Pets · County · North Carolina
Pet businesses in Johnston County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Johnston County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 75 out of 100: High
Ranked #166 of 2,200 scored counties
#9 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 93
- 15 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 45
- +32.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $80.7M
- On pets · $942 a household
- Spending per listing
- $867K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.9
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 256,448
- +17.9% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Johnston 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 Johnston 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
For pet businesses, Johnston County has a Groundwork market score of 75 (high): #166 of 2,200 scored counties and #9 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for pet businesses.
Household spending on pets in Johnston County comes to about $80.7M a year: $942 per household, 4% above the U.S. average. Spread across 93 pet businesses, that is $867K per business, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 93 pet businesses on map listings in Johnston County as of September 2026. 15 of them (16%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 10.9 for every 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Official counts show 45 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Johnston County in 2023, up 32.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,902 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $255K has gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Johnston County. Population estimates show Johnston County grew 17.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Johnston County compares
The same measures for North Carolina 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 | Johnston County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.9 | 11.0 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $867K | $817K | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,902 | 1,719 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +32.4% | +15.0% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +17.9% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $942 | $899 | $909 |
| Median household income | $83,384 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 75 | 59 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 34 → 45+32.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 517
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $20.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 159Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 9315 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 92The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $255K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Johnston 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 Johnston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 256,448+17.9% since 2020
- Households
- 85,591
- Median age
- 38.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 792 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 296
- Median household income
- $83,384+39.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $103,557
- Median home value
- $305,600
- Jobs located here
- 58,494
- Daytime population
- 179,884Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for pet businesses, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Johnston County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| 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 |
Other business types in Johnston 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 businesses75
- Veterinarians81
- Pet grooming and boarding69
- Pet stores82
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Johnston County, NC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 93 pet businesses in Johnston County. 15 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 45 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 32.4% from 2019. Another 159 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Johnston County, NC spend on pets?
About $80.7M a year, or $942 per household. That is 4% above the U.S. average (an index of 104, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 93 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $867K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 85,591 households in Johnston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Johnston County, NC compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Johnston County has 10.9 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $867K, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Johnston County would have about 92, against 93 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,902 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 32.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Johnston County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Johnston County at 256,448 people in 2025, up 17.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 85,591 households. Median household income in Johnston County is $83,384, 3% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 39.3%, 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. Johnston County scores 75 for pet businesses (high), #166 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Johnston 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 Johnston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Johnston 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 Johnston 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.