Groundwork

Market rankings · New Jersey

Pet businesses in New Jersey

Markets across New Jersey ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
3,115
599 chain locations (19%)
Official establishments
1,680
+7.1% since 2019
Household spending a year
$2.7B
On pets
Listings per 10k households
8.9
14% below the U.S.
Spending per listing
$872K
In line with the U.S.
Rank among states
#17 of 51
Market score 58 · Upper middle

A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in New Jersey by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey 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 3,115 pet businesses in New Jersey. Chain locations make up 19% of them, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 8.9 for every 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 10.4.

At $774 per household (15% below the U.S. average), households in New Jersey spend about $2.7B a year on pets. Spread across 3,115 pet businesses, that is $872K per business, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in New Jersey was 1,680 in 2023, up 7.1% from 2019. That is one for every 2,088 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, 118 SBA-backed loans worth $85.5M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in New Jersey.

Among the 50 states and DC, New Jersey ranks #17 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 58 (upper middle). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in New Jersey, the Vineland metro area scores highest (64). Among 21 scored counties, Middlesex County scores highest (77).

Every market in New Jersey for pet businesses

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Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in New Jersey, 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

Metro areas reaching New Jersey, ranked for pet businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Vineland, NJ64305.6$1.1M+2.2%#88 of 387
2Trenton-Princeton, NJ601158.0$957K+3.3%#112 of 387
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ595,4117.3$1M+0.6%#121 of 387
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD482,1768.8$851K+1.4%#207 of 387
3Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ351449.3$711K+0.8%#304 of 387
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ3536810.8$620K+3.0%#305 of 387

Counties

Counties in New Jersey, ranked for pet businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Middlesex County, NJ771835.9$1.3M+2.6%#115 of 2,200
2Essex County, NJ741504.7$1.5M+4.2%#171 of 2,200
3Union County, NJ741517.4$1.1M+5.0%#175 of 2,200
4Hudson County, NJ721705.7$1.3M+1.8%#213 of 2,200
5Somerset County, NJ711229.3$986K+3.5%#246 of 2,200
6Cumberland County, NJ65305.6$1.1M+2.2%#459 of 2,200
7Mercer County, NJ641158.0$957K+3.3%#499 of 2,200
8Bergen County, NJ6036910.4$827K+2.4%#659 of 2,200
9Salem County, NJ60208.0$798K+2.3%#663 of 2,200
10Passaic County, NJ581427.9$883K+1.6%#720 of 2,200
11Camden County, NJ561718.4$819K+2.4%#815 of 2,200
12Burlington County, NJ5418810.6$742K+4.3%#912 of 2,200
13Ocean County, NJ542349.6$731K+5.6%#913 of 2,200
14Morris County, NJ5224812.8$708K+3.2%#1,000 of 2,200
15Gloucester County, NJ5012411.0$694K+3.3%#1,099 of 2,200
16Atlantic County, NJ49978.9$727K+1.6%#1,140 of 2,200
17Monmouth County, NJ4630612.2$707K+1.4%#1,274 of 2,200
18Sussex County, NJ358614.9$544K+2.9%#1,721 of 2,200
19Hunterdon County, NJ349318.3$501K+2.3%#1,767 of 2,200
20Cape May County, NJ294710.5$677K−1.7%#1,887 of 2,200
21Warren County, NJ286915.2$475K+3.2%#1,935 of 2,200

Questions

How many pet businesses are in New Jersey?

There are 3,115 pet businesses on map listings in New Jersey as of September 2026. 599 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 1,680 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 7.1% from 2019. Official counts list 5,092 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in New Jersey spend on pets?

About $2.7B a year, or $774 per household. That is 15% below the U.S. average (an index of 85, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,115 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $872K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,507,701 households in New Jersey and national spending patterns by income.

How does New Jersey compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?

New Jersey has 8.9 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $872K, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, New Jersey would have about 3,091, against 3,115 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,088 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.

Which market in New Jersey has the highest market score for pet businesses?

Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in New Jersey, the Vineland metro area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 21 scored counties in New Jersey, Middlesex County scores highest, at 77 (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. New Jersey scores 58 for pet businesses (upper middle), #17 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 New Jersey. 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

Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in New Jersey

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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.