Market rankings · North Carolina
Pet businesses in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 4,712
- 902 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 2,491
- +15.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.9B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.0
- 6% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $817K
- 7% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #16 of 51
- Market score 59 · Upper middle
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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
North Carolina has 4,712 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 902 of them (19%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 11.0, 6% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Households in North Carolina spend about $3.9B a year on pets, or $899 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That is about $817K of household spending for each business on map listings, 7% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in North Carolina was 2,491 in 2023, up 15.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,719 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, 140 SBA-backed loans worth $121.8M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #16 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Goldsboro metro area scores highest (74). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest (87).
Every market in North Carolina for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Goldsboro, NC | 74 | 33 | 6.9 | $1.1M | +3.8% | #35 of 387 |
| 2Rocky Mount, NC | 73 | 36 | 6.2 | $1.3M | +2.8% | #38 of 387 |
| 3Fayetteville, NC | 68 | 106 | 7.1 | $1.1M | +1.6% | #59 of 387 |
| 4Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 68 | 238 | 9.6 | $1M | +7.5% | #61 of 387 |
| 5Burlington, NC | 68 | 60 | 8.6 | $962K | +8.5% | #62 of 387 |
| 6Raleigh-Cary, NC | 67 | 685 | 11.9 | $913K | +12.6% | #70 of 387 |
| 7Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 65 | 1,228 | 11.4 | $863K | +10.1% | #84 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 63 | 638 | 9.0 | $1.1M | +0.9% | #94 of 387 |
| 8Greenville, NC | 60 | 59 | 7.9 | $989K | +5.4% | #111 of 387 |
| 9Greensboro-High Point, NC | 58 | 320 | 10.1 | $828K | +4.1% | #133 of 387 |
| 10Winston-Salem, NC | 58 | 289 | 10.3 | $819K | +5.3% | #134 of 387 |
| 11Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 47 | 167 | 11.2 | $714K | +3.2% | #220 of 387 |
| 12Wilmington, NC | 44 | 284 | 14.3 | $644K | +15.9% | #247 of 387 |
| 13Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 40 | 68 | 15.4 | $618K | +10.3% | #279 of 387 |
| 14Jacksonville, NC | 36 | 94 | 12.5 | $656K | +6.0% | #299 of 387 |
| 15Asheville, NC | 29 | 259 | 16.1 | $553K | +3.6% | #344 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Anderson Creek, NC | 87 | 44 | 8.8 | $967K | +12.3% | #4 of 527 |
| 2Wilson, NC | 75 | 25 | 7.6 | $1M | +1.7% | #29 of 527 |
| 3Marion, NC | 73 | 16 | 8.6 | $872K | +1.5% | #42 of 527 |
| 4Washington, NC | 71 | 12 | 6.2 | $1.3M | 0.0% | #48 of 527 |
| 5Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 71 | 35 | 9.0 | $850K | +3.4% | #50 of 527 |
| 6Lumberton, NC | 70 | 32 | 7.4 | $882K | +3.4% | #57 of 527 |
| 7New Bern, NC | 68 | 48 | 9.2 | $874K | +3.6% | #67 of 527 |
| 8Roanoke Rapids, NC | 63 | 13 | 4.6 | $1.5M | −4.3% | #107 of 527 |
