Bookstores by State: Every State Ranked
The U.S. has 26,484 independent bookstores — 7.9 per 100,000 residents. Vermont has 20.4 per 100k, 2.6× the national rate; Nebraska has 4.4. All 50 states and D.C., ranked.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Bookstores in America
Leaders and laggards
Per capita, the five states with the most bookstores are Vermont (20.4), Maine (18.8), Washington, D.C. (16.2), Alaska (13.5), Oregon (13.0) per 100,000 residents. The five with the fewest are Mississippi (6.4), Nevada (6.3), New Jersey (6.3), Texas (5.5), Nebraska (4.4). The gap between Vermont and Nebraska is 4.6×.
By raw count, California has the most bookstores (3,065), followed by New York (1,750) and Texas (1,675). Nationally, bookstores are 1.1% of all 2,427,402 independent retail places counted.
Bookstores in every state, densest to sparsest
Independent bookstores per state: total count, stores per 100,000 residents, and the category's share of the state's retail.
| # | State | Bookstores | Per 100k | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 132 | 20.4 | 1.9% |
| 2 | Maine | 263 | 18.8 | 1.9% |
| 3 | Washington, D.C. | 110 | 16.2 | 3.1% |
| 4 | Alaska | 99 | 13.5 | 1.6% |
| 5 | Oregon | 552 | 13 | 1.6% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 76 | 13 | 1.3% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 177 | 12.6 | 1.3% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 814 | 11.6 | 1.5% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 208 | 9.8 | 1.4% |
| 10 | Connecticut | 348 | 9.6 | 1.2% |
| 11 | Montana | 109 | 9.6 | 1.0% |
| 12 | Washington | 749 | 9.6 | 1.4% |
| 13 | Colorado | 556 | 9.5 | 1.2% |
| 14 | Michigan | 921 | 9.2 | 1.2% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 1,197 | 9.2 | 1.2% |
| 16 | West Virginia | 163 | 9.2 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 541 | 9.2 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Iowa | 291 | 9.1 | 1.1% |
| 19 | New York | 1,750 | 8.9 | 1.2% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 97 | 8.9 | 1.2% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 494 | 8.6 | 1.1% |
| 22 | South Dakota | 79 | 8.6 | 1.1% |
| 23 | Tennessee | 589 | 8.3 | 1.1% |
| 24 | Idaho | 159 | 8.1 | 1.1% |
| 25 | California | 3,065 | 7.9 | 1.1% |
| 26 | Delaware | 82 | 7.9 | 1.1% |
| 27 | Missouri | 489 | 7.9 | 1.0% |
| 28 | North Carolina | 849 | 7.8 | 1.0% |
| 29 | North Dakota | 61 | 7.8 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Utah | 265 | 7.8 | 1.3% |
| 31 | Virginia | 683 | 7.8 | 1.2% |
| 32 | Arkansas | 237 | 7.7 | 1.0% |
| 33 | Hawaii | 109 | 7.6 | 0.9% |
| 34 | Indiana | 524 | 7.6 | 1.1% |
| 35 | Illinois | 935 | 7.5 | 1.0% |
| 36 | Kentucky | 339 | 7.5 | 1.1% |
| 37 | Kansas | 217 | 7.4 | 1.0% |
| 38 | Maryland | 460 | 7.4 | 1.2% |
| 39 | Georgia | 799 | 7.2 | 1.0% |
| 40 | Ohio | 833 | 7.1 | 1.0% |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 286 | 7.1 | 1.0% |
| 42 | South Carolina | 380 | 7.1 | 1.0% |
| 43 | Alabama | 359 | 7 | 1.0% |
| 44 | Louisiana | 315 | 6.9 | 0.9% |
| 45 | Arizona | 493 | 6.6 | 1.1% |
| 46 | Florida | 1,490 | 6.6 | 0.8% |
| 47 | Mississippi | 187 | 6.4 | 0.9% |
| 48 | Nevada | 202 | 6.3 | 1.0% |
| 49 | New Jersey | 589 | 6.3 | 0.9% |
| 50 | Texas | 1,675 | 5.5 | 0.9% |
| 51 | Nebraska | 87 | 4.4 | 0.8% |
Rank is by stores per 100,000 residents (Census 2023 population). Share is the category's portion of the state's independent retail places.
Frequently asked questions
- Which state has the most bookstores per capita?
- Vermont, with 20.4 bookstores per 100,000 residents (132 in total) — 2.6× the national rate of 7.9. Maine is second at 18.8.
- How many bookstores are there in the United States?
- 26,484 independent bookstores across the 50 states and D.C., or 7.9 per 100,000 residents. That is 1.1% of the 2,427,402 shoppable independent retail places counted.
- Which state has the most bookstores in total?
- California, with 3,065 — 1.13% of its retail places. New York (1,750) and Texas (1,675) follow.
Related reports
Where bookstores are densest
- Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked#1 for bookstores — 20.4 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Maine: Top 25 Towns Ranked#2 for bookstores — 18.8 per 100k
- Washington, D.C. Retail by the Numbers: Every Store Type#3 for bookstores — 16.2 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Alaska: Top 25 Towns Ranked#4 for bookstores — 13.5 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Oregon: Top 25 Towns Ranked#5 for bookstores — 13 per 100k
Other store types by state
- Hardware Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Clothing Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Furniture Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Shoe Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Gift Shops by State: Every State Ranked
- Jewelry Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Pet Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Florists by State: Every State Ranked
- Sporting Goods Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Thrift and Vintage Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Antique Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Garden Centers by State: Every State Ranked
- Arts and Crafts Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Music Stores by State: Every State Ranked
- Bike Shops by State: Every State Ranked
- Toy Stores by State: Every State Ranked
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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