Market rankings · Washington
Pet businesses in Washington
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Washington, ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,318
- 597 chain locations (18%)
- Official establishments
- 1,972
- +10.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.5B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.8
- 4% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 19% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #10 of 51
- Market score 69 · Upper middle
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Washington 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
There are 3,318 pet businesses on map listings in Washington as of September 2026. 597 of them (18%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 10.8 for every 10,000 households, 4% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
Household spending on pets in Washington comes to about $3.5B a year: $1,131 per household, 24% above the U.S. average. That is about $1M of household spending for each business on map listings, 19% above the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,972 businesses with payroll in Washington classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 10.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,554 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, 126 SBA-backed loans worth $99.5M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Washington.
Among the 50 states and DC, Washington ranks #10 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 69 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Kennewick-Richland metro area scores highest (77). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Shelton area scores highest (88).
Every market in Washington for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Washington, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kennewick-Richland, WA | 77 | 113 | 10.5 | $992K | +6.5% | #22 of 387 |
| 2Walla Walla, WA | 76 | 19 | 8.1 | $1.2M | −0.4% | #26 of 387 |
| 3Yakima, WA | 73 | 59 | 6.7 | $1.3M | +1.0% | #37 of 387 |
| 4Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 70 | 49 | 10.3 | $982K | +5.0% | #52 of 387 |
| 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 69 | 1,635 | 10.2 | $1.2M | +3.3% | #55 of 387 |
| 6Longview-Kelso, WA | 62 | 54 | 12.3 | $760K | +3.5% | #101 of 387 |
| 7Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 58 | 130 | 12.0 | $959K | +2.7% | #131 of 387 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | 58 | 28 | 10.5 | $866K | +1.5% | #132 of 387 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 57 | 1,161 | 11.5 | $972K | +1.0% | #139 of 387 |
| 8Bellingham, WA | 53 | 112 | 11.9 | $838K | +3.9% | #171 of 387 |
| 9Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 51 | 291 | 12.2 | $783K | +3.5% | #189 of 387 |
| 10Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 47 | 68 | 13.0 | $797K | +2.4% | #218 of 387 |
| 11Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 45 | 166 | 14.0 | $761K | +2.8% | #237 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Shelton, WA | 88 | 24 | 9.2 | $1.1M | +7.8% | #3 of 527 |
| 2Moses Lake, WA | 80 | 35 | 9.9 | $910K | +6.3% | #14 of 527 |
| 3Port Townsend, WA | 79 | 16 | 9.8 | $977K | +2.7% | #16 of 527 |
| 4Centralia, WA | 75 | 44 | 13.4 | $688K | +6.7% | #31 of 527 |
| 5Aberdeen, WA | 63 | 40 | 13.1 | $648K | +3.0% | #116 of 527 |
| 6Oak Harbor, WA | 55 | 46 | 12.8 | $815K | −1.5% | #206 of 527 |
| 7Pullman, WA | 55 | 23 | 12.3 | $698K | +1.5% | #212 of 527 |
| 8Port Angeles, WA | 47 | 53 | 15.1 | $600K | +1.1% | #317 of 527 |
| 9Ellensburg, WA | 45 | 37 | 18.5 | $521K | +4.2% | #339 of 527 |
| Othello, WA | Not scored | 4 | 6.4 | $1.4M | +4.3% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, WA | 93 | 11 | 6.9 | $1.5M | +8.0% | #1 of 2,200 |
| 2Franklin County, WA | 90 | 19 | 6.4 | $1.6M | +5.6% | #5 of 2,200 |
| 3Mason County, WA | 87 | 24 | 9.2 | $1.1M | +7.8% | #16 of 2,200 |
| 4Walla Walla County, WA | 79 | 19 | 8.1 | $1.2M | −0.4% | #84 of 2,200 |
| 5Klickitat County, WA | 79 | 11 | 11.1 | $827K | +6.6% | #95 of 2,200 |
| 6Jefferson County, WA | 76 | 16 | 9.8 | $977K | +2.7% | #142 of 2,200 |
| 7Grant County, WA | 75 | 35 | 9.9 | $910K | +6.3% | #165 of 2,200 |
| 8Yakima County, WA | 74 | 59 | 6.7 | $1.3M | +1.0% | #172 of 2,200 |
