Market rankings · Virginia
Pet businesses in Virginia
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Virginia, ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,372
- 704 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 1,996
- +10.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.6B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.0
- 4% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.1M
- 20% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #12 of 51
- Market score 68 · Upper middle
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Virginia 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
Virginia has 3,372 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 704 are chain locations, or 21%, against 17% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 10.0, 4% below the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Households in Virginia spend about $3.6B a year on pets, or $1,056 per household, 16% above the U.S. average. Spread across 3,372 pet businesses, that is $1.1M per business, 20% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,996 businesses with payroll in Virginia classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 10.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,686 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, 93 SBA-backed loans worth $75.7M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Virginia.
Among the 50 states and DC, Virginia ranks #12 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 68 (upper middle). Of the 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area scores highest (81). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Martinsville area scores highest (64).
Every market in Virginia for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Virginia, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 81 | 1,932 | 8.1 | $1.5M | +3.3% | #11 of 387 |
| 1Richmond, VA | 73 | 489 | 9.2 | $1.1M | +5.5% | #40 of 387 |
| 2Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 63 | 638 | 9.0 | $1.1M | +0.9% | #94 of 387 |
| 3Charlottesville, VA | 57 | 106 | 11.7 | $901K | +3.1% | #140 of 387 |
| 4Winchester, VA-WV | 52 | 71 | 12.8 | $761K | +6.5% | #183 of 387 |
| 5Harrisonburg, VA | 51 | 58 | 11.6 | $762K | +3.5% | #190 of 387 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 45 | 146 | 11.2 | $699K | +2.3% | #238 of 387 |
| 6Lynchburg, VA | 41 | 115 | 11.1 | $754K | +2.9% | #267 of 387 |
| 7Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 40 | 73 | 10.4 | $816K | −0.1% | #272 of 387 |
| 8Roanoke, VA | 40 | 153 | 11.6 | $739K | +0.4% | #273 of 387 |
| 9Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 32 | 69 | 13.2 | $645K | +3.2% | #326 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Martinsville, VA | 64 | 15 | 5.6 | $1.3M | −1.9% | #101 of 527 |
| 2Lake of the Woods, VA | 63 | 22 | 14.8 | $692K | +10.1% | #114 of 527 |
| 3Danville, VA | 52 | 44 | 10.0 | $714K | −1.7% | #249 of 527 |
| Bluefield, WV-VA | 48 | 41 | 10.1 | $714K | −3.8% | #299 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Arlington County, VA | 85 | 68 | 6.1 | $2.2M | +2.1% | #22 of 2,200 |
| 2Richmond city, VA | 84 | 59 | 5.7 | $1.5M | +4.6% | #37 of 2,200 |
| 3Prince George County, VA | 83 | 7 | 5.4 | $1.8M | +2.0% | #41 of 2,200 |
| 4New Kent County, VA | 82 | 10 | 10.8 | $1.1M | +21.2% | #51 of 2,200 |
| 5Chesterfield County, VA | 81 | 123 | 8.8 | $1.2M | +8.7% | #56 of 2,200 |
| 6Prince William County, VA | 80 | 135 | 8.6 | $1.5M | +4.2% | #66 of 2,200 |
| 7Dinwiddie County, VA | 80 | 9 | 8.4 | $1.1M | +3.6% | #72 of 2,200 |
| 8Suffolk city, VA | 80 | 37 | 9.8 | $1M | +10.4% | #73 of 2,200 |
| 9Spotsylvania County, VA | 78 | 55 | 10.5 | $1.1M | +10.5% | #108 of 2,200 |
| 10Warren County, VA | 78 | 17 | 11.1 | $876K | +4.8% | #112 of 2,200 |