| 9Kill Devil Hills, NC | 61 | 24 | 14.3 | $711K | +3.3% | #138 of 527 |
| 10Sanford, NC | 57 | 33 | 13.1 | $614K | +10.8% | #181 of 527 |
| 11Laurinburg, NC | 56 | 11 | 8.7 | $792K | −0.3% | #192 of 527 |
| 12Albemarle, NC | 56 | 35 | 13.9 | $573K | +9.8% | #202 of 527 |
| 13Brevard, NC | 56 | 27 | 18.5 | $451K | +2.9% | #204 of 527 |
| 14Waynesville, NC | 51 | 31 | 11.4 | $697K | +1.9% | #267 of 527 |
| 15Morehead City, NC | 51 | 49 | 15.3 | $583K | +4.1% | #274 of 527 |
| 16Henderson, NC | 51 | 21 | 13.0 | $561K | +0.2% | #275 of 527 |
| 17Rockingham, NC | 49 | 13 | 7.6 | $879K | −1.6% | #285 of 527 |
| 18North Wilkesboro, NC | 48 | 29 | 10.7 | $649K | +0.6% | #302 of 527 |
| 19Forest City, NC | 46 | 33 | 12.4 | $584K | +2.1% | #325 of 527 |
| 20Mount Airy, NC | 42 | 44 | 14.7 | $508K | +1.3% | #368 of 527 |
| 21Kinston, NC | 39 | 28 | 12.0 | $573K | +1.4% | #391 of 527 |
| 22Boone, NC | 38 | 28 | 13.2 | $594K | +0.6% | #397 of 527 |
| 23Elizabeth City, NC | 38 | 30 | 19.0 | $428K | +4.5% | #407 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Harnett County, NC | 84 | 44 | 8.8 | $967K | +12.3% | #40 of 2,200 |
| 2Wayne County, NC | 78 | 33 | 6.9 | $1.1M | +3.8% | #106 of 2,200 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 78 | 27 | 9.5 | $916K | +18.8% | #111 of 2,200 |
| 4Currituck County, NC | 78 | 18 | 15.2 | $681K | +16.7% | #113 of 2,200 |
| 5Durham County, NC | 77 | 113 | 8.0 | $1.2M | +7.7% | #116 of 2,200 |
| 6Duplin County, NC | 77 | 14 | 6.7 | $1.1M | +6.0% | #118 of 2,200 |
| 7Hoke County, NC | 77 | 20 | 10.4 | $787K | +9.0% | #129 of 2,200 |
| 8Nash County, NC | 75 | 29 | 7.5 | $1.1M | +3.9% | #158 of 2,200 |
| 9Johnston County, NC | 75 | 93 | 10.9 | $867K | +17.9% | #166 of 2,200 |
| 10Mecklenburg County, NC | 74 | 489 | 10.5 | $977K | +10.5% | #180 of 2,200 |
| 11Cabarrus County, NC | 73 | 83 | 9.9 | $1M | +9.9% | #194 of 2,200 |
| 12Alamance County, NC | 72 | 60 | 8.6 | $962K | +8.5% | #227 of 2,200 |
| 13Yancey County, NC | 71 | 7 | 8.6 | $932K | +3.2% | #250 of 2,200 |
| 14Wake County, NC | 71 | 565 | 12.3 | $921K | +11.2% | #253 of 2,200 |
| 15Davidson County, NC | 71 | 75 | 10.7 | $757K | +6.6% | #265 of 2,200 |
| 16Montgomery County, NC | 70 | 7 | 6.6 | $1.2M | +2.7% | #270 of 2,200 |
| 17Wilson County, NC | 70 | 25 | 7.6 | $1M | +1.7% | #274 of 2,200 |
| 18Beaufort County, NC | 69 | 12 | 6.2 | $1.3M | 0.0% | #301 of 2,200 |
| 19Cumberland County, NC | 68 | 86 | 6.6 | $1.2M | +0.4% | #341 of 2,200 |
| 20Orange County, NC | 68 | 65 | 11.3 | $935K | +6.1% | #348 of 2,200 |
| 21Guilford County, NC | 68 | 208 | 9.5 | $917K | +4.4% | #350 of 2,200 |
| 22Stokes County, NC | 68 | 18 | 9.2 | $823K | +3.5% | #359 of 2,200 |
| 23Gaston County, NC | 68 | 101 | 10.8 | $783K | +7.8% | #366 of 2,200 |
| 24Forsyth County, NC | 67 | 147 | 9.2 | $933K | +5.0% | #387 of 2,200 |
| 25Person County, NC | 67 | 16 | 10.0 | $831K | +3.7% | #398 of 2,200 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Lincoln County, NC | 67 | 47 | 12.8 | $744K | +13.2% | #407 of 2,200 |
| 27Brunswick County, NC | 67 | 87 | 12.6 | $716K | +26.5% | #409 of 2,200 |
| 28McDowell County, NC | 66 | 16 | 8.6 | $872K | +1.5% | #434 of 2,200 |
| 29Union County, NC | 66 | 116 | 13.8 | $806K | +11.7% | #441 of 2,200 |
| 30Pitt County, NC | 65 | 59 | 7.9 | $989K | +5.4% | #464 of 2,200 |
| 31Robeson County, NC | 65 | 32 | 7.4 | $882K | +3.4% | #474 of 2,200 |
