Forget any outdated notions of dingy basements—with profit margins humming at 20-35%, a global market worth tens of billions, and a tech-driven future, the modern coin laundry industry is spinning a powerful story of resilient and surprisingly lucrative entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. coin laundry industry generated $5.75 billion in revenue in 2022, up 3.2% from 2021.
- Global self-service laundry market size was valued at $25.6 billion in 2023.
- U.S. laundromat industry profit margin averaged 20-35% in 2022.
- There are approximately 35,000 coin-operated laundries in the U.S. as of 2023.
- California hosts 4,200 laundromats, the highest in U.S. in 2022.
- 72% of U.S. laundromats are independently owned in 2023.
- 62% of U.S. consumers use laundromats at least monthly in 2023.
- Average visit frequency: 3.2 times per month per user 2022.
- 45% of users are renters without in-home laundry 2023.
- 31% of laundromat machines are high-efficiency front-loaders in 2023.
- Average machine lifespan: 12-15 years with maintenance 2022.
- Energy costs represent 25% of operating expenses in 2023.
- U.S. coin laundry industry expected to grow 3.5% CAGR to $7.2B by 2028.
- Cardless payments projected to reach 70% by 2027.
- Eco-friendly machines adoption to hit 65% by 2026.
The coin laundry industry is a stable, growing multi-billion dollar business driven by essential consumer demand.
Consumer Demographics and Usage
- 62% of U.S. consumers use laundromats at least monthly in 2023.
- Average visit frequency: 3.2 times per month per user 2022.
- 45% of users are renters without in-home laundry 2023.
- Millennials (25-40) comprise 38% of laundromat customers 2022.
- Average spend per visit: $4.75 in U.S. 2023.
- 28% of low-income households (<$35K) rely solely on coin laundries 2022.
- Hispanic consumers: 32% of total laundromat usage in 2023.
- Peak usage hours: 6-9 PM, 52% of daily visits 2022.
- 19% of Gen Z (18-24) prefer laundromats with apps 2023.
- Urban dwellers: 68% use coin laundries vs 22% rural 2022.
- Average load size: 10.2 kg per visit in U.S. 2023.
- Females account for 54% of laundromat customers 2022.
- 41% of users also buy detergent on-site 2023.
- Students represent 15% of weekly users in 2022.
- Loyalty program users: 22% repeat 5+ times monthly 2023.
- African American usage rate: 25% of total visits 2022.
- Weekend usage: 48% of total weekly visits 2023.
- Seniors (65+): 12% of customers but 18% of revenue 2022.
- App-based payment preference: 35% among under-35s 2023.
- Families with children: 27% of high-frequency users 2022.
- Average time per visit: 47 minutes in 2023 survey.
- Eco-friendly detergent choosers: 29% of users 2022.
- Multi-family renters: 55% primary users 2023.
- Cashless payment adopters: 41% in 2023.
- Bulk laundry days preferred by 36% weekly 2022.
- 52% of apartment residents use laundromats monthly 2023.
- Dry cleaning combo users: 14% of visits 2022.
- Mobile app notifications boost visits by 20% 2023.
- Average U.S. washer capacity usage: 85% full loads 2022.
- 67% of urban poor depend on laundromats exclusively 2023.
- Average dryer cycle preference: 45 minutes, 62% users 2022.
Consumer Demographics and Usage Interpretation
While the laundromat endures as a bustling, nocturnal hub of necessity—especially for renters, millennials, and urban families—it’s also quietly modernizing, its hum of machines now accompanied by the ping of apps and the quiet reliance of those for whom it remains an essential, and expensive, weekly chore.
Establishments and Operators
- There are approximately 35,000 coin-operated laundries in the U.S. as of 2023.
- California hosts 4,200 laundromats, the highest in U.S. in 2022.
- 72% of U.S. laundromats are independently owned in 2023.
- Average laundromat size: 2,400 square feet with 25 machines in 2022.
- New laundromat openings: 1,200 annually in U.S. 2021-2023.
- Texas has 3,100 coin laundries operating in 2023.
- 15% of laundromats are franchise-operated in U.S. 2022.
- Average operator age: 55 years old per CLA survey 2023.
- Florida laundromats number 2,800 as of 2022 census.
- Multi-store operators control 28% of U.S. laundries in 2023.
- Closures averaged 800 per year pre-2020, down to 400 post-COVID.
- New York state has 1,900 laundromats in urban areas 2023.
- 65% of operators have owned for over 10 years in 2022.
- Illinois operates 1,650 coin laundries in 2023.
- Woman-owned laundromats: 22% of total U.S. in 2022.
- Average machines per laundromat: 28 in 2023 survey.
- Pennsylvania laundries: 1,400 sites in 2022.
- Corporate chains operate 1,200 locations nationwide 2023.
