Beauty and personal care · County · Maine
Nail salons in Penobscot County, ME
The nail salons in Penobscot County, ME, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 73 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #116 of 1,328 scored counties
#5 of 8 scored counties in Maine
- Listings
- 25
- 14 chain locations (56%)
- Official establishments
- 6
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $59.9M
- On personal care products and services · $918 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.4M
- 43% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.8
- 37% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 157,967
- +3.8% since 2020
See the nail salons around any address in Penobscot County
The site report maps the nail salons 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 Penobscot County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
Penobscot County scores 73 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for nail salons, ranking #116 of 1,328 scored counties and #5 of 8 scored counties in Maine. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for nail salons.
As of September 2026, map listings count 25 nail salons in Penobscot County. Of those, 14 are chain locations, or 56%, against 27% across the U.S. That comes to 3.8 for every 10,000 households, 37% below the U.S. rate of 6.0.
Households in Penobscot County spend about $59.9M a year on personal care products and services, or $918 per household, 9% below the U.S. average. That works out to $2.4M per salon, 43% above the U.S. figure of $1.7M. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which nail salons share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 6 businesses with payroll in Penobscot County classed as nail salons. That is one for every 10,870 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S. Population estimates put the population change in Penobscot County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Penobscot County compares
The same measures for Maine and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all personal care products and services by the nail salons counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 3.8 | 3.3 | 6.0 |
| Spending per listing | $2.4M | $2.9M | $1.7M |
| Households per official establishment | 10,870 | 8,180 | 3,754 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +69.8% | +23.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.8% | +3.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on personal care products and services | $918 | $973 | $1,005 |
| Median household income | $66,356 | $74,733 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 73 | 75 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 6
- Employees, 2023
- 16
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $356K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 55Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2514 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 36The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as nail salons in Penobscot 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 Penobscot County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 157,967+3.8% since 2020
- Households
- 65,221
- Median age
- 43.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 3,397 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 46
- Median household income
- $66,356+30.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $88,290
- Median home value
- $214,100
- Jobs located here
- 73,466
- Daytime population
- 158,403Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Penobscot 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 nail salons on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Penobscot County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardNail salons across Maine
Every Maine market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maine for nail salons, numbered among those based in Maine, with Penobscot County marked.
Top counties in Maine
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Androscoggin County, ME | 83 | 9 | 1.9 | $4.7M | +4.8% | #26 of 1,328 |
| 2Sagadahoc County, ME | 80 | 5 | 3.0 | $3.3M | +3.4% | #47 of 1,328 |
| 3Hancock County, ME | 76 | 6 | 2.3 | $4M | +3.0% | #70 of 1,328 |
| 4York County, ME | 75 | 36 | 3.9 | $2.6M | +4.8% | #86 of 1,328 |
| 5Penobscot County, ME | 73 | 25 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +3.8% | #116 of 1,328 |
| 6Kennebec County, ME | 69 | 19 | 3.5 | $2.6M | +3.5% | #171 of 1,328 |
| 7Knox County, ME | 66 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.6M | +1.1% | #242 of 1,328 |
| 8Cumberland County, ME | 59 | 76 | 5.8 | $1.9M | +4.5% | #428 of 1,328 |
Other business types in Penobscot County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
- Salons, barbers and spas51
- Hair salons54
- Barbershops64
- Nail salons73
- Spas and skin care55
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many nail salons are in Penobscot County, ME?
Penobscot County has 25 nail salons on map listings as of September 2026. 14 of them (56%) are chain locations. The listings count nail salons. Official counts show 6 businesses with payroll classed as nail salons in 2023. Official counts list 55 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Penobscot County, ME spend on personal care products and services?
About $59.9M a year, or $918 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 25 nail salons on map listings, it comes to $2.4M per salon. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only nail salons. It is estimated from the incomes of the 65,221 households in Penobscot County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Penobscot County, ME compare with the U.S. for nail salons?
Penobscot County has 3.8 nail salons per 10,000 households, 37% below the U.S. rate of 6.0. Spending per salon is $2.4M, 43% above the U.S. figure of $1.7M. At the national ratio of nail salons to household spending, Penobscot County would have about 36, against 25 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 10,870 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S.
How fast is Penobscot County, ME growing?
Population estimates put Penobscot County at 157,967 people in 2025, up 3.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 65,221 households. The median household income in Penobscot County is $66,356 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Penobscot County scores 73 for nail salons (upper middle), #116 of 1,328 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Penobscot County. It maps the nail salons 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 nail salons · All 56 business types in Penobscot County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Penobscot 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 Penobscot 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.