Pets · County · Florida
Pet businesses in Hillsborough County, FL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Hillsborough County, FL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 72 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #228 of 2,200 scored counties
#10 of 61 scored counties in Florida
- Listings
- 608
- 124 chain locations (20%)
- Official establishments
- 344
- +12.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $558.1M
- On pets · $957 a household
- Spending per listing
- $918K
- 5% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.4
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 1,574,115
- +7.4% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 608 pet businesses in Hillsborough County. Of those, 124 are chain locations, or 20%, against 17% across the U.S. That is 10.4 per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 10.4.
At $957 per household (5% above the U.S. average), households in Hillsborough County spend about $558.1M a year on pets. Spread across 608 pet businesses, that is $918K per business, 5% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 344 businesses with payroll in Hillsborough County classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 12.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,695 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Official counts also show 997 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 37 SBA-backed loans worth $28.1M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Hillsborough County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Hillsborough County grew 7.4%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For pet businesses, Hillsborough County has a Groundwork market score of 72 (upper middle): #228 of 2,200 scored counties and #10 of 61 scored counties in Florida. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Hillsborough County compares
The same measures for Florida 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 | Hillsborough County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.4 | 11.4 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $918K | $801K | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,695 | 1,626 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +12.4% | +14.7% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +7.4% | +8.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $957 | $915 | $909 |
| Median household income | $79,540 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 72 | 54 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 306 → 344+12.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,170
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $197.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 997Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 608124 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 635The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 37
- Amount
- $28.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 1,574,115+7.4% since 2020
- Households
- 583,192
- Median age
- 38.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 61%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 1,022 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,490
- Median household income
- $79,540+35.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $112,695
- Median home value
- $371,500
- Jobs located here
- 844,193
- Daytime population
- 1,660,701Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough 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 Florida
Every Florida market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Florida for pet businesses, numbered among those based in Florida, with Hillsborough County marked.
Top counties in Florida
| 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 |
Other business types in Hillsborough 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 businesses72
- Veterinarians74
- Pet grooming and boarding70
- Pet stores65
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Hillsborough County, FL?
There are 608 pet businesses on map listings in Hillsborough County as of September 2026. 124 of them (20%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 344 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 12.4% from 2019. Another 997 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Hillsborough County, FL spend on pets?
About $558.1M a year, or $957 per household. That is 5% above the U.S. average (an index of 105, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 608 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $918K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 583,192 households in Hillsborough County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Hillsborough County, FL compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Hillsborough County has 10.4 pet businesses per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $918K, 5% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Hillsborough County would have about 635, against 608 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,695 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 12.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Hillsborough County, FL growing?
Population estimates put Hillsborough County at 1,574,115 people in 2025, up 7.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 583,192 households. The median household income in Hillsborough County is $79,540 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 35.1% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Hillsborough County scores 72 for pet businesses (upper middle), #228 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough 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.