Pets · County · North Carolina
Pet stores in Johnston County, NC
How Johnston County, NC compares with other counties and the U.S. for pet stores: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 82 out of 100: High
Ranked #43 of 974 scored counties
#3 of 52 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 17
- 7 chain locations (41%)
- Official establishments
- 4
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $80.7M
- On pets · $942 a household
- Spending per listing
- $4.7M
- 5% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 2.0
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 256,448
- +17.9% since 2020
See the pet stores around any address in Johnston 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 Johnston 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
Johnston County scores 82 (high) on the Groundwork market score for pet stores, ranking #43 of 974 scored counties and #3 of 52 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for pet stores.
As of September 2026, map listings count 17 pet stores in Johnston County. Of those, 7 are chain locations, or 41%, against 38% across the U.S. That is 2.0 per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 2.0.
Households in Johnston County spend about $80.7M a year on pets, or $942 per household, 4% above the U.S. average. Spread across 17 pet stores, that is $4.7M per store, 5% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. That spending covers all pets, which pet stores share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in Johnston County was 4 in 2023. That is one for every 21,398 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $255K has gone to businesses classed as pet and pet supplies stores in Johnston County. Population estimates show Johnston County grew 17.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Johnston 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 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 | Johnston County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Spending per listing | $4.7M | $4.6M | $4.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 21,398 | 12,707 | 13,024 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +9.8% | −1.6% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +17.9% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $942 | $899 | $909 |
| Median household income | $83,384 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 82 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 4 → 4
- Employees, 2023
- 42
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $978K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 177 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 18The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $255K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet and pet supplies stores in Johnston 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 Johnston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 256,448+17.9% since 2020
- Households
- 85,591
- Median age
- 38.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 792 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 296
- Median household income
- $83,384+39.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $103,557
- Median home value
- $305,600
- Jobs located here
- 58,494
- Daytime population
- 179,884Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for pet stores, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Johnston County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Union County, NC | 84 | 17 | 2.0 | $5.5M | +11.7% | #28 of 974 |
| 2Durham County, NC | 83 | 14 | 1.0 | $10M | +7.7% | #31 of 974 |
| 3Johnston County, NC | 82 | 17 | 2.0 | $4.7M | +17.9% | #43 of 974 |
| 4Pitt County, NC | 75 | 9 | 1.2 | $6.5M | +5.4% | #95 of 974 |
| 5Orange County, NC | 75 | 13 | 2.3 | $4.7M | +6.1% | #107 of 974 |
| 6Wake County, NC | 74 | 105 | 2.3 | $5M | +11.2% | #115 of 974 |
| 7Chatham County, NC | 73 | 9 | 2.7 | $4M | +11.0% | #132 of 974 |
| 8Cabarrus County, NC | 72 | 11 | 1.3 | $7.7M | +9.9% | #134 of 974 |
| 9Harnett County, NC | 71 | 10 | 2.0 | $4.3M | +12.3% | #159 of 974 |
| 10Guilford County, NC | 70 | 37 | 1.7 | $5.2M | +4.4% | #169 of 974 |
Other business types in Johnston 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 businesses75
- Veterinarians81
- Pet grooming and boarding69
- Pet stores82
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet stores are in Johnston County, NC?
Johnston County has 17 pet stores on map listings as of September 2026. 7 of them (41%) are chain locations. The listings count pet stores. Official counts show 4 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in 2023.
How much do households in Johnston County, NC spend on pets?
About $80.7M a year, or $942 per household. That is 4% above the U.S. average (an index of 104, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 17 pet stores on map listings, it comes to $4.7M per store. The spending figure covers all pets, not only pet stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 85,591 households in Johnston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Johnston County, NC compare with the U.S. for pet stores?
Johnston County has 2.0 pet stores per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 2.0. Spending per store is $4.7M, 5% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. At the national ratio of pet stores to household spending, Johnston County would have about 18, against 17 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 21,398 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S.
How fast is Johnston County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Johnston County at 256,448 people in 2025, up 17.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 85,591 households. Median household income in Johnston County is $83,384, 3% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 39.3%, 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. Johnston County scores 82 for pet stores (high), #43 of 974 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Johnston 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 Johnston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Johnston 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 Johnston 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.