Which state's retail is most concentrated in one city?

Nevada's, where Las Vegas alone accounts for 57.7% of the state's independent retail storefronts.

Which state has the most spread-out retail?

New Jersey's retail is the most distributed: its largest retail city, Jersey City, holds only 2.0% of the state total.

One Big City or Spread Out? U.S. Retail Concentration by State

In some states, most independent retail sits in a single dominant city. In others it's scattered across dozens of small towns. We measured the gap.

Published June 8, 2026 · Data updated September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research

The extremes

57.7%

of Nevada's retail is in Las Vegas

the most concentrated state

2.0%

of New Jersey's retail is in Jersey City

the most spread-out state

Why this matters

A state can have plenty of stores yet feel like a retail desert outside one hub. Nevada is the starkest case: 57.7% of all its independent storefronts sit in Las Vegas alone. Shop elsewhere in the state and the options thin out fast.

At the other end, New Jersey's retail is remarkably distributed — its largest city, Jersey City, holds just 2.0% of the state total. Local shopping there is a small-town, many-main-streets affair rather than a single-downtown one.

Retail concentration, most to least centralized

Share of each state's independent retail located in its single largest retail city.

#	State	Largest retail city	% of state's retail	State total
1	Nevada	Las Vegas	57.7%	20,234
2	Hawaii	Honolulu	36.4%	12,174
3	Alaska	Anchorage	36.1%	6,125
4	New Mexico	Albuquerque	33.9%	14,886
5	Nebraska	Omaha	24.5%	11,183
6	South Dakota	Sioux Falls	23.9%	7,453
7	Oregon	Portland	23.0%	35,446
8	Delaware	Wilmington	21.7%	7,192
9	Arizona	Phoenix	20.4%	45,964
10	North Dakota	Fargo	19.5%	7,136
11	New York	New York	18.7%	140,732
12	Oklahoma	Oklahoma City	18.1%	28,616
13	Idaho	Boise	17.6%	14,340
14	Kentucky	Louisville	17.0%	32,108
15	Illinois	Chicago	16.7%	91,184
16	Montana	Billings	15.6%	10,398
17	Utah	Salt Lake City	15.3%	20,933
18	Colorado	Denver	15.0%	46,098
19	Rhode Island	Providence	14.8%	8,168
20	Wyoming	Cheyenne	14.8%	5,799
21	Indiana	Indianapolis	13.8%	49,234
22	Kansas	Wichita	13.2%	22,128
23	Washington	Seattle	12.7%	52,484
24	Texas	Houston	11.6%	196,483
25	Missouri	St Louis	11.6%	48,327
26	Georgia	Atlanta	11.2%	83,747
27	Tennessee	Nashville	10.6%	55,102
28	Minnesota	Minneapolis	10.6%	46,452
29	Maryland	Baltimore	10.5%	37,895
30	Louisiana	New Orleans	10.5%	33,804
31	Arkansas	Little Rock	9.8%	23,046
32	Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	8.6%	98,947
33	North Carolina	Charlotte	8.5%	82,434
34	Alabama	Birmingham	8.3%	36,017
35	California	Los Angeles	8.0%	271,352
36	Vermont	Burlington	7.4%	6,835
37	Wisconsin	Milwaukee	7.2%	49,031
38	New Hampshire	Manchester	7.2%	13,794
39	South Carolina	Columbia	7.1%	39,138
40	Maine	Portland	7.1%	13,543
41	West Virginia	Charleston	7.0%	12,281
42	Ohio	Columbus	6.9%	82,521
43	Florida	Miami	6.7%	175,522
44	Iowa	Des Moines	6.7%	25,951
45	Massachusetts	Boston	6.6%	54,068
46	Mississippi	Jackson	5.9%	21,328
47	Virginia	Richmond	5.8%	55,865
48	Connecticut	Stamford	4.1%	28,565
49	Michigan	Grand Rapids	3.8%	74,342
50	New Jersey	Jersey City	2.0%	67,441

Based on city/town labels in the source data; multi-borough cities (e.g. New York vs. Brooklyn) may be listed separately, which understates a few large metros.

Frequently asked questions

Which state's retail is most concentrated in one city?: Nevada's, where Las Vegas alone accounts for 57.7% of the state's independent retail storefronts.
Which state has the most spread-out retail?: New Jersey's retail is the most distributed: its largest retail city, Jersey City, holds only 2.0% of the state total.

Related reports

More national reports

The densest retail states

Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked#1 for retail per capita — 1055.7 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in Wyoming: Top 25 Towns Ranked#2 for retail per capita — 992.9 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in New Hampshire: Top 25 Towns Ranked#3 for retail per capita — 983.8 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in Maine: Top 25 Towns Ranked#4 for retail per capita — 970.3 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in Montana: Top 25 Towns Ranked#5 for retail per capita — 917.9 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in North Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked#6 for retail per capita — 910.3 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in Hawaii: Top 25 Towns Ranked#7 for retail per capita — 848.3 per 100k
Biggest Retail Cities in Oregon: Top 25 Towns Ranked#8 for retail per capita — 837.3 per 100k

Store types by state

Hardware Stores by State: Every State Ranked90,909 nationwide
Clothing Stores by State: Every State Ranked140,993 nationwide
Furniture Stores by State: Every State Ranked130,785 nationwide
Shoe Stores by State: Every State Ranked83,128 nationwide
Gift Shops by State: Every State Ranked71,520 nationwide
Jewelry Stores by State: Every State Ranked70,320 nationwide
Pet Stores by State: Every State Ranked63,517 nationwide
Florists by State: Every State Ranked59,674 nationwide

All retail reports →

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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