Market rankings · North Carolina
Nail salons in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for nail salons, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,739
- 841 chain locations (31%)
- Official establishments
- 570
- +55.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.8B
- On personal care products and services
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.4
- 7% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.4M
- 16% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #30 of 51
- Market score 45 · Lower middle
A site report maps the nail salons 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 2,739 nail salons on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 31% of them, against 27% across the U.S. That comes to 6.4 for every 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 6.0.
Household spending on personal care products and services in North Carolina comes to about $3.8B a year: $897 per household, 11% below the U.S. average. That works out to $1.4M per salon, 16% below the U.S. figure of $1.7M. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only nail salons.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as nail salons in North Carolina was 570 in 2023, up 55.7% from 2019. That is one for every 7,513 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 23.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 23 SBA-backed loans worth $4.9M have gone to businesses classed as nail salons in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #30 for nail salons, with a Groundwork market score of 45 (lower middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (68). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the North Wilkesboro area scores highest (59).
Every market in North Carolina for nail salons
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 | 68 | 126 | 5.1 | $1.9M | +7.5% | #52 of 387 |
| 2Raleigh-Cary, NC | 61 | 406 | 7.1 | $1.5M | +12.6% | #94 of 387 |
| 3Winston-Salem, NC | 53 | 163 | 5.8 | $1.5M | +5.3% | #167 of 387 |
| 4Wilmington, NC | 52 | 140 | 7.0 | $1.3M | +15.9% | #178 of 387 |
| 5Asheville, NC | 51 | 86 | 5.3 | $1.7M | +3.6% | #187 of 387 |
| 6Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 48 | 31 | 7.0 | $1.3M | +10.3% | #213 of 387 |
| 7Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 48 | 779 | 7.2 | $1.3M | +10.1% | #214 of 387 |
| 8Rocky Mount, NC | 45 | 33 | 5.6 | $1.4M | +2.8% | #240 of 387 |
| 9Burlington, NC | 44 | 56 | 8.0 | $1M | +8.5% | #253 of 387 |
| 10Greensboro-High Point, NC | 41 | 235 | 7.4 | $1.1M | +4.1% | #284 of 387 |
| 11Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 39 | 87 | 5.8 | $1.4M | +3.2% | #303 of 387 |
| 12Jacksonville, NC | 38 | 49 | 6.5 | $1.3M | +6.0% | #319 of 387 |
| 13Greenville, NC | 30 | 56 | 7.5 | $1.1M | +5.4% | #359 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 28 | 495 | 7.0 | $1.4M | +0.9% | #363 of 387 |
| 14Goldsboro, NC | 28 | 32 | 6.7 | $1.2M | +3.8% | #364 of 387 |
| 15Fayetteville, NC | 23 | 123 | 8.3 | $980K | +1.6% | #371 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1North Wilkesboro, NC | 59 | 5 | 1.8 | $4M | +0.6% | #131 of 387 |
| 2Marion, NC | 59 | 5 | 2.7 | $2.9M | +1.5% | #132 of 387 |
| 3Brevard, NC | 57 | 6 | 4.1 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #149 of 387 |
| 4Waynesville, NC | 55 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +1.9% | #161 of 387 |
| 5Kill Devil Hills, NC | 55 | 12 | 7.1 | $1.4M | +3.3% | #171 of 387 |
| 6Anderson Creek, NC | 53 | 28 | 5.6 | $1.5M | +12.3% | #187 of 387 |
| 7Washington, NC | 52 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.2M | 0.0% | #191 of 387 |