| 9Clark County, WA | 74 | 213 | 10.9 | $1M | +5.3% | #177 of 2,200 |
| 10King County, WA | 73 | 912 | 9.7 | $1.4M | +3.1% | #187 of 2,200 |
| 11Benton County, WA | 72 | 94 | 12.0 | $869K | +6.9% | #230 of 2,200 |
| 12Snohomish County, WA | 71 | 360 | 11.4 | $1.1M | +4.9% | #242 of 2,200 |
| 13Lewis County, WA | 70 | 44 | 13.4 | $688K | +6.7% | #297 of 2,200 |
| 14Pierce County, WA | 69 | 363 | 10.3 | $1.1M | +2.5% | #307 of 2,200 |
| 15Cowlitz County, WA | 69 | 54 | 12.3 | $760K | +3.5% | #331 of 2,200 |
| 16Skamania County, WA | 68 | 8 | 15.9 | $672K | +5.2% | #372 of 2,200 |
| 17Chelan County, WA | 65 | 38 | 12.1 | $841K | +3.3% | #478 of 2,200 |
| 18Kitsap County, WA | 63 | 130 | 12.0 | $959K | +2.7% | #540 of 2,200 |
| 19Spokane County, WA | 62 | 253 | 11.6 | $833K | +3.2% | #579 of 2,200 |
| 20Okanogan County, WA | 62 | 21 | 12.0 | $710K | +7.3% | #593 of 2,200 |
| 21Whatcom County, WA | 61 | 112 | 11.9 | $838K | +3.9% | #616 of 2,200 |
| 22Pacific County, WA | 60 | 16 | 14.6 | $600K | +3.6% | #675 of 2,200 |
| 23San Juan County, WA | 59 | 12 | 13.3 | $784K | +4.2% | #694 of 2,200 |
| 24Skagit County, WA | 56 | 68 | 13.0 | $797K | +2.4% | #819 of 2,200 |
| 25Thurston County, WA | 56 | 166 | 14.0 | $761K | +2.8% | #825 of 2,200 |
Show all 39 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Grays Harbor County, WA | 56 | 40 | 13.1 | $648K | +3.0% | #840 of 2,200 |
| 27Stevens County, WA | 56 | 38 | 19.6 | $455K | +6.6% | #847 of 2,200 |
| 28Island County, WA | 49 | 46 | 12.8 | $815K | −1.5% | #1,129 of 2,200 |
| 29Whitman County, WA | 46 | 23 | 12.3 | $698K | +1.5% | #1,279 of 2,200 |
| 30Clallam County, WA | 40 | 53 | 15.1 | $600K | +1.1% | #1,525 of 2,200 |
| 31Kittitas County, WA | 40 | 37 | 18.5 | $521K | +4.2% | #1,538 of 2,200 |
| Asotin County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 4.2 | $2.2M | +1.0% | |
| Adams County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 6.4 | $1.4M | +4.3% | |
| Pend Oreille County, WA | Not scored | 3 | 5.0 | $1.8M | +7.1% | |
| Lincoln County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 8.3 | $1.1M | +9.7% | |
| Ferry County, WA | Not scored | 6 | 18.9 | $408K | +4.4% | |
| Wahkiakum County, WA | Not scored | 1 | 4.8 | $1.8M | +9.6% | |
| Columbia County, WA | Not scored | 1 | 5.4 | $1.6M | +4.7% | |
| Garfield County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% |
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 Washington?
As of September 2026, map listings count 3,318 pet businesses in Washington. 597 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 1,972 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 10.0% from 2019. Another 5,310 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington spend on pets?
About $3.5B a year, or $1,131 per household. That is 24% above the U.S. average (an index of 124, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,318 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $1M per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,064,820 households in Washington and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Washington has 10.8 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 4% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $1M, 19% above the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Washington would have about 3,946, against 3,318 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,554 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Washington has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Kennewick-Richland metro area scores highest, at 77 (high). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Shelton area scores highest, at 88 (high). Among 31 scored counties in Washington, Douglas County scores highest, at 93 (very 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. Washington scores 69 for pet businesses (upper middle), #10 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 Washington. 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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Washington
Related business types in Washington
- Veterinarians1,012 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding1,175 listings
- Pet stores698 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington?
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.