Market rankings · Florida
Pet businesses in Florida
Markets across Florida ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 10,008
- 1,813 chain locations (18%)
- Official establishments
- 5,383
- +14.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $8B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.4
- 10% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $801K
- 9% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #24 of 51
- Market score 54 · Upper middle
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Florida 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 10,008 pet businesses in Florida. 1,813 of them (18%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 11.4, 10% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Household spending on pets in Florida comes to about $8B a year: $915 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That is about $801K of household spending for each business on map listings, 9% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 5,383 businesses with payroll in Florida classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 14.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,626 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, 378 SBA-backed loans worth $326M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Florida.
Among the 50 states and DC, Florida ranks #24 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle). Of the 22 scored metro areas in or partly in Florida, the Wildwood-The Villages metro area scores highest (86). Of the 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in Florida, the Clewiston area scores highest (86).
Every market in Florida for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Florida, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 86 | 54 | 7.7 | $1.2M | +21.1% | #5 of 387 |
| 2Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 79 | 229 | 7.9 | $1M | +19.8% | #19 of 387 |
| 3Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 67 | 235 | 11.7 | $774K | +6.5% | #71 of 387 |
| 4Naples-Marco Island, FL | 65 | 206 | 12.4 | $840K | +10.6% | #85 of 387 |
| 5Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 64 | 1,105 | 10.8 | $864K | +10.3% | #90 of 387 |
| 6Jacksonville, FL | 60 | 758 | 11.4 | $827K | +10.7% | #115 of 387 |
| 7Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 60 | 379 | 11.6 | $791K | +14.4% | #116 of 387 |
| 8Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 59 | 2,485 | 10.6 | $884K | +4.2% | #124 of 387 |
| 9Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 59 | 297 | 11.5 | $810K | +9.1% | #128 of 387 |
| 10Sebring, FL | 59 | 45 | 9.6 | $767K | +9.7% | #129 of 387 |
| 11Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 58 | 105 | 11.9 | $730K | +15.7% | #137 of 387 |
| 12Tallahassee, FL | 56 | 139 | 8.8 | $961K | +3.1% | #146 of 387 |
| 13North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 54 | 497 | 12.8 | $752K | +13.2% | #169 of 387 |
| 14Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 52 | 1,592 | 12.0 | $769K | +7.3% | #182 of 387 |
| 15Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 51 | 169 | 14.1 | $686K | +9.4% | #192 of 387 |
| 16Port St. Lucie, FL | 49 | 277 | 13.5 | $668K | +16.0% | #203 of 387 |
| 17Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 48 | 373 | 12.7 | $682K | +11.2% | #213 of 387 |
| 18Punta Gorda, FL | 47 | 113 | 12.5 | $682K | +15.5% | #222 of 387 |
| 19Homosassa Springs, FL | 45 | 92 | 12.9 | $597K | +11.1% | #239 of 387 |
| 20Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 36 | 109 | 15.4 | $594K | +7.7% | #300 of 387 |
| 21Gainesville, FL | 30 | 211 | 14.8 | $564K | +5.4% | #338 of 387 |
| 22Ocala, FL | 27 | 247 | 15.0 | $520K | +17.3% | #352 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Clewiston, FL | 86 | 13 | 7.0 | $1.1M | +18.8% | #6 of 527 |
