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Small Town Retail Watch: County-Level Retail Tracker
Small-town retail isn't dying — it's being reorganized. This tracker uses Census Bureau data across all 3,255 US counties from 2012 through 2023 to show exactly where retail is growing, where it's contracting, and what's replacing it. Explore any state or county to see the dollar store displacement effect, the survivor premium, and which communities are bucking the trend. Individual county profiles for every US county with subsector breakdowns. Built for retailers planning store assortment, community leaders working on economic development, and anyone tracking rural retail health.
Census Bureau Data — 87 Minnesota Counties · 2012-2023
State:
87
Counties
17,723 stores in 2023
-7.9%
Store count change
19,249 → 17,723
+65%
Payroll per store
$365K → $604K
+7.6%
Population (2010-20)
5.30M → 5.71M
-15.5pp
Stores vs pop gap
Stores -7.9% while pop +7.6%
The Full Picture — Stores Opened vs. Closed
Net change hides the churn. Every year, stores open and close. Here's how many of each, statewide.
Avg opened / year
1,131
Avg closed / year
1,219
Net per year (avg)
-88
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS). “Opened” = new establishment entries. “Closed” = establishment exits. Retail (NAICS 44-45), 2012-2021.
Where did the net changes come from? (2012 → 2023)
The categories gaining stores aren't the same ones losing them.
Net gained: +112 storesNet lost: -1,753 storesOverall: -1,641
General Merch
+112704→816
Food & Bev
-342478→2444
Experiential
-701925→1855
Gas Stations
-1412177→2036
Pharmacy
-2171401→1184
Building/Garden
-2371790→1553
Clothing
-4112212→1801
Electronics
-643908→265
Explore by County
Click any county to see its retail story — stores, employment, payroll, and what's growing or shrinking by category.
Color by
Lost storesGained stores
Minnesota
2012 → 2023
Stores
17,723
was 19,249
-1526(-7.9%)
Employment
306.4K
was 290.3K
+16117(+5.6%)
Payroll / Store
$604.102
was $364.805
+239(+65.6%)
Population (2010 → 2020)
5,706,494+7.6%was 5,303,925
Population grew +7.6% while stores changed -7.9%
Subsector breakdown (stores)
Food & Beverage445
2478→2444-34
Pharmacy446
1401→1184-217
Specialty/Gift453
1925→1855-70
Dollar/Dept452
704→816+112
County Rankings — Click headers to sort
| County↕ | Stores (2023)↕ | Store Chg↓ | Payroll Chg↕ | $/Store (2023)↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isanti | 122(98) | +24.5% | +87% | $592K |
| Traverse | 27(23) | +17.4% | +59% | $183K |
| Lake | 51(44) | +15.9% | +48% | $292K |
| Carver | 227(209) | +8.6% | +74% | $600K |
| Dodge | 53(49) | +8.2% | +96% | $261K |
| Mille Lacs | 106(98) | +8.2% | +104% | $391K |
| Dakota | 1,212(1,132) | +7.1% | +65% | $794K |
| Nicollet | 81(76) | +6.6% | +115% | $672K |
| Sherburne | 203(191) | +6.3% | +77% | $580K |
| Clearwater | 36(34) | +5.9% | +62% | $188K |
| Hubbard | 111(105) | +5.7% | +76% | $311K |
| Anoka | 942(895) | +5.3% | +72% | $676K |
| Mahnomen | 21(20) | +5.0% | +68% | $224K |
| Kanabec | 47(45) | +4.4% | +65% | $359K |
| Chisago | 159(154) | +3.2% | +84% | $438K |
| Cass | 137(133) | +3.0% | +76% | $258K |
| Crow Wing | 370(366) | +1.1% | +84% | $516K |
| Pope | 41(41) | 0.0% | +99% | $385K |
| Washington | 699(703) | -0.6% | +75% | $689K |
| Scott | 319(323) | -1.2% | +89% | $670K |
| Yellow Medicine | 48(49) | -2.0% | +136% | $367K |
| Watonwan | 39(40) | -2.5% | +57% | $276K |
| Morrison | 131(135) | -3.0% | +62% | $426K |
| Todd | 90(93) | -3.2% | +38% | $203K |
| Otter Tail | 252(261) | -3.4% | +38% | $360K |
