Dry cleaners and laundromats in South Carolina: 172 locations, -5.2% jobs
Official counts for dry cleaners and laundromats in South Carolina, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how South Carolina compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
South Carolina against the country · 2026 Q1
| South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry cleaners and laundromats with employees | 172 | 14,031 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 3.1 | 4.1 |
| Jobs | 1,291 | 85,488 |
| Jobs, year over year | -5.2% | -2.9% |
| Locations, year over year | -1.7% | -2.5% |
| Average weekly wage | $539 | $629 |
| Rank among states, density | 25 of 47 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 30 of 47 |
What the numbers say
South Carolina has 172 dry cleaners and laundromats with payroll, employing 1,291 people. At 3.1 per 100,000 residents the market is thinner than the country as a whole, number 25 among the 47 states with published data. Jobs fell 5.2% 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 South Carolina is $539 a week, 14% 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 South Carolina moved -17.3%, from 208 to 172.
Dry cleaners and laundromats in South Carolina, annual average
- 2021208
- 2022198
- 2023183
- 2024176
- 2025172
Jobs at dry cleaners and laundromats in South Carolina
- 20211,494
- 20221,474
- 20231,461
- 20241,389
- 20251,332
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 South 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 South 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 South Carolina?
BLS counted 172 dry cleaners and laundromats with employees in South Carolina in 2026 Q1, employing 1,291 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 3.1 per 100,000 residents, against 4.1 nationally.
Are dry cleaners and laundromats growing in South Carolina?
Not at the moment. Jobs at dry cleaners and laundromats in South Carolina changed -5.2% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed -1.7%. That ranks South Carolina 30 of 47 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved -17.3%.
Is South Carolina a crowded market for dry cleaners and laundromats?
South Carolina has 3.1 dry cleaners and laundromats per 100,000 residents, thinner than the country as a whole, ranking 25 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 South 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 South Carolina · Growth ranking for South Carolina · Dry cleaners and laundromats by state