| 2Palatka, FL | 67 | 28 | 8.9 | $793K | +5.9% | #81 of 527 |
| 3Lake City, FL | 63 | 31 | 11.3 | $692K | +6.2% | #115 of 527 |
| 4Key West-Key Largo, FL | 47 | 48 | 14.0 | $739K | −2.9% | #315 of 527 |
| 5Arcadia, FL | 41 | 18 | 14.0 | $499K | +8.8% | #381 of 527 |
| 6Okeechobee, FL | 34 | 28 | 18.5 | $410K | +7.4% | #439 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sumter County, FL | 85 | 54 | 7.7 | $1.2M | +21.1% | #26 of 2,200 |
| 2Polk County, FL | 81 | 229 | 7.9 | $1M | +19.8% | #62 of 2,200 |
| 3Jefferson County, FL | 79 | 5 | 8.7 | $939K | +11.1% | #91 of 2,200 |
| 4St. Lucie County, FL | 77 | 146 | 10.6 | $809K | +21.4% | #126 of 2,200 |
| 5Santa Rosa County, FL | 77 | 91 | 12.5 | $794K | +11.7% | #127 of 2,200 |
| 6Hendry County, FL | 76 | 12 | 8.5 | $926K | +21.5% | #145 of 2,200 |
| 7Gulf County, FL | 75 | 6 | 10.1 | $826K | +11.7% | #167 of 2,200 |
| 8Orange County, FL | 73 | 517 | 9.8 | $971K | +6.7% | #197 of 2,200 |
| 9Osceola County, FL | 73 | 140 | 9.8 | $874K | +23.2% | #201 of 2,200 |
| 10Hillsborough County, FL | 72 | 608 | 10.4 | $918K | +7.4% | #228 of 2,200 |
| 11Collier County, FL | 71 | 206 | 12.4 | $840K | +10.6% | #257 of 2,200 |
| 12Miami-Dade County, FL | 70 | 924 | 9.5 | $960K | +4.0% | #279 of 2,200 |
| 13St. Johns County, FL | 70 | 150 | 13.0 | $899K | +25.0% | #283 of 2,200 |
| 14Gadsden County, FL | 69 | 7 | 4.1 | $1.7M | +2.0% | #299 of 2,200 |
| 15Bay County, FL | 69 | 93 | 11.8 | $750K | +17.2% | #333 of 2,200 |
| 16Manatee County, FL | 68 | 211 | 11.9 | $792K | +16.6% | #364 of 2,200 |
| 17Lee County, FL | 68 | 379 | 11.6 | $791K | +14.4% | #365 of 2,200 |
| 18Duval County, FL | 67 | 427 | 10.3 | $853K | +6.5% | #393 of 2,200 |
| 19Brevard County, FL | 67 | 297 | 11.5 | $810K | +9.1% | #400 of 2,200 |
| 20Highlands County, FL | 67 | 45 | 9.6 | $767K | +9.7% | #405 of 2,200 |
| 21Lake County, FL | 66 | 187 | 11.4 | $774K | +18.1% | #444 of 2,200 |
| 22Escambia County, FL | 66 | 144 | 11.2 | $761K | +3.5% | #446 of 2,200 |
| 23Flagler County, FL | 66 | 64 | 12.2 | $757K | +21.0% | #447 of 2,200 |
| 24Broward County, FL | 65 | 801 | 10.6 | $882K | +3.6% | #473 of 2,200 |
| 25Putnam County, FL | 64 | 28 | 8.9 | $793K | +5.9% | #517 of 2,200 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Walton County, FL | 64 | 50 | 14.6 | $676K | +22.9% | #524 of 2,200 |
| 27Pasco County, FL | 62 | 294 | 12.4 | $714K | +19.1% | #592 of 2,200 |
| 28Sarasota County, FL | 61 | 286 | 13.5 | $723K | +10.0% | #626 of 2,200 |
| 29Clay County, FL | 61 | 111 | 13.3 | $722K | +9.4% | #627 of 2,200 |
| 30Jackson County, FL | 61 | 17 | 9.8 | $701K | +5.4% | #631 of 2,200 |
| 31Leon County, FL | 60 | 112 | 9.1 | $943K | +1.7% | #651 of 2,200 |
| 32Palm Beach County, FL | 60 | 760 | 12.6 | $795K | +5.5% | #664 of 2,200 |
| 33Wakulla County, FL | 60 | 15 | 11.8 | $769K | +12.3% | #668 of 2,200 |
| 34Franklin County, FL | 59 | 6 | 12.1 | $684K | +4.5% | #704 of 2,200 |
| 35Charlotte County, FL | 59 | 113 | 12.5 | $682K | +15.5% | #705 of 2,200 |
| 36Nassau County, FL | 59 | 58 | 14.8 | $677K | +17.4% | #706 of 2,200 |
| 37Columbia County, FL | 58 | 31 | 11.3 | $692K | +6.2% | #743 of 2,200 |
| 38Okaloosa County, FL | 57 | 119 | 13.9 | $691K | +4.6% | #787 of 2,200 |
| 39Volusia County, FL | 57 | 309 | 12.8 | $667K | +9.1% | #789 of 2,200 |
| 40Baker County, FL | 56 | 12 | 13.1 | $694K | +5.8% | #834 of 2,200 |
| 41Citrus County, FL | 55 | 92 | 12.9 | $597K | +11.1% | #882 of 2,200 |
| 42Seminole County, FL | 54 | 261 | 13.9 | $712K | +4.3% | #915 of 2,200 |
| 43Suwannee County, FL | 53 | 22 | 13.7 | $549K | +10.6% | #974 of 2,200 |
| 44Washington County, FL | 49 | 12 | 12.9 | $572K | +5.4% | #1,171 of 2,200 |
| 45Indian River County, FL | 48 | 109 | 15.4 | $594K | +7.7% | #1,212 of 2,200 |
