Pets · County · Alabama
Pet businesses in Shelby County, AL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Shelby County, AL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 64 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #512 of 2,200 scored counties
#15 of 51 scored counties in Alabama
- Listings
- 112
- 12 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 65
- +8.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $92.8M
- On pets · $1,068 a household
- Spending per listing
- $828K
- 6% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.9
- 24% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 238,552
- +6.5% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Shelby County
The site report maps the pet businesses 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 Shelby 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
Households in Shelby County spend about $92.8M a year on pets, or $1,068 per household, 17% above the U.S. average. Spread across 112 pet businesses, that is $828K per business, 6% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 112 pet businesses on map listings in Shelby County as of September 2026. 12 of them (11%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 12.9 for every 10,000 households, 24% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Shelby County was 65 in 2023, up 8.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,336 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Another 104 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $5.1M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Shelby County.
Population estimates put the population change in Shelby County from 2020 to 2025 at +6.5%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For pet businesses, Shelby County has a Groundwork market score of 64 (upper middle): #512 of 2,200 scored counties and #15 of 51 scored counties in Alabama. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Shelby County compares
The same measures for Alabama and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all pets by the pet businesses 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 | Shelby County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 12.9 | 9.9 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $828K | $843K | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,336 | 2,051 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +8.3% | +16.5% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.5% | +3.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,068 | $834 | $909 |
| Median household income | $97,961 | $63,999 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 64 | 61 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 60 → 65+8.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 801
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $30.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 104Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 11212 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 106The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $5.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Shelby 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 Shelby County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 238,552+6.5% since 2020
- Households
- 86,866
- Median age
- 41.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 81%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 785 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 293
- Median household income
- $97,961+25.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $128,135
- Median home value
- $326,100
- Jobs located here
- 95,355
- Daytime population
- 222,801Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Shelby 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 pet businesses on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Shelby County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardPet businesses across Alabama
Every Alabama market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Alabama for pet businesses, numbered among those based in Alabama, with Shelby County marked.
Top counties in Alabama
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 85 | 47 | 11.5 | $841K | +18.0% | #34 of 2,200 |
| 2Autauga County, AL | 82 | 23 | 10.0 | $895K | +5.1% | #54 of 2,200 |
| 3Tuscaloosa County, AL | 79 | 62 | 6.9 | $1.2M | +3.8% | #82 of 2,200 |
| 4Blount County, AL | 75 | 16 | 7.2 | $1.1M | +1.8% | #157 of 2,200 |
| 5Dale County, AL | 71 | 13 | 6.6 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #241 of 2,200 |
| 6Coffee County, AL | 71 | 20 | 9.5 | $886K | +6.3% | #254 of 2,200 |
| 7Elmore County, AL | 70 | 34 | 10.3 | $861K | +4.2% | #286 of 2,200 |
| 8Madison County, AL | 69 | 195 | 11.8 | $840K | +11.0% | #324 of 2,200 |
| 9Chilton County, AL | 68 | 20 | 11.2 | $709K | +5.9% | #371 of 2,200 |
| 10Lee County, AL | 67 | 67 | 9.6 | $874K | +8.6% | #390 of 2,200 |
| 15Shelby County, AL | 64 | 112 | 12.9 | $828K | +6.5% | #512 of 2,200 |
Other business types in Shelby 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
Fitness and classes
Health care
Pets
- Pet businesses64
- Veterinarians63
- Pet grooming and boarding60
- Pet stores82
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Shelby County, AL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 112 pet businesses in Shelby County. 12 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 65 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 8.3% from 2019. Official counts list 104 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Shelby County, AL spend on pets?
About $92.8M a year, or $1,068 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 112 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $828K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 86,866 households in Shelby County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Shelby County, AL compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Shelby County has 12.9 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 24% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $828K, 6% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Shelby County would have about 106, against 112 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,336 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Shelby County, AL growing?
Population estimates put Shelby County at 238,552 people in 2025, up 6.5% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 86,866 households. Median household income in Shelby County is $97,961, 21% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 25.9%, 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. Shelby County scores 64 for pet businesses (upper middle), #512 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Shelby County. It maps the pet businesses 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 pet businesses · All 56 business types in Shelby County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Shelby 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 Shelby 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.