| 11Alexandria city, VA | 77 | 59 | 7.8 | $1.6M | +1.0% | #114 of 2,200 |
| 12Frederick County, VA | 77 | 32 | 9.0 | $1.2M | +8.8% | #117 of 2,200 |
| 13Caroline County, VA | 77 | 17 | 14.2 | $688K | +11.3% | #131 of 2,200 |
| 14Rockingham County, VA | 76 | 35 | 10.7 | $859K | +6.6% | #148 of 2,200 |
| 15Fairfax County, VA | 75 | 341 | 8.2 | $1.7M | +1.7% | #152 of 2,200 |
| 16Hampton city, VA | 75 | 31 | 5.3 | $1.6M | 0.0% | #153 of 2,200 |
| 17Westmoreland County, VA | 75 | 7 | 8.6 | $945K | +6.5% | #164 of 2,200 |
| 18Fluvanna County, VA | 75 | 14 | 13.6 | $764K | +6.2% | #168 of 2,200 |
| 19Stafford County, VA | 74 | 55 | 10.5 | $1.2M | +8.3% | #173 of 2,200 |
| 20Portsmouth city, VA | 72 | 14 | 3.5 | $2.2M | −1.2% | #209 of 2,200 |
| 21King George County, VA | 72 | 18 | 17.8 | $651K | +10.5% | #237 of 2,200 |
| 22Northumberland County, VA | 71 | 6 | 10.6 | $802K | +6.1% | #262 of 2,200 |
| 23Norfolk city, VA | 70 | 52 | 5.5 | $1.5M | −2.9% | #267 of 2,200 |
| 24Louisa County, VA | 70 | 19 | 12.2 | $798K | +13.6% | #292 of 2,200 |
| 25Powhatan County, VA | 69 | 11 | 9.7 | $1.2M | +7.0% | #303 of 2,200 |
Show all 133 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Chesapeake city, VA | 69 | 86 | 9.2 | $1.1M | +2.3% | #304 of 2,200 |
| 27Loudoun County, VA | 69 | 202 | 14.1 | $1.1M | +6.4% | #308 of 2,200 |
| 28Botetourt County, VA | 69 | 15 | 11.3 | $816K | +1.5% | #328 of 2,200 |
| 29Albemarle County, VA | 67 | 53 | 11.5 | $975K | +5.1% | #384 of 2,200 |
| 30Bedford County, VA | 67 | 38 | 11.5 | $806K | +4.4% | #401 of 2,200 |
| 31Henrico County, VA | 66 | 139 | 10.1 | $1M | +2.3% | #424 of 2,200 |
| 32Newport News city, VA | 65 | 58 | 7.6 | $1.1M | −1.5% | #458 of 2,200 |
| 33Pulaski County, VA | 65 | 11 | 7.6 | $1M | −0.6% | #460 of 2,200 |
| 34Henry County, VA | 64 | 9 | 4.3 | $1.6M | −3.1% | #492 of 2,200 |
| 35James City County, VA | 64 | 41 | 12.8 | $887K | +6.2% | #506 of 2,200 |
| 36Prince Edward County, VA | 63 | 7 | 9.2 | $862K | +2.3% | #547 of 2,200 |
| 37Falls Church city, VA | 63 | 11 | 17.5 | $784K | +3.3% | #557 of 2,200 |
| 38Greene County, VA | 62 | 13 | 16.2 | $630K | +6.6% | #599 of 2,200 |
| 39York County, VA | 61 | 30 | 11.1 | $1M | +1.6% | #608 of 2,200 |
| 40Manassas city, VA | 61 | 19 | 13.4 | $868K | +3.9% | #613 of 2,200 |
| 41Page County, VA | 60 | 8 | 8.1 | $934K | +0.3% | #652 of 2,200 |
| 42Franklin County, VA | 59 | 25 | 10.9 | $787K | +1.9% | #693 of 2,200 |
| 43Hanover County, VA | 59 | 64 | 15.0 | $764K | +5.6% | #696 of 2,200 |
| 44Accomack County, VA | 59 | 16 | 11.1 | $708K | +1.4% | #702 of 2,200 |
| 45Manassas Park city, VA | 58 | 6 | 11.6 | $927K | −3.5% | #718 of 2,200 |
| 46Orange County, VA | 58 | 22 | 14.8 | $692K | +10.1% | #742 of 2,200 |
| 47Roanoke County, VA | 57 | 50 | 12.6 | $758K | +0.2% | #777 of 2,200 |
| 48Isle of Wight County, VA | 57 | 25 | 15.9 | $644K | +6.7% | #793 of 2,200 |
| 49Charlottesville city, VA | 56 | 19 | 9.6 | $1M | −4.4% | #803 of 2,200 |
| 50Nottoway County, VA | 56 | 5 | 8.9 | $862K | +1.0% | #809 of 2,200 |
| 51Lancaster County, VA | 56 | 7 | 12.3 | $712K | +0.9% | #833 of 2,200 |
| 52Lynchburg city, VA | 55 | 25 | 8.7 | $890K | +3.0% | #860 of 2,200 |
| 53Culpeper County, VA | 55 | 37 | 19.6 | $537K | +9.3% | #884 of 2,200 |
| 54Virginia Beach city, VA | 54 | 199 | 11.1 | $927K | −1.3% | #891 of 2,200 |
| 55Washington County, VA | 54 | 21 | 9.5 | $854K | 0.0% | #896 of 2,200 |
| 56Mecklenburg County, VA | 54 | 13 | 9.6 | $807K | +1.5% | #903 of 2,200 |
| 57Goochland County, VA | 54 | 21 | 20.3 | $607K | +17.4% | #926 of 2,200 |
| 58Montgomery County, VA | 53 | 38 | 10.3 | $874K | −1.2% | #938 of 2,200 |
| 59Southampton County, VA | 53 | 9 | 13.1 | $645K | +0.9% | #961 of 2,200 |
| 60Nelson County, VA | 52 | 7 | 11.0 | $854K | +1.2% | #986 of 2,200 |
| 61Shenandoah County, VA | 52 | 21 | 11.7 | $723K | +3.6% | #999 of 2,200 |
