Music Stores by State: Every State Ranked
The U.S. has 22,383 independent music stores — 6.7 per 100,000 residents. Vermont has 14.8 per 100k, 2.2× the national rate; Washington, D.C. has 3.7. All 50 states and D.C., ranked.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Music Stores in America
Leaders and laggards
Per capita, the five states with the most music stores are Vermont (14.8), Connecticut (9.8), Oregon (9.6), Tennessee (9.4), Massachusetts (9.2) per 100,000 residents. The five with the fewest are Nevada (4.8), Texas (4.8), Mississippi (4.4), Nebraska (4.3), Washington, D.C. (3.7). The gap between Vermont and Washington, D.C. is 4.0×.
By raw count, California has the most music stores (2,894), followed by New York (1,483) and Texas (1,455). Nationally, music stores are 0.9% of all 2,427,402 independent retail places counted.
Music Stores in every state, densest to sparsest
Independent music stores per state: total count, stores per 100,000 residents, and the category's share of the state's retail.
| # | State | Music Stores | Per 100k | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 96 | 14.8 | 1.4% |
| 2 | Connecticut | 353 | 9.8 | 1.2% |
| 3 | Oregon | 406 | 9.6 | 1.1% |
| 4 | Tennessee | 667 | 9.4 | 1.2% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 647 | 9.2 | 1.2% |
| 6 | Hawaii | 126 | 8.8 | 1.0% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 124 | 8.8 | 0.9% |
| 8 | Alaska | 62 | 8.5 | 1.0% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 1,076 | 8.3 | 1.1% |
| 10 | Maine | 115 | 8.2 | 0.8% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 469 | 8.2 | 1.0% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 90 | 8.2 | 1.1% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 61 | 7.8 | 0.9% |
| 14 | Illinois | 968 | 7.7 | 1.1% |
| 15 | New York | 1,483 | 7.6 | 1.1% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 447 | 7.6 | 0.9% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 44 | 7.5 | 0.8% |
| 18 | California | 2,894 | 7.4 | 1.1% |
| 19 | Colorado | 434 | 7.4 | 0.9% |
| 20 | Washington | 577 | 7.4 | 1.1% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 671 | 7.2 | 1.0% |
| 22 | Indiana | 483 | 7 | 1.0% |
| 23 | Missouri | 425 | 6.9 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Georgia | 735 | 6.7 | 0.9% |
| 25 | Montana | 74 | 6.5 | 0.7% |
| 26 | Ohio | 761 | 6.5 | 0.9% |
| 27 | Idaho | 125 | 6.4 | 0.9% |
| 28 | North Carolina | 689 | 6.4 | 0.8% |
| 29 | Michigan | 637 | 6.3 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Utah | 216 | 6.3 | 1.0% |
| 31 | Kansas | 183 | 6.2 | 0.8% |
| 32 | Maryland | 384 | 6.2 | 1.0% |
| 33 | New Mexico | 128 | 6.1 | 0.9% |
| 34 | Iowa | 191 | 6 | 0.7% |
| 35 | Kentucky | 264 | 5.8 | 0.8% |
| 36 | Virginia | 497 | 5.7 | 0.9% |
| 37 | West Virginia | 101 | 5.7 | 0.8% |
| 38 | Delaware | 58 | 5.6 | 0.8% |
| 39 | South Carolina | 294 | 5.5 | 0.8% |
| 40 | Florida | 1,219 | 5.4 | 0.7% |
| 41 | Louisiana | 237 | 5.2 | 0.7% |
| 42 | Alabama | 258 | 5.1 | 0.7% |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 207 | 5.1 | 0.7% |
| 44 | South Dakota | 47 | 5.1 | 0.6% |
| 45 | Arkansas | 153 | 5 | 0.7% |
| 46 | Arizona | 360 | 4.8 | 0.8% |
| 47 | Nevada | 152 | 4.8 | 0.8% |
| 48 | Texas | 1,455 | 4.8 | 0.7% |
| 49 | Mississippi | 129 | 4.4 | 0.6% |
| 50 | Nebraska | 86 | 4.3 | 0.8% |
| 51 | Washington, D.C. | 25 | 3.7 | 0.7% |
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 music stores per capita?
- Vermont, with 14.8 music stores per 100,000 residents (96 in total) — 2.2× the national rate of 6.7. Connecticut is second at 9.8.
- How many music stores are there in the United States?
- 22,383 independent music stores across the 50 states and D.C., or 6.7 per 100,000 residents. That is 0.9% of the 2,427,402 shoppable independent retail places counted.
- Which state has the most music stores in total?
- California, with 2,894 — 1.07% of its retail places. New York (1,483) and Texas (1,455) follow.
Related reports
Where music stores are densest
- Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked#1 for music stores — 14.8 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Connecticut: Top 25 Towns Ranked#2 for music stores — 9.8 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Oregon: Top 25 Towns Ranked#3 for music stores — 9.6 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Tennessee: Top 25 Towns Ranked#4 for music stores — 9.4 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Massachusetts: Top 25 Towns Ranked#5 for music stores — 9.2 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
- Bookstores 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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