State profile · 56 business types

North Carolina market data

How North Carolina compares with the 50 states and DC for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.

Population, 2025: 11,197,968; +7.2% since 2020
Households: 4,282,345
Median household income: $72,388; +32.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Median home value: $288,900
Jobs located here: 4,760,483

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in North Carolina by name and distance, and the households and 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

North Carolina has an estimated 11,197,968 people and 4,282,345 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of North Carolina grew 7.2%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in North Carolina is $72,388, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 32.6%, before inflation.

Relative to the U.S., household spending in North Carolina runs highest on vehicle insurance (an index of 131, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on memberships, classes and admissions (76).

By the Groundwork market score, North Carolina’s highest ranks among the 50 states and DC are for insurance agencies (#2), collision repair and body shops (#11) and coffee shops and cafes (#12).

Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for tire shops (24% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for laundromats (31% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in North Carolina

Listings per 10,000 households, and the same as an index where 100 is the U.S. rate. Spending per listing is a year of household spending on the type’s whole line over its listings (for the real estate types, an index of housing costs per listing, where 100 is the U.S.). The rank puts the state’s Groundwork market score against the other 50 states and DC.

Every business type in North Carolina: listings, listings per 10,000 households against the U.S., spending per listing, official establishments, market score and rank among states
Business type	Listings	Per 10k households	Vs. U.S. (100)	Spending per listing	Official establishments	Score	Rank among states
Food and drink
Restaurants and cafes	41,739	97.5	89	$387K	19,414	58	#20 of 51
Sit-down restaurants	22,819	53.3	87	$709K	8,543	51	#22 of 51
Fast food and sandwich shops	5,755	13.4	101	$2.8M	8,502	47	#29 of 51
Pizza	3,190	7.4	93	$5.1M	8,502	53	#22 of 51
Coffee shops and cafes	3,980	9.3	85	$4.1M	2,224	64	#12 of 51
Bakeries and dessert shops	3,724	8.7	89	$4.3M	2,514	56	#18 of 51
Groceries and convenience
Grocery and convenience stores	8,652	20.2	108	$3M	2,916	49	#29 of 51
Grocery stores	3,176	7.4	109	$8.1M	2,007	43	#34 of 51
Convenience stores	3,984	9.3	116	$6.5M	909	50	#29 of 51
Auto
Auto repair and car care	15,696	36.7	103	$256K	6,104	53	#23 of 51
Auto repair shops	9,304	21.7	101	$432K	4,240	53	#27 of 51
Collision repair and body shops	1,171	2.7	87	$3.4M	1,010	68	#11 of 51
Car washes and detailing	1,690	3.9	103	$2.4M	615	55	#21 of 51
Tire shops	2,010	4.7	124	$2M	812	40	#35 of 51
Oil change and quick lube	348	0.8	114	$11.6M	330	45	#33 of 50
Gas stations	5,244	12.2	112	$2.5M	4,256	66	#14 of 51
Insurance agencies	5,580	13.0	83	$2M	3,914	84	#2 of 51
Beauty and personal care
Salons, barbers and spas	21,458	50.1	106	$179K	4,049	40	#43 of 51
Hair salons	11,173	26.1	112	$344K	2,226	41	#40 of 51
Barbershops	2,398	5.6	106	$1.6M	194	42	#34 of 51
Nail salons	2,739	6.4	107	$1.4M	570	45	#30 of 51
Spas and skin care	4,736	11.1	97	$811K	993	42	#36 of 51
Fitness and classes
Gyms, studios and classes	5,994	14.0	94	$531K	2,556	40	#42 of 51
Gyms	2,992	7.0	92	$1.1M	1,415	40	#38 of 51
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios	974	2.3	96	$3.3M	1,415	36	#44 of 51
Martial arts and dance studios	2,028	4.7	96	$1.6M	1,141	38	#41 of 51
Health care
Doctors, dentists and clinics	35,686	83.3	99	$134K	12,410	48	#28 of 51
Dentists and orthodontists	4,737	11.1	85	$1M	3,551	56	#17 of 51
Primary care and pediatrics	3,079	7.2	100	$1.6M	5,476	50	#29 of 51
Urgent care and walk-in clinics	185	0.4	80	$25.8M	275	53	#22 of 50
Chiropractors	1,741	4.1	76	$2.7M	1,047	64	#12 of 51
Physical therapy	2,247	5.2	96	$2.1M	1,400	60	#18 of 51
Optometrists and eye care	1,533	3.6	88	$3.1M	661	56	#18 of 51
Pets
Pet businesses	4,712	11.0	106	$817K	2,491	59	#16 of 51
Veterinarians	1,506	3.5	106	$2.6M	1,223	56	#21 of 51
Pet grooming and boarding	1,637	3.8	106	$2.4M	931	56	#20 of 51
Pet stores	836	2.0	100	$4.6M	337	58	#18 of 51
Child care
Child care and preschools	2,350	5.5	95	$844K	2,612	53	#24 of 51
Clothing and laundry
Clothing, shoes and laundry	8,977	21.0	90	$904K	4,067	50	#28 of 51
Clothing and shoe stores	6,581	15.4	95	$1.2M	3,301	47	#31 of 51
Laundromats	482	1.1	69	$16.8M	309	61	#13 of 51
Dry cleaners	502	1.2	92	$16.2M	457	45	#32 of 51
Home services
Home repair trades	5,509	12.9	104	$2.2M	7,878	54	#24 of 51
HVAC and plumbing	2,712	6.3	100	$4.6M	3,973	53	#25 of 51
Electricians	1,116	2.6	104	$11.1M	3,089	54	#21 of 51
Roofing and gutters	1,681	3.9	108	$7.4M	816	53	#25 of 51
Lawn, cleaning and pest control	4,111	9.6	114	$1.5M	7,448	62	#16 of 51
Landscaping and lawn care	2,375	5.5	115	$2.7M	4,361	60	#22 of 51
House cleaning	1,089	2.5	114	$5.8M	2,514	55	#18 of 51
Pest control	647	1.5	107	$9.8M	573	54	#22 of 51
Real estate
Real estate	16,180	37.8	98	92 (index)	11,339	40	#38 of 51
Real estate agents and brokers	12,932	30.2	99	92 (index)	6,880	39	#38 of 51
Property management	1,257	2.9	97	93 (index)	2,439	48	#28 of 51
Mortgage brokers and lenders	1,750	4.1	95	95 (index)	783	47	#29 of 51
Home inspectors	241	0.6	100	102 (index)	303	48	#29 of 50
Funeral services
Funeral homes	992	2.3	110	$582K	518	53	#24 of 51

Markets in North Carolina

Each market’s page covers every business type, with its figures against the state and the U.S.

Questions

How fast is North Carolina growing?

Population estimates put North Carolina at 11,197,968 people in 2025, up 7.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 4,282,345 households. Median household income rose 32.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.

How much do households in North Carolina spend?

Households in North Carolina spend about $64.8B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $25.8B on groceries and $16.2B on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in North Carolina spend the most on vehicle insurance (an index of 131, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on memberships, classes and admissions (76).

Which business types rank highest in North Carolina?

Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks highest for insurance agencies (#2), collision repair and body shops (#11) and coffee shops and cafes (#12) by the Groundwork market score.

How does North Carolina compare with the U.S.?

The median household income in North Carolina is $72,388 a year, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 7.2% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $288,900, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, North Carolina has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for tire shops (24% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for laundromats (31% below the U.S. rate).

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. Each business type is scored on its own, so a state can rank high for one type and low for another.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in North Carolina. It maps the competitors 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.

Every state and business type · How we measure

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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.