| 8Boone, NC | 47 | 8 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #222 of 387 |
| 9New Bern, NC | 46 | 37 | 7.1 | $1.2M | +3.6% | #227 of 387 |
| 10Sanford, NC | 45 | 15 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +10.8% | #236 of 387 |
| 11Morehead City, NC | 43 | 25 | 7.8 | $1.1M | +4.1% | #249 of 387 |
| 12Forest City, NC | 42 | 11 | 4.1 | $1.8M | +2.1% | #252 of 387 |
| 13Albemarle, NC | 40 | 15 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +9.8% | #267 of 387 |
| 14Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 38 | 23 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #276 of 387 |
| 15Wilson, NC | 35 | 25 | 7.6 | $1M | +1.7% | #303 of 387 |
| 16Mount Airy, NC | 32 | 16 | 5.4 | $1.4M | +1.3% | #315 of 387 |
| 17Elizabeth City, NC | 32 | 19 | 12.0 | $685K | +4.5% | #318 of 387 |
| 18Lumberton, NC | 31 | 22 | 5.1 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #320 of 387 |
| 19Kinston, NC | 29 | 11 | 4.7 | $1.5M | +1.4% | #323 of 387 |
| 20Roanoke Rapids, NC | 28 | 10 | 3.5 | $2M | −4.3% | #328 of 387 |
| 21Rockingham, NC | 25 | 7 | 4.1 | $1.7M | −1.6% | #340 of 387 |
| 22Henderson, NC | 15 | 15 | 9.3 | $802K | +0.2% | #369 of 387 |
| 23Laurinburg, NC | 11 | 11 | 8.7 | $819K | −0.3% | #378 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Chatham County, NC | 88 | 11 | 3.3 | $3.1M | +11.0% | #7 of 1,328 |
| 2Orange County, NC | 87 | 18 | 3.1 | $3.3M | +6.1% | #12 of 1,328 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 75 | 9 | 3.2 | $2.8M | +18.8% | #85 of 1,328 |
| 4Lincoln County, NC | 74 | 18 | 4.9 | $1.9M | +13.2% | #110 of 1,328 |
| 5Davie County, NC | 69 | 7 | 4.1 | $2.3M | +6.9% | #177 of 1,328 |
| 6Henderson County, NC | 68 | 17 | 3.3 | $2.6M | +5.0% | #191 of 1,328 |
| 7Johnston County, NC | 67 | 40 | 4.7 | $2M | +17.9% | #219 of 1,328 |
| 8Brunswick County, NC | 67 | 38 | 5.5 | $1.6M | +26.5% | #228 of 1,328 |
| 9Union County, NC | 66 | 51 | 6.1 | $1.8M | +11.7% | #251 of 1,328 |
| 10Rowan County, NC | 65 | 21 | 3.6 | $2.3M | +5.6% | #267 of 1,328 |
| 11Hoke County, NC | 64 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.3M | +9.0% | #296 of 1,328 |
| 12Wake County, NC | 62 | 357 | 7.8 | $1.4M | +11.2% | #356 of 1,328 |
| 13Jackson County, NC | 61 | 6 | 3.3 | $2.4M | +6.9% | #368 of 1,328 |
| 14Davidson County, NC | 61 | 35 | 5.0 | $1.7M | +6.6% | #380 of 1,328 |
| 15Gaston County, NC | 59 | 51 | 5.5 | $1.6M | +7.8% | #435 of 1,328 |
| 16Durham County, NC | 59 | 90 | 6.3 | $1.5M | +7.7% | #436 of 1,328 |
| 17Yadkin County, NC | 58 | 5 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +2.9% | #448 of 1,328 |
| 18Macon County, NC | 58 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +5.8% | #457 of 1,328 |
| 19Randolph County, NC | 56 | 27 | 4.7 | $1.7M | +3.5% | #518 of 1,328 |
| 20Wilkes County, NC | 55 | 5 | 1.8 | $4M | +0.6% | #522 of 1,328 |
| 21McDowell County, NC | 55 | 5 | 2.7 | $2.9M | +1.5% | #525 of 1,328 |
| 22Haywood County, NC | 55 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +1.9% | #528 of 1,328 |
| 23Iredell County, NC | 55 | 50 | 6.5 | $1.4M | +12.9% | #542 of 1,328 |
| 24Sampson County, NC | 54 | 7 | 3.2 | $2.3M | +4.1% | #550 of 1,328 |
| 25Pender County, NC | 54 | 16 | 6.3 | $1.5M | +19.0% | #571 of 1,328 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Transylvania County, NC | 53 | 6 | 4.1 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #592 of 1,328 |
| 27Moore County, NC | 52 | 31 | 7.0 | $1.3M | +10.3% | #641 of 1,328 |
| 28Cabarrus County, NC | 52 | 70 | 8.3 | $1.2M | +9.9% | #643 of 1,328 |
| 29Granville County, NC | 51 | 10 | 4.4 | $2M | +2.1% | #658 of 1,328 |