| 62Patrick County, VA | 51 | 7 | 9.0 | $849K | −0.9% | #1,033 of 2,200 |
| 63Halifax County, VA | 51 | 13 | 9.5 | $758K | −1.4% | #1,042 of 2,200 |
| 64Fairfax city, VA | 51 | 20 | 21.8 | $595K | +10.8% | #1,066 of 2,200 |
| 65Carroll County, VA | 50 | 11 | 8.7 | $832K | +0.5% | #1,084 of 2,200 |
| 66Augusta County, VA | 50 | 38 | 12.2 | $729K | +1.8% | #1,094 of 2,200 |
| 67Buckingham County, VA | 50 | 7 | 11.2 | $700K | +1.9% | #1,098 of 2,200 |
| 68Gloucester County, VA | 50 | 23 | 15.1 | $634K | +3.6% | #1,112 of 2,200 |
| 69Madison County, VA | 50 | 9 | 16.4 | $575K | +2.7% | #1,119 of 2,200 |
| 70Danville city, VA | 49 | 12 | 6.3 | $1.1M | −2.2% | #1,126 of 2,200 |
| 71Radford city, VA | 49 | 7 | 12.6 | $598K | +7.0% | #1,168 of 2,200 |
| 72Lee County, VA | 48 | 5 | 5.9 | $1.1M | −2.1% | #1,177 of 2,200 |
| 73Amherst County, VA | 48 | 16 | 12.6 | $651K | +2.1% | #1,203 of 2,200 |
| 74Roanoke city, VA | 47 | 41 | 9.4 | $802K | −0.8% | #1,231 of 2,200 |
| 75Appomattox County, VA | 46 | 9 | 13.6 | $584K | +6.3% | #1,294 of 2,200 |
| 76Salem city, VA | 46 | 20 | 19.5 | $445K | +1.7% | #1,307 of 2,200 |
| 77Tazewell County, VA | 45 | 12 | 7.4 | $962K | −4.4% | #1,311 of 2,200 |
| 78Russell County, VA | 45 | 9 | 8.4 | $858K | −1.7% | #1,315 of 2,200 |
| 79Giles County, VA | 44 | 6 | 9.0 | $899K | −1.3% | #1,353 of 2,200 |
| 80Martinsville city, VA | 43 | 6 | 10.5 | $674K | +2.8% | #1,389 of 2,200 |
| 81Northampton County, VA | 43 | 7 | 12.9 | $668K | −2.8% | #1,390 of 2,200 |
| 82Fauquier County, VA | 43 | 64 | 24.0 | $527K | +4.8% | #1,409 of 2,200 |
| 83Waynesboro city, VA | 43 | 16 | 16.3 | $484K | +7.5% | #1,413 of 2,200 |
| 84Staunton city, VA | 42 | 15 | 13.3 | $602K | +3.8% | #1,438 of 2,200 |
| 85Floyd County, VA | 42 | 11 | 16.6 | $480K | +2.1% | #1,449 of 2,200 |
| 86Middlesex County, VA | 41 | 8 | 16.8 | $526K | +2.2% | #1,491 of 2,200 |
| 87Smyth County, VA | 40 | 11 | 8.7 | $821K | −3.0% | #1,511 of 2,200 |
| 88Campbell County, VA | 40 | 27 | 12.1 | $674K | +0.1% | #1,520 of 2,200 |
| 89Pittsylvania County, VA | 40 | 32 | 12.8 | $572K | −1.5% | #1,531 of 2,200 |
| 90King William County, VA | 40 | 16 | 21.8 | $435K | +9.5% | #1,546 of 2,200 |
| 91Fredericksburg city, VA | 39 | 30 | 25.6 | $399K | +8.6% | #1,581 of 2,200 |
| 92Wise County, VA | 38 | 17 | 12.2 | $558K | −3.5% | #1,611 of 2,200 |
| 93Colonial Heights city, VA | 38 | 12 | 15.9 | $551K | +3.2% | #1,612 of 2,200 |
| 94Clarke County, VA | 38 | 16 | 27.2 | $421K | +5.4% | #1,622 of 2,200 |
| 95Amelia County, VA | 35 | 8 | 14.8 | $561K | +2.7% | #1,716 of 2,200 |
| 96Wythe County, VA | 33 | 19 | 15.2 | $489K | −1.2% | #1,794 of 2,200 |
| 97Harrisonburg city, VA | 32 | 23 | 13.2 | $613K | −1.7% | #1,811 of 2,200 |
| 98Scott County, VA | 27 | 11 | 12.1 | $572K | −1.8% | #1,955 of 2,200 |
| 99Rockbridge County, VA | 24 | 20 | 20.9 | $403K | 0.0% | #2,040 of 2,200 |
| 100Winchester city, VA | 24 | 29 | 25.2 | $327K | +1.0% | #2,044 of 2,200 |
| Petersburg city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 0.7 | $10.2M | +1.0% | |
| Hopewell city, VA | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $2.3M | +1.1% | |
| Buchanan County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 5.3 | $1.2M | −8.7% | |
| Bristol city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 5.5 | $1.3M | −5.2% | |
| Brunswick County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 4.6 | $1.6M | −0.6% | |
| Williamsburg city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $1.2M | +2.6% | |
| Grayson County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 6.3 | $1.1M | −0.3% | |
| Alleghany County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $4.7M | −4.2% | |
| Dickenson County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $2M | −6.0% | |
| Poquoson city, VA | Not scored | 2 | 4.2 | $2.8M | +6.6% | |
