The U.S. Retail Density Index: Every State Ranked by Independent Retail Per Capita
We counted 2.4 million independent, shoppable retail storefronts across the United States, then ranked all 50 states and D.C. by how many they have per 100,000 residents. The result turns the familiar map upside down.
Published June 8, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
The headline numbers
Bigger isn't denser
Rank states by the raw number of independent stores and you simply re-draw the population map: California (271,352), Texas (196,483) and Florida (175,522) lead because they have the most people. That tells you nothing about how rich local retail actually is in a given place.
Divide by population and the map inverts. The densest retail economies in America are small, often rural states. Vermont tops the list at 1055.7 stores per 100,000 residents — even though, in raw count, it ranks near the very bottom. California, the raw leader, falls to #41 (696.4 per 100k). Texas lands at #44 and Florida at #17.
The pattern is consistent: New England, the Mountain West, and the Upper Midwest run dense with independent storefronts per person, while fast-growing Sun Belt states — where big-box and online retail expanded into newer, car-oriented development — run thin.
Every state ranked, densest to sparsest
Independent shoppable-retail storefronts per 100,000 residents. Population: U.S. Census 2023 estimates.
| # | State | Stores / 100k | Total stores | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 1,055.7 | 6,835 | 647,464 |
| 2 | Wyoming | 992.9 | 5,799 | 584,057 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 983.8 | 13,794 | 1,402,054 |
| 4 | Maine | 970.3 | 13,543 | 1,395,722 |
| 5 | Montana | 917.9 | 10,398 | 1,132,812 |
| 6 | North Dakota | 910.3 | 7,136 | 783,926 |
| 7 | Hawaii | 848.3 | 12,174 | 1,435,138 |
| 8 | Oregon | 837.3 | 35,446 | 4,233,358 |
| 9 | Alaska | 835.1 | 6,125 | 733,406 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 829.5 | 49,031 | 5,910,955 |
| 11 | South Dakota | 810.7 | 7,453 | 919,318 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 809.6 | 46,452 | 5,737,915 |
| 13 | Iowa | 809.2 | 25,951 | 3,207,004 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 789.7 | 28,565 | 3,617,176 |
| 15 | Colorado | 784.3 | 46,098 | 5,877,610 |
| 16 | Missouri | 780 | 48,327 | 6,196,156 |
| 17 | Florida | 776.3 | 175,522 | 22,610,726 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 773.2 | 55,102 | 7,126,489 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 772.2 | 54,068 | 7,001,399 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 763.4 | 98,947 | 12,961,683 |
| 21 | North Carolina | 760.8 | 82,434 | 10,835,491 |
| 22 | Georgia | 759.3 | 83,747 | 11,029,227 |
| 23 | Kansas | 752.5 | 22,128 | 2,940,546 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 751.2 | 23,046 | 3,067,732 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | 745.3 | 8,168 | 1,095,962 |
| 26 | Michigan | 740.7 | 74,342 | 10,037,261 |
| 27 | Louisiana | 739.1 | 33,804 | 4,573,749 |
| 28 | Idaho | 729.9 | 14,340 | 1,964,726 |
| 29 | South Carolina | 728.3 | 39,138 | 5,373,555 |
| 30 | Illinois | 726.6 | 91,184 | 12,549,689 |
| 31 | New Jersey | 725.9 | 67,441 | 9,290,841 |
| 32 | Mississippi | 725.5 | 21,328 | 2,939,690 |
| 33 | New York | 719.1 | 140,732 | 19,571,216 |
| 34 | Indiana | 717.5 | 49,234 | 6,862,199 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 709.4 | 32,108 | 4,526,154 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 705.9 | 28,616 | 4,053,824 |
| 37 | Alabama | 705 | 36,017 | 5,108,468 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 704 | 14,886 | 2,114,371 |
| 39 | Ohio | 700.2 | 82,521 | 11,785,935 |
| 40 | Delaware | 697 | 7,192 | 1,031,890 |
| 41 | California | 696.4 | 271,352 | 38,965,193 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 693.8 | 12,281 | 1,770,071 |
| 43 | Washington | 671.8 | 52,484 | 7,812,880 |
| 44 | Texas | 644.1 | 196,483 | 30,503,301 |
| 45 | Virginia | 641 | 55,865 | 8,715,698 |
| 46 | Nevada | 633.5 | 20,234 | 3,194,176 |
| 47 | Arizona | 618.5 | 45,964 | 7,431,344 |
| 48 | Maryland | 613.2 | 37,895 | 6,180,253 |
| 49 | Utah | 612.5 | 20,933 | 3,417,734 |
| 50 | Nebraska | 565.3 | 11,183 | 1,978,379 |
| 51 | Washington, D.C. | 523.7 | 3,556 | 678,972 |
Counts exclude grocery, pharmacy, gas/convenience, liquor, cannabis, auto and mall-anchor categories — the goal is shoppable independent retail, not all commerce.
Frequently asked questions
- Which U.S. state has the most retail stores per capita?
- Vermont has the most independent retail stores per capita, at 1055.7 shoppable storefronts per 100,000 residents — about 1.46 times the national average of 724.8.
- Why does California rank so low if it has the most stores?
- California has the largest raw count of stores (271,352) simply because it has the most people. Per capita, it ranks #41 of 51 at 696.4 stores per 100,000 residents — close to the national average.
- How many independent retail stores are there in the United States?
- This study counted 2,427,402 shoppable, independent retail storefronts across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., excluding grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall-anchor categories.
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 →Data source: Foursquare Open Source Places (US slice), analyzed by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census 2023 estimates.