Pets · County · Maryland
Pet businesses in Washington County, MD
The pet businesses in Washington County, MD, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 64 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #519 of 2,200 scored counties
#14 of 23 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 71
- 9 chain locations (13%)
- Official establishments
- 28
- −22.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $55.1M
- On pets · $921 a household
- Spending per listing
- $776K
- 12% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.9
- 14% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 157,731
- +2.0% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 71 pet businesses in Washington County. 9 of them (13%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That is 11.9 per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Households in Washington County spend about $55.1M a year on pets, or $921 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That is about $776K of household spending for each business on map listings, 12% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Washington County was 28 in 2023, down 22.2% from 2019. That is one for every 2,136 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Official counts also show 107 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $487K have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Washington County.
Population estimates put the population change in Washington County from 2020 to 2025 at +2.0%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For pet businesses, Washington County has a Groundwork market score of 64 (upper middle): #519 of 2,200 scored counties and #14 of 23 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Maryland 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 | Washington County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.9 | 8.6 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $776K | $1.3M | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 2,136 | 2,095 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −22.2% | +1.0% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.0% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $921 | $1,117 | $909 |
| Median household income | $77,747 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 64 | 80 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 36 → 28−22.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 431
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $20.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 107Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 719 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 63The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $487K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 157,731+2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 59,818
- Median age
- 41.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 458 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 340
- Median household income
- $77,747+27.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,335
- Median home value
- $296,100
- Jobs located here
- 66,246
- Daytime population
- 152,730Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for pet businesses, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| 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 |
| 14Washington County, MD | 64 | 71 | 11.9 | $776K | +2.0% | #519 of 2,200 |
Other business types in Washington 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
- Veterinarians69
- Pet grooming and boarding64
- Pet stores63
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Washington County, MD?
Washington County has 71 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 9 of them (13%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, down 22.2% from 2019. Another 107 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington County, MD spend on pets?
About $55.1M a year, or $921 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 71 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $776K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 59,818 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, MD compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Washington County has 11.9 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $776K, 12% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Washington County would have about 63, against 71 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,136 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count fell 22.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 157,731 people in 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 59,818 households. The median household income in Washington County is $77,747 a year, 4% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 27.8% 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. Washington County scores 64 for pet businesses (upper middle), #519 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.