Biggest Retail Cities in New York: Top 25 Towns Ranked
New York has 140,732 independent retail places spread across 1,149 towns. New York leads with 26,306 — 18.7% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
New York by the numbers
Where the stores are
New York has 140,732 independent retail places — 719.1 per 100,000 residents, 0.99× the national average of 724.8 and 33rd of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
New York holds 26,306 of them (18.7% of the state total). Brooklyn is second with 13,414 (9.5%). The 25 towns below account for 47.2% of New York's retail; 1,149 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (12,174, 8.7% of the state's retail), followed by clothing stores (9,925).
Top 25 retail towns in New York
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of New York's 140,732 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 26,306 | 18.7% |
| 2 | Brooklyn | 13,414 | 9.5% |
| 3 | Bronx | 3,913 | 2.8% |
| 4 | Rochester | 3,396 | 2.4% |
| 5 | Buffalo | 2,400 | 1.7% |
| 6 | Staten Island | 2,039 | 1.4% |
| 7 | Syracuse | 1,772 | 1.3% |
| 8 | Albany | 1,338 | 1.0% |
| 9 | Flushing | 1,066 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Yonkers | 1,022 | 0.7% |
| 11 | White Plains | 884 | 0.6% |
| 12 | Jamaica | 829 | 0.6% |
| 13 | Astoria | 743 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Long Island City | 738 | 0.5% |
| 15 | Farmingdale | 696 | 0.5% |
| 16 | Middletown | 677 | 0.5% |
| 17 | Schenectady | 670 | 0.5% |
| 18 | Poughkeepsie | 640 | 0.5% |
| 19 | Garden City | 633 | 0.4% |
| 20 | Queens | 594 | 0.4% |
| 21 | Ithaca | 559 | 0.4% |
| 22 | Niagara Falls | 559 | 0.4% |
| 23 | Hicksville | 557 | 0.4% |
| 24 | Saratoga Springs | 523 | 0.4% |
| 25 | Deer Park | 522 | 0.4% |
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 New York
The eight largest independent-retail categories in New York, with each one's share of the state's 140,732 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 12,174 | 8.7% |
| 2 | Clothing Store | 9,925 | 7.1% |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Store | 8,918 | 6.3% |
| 4 | Furniture and Home Store | 7,592 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Jewelry Store | 6,504 | 4.6% |
| 6 | Hardware Store | 5,721 | 4.1% |
| 7 | Cosmetics Store | 5,676 | 4.0% |
| 8 | Print Store | 5,101 | 3.6% |
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 New York has the most retail stores?
- New York, with 26,306 independent retail places — 18.7% of New York's 140,732 total. Brooklyn is next with 13,414.
- How many independent retail stores are in New York?
- 140,732 shoppable independent retail places, or 719.1 per 100,000 residents (0.99× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks New York 33rd of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in New York?
- The construction supplies store: 12,174 places, or 8.7% of New York's retail. Clothing Stores are second at 9,925.
Related reports
Store types where New York ranks in the top 10
- Jewelry Stores by State: Every State RankedNew York ranks #4 per capita (33.2 per 100k)
- Clothing Stores by State: Every State RankedNew York ranks #5 per capita (50.7 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in New Hampshire: Top 25 Towns Ranked13,794 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in New Jersey: Top 25 Towns Ranked67,441 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in New Mexico: Top 25 Towns Ranked14,886 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in North Carolina: Top 25 Towns Ranked82,434 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in North Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,136 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Ohio: Top 25 Towns Ranked82,521 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.
Find independent stores near you
Useful Economy indexes products from independent local retailers across the country. Search by what you want, or browse by city.
Start browsing →