Market rankings · Maryland
Pet businesses in Maryland
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maryland, ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,024
- 418 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 1,128
- +1.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.6B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 8.6
- 17% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- 48% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #4 of 51
- Market score 80 · High
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Maryland 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
Maryland has 2,024 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 418 of them (21%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 8.6 for every 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Household spending on pets in Maryland comes to about $2.6B a year: $1,117 per household, 23% above the U.S. average. That works out to $1.3M per business, 48% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
Official counts show 1,128 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Maryland in 2023, up 1.0% from 2019. That is one for every 2,095 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, 53 SBA-backed loans worth $36.8M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Maryland.
Among the 50 states and DC, Maryland ranks #4 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 80 (high). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area scores highest (81). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest (88).
Every market in Maryland for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maryland, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 81 | 1,932 | 8.1 | $1.5M | +3.3% | #11 of 387 |
| 1Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 73 | 123 | 10.4 | $874K | +7.1% | #43 of 387 |
| 2Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 71 | 978 | 8.7 | $1.2M | +0.4% | #47 of 387 |
| 3Lexington Park, MD | 65 | 90 | 11.9 | $1M | +2.1% | #80 of 387 |
| 4Salisbury, MD | 53 | 53 | 10.9 | $813K | +2.9% | #172 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cambridge, MD | 88 | 7 | 5.2 | $1.6M | +3.4% | #2 of 527 |
| 2Ocean Pines, MD | 61 | 36 | 14.9 | $652K | +3.7% | #139 of 527 |
| 3Cumberland, MD-WV | 55 | 42 | 10.9 | $709K | −1.3% | #211 of 527 |
| 4Easton, MD | 55 | 26 | 15.8 | $638K | +2.0% | #215 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charles County, MD | 88 | 55 | 9.0 | $1.3M | +5.9% | #10 of 2,200 |
| 2Prince George’s County, MD | 85 | 133 | 3.8 | $2.8M | +0.5% | #21 of 2,200 |
| 3Dorchester County, MD | 84 | 7 | 5.2 | $1.6M | +3.4% | #35 of 2,200 |
| 4Cecil County, MD | 77 | 49 | 12.1 | $837K | +3.2% | #124 of 2,200 |
| 5Montgomery County, MD | 76 | 308 | 7.9 | $1.6M | +1.3% | #133 of 2,200 |
| 6Baltimore city, MD | 74 | 119 | 4.7 | $1.8M | −2.3% | #170 of 2,200 |
| 7Baltimore County, MD | 72 | 260 | 7.8 | $1.3M | −0.7% | #211 of 2,200 |
| 8Frederick County, MD | 72 | 133 | 12.7 | $969K | +11.0% | #226 of 2,200 |
| 9St. Mary’s County, MD | 71 | 52 | 12.3 | $982K | +2.4% | #247 of 2,200 |
| 10Calvert County, MD | 70 | 38 | 11.4 | $1.1M | +1.7% | #271 of 2,200 |
| 11Harford County, MD | 69 | 105 | 10.3 | $1.1M | +2.0% | #306 of 2,200 |
| 12Howard County, MD | 68 | 121 | 10.0 | $1.4M | +1.9% | #338 of 2,200 |
| 13Anne Arundel County, MD | 68 | 227 | 10.1 | $1.2M | +1.7% | #340 of 2,200 |
| 14Washington County, MD | 64 | 71 | 11.9 | $776K | +2.0% | #519 of 2,200 |
| 15Caroline County, MD | 64 | 16 | 12.8 | $657K | +2.5% | #525 of 2,200 |
| 16Wicomico County, MD | 58 | 49 | 12.1 | $748K | +3.2% | #734 of 2,200 |
| 17Queen Anne’s County, MD | 58 | 33 | 16.6 | $701K | +8.8% | #741 of 2,200 |
| 18Worcester County, MD | 56 | 36 | 14.9 | $652K | +3.7% | #839 of 2,200 |
| 19Carroll County, MD | 50 | 113 | 17.6 | $681K | +2.2% | #1,101 of 2,200 |
| 20Talbot County, MD | 49 | 26 | 15.8 | $638K | +2.0% | #1,158 of 2,200 |
| 21Allegany County, MD | 43 | 32 | 11.7 | $648K | −1.6% | #1,393 of 2,200 |
| 22Kent County, MD | 41 | 14 | 16.5 | $565K | +2.3% | #1,483 of 2,200 |
| 23Garrett County, MD | 29 | 23 | 18.3 | $469K | −1.5% | #1,905 of 2,200 |
| Somerset County, MD | Not scored | 4 | 4.8 | $1.6M | +1.7% |
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 Maryland?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,024 pet businesses in Maryland. 418 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 1,128 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 1.0% from 2019. Another 4,506 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Maryland spend on pets?
About $2.6B a year, or $1,117 per household. That is 23% above the U.S. average (an index of 123, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,024 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $1.3M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,362,928 households in Maryland and national spending patterns by income.
How does Maryland compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Maryland has 8.6 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $1.3M, 48% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Maryland would have about 3,004, against 2,024 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,095 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Maryland has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area scores highest, at 81 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Cambridge area scores highest, at 88 (high). Among 23 scored counties in Maryland, Charles County scores highest, at 88 (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. Maryland scores 80 for pet businesses (high), #4 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 Maryland. 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
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- 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 Maryland
Related business types in Maryland
- Veterinarians725 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding664 listings
- Pet stores374 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Maryland?
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.