16 | 8.6 | $2.9M | +1.5% | #1,480 of 1,707 |
| 72Surry County, NC | 30 | 21 | 7.0 | $3.5M | +1.3% | #1,487 of 1,707 |
| 73Granville County, NC | 30 | 21 | 9.3 | $3M | +2.1% | #1,492 of 1,707 |
| 74Dare County, NC | 30 | 27 | 16.0 | $2M | +3.3% | #1,498 of 1,707 |
| 75Halifax County, NC | 28 | 11 | 5.4 | $4.2M | −3.9% | #1,517 of 1,707 |
| 76Cherokee County, NC | 26 | 12 | 9.1 | $2.7M | +6.8% | #1,567 of 1,707 |
| 77Alleghany County, NC | 21 | 5 | 9.7 | $2.4M | +5.4% | #1,641 of 1,707 |
| Scotland County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $14.6M | −0.3% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.4 | $7.3M | +0.4% | |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.5 | $6.4M | −2.1% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $7.1M | +5.9% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.3 | $5.4M | +1.3% | |
| Hertford County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.8 | $4.9M | −11.2% | |
| Yancey County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.2% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $9.8M | +1.6% | |
| Avery County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.4 | $6.1M | +1.1% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $17.5M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $18.8M | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $8.3M | +1.1% | |
| Swain County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.6% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.3 | $5M | +3.6% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $4.6M | +3.7% | |
| Clay County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.9 | $4.3M | +9.9% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $12M | +8.8% | |
| Washington County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $10.6M | −3.1% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $10.2M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $8.9M | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 5.2 | $4.5M | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $3.5M | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 HVAC and plumbing companies on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many HVAC and plumbing companies are in North Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,712 HVAC and plumbing companies in North Carolina. 126 of them (5%) are chain locations. The listings count heating and air-conditioning companies and plumbers. Official counts show 3,973 businesses with payroll classed as plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in 2023, up 11.7% from 2019.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on home repairs, maintenance and insurance?
About $12.4B a year, or $2,889 per household. That is 4% below the U.S. average (an index of 96, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,712 HVAC and plumbing companies on map listings, it comes to $4.6M per company. That spending covers all home repairs, maintenance and insurance, which HVAC and plumbing companies share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for HVAC and plumbing companies?
North Carolina has 6.3 HVAC and plumbing companies per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 6.3. Spending per company is $4.6M, 4% below the U.S. figure of $4.8M. At the U.S. ratio of HVAC and plumbing companies to household spending, North Carolina would have about 2,600, against 2,712 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,078 households, against one for every 1,162 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.6% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for HVAC and plumbing companies?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 84 (high). Among 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Lumberton area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 77 scored counties in North Carolina, Durham County scores highest, at 87 (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. North Carolina scores 53 for HVAC and plumbing companies (upper middle), #25 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 North Carolina. It maps the HVAC and plumbing companies 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.
HVAC and plumbing in other states
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Top markets for HVAC and plumbing companies across the U.S. · All business types in North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Home repair trades5,509 listings
- Electricians1,116 listings
- Roofing and gutters1,681 listings
- Lawn, cleaning and pest control4,111 listings
- Landscaping and lawn care2,375 listings
- House cleaning1,089 listings
- Pest control647 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.