Biggest Retail Cities in Virginia: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Virginia has 55,865 independent retail places spread across 482 towns. Richmond leads with 3,264 — 5.8% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Virginia by the numbers
Where the stores are
Virginia has 55,865 independent retail places — 641.0 per 100,000 residents, 0.88× the national average of 724.8 and 45th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Richmond holds 3,264 of them (5.8% of the state total). Virginia Beach is second with 3,237 (5.8%). The 25 towns below account for 53.8% of Virginia's retail; 482 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (6,750, 12.1% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (3,856).
Top 25 retail towns in Virginia
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Virginia's 55,865 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond | 3,264 | 5.8% |
| 2 | Virginia Beach | 3,237 | 5.8% |
| 3 | Alexandria | 1,784 | 3.2% |
| 4 | Roanoke | 1,536 | 2.7% |
| 5 | Norfolk | 1,519 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Chesapeake | 1,485 | 2.7% |
| 7 | Fredericksburg | 1,446 | 2.6% |
| 8 | Charlottesville | 1,319 | 2.4% |
| 9 | Fairfax | 1,296 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Arlington | 1,169 | 2.1% |
| 11 | Newport News | 1,133 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Woodbridge | 1,080 | 1.9% |
| 13 | Manassas | 1,035 | 1.9% |
| 14 | Lynchburg | 948 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Winchester | 888 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Williamsburg | 850 | 1.5% |
| 17 | Sterling | 831 | 1.5% |
| 18 | North Chesterfield | 712 | 1.3% |
| 19 | Midlothian | 706 | 1.3% |
| 20 | Hampton | 698 | 1.2% |
| 21 | Leesburg | 691 | 1.2% |
| 22 | Falls Church | 656 | 1.2% |
| 23 | Harrisonburg | 624 | 1.1% |
| 24 | Springfield | 599 | 1.1% |
| 25 | McLean | 574 | 1.0% |
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 Virginia
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Virginia, with each one's share of the state's 55,865 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 6,750 | 12.1% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 3,856 | 6.9% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 3,094 | 5.5% |
| 4 | Clothing Store | 2,838 | 5.1% |
| 5 | Hardware Store | 2,130 | 3.8% |
| 6 | Shoe Store | 2,112 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Electronics Store | 2,080 | 3.7% |
| 8 | Print Store | 2,060 | 3.7% |
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 Virginia has the most retail stores?
- Richmond, with 3,264 independent retail places — 5.8% of Virginia's 55,865 total. Virginia Beach is next with 3,237.
- How many independent retail stores are in Virginia?
- 55,865 shoppable independent retail places, or 641.0 per 100,000 residents (0.88× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Virginia 45th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Virginia?
- The construction supplies store: 6,750 places, or 12.1% of Virginia's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 3,856.
Related reports
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Texas: Top 25 Towns Ranked196,483 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Utah: Top 25 Towns Ranked20,933 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked6,835 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Washington: Top 25 Towns Ranked52,484 retail places
- Washington, D.C. Retail by the Numbers: Every Store Type3,556 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in West Virginia: Top 25 Towns Ranked12,281 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 →