| 32Cleveland County, NC | 65 | 35 | 9.0 | $850K | +3.4% | #476 of 2,200 |
| 33Rowan County, NC | 65 | 71 | 12.1 | $681K | +5.6% | #490 of 2,200 |
| 34Edgecombe County, NC | 63 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.1M | +0.7% | #527 of 2,200 |
| 35Chatham County, NC | 63 | 44 | 13.3 | $816K | +11.0% | #553 of 2,200 |
| 36Craven County, NC | 62 | 38 | 8.9 | $911K | +3.5% | #575 of 2,200 |
| 37Yadkin County, NC | 61 | 20 | 13.3 | $608K | +2.9% | #638 of 2,200 |
| 38Columbus County, NC | 60 | 13 | 6.5 | $1.1M | 0.0% | #647 of 2,200 |
| 39Sampson County, NC | 60 | 18 | 8.3 | $864K | +4.1% | #656 of 2,200 |
| 40Catawba County, NC | 60 | 67 | 10.1 | $829K | +5.8% | #658 of 2,200 |
| 41Halifax County, NC | 59 | 12 | 5.9 | $1.2M | −3.9% | #679 of 2,200 |
| 42Caswell County, NC | 59 | 6 | 6.8 | $1.1M | +0.4% | #681 of 2,200 |
| 43Randolph County, NC | 59 | 64 | 11.1 | $698K | +3.5% | #703 of 2,200 |
| 44Clay County, NC | 59 | 6 | 11.8 | $667K | +9.9% | #707 of 2,200 |
| 45Warren County, NC | 58 | 7 | 8.6 | $835K | +1.6% | #725 of 2,200 |
| 46Burke County, NC | 57 | 42 | 11.6 | $665K | +1.6% | #790 of 2,200 |
| 47Pender County, NC | 57 | 36 | 14.2 | $649K | +19.0% | #792 of 2,200 |
| 48Granville County, NC | 56 | 27 | 12.0 | $724K | +2.1% | #831 of 2,200 |
| 49Dare County, NC | 55 | 24 | 14.3 | $711K | +3.3% | #874 of 2,200 |
| 50Rockingham County, NC | 54 | 48 | 12.1 | $620K | +3.3% | #923 of 2,200 |
| 51Scotland County, NC | 53 | 11 | 8.7 | $792K | −0.3% | #945 of 2,200 |
| 52Ashe County, NC | 53 | 13 | 10.7 | $714K | +3.5% | #956 of 2,200 |
| 53Caldwell County, NC | 53 | 38 | 11.5 | $654K | +0.7% | #960 of 2,200 |
| 54Lee County, NC | 53 | 33 | 13.1 | $614K | +10.8% | #966 of 2,200 |
| 55Stanly County, NC | 53 | 35 | 13.9 | $573K | +9.8% | #971 of 2,200 |
| 56Bertie County, NC | 52 | 5 | 7.0 | $1.1M | −3.6% | #980 of 2,200 |
| 57Transylvania County, NC | 52 | 27 | 18.5 | $451K | +2.9% | #1,028 of 2,200 |
| 58Moore County, NC | 51 | 68 | 15.4 | $618K | +10.3% | #1,064 of 2,200 |
| 59Onslow County, NC | 50 | 94 | 12.5 | $656K | +6.0% | #1,107 of 2,200 |
| 60New Hanover County, NC | 50 | 161 | 15.4 | $605K | +8.6% | #1,117 of 2,200 |
| 61Iredell County, NC | 50 | 124 | 16.2 | $588K | +12.9% | #1,118 of 2,200 |
| 62Pamlico County, NC | 48 | 7 | 12.8 | $612K | +3.7% | #1,207 of 2,200 |
| 63Macon County, NC | 47 | 24 | 13.0 | $608K | +5.8% | #1,250 of 2,200 |
| 64Jackson County, NC | 46 | 20 | 10.9 | $699K | +6.9% | #1,278 of 2,200 |
| 65Vance County, NC | 46 | 21 | 13.0 | $561K | +0.2% | #1,295 of 2,200 |
| 66Wilkes County, NC | 45 | 29 | 10.7 | $649K | +0.6% | #1,331 of 2,200 |
| 67Carteret County, NC | 45 | 49 | 15.3 | $583K | +4.1% | #1,339 of 2,200 |
| 68Richmond County, NC | 43 | 13 | 7.6 | $879K | −1.6% | #1,377 of 2,200 |
| 69Haywood County, NC | 43 | 31 | 11.4 | $697K | +1.9% | #1,385 of 2,200 |
| 70Davie County, NC | 43 | 29 | 16.8 | $546K | +6.9% | #1,408 of 2,200 |
| 71Rutherford County, NC | 42 | 33 | 12.4 | $584K | +2.1% | #1,440 of 2,200 |
| 72Henderson County, NC | 42 | 75 | 14.7 | $584K | +5.0% | #1,441 of 2,200 |
| 73Alexander County, NC | 40 | 20 | 14.2 | $546K | +1.5% | #1,534 of 2,200 |
| 74Surry County, NC | 40 | 44 | 14.7 | $508K | +1.3% | #1,542 of 2,200 |
| 75Avery County, NC | 40 | 13 | 19.1 | $430K | +1.1% | #1,547 of 2,200 |
| 76Bladen County, NC | 37 | 12 | 10.1 | $672K | +1.3% | #1,630 of 2,200 |
