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How many convenience stores are there in the U.S.?

36,992 convenience stores with paid employees, as counted by Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023. That is 0.9 per 10,000 people present — residents plus half of employment — and 1.1 per 10,000 residents. Per person present, this industry ranks 11 of 16 among the categories on this site.

Includes: Convenience stores · Corner stores · Small-format food & fuel marts. Counted together because official statistics use one 445120 code.

U.S. establishments
36,992
with paid employees (2023)
Per 10,000 present
0.9
residents + 0.5×workers
Per 10,000 residents
1.1
ACS 2024 5-year population
Densest county
390–414%
Richmond city, VA

Counties with the most convenience stores

Ranked by counted establishments across the 500 covered counties. A range means some ZIP cells are withheld by Census (each 0–2 businesses).

#CountyBusinessesPer 10,000 presentvs. U.S.
1 Harris County, TX 739–971 1.2 136–149%
2 Los Angeles County, CA 725–1,261 0.6 67–94%
3 Kings County, NY 699–713 2.3 255–256%
4 Queens County, NY 604–640 2.3 253–263%
5 Dallas County, TX 513–661 1.4 158–172%
6 New York County, NY 472–608 1.8 195–202%
7 Miami-Dade County, FL 469–589 1.4 157–171%
8 Tarrant County, TX 402–480 1.6 176–191%
9 Broward County, FL 375–467 1.6 174–189%
10 Philadelphia County, PA 357–397 1.9 203–218%
11 Bronx County, NY 351–353 2.3 247–248%
12 Cook County, IL 337–581 0.5 58–93%

Where convenience stores are most concentrated

Ranked by density per person present, relative to the U.S. rate. A high figure means the supply is concentrated there — a shopping district, a tourist area, or a genuinely crowded local market. It does not mean demand is higher.

#CountyBusinessesPer 10,000 presentvs. U.S.
1 Richmond city, VA 98–116 3.6 390–414%
2 Bibb County, GA 64–86 3.0 328–359%
3 Suffolk County, MA 319–353 2.8 306–320%
4 Linn County, OR 44–58 2.8 305–402%
5 Hampton city, VA 40–48 2.7 292–307%
6 Richmond County, NY 141–143 2.6 279%
7 Fort Bend County, TX 241–263 2.5 272–290%
8 Kings County, NY 699–713 2.3 255–256%

Questions

Does this count include chains and franchises?
Yes. Census counts each establishment with paid employees, so every location of a chain or franchise counts once. A coffee chain with 300 stores contributes 300 establishments.

Why is this different from a map search or a local list?
Census ZIP Code Business Patterns is a survey-based count of employer establishments by industry code. A map search is not a census: it can include permanently closed places, duplicate listings, and businesses outside the category. The two numbers answer different questions and will not match.

Does this include businesses with no employees?
No. Sole proprietors and other businesses with no paid employees are published separately by Census Nonemployer Statistics and are not part of this count. For several categories here — salons, child care, pet care — nonemployer businesses can outnumber employer establishments.

Is this the number in my city?
No. The national figure covers the whole country. The tables below cover the 500 counties this site reports on, and a county is not a city. Use the ZIP checker to see counts inside a specific ZIP code.

Sources: U.S. Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 (establishments), American Community Survey 2024 5-year (population), Census CBP 2023 (national employment). How the density model works →

Other industries

Coffee shops 85,140 Restaurants 258,626 Fast food 270,088 Beauty salons 84,176 Nail salons 34,417 Gyms 41,556 Grocery stores 62,947 Clothing stores 27,986 Auto repair 35,029 Dentists 135,665 Day care 82,162 Pharmacies 41,792 Bars 40,835 Pet care 25,551 Car washes 19,807

BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.