| 30Person County, NC | 51 | 7 | 4.4 | $1.9M | +3.7% | #662 of 1,328 |
| 31Forsyth County, NC | 51 | 108 | 6.8 | $1.3M | +5.0% | #684 of 1,328 |
| 32Beaufort County, NC | 50 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.2M | 0.0% | #695 of 1,328 |
| 33Harnett County, NC | 50 | 28 | 5.6 | $1.5M | +12.3% | #712 of 1,328 |
| 34Alamance County, NC | 50 | 56 | 8.0 | $1M | +8.5% | #719 of 1,328 |
| 35Rockingham County, NC | 49 | 15 | 3.8 | $2M | +3.3% | #724 of 1,328 |
| 36Stokes County, NC | 48 | 8 | 4.1 | $1.9M | +3.5% | #752 of 1,328 |
| 37Dare County, NC | 48 | 12 | 7.1 | $1.4M | +3.3% | #764 of 1,328 |
| 38New Hanover County, NC | 48 | 86 | 8.2 | $1.1M | +8.6% | #771 of 1,328 |
| 39Edgecombe County, NC | 47 | 6 | 3.1 | $2.4M | +0.7% | #772 of 1,328 |
| 40Nash County, NC | 47 | 27 | 7.0 | $1.2M | +3.9% | #791 of 1,328 |
| 41Lee County, NC | 46 | 15 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +10.8% | #814 of 1,328 |
| 42Buncombe County, NC | 46 | 68 | 6.7 | $1.4M | +2.9% | #815 of 1,328 |
| 43Mecklenburg County, NC | 46 | 412 | 8.8 | $1.1M | +10.5% | #820 of 1,328 |
| 44Duplin County, NC | 45 | 9 | 4.3 | $1.7M | +6.0% | #834 of 1,328 |
| 45Caldwell County, NC | 44 | 12 | 3.6 | $2.1M | +0.7% | #854 of 1,328 |
| 46Watauga County, NC | 44 | 8 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #855 of 1,328 |
| 47Onslow County, NC | 43 | 49 | 6.5 | $1.3M | +6.0% | #894 of 1,328 |
| 48Guilford County, NC | 43 | 193 | 8.8 | $992K | +4.4% | #898 of 1,328 |
| 49Stanly County, NC | 41 | 15 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +9.8% | #934 of 1,328 |
| 50Rutherford County, NC | 39 | 11 | 4.1 | $1.8M | +2.1% | #964 of 1,328 |
| 51Pitt County, NC | 37 | 56 | 7.5 | $1.1M | +5.4% | #1,015 of 1,328 |
| 52Craven County, NC | 37 | 34 | 7.9 | $1M | +3.5% | #1,016 of 1,328 |
| 53Burke County, NC | 36 | 17 | 4.7 | $1.7M | +1.6% | #1,021 of 1,328 |
| 54Carteret County, NC | 35 | 25 | 7.8 | $1.1M | +4.1% | #1,054 of 1,328 |
| 55Montgomery County, NC | 33 | 6 | 5.6 | $1.4M | +2.7% | #1,085 of 1,328 |
| 56Wayne County, NC | 33 | 32 | 6.7 | $1.2M | +3.8% | #1,090 of 1,328 |
| 57Cleveland County, NC | 32 | 23 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #1,106 of 1,328 |
| 58Cherokee County, NC | 32 | 8 | 6.0 | $1.2M | +6.8% | #1,110 of 1,328 |
| 59Wilson County, NC | 32 | 25 | 7.6 | $1M | +1.7% | #1,114 of 1,328 |
| 60Catawba County, NC | 32 | 55 | 8.3 | $1M | +5.8% | #1,115 of 1,328 |
| 61Robeson County, NC | 29 | 22 | 5.1 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #1,152 of 1,328 |
| 62Columbus County, NC | 28 | 9 | 4.5 | $1.6M | 0.0% | #1,160 of 1,328 |
| 63Lenoir County, NC | 28 | 11 | 4.7 | $1.5M | +1.4% | #1,162 of 1,328 |
| 64Surry County, NC | 28 | 16 | 5.4 | $1.4M | +1.3% | #1,164 of 1,328 |
| 65Richmond County, NC | 25 | 7 | 4.1 | $1.7M | −1.6% | #1,195 of 1,328 |
| 66Pasquotank County, NC | 25 | 19 | 12.0 | $685K | +4.5% | #1,200 of 1,328 |
| 67Cumberland County, NC | 24 | 116 | 8.9 | $901K | +0.4% | #1,207 of 1,328 |
| 68Avery County, NC | 23 | 5 | 7.4 | $1.1M | +1.1% | #1,210 of 1,328 |
| 69Halifax County, NC | 17 | 10 | 4.9 | $1.5M | −3.9% | #1,256 of 1,328 |
| 70Martin County, NC | 12 | 7 | 7.4 | $985K | −1.6% | #1,292 of 1,328 |
| 71Vance County, NC | 10 | 15 | 9.3 | $802K | +0.2% | #1,301 of 1,328 |
| 72Scotland County, NC | 8 | 11 | 8.7 | $819K | −0.3% | #1,309 of 1,328 |
| Alexander County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $3.8M | +1.5% | |
| Currituck County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 3.4 | $3M | +16.7% | |
| Bladen County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.3% | |
