Pets · County · North Carolina
Pet businesses in Mecklenburg County, NC
The pet businesses in Mecklenburg County, NC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 74 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #180 of 2,200 scored counties
#10 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 489
- 160 chain locations (33%)
- Official establishments
- 285
- +10.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $477.9M
- On pets · $1,024 a household
- Spending per listing
- $977K
- 11% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.5
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 1,233,383
- +10.5% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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, Mecklenburg County has a Groundwork market score of 74 (upper middle): #180 of 2,200 scored counties and #10 of 85 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for pet businesses.
As of September 2026, map listings count 489 pet businesses in Mecklenburg County. 160 of them (33%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 10.5 for every 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Household spending on pets in Mecklenburg County comes to about $477.9M a year: $1,024 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. That is about $977K of household spending for each business on map listings, 11% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Mecklenburg County was 285 in 2023, up 10.9% from 2019. That is one for every 1,637 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 17 SBA-backed loans worth $6.9M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Mecklenburg County. Population estimates put the population change in Mecklenburg County from 2020 to 2025 at +10.5%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Mecklenburg 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 | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.5 | 11.0 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $977K | $817K | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,637 | 1,719 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.9% | +15.0% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +10.5% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,024 | $899 | $909 |
| Median household income | $87,005 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 74 | 59 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 257 → 285+10.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,726
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $170.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 1,020Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 489160 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 544The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 17
- Amount
- $6.9M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 1,233,383+10.5% since 2020
- Households
- 466,527
- Median age
- 36.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 524 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 2,205
- Median household income
- $87,005+30.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $128,768
- Median home value
- $406,800
- Jobs located here
- 829,972
- Daytime population
- 1,424,612Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 businesses74
- Veterinarians76
- Pet grooming and boarding75
- Pet stores70
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Mecklenburg County, NC?
Mecklenburg County has 489 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 160 of them (33%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 285 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 10.9% from 2019. Official counts list 1,020 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Mecklenburg County, NC spend on pets?
About $477.9M a year, or $1,024 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 489 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $977K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 466,527 households in Mecklenburg County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Mecklenburg County, NC compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Mecklenburg County has 10.5 pet businesses per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $977K, 11% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Mecklenburg County would have about 544, against 489 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,637 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Mecklenburg County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Mecklenburg County at 1,233,383 people in 2025, up 10.5% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 466,527 households. The median household income in Mecklenburg County is $87,005 a year, 8% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.6% 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. Mecklenburg County scores 74 for pet businesses (upper middle), #180 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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.