| 77Lenoir County, NC | 37 | 28 | 12.0 | $573K | +1.4% | #1,639 of 2,200 |
| 78Buncombe County, NC | 36 | 180 | 17.7 | $516K | +2.9% | #1,695 of 2,200 |
| 79Pasquotank County, NC | 34 | 30 | 19.0 | $428K | +4.5% | #1,772 of 2,200 |
| 80Polk County, NC | 32 | 28 | 31.2 | $279K | +6.0% | #1,837 of 2,200 |
| 81Watauga County, NC | 31 | 28 | 13.2 | $594K | +0.6% | #1,840 of 2,200 |
| 82Alleghany County, NC | 29 | 8 | 15.5 | $446K | +5.4% | #1,909 of 2,200 |
| 83Cherokee County, NC | 28 | 21 | 15.9 | $453K | +6.8% | #1,936 of 2,200 |
| 84Martin County, NC | 20 | 12 | 12.6 | $547K | −1.6% | #2,106 of 2,200 |
| 85Gates County, NC | 17 | 7 | 16.7 | $450K | −2.1% | #2,145 of 2,200 |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.7 | $1.4M | −2.1% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.8 | $1.6M | +5.9% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.3 | $1.6M | +1.3% | |
| Hertford County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.8 | $1.4M | −11.2% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $5.7M | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.6 | $1.6M | +1.1% | |
| Swain County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 6.7 | $1.2M | −0.6% | |
| Chowan County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 6.5 | $1.2M | +2.8% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.6% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 10.0 | $977K | +8.8% | |
| Washington County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 6.3 | $1.1M | −3.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 7.3 | $1M | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 11.4 | $649K | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 15.5 | $439K | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.3% |
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 North Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 4,712 pet businesses in North Carolina. 902 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 2,491 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 15.0% from 2019. Another 7,613 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on pets?
About $3.9B a year, or $899 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,712 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $817K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
North Carolina has 11.0 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 6% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $817K, 7% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, North Carolina would have about 4,386, against 4,712 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,719 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 15.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Goldsboro metro area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Anderson Creek area scores highest, at 87 (high). Among 85 scored counties in North Carolina, Harnett County scores highest, at 84 (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. North Carolina scores 59 for pet businesses (upper middle), #16 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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Veterinarians1,506 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding1,637 listings
- Pet stores836 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.