| Ashe County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 0.8 | $9.4M | +3.5% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.3 | $3.4M | +0.4% | |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.5 | $2M | −2.1% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $6.7M | +5.9% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.3% | |
| Hertford County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $2M | −11.2% | |
| Polk County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $3.9M | +6.0% | |
| Yancey County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $3.3M | +3.2% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.6% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $2.6M | +1.1% | |
| Swain County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.3 | $2.4M | −0.6% | |
| Chowan County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +2.8% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.6 | $2.3M | +3.6% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $1.4M | +3.7% | |
| Clay County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.9% | |
| Alleghany County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.4% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +8.8% | |
| Washington County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $3.3M | −3.1% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 6.5 | $1.1M | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 nail salons on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many nail salons are in North Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,739 nail salons in North Carolina. 841 of them (31%) are chain locations. The listings count nail salons. Official counts show 570 businesses with payroll classed as nail salons in 2023, up 55.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 12,543 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on personal care products and services?
About $3.8B a year, or $897 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,739 nail salons on map listings, it comes to $1.4M per salon. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which nail salons 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 nail salons?
North Carolina has 6.4 nail salons per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 6.0. Spending per salon is $1.4M, 16% below the U.S. figure of $1.7M. At the U.S. ratio of nail salons to household spending, North Carolina would have about 2,298, against 2,739 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,513 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S. The official count rose 55.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +23.2% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for nail salons?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 68 (upper middle). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the North Wilkesboro area scores highest, at 59 (upper middle). Among 72 scored counties in North Carolina, Chatham County scores highest, at 88 (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 45 for nail salons (lower middle), #30 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 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.
Nail salons in other states
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Top markets for nail salons across the U.S. · All business types in North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Salons, barbers and spas21,458 listings
- Hair salons11,173 listings
- Barbershops2,398 listings
- Spas and skin care4,736 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.