Market rankings · Delaware
Pet businesses in Delaware
Markets across Delaware ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 386
- 82 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 195
- +3.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $394.1M
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 9.6
- 8% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 16% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #2 of 51
- Market score 83 · High
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Delaware 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 386 pet businesses in Delaware. Chain locations make up 21% of them, against 17% across the U.S. That is 9.6 per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Households in Delaware spend about $394.1M a year on pets, or $980 per household, 8% above the U.S. average. Spread across 386 pet businesses, that is $1M per business, 16% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 195 businesses with payroll in Delaware classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 3.2% from 2019. That is one for every 2,062 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 11.4% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 10 SBA-backed loans worth $8M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Delaware.
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware ranks #2 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 83 (high). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest (58). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware, the Seaford area, scores 77.
Every market in Delaware for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Delaware, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dover, DE | 58 | 79 | 11.1 | $796K | +6.8% | #136 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 48 | 2,176 | 8.8 | $851K | +1.4% | #207 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seaford, DE | 77 | 123 | 11.6 | $822K | +16.1% | #21 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Castle County, DE | 79 | 184 | 8.2 | $1.3M | +3.0% | #81 of 2,200 |
| 2Sussex County, DE | 74 | 123 | 11.6 | $822K | +16.1% | #182 of 2,200 |
| 3Kent County, DE | 66 | 79 | 11.1 | $796K | +6.8% | #443 of 2,200 |
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Delaware?
Delaware has 386 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 82 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 195 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 3.2% from 2019. Another 586 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Delaware spend on pets?
About $394.1M a year, or $980 per household. That is 8% above the U.S. average (an index of 108, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 386 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $1M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 402,038 households in Delaware and national spending patterns by income.
How does Delaware compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Delaware has 9.6 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $1M, 16% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Delaware would have about 449, against 386 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,062 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Delaware has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest, at 58 (upper middle). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware is the Seaford area, at 77 (high). Among 3 scored counties in Delaware, New Castle County scores highest, at 79 (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. Delaware scores 83 for pet businesses (high), #2 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 Delaware. 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.
Pet businesses in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
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- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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- Kansas
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- Massachusetts
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- Minnesota
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- Missouri
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- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Delaware
Related business types in Delaware
- Veterinarians96 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding140 listings
- Pet stores95 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Delaware?
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.