Biggest Retail Cities in Maryland: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Maryland has 37,895 independent retail places spread across 351 towns. Baltimore leads with 3,964 — 10.5% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Maryland by the numbers
Where the stores are
Maryland has 37,895 independent retail places — 613.2 per 100,000 residents, 0.85× the national average of 724.8 and 48th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Baltimore holds 3,964 of them (10.5% of the state total). Annapolis is second with 1,380 (3.6%). The 25 towns below account for 52.8% of Maryland's retail; 351 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (4,793, 12.6% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (2,646).
Top 25 retail towns in Maryland
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Maryland's 37,895 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 3,964 | 10.5% |
| 2 | Annapolis | 1,380 | 3.6% |
| 3 | Frederick | 1,260 | 3.3% |
| 4 | Rockville | 1,112 | 2.9% |
| 5 | Silver Spring | 1,012 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Gaithersburg | 987 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Hagerstown | 942 | 2.5% |
| 8 | Columbia | 826 | 2.2% |
| 9 | Bethesda | 822 | 2.2% |
| 10 | Salisbury | 670 | 1.8% |
| 11 | Glen Burnie | 630 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Waldorf | 573 | 1.5% |
| 13 | Laurel | 568 | 1.5% |
| 14 | Hyattsville | 558 | 1.5% |
| 15 | Bel Air | 529 | 1.4% |
| 16 | Westminster | 512 | 1.4% |
| 17 | Towson | 502 | 1.3% |
| 18 | Ellicott City | 458 | 1.2% |
| 19 | Bowie | 428 | 1.1% |
| 20 | Ocean City | 423 | 1.1% |
| 21 | Easton | 405 | 1.1% |
| 22 | Hanover | 388 | 1.0% |
| 23 | Cumberland | 374 | 1.0% |
| 24 | Owings Mills | 373 | 1.0% |
| 25 | Upper Marlboro | 316 | 0.8% |
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 Maryland
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Maryland, with each one's share of the state's 37,895 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 4,793 | 12.6% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 2,646 | 7.0% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 2,145 | 5.7% |
| 4 | Clothing Store | 2,073 | 5.5% |
| 5 | Print Store | 1,424 | 3.8% |
| 6 | Electronics Store | 1,406 | 3.7% |
| 7 | Shoe Store | 1,322 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Cosmetics Store | 1,313 | 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 Maryland has the most retail stores?
- Baltimore, with 3,964 independent retail places — 10.5% of Maryland's 37,895 total. Annapolis is next with 1,380.
- How many independent retail stores are in Maryland?
- 37,895 shoppable independent retail places, or 613.2 per 100,000 residents (0.85× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Maryland 48th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Maryland?
- The construction supplies store: 4,793 places, or 12.6% of Maryland's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 2,646.
Related reports
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Kentucky: Top 25 Towns Ranked32,108 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Louisiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked33,804 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Maine: Top 25 Towns Ranked13,543 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Massachusetts: Top 25 Towns Ranked54,068 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Michigan: Top 25 Towns Ranked74,342 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Minnesota: Top 25 Towns Ranked46,452 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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