Shoe Stores by State: Every State Ranked
The U.S. has 83,128 independent shoe stores — 24.8 per 100,000 residents. Vermont has 43.1 per 100k, 1.7× the national rate; Nebraska has 10.2. All 50 states and D.C., ranked.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Shoe Stores in America
Leaders and laggards
Per capita, the five states with the most shoe stores are Vermont (43.1), New Hampshire (39.0), Wyoming (38.5), Montana (36.5), South Dakota (35.8) per 100,000 residents. The five with the fewest are Maryland (21.4), Washington (19.7), Delaware (19.0), Arizona (18.1), Nebraska (10.2). The gap between Vermont and Nebraska is 4.2×.
By raw count, California has the most shoe stores (9,080), followed by Texas (6,704) and Florida (5,929). Nationally, shoe stores are 3.4% of all 2,427,402 independent retail places counted.
Shoe Stores in every state, densest to sparsest
Independent shoe stores per state: total count, stores per 100,000 residents, and the category's share of the state's retail.
| # | State | Shoe Stores | Per 100k | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 279 | 43.1 | 4.1% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 547 | 39 | 4.0% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 225 | 38.5 | 3.9% |
| 4 | Montana | 413 | 36.5 | 4.0% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 329 | 35.8 | 4.4% |
| 6 | Iowa | 1,034 | 32.2 | 4.0% |
| 7 | Mississippi | 923 | 31.4 | 4.3% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 238 | 30.4 | 3.3% |
| 9 | Maine | 414 | 29.7 | 3.1% |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 1,754 | 29.7 | 3.6% |
| 11 | Alabama | 1,463 | 28.6 | 4.1% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 1,284 | 28.4 | 4.0% |
| 13 | Michigan | 2,797 | 27.9 | 3.8% |
| 14 | Tennessee | 1,985 | 27.9 | 3.6% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 1,112 | 27.4 | 3.9% |
| 16 | Louisiana | 1,242 | 27.2 | 3.7% |
| 17 | South Carolina | 1,455 | 27.1 | 3.7% |
| 18 | Colorado | 1,570 | 26.7 | 3.4% |
| 19 | Georgia | 2,935 | 26.6 | 3.5% |
| 20 | Indiana | 1,826 | 26.6 | 3.7% |
| 21 | Connecticut | 957 | 26.5 | 3.4% |
| 22 | North Carolina | 2,857 | 26.4 | 3.5% |
| 23 | Florida | 5,929 | 26.2 | 3.4% |
| 24 | Alaska | 191 | 26 | 3.1% |
| 25 | Arkansas | 794 | 25.9 | 3.4% |
| 26 | Massachusetts | 1,814 | 25.9 | 3.4% |
| 27 | Minnesota | 1,472 | 25.7 | 3.2% |
| 28 | Kansas | 754 | 25.6 | 3.4% |
| 29 | New York | 4,940 | 25.2 | 3.5% |
| 30 | Missouri | 1,548 | 25 | 3.2% |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 267 | 24.4 | 3.3% |
| 32 | Virginia | 2,112 | 24.2 | 3.8% |
| 33 | New Jersey | 2,242 | 24.1 | 3.3% |
| 34 | Ohio | 2,834 | 24 | 3.4% |
| 35 | Hawaii | 343 | 23.9 | 2.8% |
| 36 | Nevada | 762 | 23.9 | 3.8% |
| 37 | Oregon | 1,008 | 23.8 | 2.8% |
| 38 | New Mexico | 499 | 23.6 | 3.4% |
| 39 | Washington, D.C. | 160 | 23.6 | 4.5% |
| 40 | West Virginia | 416 | 23.5 | 3.4% |
| 41 | California | 9,080 | 23.3 | 3.3% |
| 42 | Illinois | 2,921 | 23.3 | 3.2% |
| 43 | Utah | 795 | 23.3 | 3.8% |
| 44 | Idaho | 440 | 22.4 | 3.1% |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | 2,858 | 22 | 2.9% |
| 46 | Texas | 6,704 | 22 | 3.4% |
| 47 | Maryland | 1,322 | 21.4 | 3.5% |
| 48 | Washington | 1,539 | 19.7 | 2.9% |
| 49 | Delaware | 196 | 19 | 2.7% |
| 50 | Arizona | 1,347 | 18.1 | 2.9% |
| 51 | Nebraska | 202 | 10.2 | 1.8% |
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 shoe stores per capita?
- Vermont, with 43.1 shoe stores per 100,000 residents (279 in total) — 1.7× the national rate of 24.8. New Hampshire is second at 39.0.
- How many shoe stores are there in the United States?
- 83,128 independent shoe stores across the 50 states and D.C., or 24.8 per 100,000 residents. That is 3.4% of the 2,427,402 shoppable independent retail places counted.
- Which state has the most shoe stores in total?
- California, with 9,080 — 3.35% of its retail places. Texas (6,704) and Florida (5,929) follow.
Related reports
Where shoe stores are densest
- Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked#1 for shoe stores — 43.1 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in New Hampshire: Top 25 Towns Ranked#2 for shoe stores — 39 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Wyoming: Top 25 Towns Ranked#3 for shoe stores — 38.5 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in Montana: Top 25 Towns Ranked#4 for shoe stores — 36.5 per 100k
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked#5 for shoe stores — 35.8 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
- 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
- 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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