Biggest Retail Cities in Georgia: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Georgia has 83,747 independent retail places spread across 486 towns. Atlanta leads with 9,410 — 11.2% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Georgia by the numbers
Where the stores are
Georgia has 83,747 independent retail places — 759.3 per 100,000 residents, 1.05× the national average of 724.8 and 22nd of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Atlanta holds 9,410 of them (11.2% of the state total). Marietta is second with 2,932 (3.5%). The 25 towns below account for 47.8% of Georgia's retail; 486 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (8,514, 10.2% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (5,700).
Top 25 retail towns in Georgia
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Georgia's 83,747 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | 9,410 | 11.2% |
| 2 | Marietta | 2,932 | 3.5% |
| 3 | Savannah | 2,495 | 3.0% |
| 4 | Alpharetta | 1,980 | 2.4% |
| 5 | Augusta | 1,718 | 2.1% |
| 6 | Columbus | 1,617 | 1.9% |
| 7 | Lawrenceville | 1,572 | 1.9% |
| 8 | Macon | 1,398 | 1.7% |
| 9 | Norcross | 1,297 | 1.5% |
| 10 | Cumming | 1,272 | 1.5% |
| 11 | Athens | 1,200 | 1.4% |
| 12 | Kennesaw | 1,188 | 1.4% |
| 13 | Decatur | 1,140 | 1.4% |
| 14 | Roswell | 1,098 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Duluth | 1,093 | 1.3% |
| 16 | Buford | 1,076 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Woodstock | 957 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Gainesville | 938 | 1.1% |
| 19 | Douglasville | 867 | 1.0% |
| 20 | Newnan | 848 | 1.0% |
| 21 | Valdosta | 833 | 1.0% |
| 22 | Canton | 783 | 0.9% |
| 23 | Dalton | 773 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Albany | 764 | 0.9% |
| 25 | Rome | 753 | 0.9% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Georgia
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Georgia, with each one's share of the state's 83,747 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 8,514 | 10.2% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 5,700 | 6.8% |
| 3 | Clothing Store | 4,990 | 6.0% |
| 4 | Furniture and Home Store | 4,776 | 5.7% |
| 5 | Print Store | 3,609 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Cosmetics Store | 3,485 | 4.2% |
| 7 | Shoe Store | 2,935 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Electronics Store | 2,924 | 3.5% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Georgia has the most retail stores?
- Atlanta, with 9,410 independent retail places — 11.2% of Georgia's 83,747 total. Marietta is next with 2,932.
- How many independent retail stores are in Georgia?
- 83,747 shoppable independent retail places, or 759.3 per 100,000 residents (1.05× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Georgia 22nd of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Georgia?
- The construction supplies store: 8,514 places, or 10.2% of Georgia's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 5,700.
Related reports
Store types where Georgia ranks in the top 10
- Furniture Stores by State: Every State RankedGeorgia ranks #10 per capita (43.3 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Connecticut: Top 25 Towns Ranked28,565 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Delaware: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,192 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Florida: Top 25 Towns Ranked175,522 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Hawaii: Top 25 Towns Ranked12,174 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Idaho: Top 25 Towns Ranked14,340 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Illinois: Top 25 Towns Ranked91,184 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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