Pets · County · Virginia
Pet businesses in Arlington County, VA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Arlington County, VA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 85 out of 100: High
Ranked #22 of 2,200 scored counties
#1 of 100 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 68
- 22 chain locations (32%)
- Official establishments
- 40
- +11.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $149.1M
- On pets · $1,331 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.2M
- 2.5 times the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.1
- 41% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 243,931
- +2.1% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Arlington 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 Arlington 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
Arlington County scores 85 (high) on the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, ranking #22 of 2,200 scored counties and #1 of 100 scored counties in Virginia. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for pet businesses.
Households in Arlington County spend about $149.1M a year on pets, or $1,331 per household, 46% above the U.S. average. That works out to $2.2M per business, 2.5 times the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 68 pet businesses on map listings in Arlington County as of September 2026. Of those, 22 are chain locations, or 32%, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 6.1 for every 10,000 households, 41% below the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Official counts show 40 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Arlington County in 2023, up 11.1% from 2019. That is one for every 2,801 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $582K have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Arlington County. Population estimates put the population change in Arlington County from 2020 to 2025 at +2.1%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Arlington County compares
The same measures for Virginia 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 | Arlington County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.1 | 10.0 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $2.2M | $1.1M | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 2,801 | 1,686 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +11.1% | +10.6% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.1% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,331 | $1,056 | $909 |
| Median household income | $142,114 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 85 | 68 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 36 → 40+11.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 590
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $23.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 407Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6822 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 170The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 4
- Amount
- $582K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Arlington 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 Arlington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 243,931+2.1% since 2020
- Households
- 112,027
- Median age
- 37.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 41%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.3
- Land area
- 26 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 9,089
- Median household income
- $142,114+18.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $189,970
- Median home value
- $895,000
- Jobs located here
- 166,762
- Daytime population
- 284,944Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Arlington 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 Arlington 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 Virginia
Every Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Virginia for pet businesses, numbered among those based in Virginia, with Arlington County marked.
Top counties in Virginia
| 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 |
Other business types in Arlington 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 businesses85
- Veterinarians89
- Pet grooming and boarding82
- Pet stores88
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Arlington County, VA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 68 pet businesses in Arlington County. 22 of them (32%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 40 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 11.1% from 2019. Another 407 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Arlington County, VA spend on pets?
About $149.1M a year, or $1,331 per household. That is 46% above the U.S. average (an index of 146, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 68 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $2.2M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 112,027 households in Arlington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Arlington County, VA compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Arlington County has 6.1 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 41% below the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $2.2M, 2.5 times the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Arlington County would have about 170, against 68 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,801 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Arlington County, VA growing?
Population estimates put Arlington County at 243,931 people in 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 112,027 households. Median household income in Arlington County is $142,114, 76% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 18.4%, 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. Arlington County scores 85 for pet businesses (high), #22 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Arlington 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 Arlington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Arlington 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 Arlington 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.