Pets · County · Maryland
Pet stores in Howard County, MD
The pet stores in Howard County, MD, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 67 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #204 of 974 scored counties
#11 of 18 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 21
- 11 chain locations (52%)
- Official establishments
- 15
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $166M
- On pets · $1,371 a household
- Spending per listing
- $7.9M
- 75% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 1.7
- 15% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 339,183
- +1.9% since 2020
See the pet stores around any address in Howard County
The site report maps the pet stores 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 Howard 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
At $1,371 per household (51% above the U.S. average), households in Howard County spend about $166M a year on pets. That works out to $7.9M per store, 75% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. The spending figure covers all pets, not only pet stores.
There are 21 pet stores on map listings in Howard County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 52% of them, against 38% across the U.S. That is 1.7 per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 2.0.
Official counts show 15 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in Howard County in 2023. That is one for every 8,071 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Howard County grew 1.9%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Howard County scores 67 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for pet stores, ranking #204 of 974 scored counties and #11 of 18 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Howard County compares
The same measures for Maryland and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all pets by the pet stores 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 | Howard County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Spending per listing | $7.9M | $7.1M | $4.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 8,071 | 16,878 | 13,024 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | −25.9% | −1.6% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.9% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,371 | $1,117 | $909 |
| Median household income | $149,763 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 67 | 81 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 15 → 15
- Employees, 2023
- 155
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2111 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 37The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet and pet supplies stores in Howard 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 Howard County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 339,183+1.9% since 2020
- Households
- 121,065
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 251 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,340
- Median household income
- $149,763+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $184,243
- Median home value
- $597,900
- Jobs located here
- 185,575
- Daytime population
- 363,145Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Howard 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 stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Howard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardPet stores across Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for pet stores, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Howard County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frederick County, MD | 89 | 23 | 2.2 | $5.6M | +11.0% | #10 of 974 |
| 2Charles County, MD | 87 | 10 | 1.6 | $7.4M | +5.9% | #17 of 974 |
| 3Montgomery County, MD | 85 | 53 | 1.4 | $9.5M | +1.3% | #21 of 974 |
| 4Prince George’s County, MD | 83 | 29 | 0.8 | $13.1M | +0.5% | #30 of 974 |
| 5Calvert County, MD | 79 | 7 | 2.1 | $6.2M | +1.7% | #62 of 974 |
| 6Carroll County, MD | 77 | 16 | 2.5 | $4.8M | +2.2% | #81 of 974 |
| 7Anne Arundel County, MD | 75 | 44 | 2.0 | $6.3M | +1.7% | #96 of 974 |
| 8Cecil County, MD | 74 | 8 | 2.0 | $5.1M | +3.2% | #114 of 974 |
| 9Baltimore County, MD | 73 | 50 | 1.5 | $6.9M | −0.7% | #124 of 974 |
| 10Baltimore city, MD | 69 | 24 | 0.9 | $8.9M | −2.3% | #178 of 974 |
| 11Howard County, MD | 67 | 21 | 1.7 | $7.9M | +1.9% | #204 of 974 |
Other business types in Howard 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 businesses68
- Veterinarians69
- Pet grooming and boarding71
- Pet stores67
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet stores are in Howard County, MD?
As of September 2026, map listings count 21 pet stores in Howard County. 11 of them (52%) are chain locations. The listings count pet stores. Official counts show 15 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in 2023.
How much do households in Howard County, MD spend on pets?
About $166M a year, or $1,371 per household. That is 51% above the U.S. average (an index of 151, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 21 pet stores on map listings, it comes to $7.9M per store. That spending covers all pets, which pet stores share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 121,065 households in Howard County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Howard County, MD compare with the U.S. for pet stores?
Howard County has 1.7 pet stores per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 2.0. Spending per store is $7.9M, 75% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. At the U.S. ratio of pet stores to household spending, Howard County would have about 37, against 21 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 8,071 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S.
How fast is Howard County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Howard County at 339,183 people in 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 121,065 households. The median household income in Howard County is $149,763 a year, 86% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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. Howard County scores 67 for pet stores (upper middle), #204 of 974 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Howard County. It maps the pet stores 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 stores · All 56 business types in Howard County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Howard 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 Howard 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.