| Koochiching | 76(79) | -3.8% | +18% | $258K |
| Stevens | 48(50) | -4.0% | +41% | $383K |
| Aitkin | 66(69) | -4.3% | +68% | $334K |
| Brown | 105(110) | -4.5% | +54% | $490K |
| Swift | 42(44) | -4.5% | +50% | $258K |
| Benton | 114(120) | -5.0% | +33% | $516K |
| Freeborn | 130(137) | -5.1% | +38% | $478K |
| Becker | 128(135) | -5.2% | +62% | $555K |
| Wright | 402(424) | -5.2% | +83% | $658K |
| Stearns | 635(671) | -5.4% | +62% | $640K |
| Beltrami | 205(219) | -6.4% | +62% | $536K |
| Fillmore | 84(90) | -6.7% | +49% | $279K |
| Mower | 121(131) | -7.6% | +21% | $364K |
| Carlton | 100(109) | -8.3% | +16% | $338K |
| Polk | 100(110) | -9.1% | +39% | $403K |
| Wadena | 69(76) | -9.2% | +26% | $360K |
| Pipestone | 48(53) | -9.4% | +41% | $293K |
| Pine | 86(95) | -9.5% | +68% | $421K |
| Cottonwood | 46(51) | -9.8% | +47% | $297K |
| Waseca | 55(61) | -9.8% | -11% | $312K |
| Winona | 146(162) | -9.9% | +47% | $606K |
| Kittson | 27(30) | -10.0% | +55% | $225K |
| Douglas | 210(235) | -10.6% | +59% | $517K |
| Clay | 145(163) | -11.0% | +40% | $588K |
| Rice | 182(205) | -11.2% | +43% | $470K |
| Jackson | 38(43) | -11.6% | +29% | $199K |
| Hennepin | 3,714(4,209) | -11.8% | +39% | $774K |
| Le Sueur | 74(84) | -11.9% | +63% | $253K |
| Martin | 84(96) | -12.5% | +41% | $467K |
| Itasca | 177(203) | -12.8% | +51% | $448K |
| Olmsted | 516(592) | -12.8% | +59% | $733K |
| Lac qui Parle | 33(38) | -13.2% | +41% | $226K |
| Cook | 46(53) | -13.2% | +43% | $245K |
| Norman | 26(30) | -13.3% | +29% | $216K |
| Ramsey | 1,431(1,654) | -13.5% | +48% | $666K |
| Murray | 37(43) | -14.0% | +136% | $284K |
| Blue Earth | 280(327) | -14.4% | +43% | $666K |
| Roseau | 76(89) | -14.6% | +27% | $276K |
| Big Stone | 23(27) | -14.8% | +56% | $248K |
| Red Lake | 16(19) | -15.8% | +40% | $295K |
| St. Louis | 773(922) | -16.2% | +40% | $507K |
| Meeker | 71(85) | -16.5% | +78% | $493K |
| Wabasha | 74(89) | -16.9% | +39% | $331K |
| Pennington | 64(77) | -16.9% | +38% | $459K |
| Lyon | 113(136) | -16.9% | +16% | $586K |
| Marshall | 29(35) | -17.1% | +47% | $353K |
| Redwood | 60(73) | -17.8% | +60% | $451K |
| Faribault | 54(66) | -18.2% | +5% | $230K |
| Sibley | 44(54) | -18.5% | +8% | $145K |
| Steele | 145(178) | -18.5% | +37% | $533K |
| Nobles | 92(113) | -18.6% | +25% | $428K |
| McLeod | 127(156) | -18.6% | +41% | $482K |
| Goodhue | 178(227) | -21.6% | +61% | $522K |
| Houston | 54(70) | -22.9% | +268% | $821K |
| Wilkin | 20(26) | -23.1% | -7% | $227K |
| Chippewa | 43(56) | -23.2% | +52% | $505K |
| Renville | 52(68) | -23.5% | +14% | $226K |
| Lincoln | 29(38) | -23.7% | +8% | $197K |
| Grant | 25(33) | -24.2% | +43% | $264K |
| Kandiyohi | 167(225) | -25.8% | +33% | $504K |
| Lake of the Woods | 18(27) | -33.3% | +26% | $269K |
| Rock | 26(42) | -38.1% | +38% | $472K |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (CBP), 2012-2023. NAICS sector 44-45 (Retail Trade). Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) for store openings/closings. Payroll in $1,000s. Analysis by Lotus Advisory.
Coming next
Interactive county maps for all 50 states with national aggregate view
3,255 individual county profile pages with full subsector breakdowns
Store openings vs. closings data from Census Business Dynamics Statistics
Subsector analysis: food, pharmacy, specialty, dollar stores, and more
Population overlay: see where retail decline outpaces demographics
County ranking tables sortable by store change, payroll growth, and survivor premium
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