Dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina: 426 locations, -2.2% jobs
Official counts for dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how North Carolina compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
North Carolina against the country · 2026 Q1
| North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry cleaners and laundromats with employees | 426 | 14,031 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 3.9 | 4.1 |
| Jobs | 2,509 | 85,488 |
| Jobs, year over year | -2.2% | -2.9% |
| Locations, year over year | +0.7% | -2.5% |
| Average weekly wage | $522 | $629 |
| Rank among states, density | 17 of 47 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 15 of 47 |
What the numbers say
North Carolina has 426 dry cleaners and laundromats with payroll, employing 2,509 people. At 3.9 per 100,000 residents the market is close to the national average, number 17 among the 47 states with published data. Jobs fell 2.2% over the year, against -2.9% nationally. Locations grew faster than jobs, which usually means more and smaller operators entering: the kind of market where the cheapest service gets crowded first.
Average pay at dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina is $522 a week, 17% below the national figure of $629. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina moved -17.1%, from 514 to 426.
Dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina, annual average
- 2021514
- 2022507
- 2023497
- 2024463
- 2025426
Jobs at dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina
- 20212,759
- 20222,790
- 20232,833
- 20242,704
- 20252,574
What counts as "dry cleaners and laundromats" here
Dry cleaning and laundry services except coin-operated: dry cleaners, laundry drop-off and pickup, and wash-and-fold. Coin-operated laundromats sit in a neighboring code. The code is NAICS 812320. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in North Carolina
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the dry cleaners and laundromats within reach of one address in North Carolina, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many dry cleaners and laundromats are there in North Carolina?
BLS counted 426 dry cleaners and laundromats with employees in North Carolina in 2026 Q1, employing 2,509 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 3.9 per 100,000 residents, against 4.1 nationally.
Are dry cleaners and laundromats growing in North Carolina?
Not at the moment. Jobs at dry cleaners and laundromats in North Carolina changed -2.2% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +0.7%. That ranks North Carolina 15 of 47 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved -17.1%.
Is North Carolina a crowded market for dry cleaners and laundromats?
North Carolina has 3.9 dry cleaners and laundromats per 100,000 residents, close to the national average, ranking 17 of 47 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Dry cleaners and laundromats in every state
Densest first. The number is dry cleaners and laundromats per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in North Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 812320, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in North Carolina · Growth ranking for North Carolina · Dry cleaners and laundromats by state