| Lunenburg County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 6.3 | $1.2M | +0.9% | |
| Charlotte County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 8.5 | $885K | −1.2% | |
| Greensville County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 9.4 | $769K | −1.8% | |
| Sussex County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 7.9 | $1M | −0.4% | |
| Essex County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $1.2M | +0.5% | |
| Cumberland County, VA | Not scored | 6 | 15.0 | $533K | +6.9% | |
| Richmond County, VA | Not scored | 8 | 25.2 | $325K | +4.2% | |
| Mathews County, VA | Not scored | 6 | 15.0 | $602K | +0.1% | |
| Franklin city, VA | Not scored | 3 | 8.7 | $880K | +4.1% | |
| Lexington city, VA | Not scored | 5 | 22.9 | $385K | +6.2% | |
| Rappahannock County, VA | Not scored | 9 | 30.2 | $352K | +1.6% | |
| Galax city, VA | Not scored | 8 | 29.0 | $250K | −0.7% | |
| King and Queen County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +2.4% | |
| Charles City County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 6.9 | $1.3M | −1.8% | |
| Buena Vista city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $1.7M | +0.9% | |
| Surry County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +0.8% | |
| Bland County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.7% | |
| Covington city, VA | Not scored | 5 | 19.4 | $319K | −1.2% | |
| Emporia city, VA | Not scored | 3 | 13.9 | $527K | −4.4% | |
| Craig County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 11.5 | $748K | −1.6% | |
| Bath County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 16.5 | $490K | −2.6% | |
| Norton city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 6.2 | $1M | −5.5% | |
| Highland County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.4% |
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 Virginia?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,372 pet businesses in Virginia. 704 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 1,996 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 10.6% from 2019. Official counts list 6,818 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Virginia spend on pets?
About $3.6B a year, or $1,056 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,372 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $1.1M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,365,732 households in Virginia and national spending patterns by income.
How does Virginia compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Virginia has 10.0 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 4% below the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $1.1M, 20% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Virginia would have about 4,046, against 3,372 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,686 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Virginia has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area scores highest, at 81 (high). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Martinsville area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 100 scored counties in Virginia, Arlington County scores highest, at 85 (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. Virginia scores 68 for pet businesses (upper middle), #12 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 Virginia. 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.
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Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Virginia
Related business types in Virginia
- Veterinarians1,210 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding1,122 listings
- Pet stores586 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Virginia?
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.