| 46Alachua County, FL | 46 | 159 | 13.6 | $624K | +3.7% | #1,287 of 2,200 |
| 47Gilchrist County, FL | 45 | 10 | 14.0 | $584K | +14.5% | #1,338 of 2,200 |
| 48Hernando County, FL | 43 | 136 | 16.5 | $494K | +13.3% | #1,412 of 2,200 |
| 49Monroe County, FL | 42 | 48 | 14.0 | $739K | −2.9% | #1,426 of 2,200 |
| 50Pinellas County, FL | 42 | 554 | 12.9 | $704K | −1.2% | #1,427 of 2,200 |
| 51DeSoto County, FL | 42 | 18 | 14.0 | $499K | +8.8% | #1,448 of 2,200 |
| 52Martin County, FL | 41 | 131 | 19.3 | $511K | +4.8% | #1,496 of 2,200 |
| 53Marion County, FL | 38 | 247 | 15.0 | $520K | +17.3% | #1,618 of 2,200 |
| 54Hardee County, FL | 37 | 14 | 17.0 | $452K | +2.4% | #1,660 of 2,200 |
| 55Bradford County, FL | 33 | 13 | 14.0 | $555K | +0.3% | #1,785 of 2,200 |
| 56Okeechobee County, FL | 33 | 28 | 18.5 | $410K | +7.4% | #1,805 of 2,200 |
| 57Levy County, FL | 30 | 42 | 22.6 | $331K | +12.7% | #1,883 of 2,200 |
| 58Calhoun County, FL | 27 | 5 | 10.8 | $650K | −3.0% | #1,952 of 2,200 |
| 59Madison County, FL | 26 | 11 | 15.8 | $419K | +5.0% | #1,990 of 2,200 |
| 60Holmes County, FL | 24 | 11 | 15.7 | $441K | +2.7% | #2,038 of 2,200 |
| 61Taylor County, FL | 20 | 10 | 12.5 | $556K | −2.5% | #2,105 of 2,200 |
| Dixie County, FL | Not scored | 2 | 3.2 | $2M | +8.0% | |
| Union County, FL | Not scored | 3 | 7.0 | $1.1M | +5.2% | |
| Hamilton County, FL | Not scored | 2 | 4.7 | $1.4M | +3.3% | |
| Glades County, FL | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $3.2M | +9.9% | |
| Lafayette County, FL | Not scored | 2 | 7.6 | $957K | +6.8% | |
| Liberty County, FL | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $1.9M | +2.8% |
Markets with fewer than 5 pet businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Florida?
There are 10,008 pet businesses on map listings in Florida as of September 2026. 1,813 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 5,383 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 14.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 14,976 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Florida spend on pets?
About $8B a year, or $915 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 10,008 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $801K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 8,752,810 households in Florida and national spending patterns by income.
How does Florida compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Florida has 11.4 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 10% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $801K, 9% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Florida would have about 9,122, against 10,008 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,626 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Florida has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 22 scored metro areas in or partly in Florida, the Wildwood-The Villages metro area scores highest, at 86 (high). Among 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in Florida, the Clewiston area scores highest, at 86 (high). Among 61 scored counties in Florida, Sumter County scores highest, at 85 (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. Florida scores 54 for pet businesses (upper middle), #24 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 Florida. 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
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Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Florida
Related business types in Florida
- Veterinarians3,314 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding3,364 listings
- Pet stores2,166 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Florida?
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.