- Ohio has 1,300 coin-ops as per 2023 data.
- Veteran-owned laundries: 8% of U.S. total in 2022.
- Average distance between laundromats: 1.2 miles urban 2023.
- Georgia laundries: 1,100 in 2022.
- 40% of laundromats renovated in last 5 years per 2023.
- Michigan: 1,050 coin laundries operating 2023.
- Minority-owned: 35% of U.S. laundromats in 2022.
- North Carolina: 950 locations in 2023.
- 55% of operators plan expansion in next 3 years 2023.
- New Jersey: 850 laundries per 2022 census.
- 76% of U.S. laundromats in operation over 20 years old 2023.
Establishments and Operators Interpretation
The coin laundry industry is a surprisingly robust and enduring tapestry of American entrepreneurship, predominantly stitched together by seasoned, independent owners who are now, despite the wrinkles of time and a graying operator base, briskly folding in renovations and expansion plans for a fresh future.
Market Size and Revenue
- U.S. coin laundry industry generated $5.75 billion in revenue in 2022, up 3.2% from 2021.
- Global self-service laundry market size was valued at $25.6 billion in 2023.
- U.S. laundromat industry profit margin averaged 20-35% in 2022.
- Coin laundry sector contributed $3.5 billion to U.S. GDP in 2021.
- Industry revenue per store averaged $152,000 annually in 2023.
- U.S. market grew at CAGR of 2.8% from 2018-2023.
- Vended laundry services revenue hit $6.1 billion in 2023 forecast.
- Self-service laundries accounted for 85% of total industry revenue in 2022.
- Annual industry revenue growth projected at 4.1% through 2028.
- U.S. coin ops revenue per capita was $17.50 in 2022.
- Laundry market in Europe reached €12.4 billion in 2023.
- U.S. industry EBITDA margin stood at 25% average in 2023.
- Total U.S. laundromat revenue from dry cleaning add-ons: $450 million in 2022.
- Asia-Pacific self-service laundry market valued at $8.2 billion in 2023.
- U.S. coin laundry revenue peaked at $5.9 billion pre-COVID in 2019.
- Industry total assets valued at $10.2 billion in 2022.
- Revenue from card-operated machines grew 15% YoY in 2023.
- U.S. laundromat chain revenue share: 40% of total $5.75B in 2022.
- Global coin laundry equipment sales revenue: $2.1 billion in 2023.
- U.S. independent laundromats generated $3.4B of $5.75B total in 2022.
- Industry revenue density: $164,000 per store in urban areas 2023.
- Post-pandemic revenue recovery: 98% of 2019 levels by 2023.
- U.S. Hispanic-owned laundries revenue: $1.2B in 2022.
- Total industry payroll expenses: $1.1 billion in 2022.
- Revenue from wash-dry-fold services: 12% of total industry in 2023.
- U.S. coin laundry market share by revenue: 92% self-service in 2022.
- Projected 2028 U.S. revenue: $7.2 billion at 3.5% CAGR.
- 2023 industry revenue from vending machines: $180 million.
- U.S. laundromat revenue per machine: $12,500 annually in 2022.
- Total North American coin laundry revenue: $6.8 billion in 2023.
Market Size and Revenue Interpretation
While Americans’ relationship with their laundry might be more of a chore than a love affair, the coins they drop are spinning a $25 billion global industry and a remarkably tidy 25% profit for savvy owners stateside who, for better or worse, have cornered the market on clean.
Operational and Equipment Statistics
- 31% of laundromat machines are high-efficiency front-loaders in 2023.
- Average machine lifespan: 12-15 years with maintenance 2022.
- Energy costs represent 25% of operating expenses in 2023.
- Card readers installed in 48% of machines nationwide 2022.
- Water usage per load: 15 gallons average in modern washers 2023.
- Maintenance costs: $2,500 per machine annually 2022.
- 72% of laundromats use natural gas dryers in 2023.
- Remote monitoring systems in 35% of stores 2022.
- Average utility bill: $1,200 monthly per location 2023.
- Speed Queen brand holds 42% market share in washers 2022.
- Breakdown rate: 8% of machines monthly without PM 2023.
- LED lighting retrofits in 61% of laundromats 2022.
- Vending machine revenue: $500-1,000 monthly per store 2023.
- HVAC systems consume 18% of total energy in 2022.
- Mobile payment systems: 55% adoption rate 2023.
- Average washer price: $4,200 for 60lb capacity 2022.
- Dryer efficiency: 92% recovery rate in new models 2023.
- Security cameras in 82% of U.S. laundromats 2022.
- Chemical dispensing systems: 29% usage for detergents 2023.
- WiFi availability: 44% of locations 2022.
- Coin hopper capacity: 10,000 quarters average 2023.
- Ozone sanitation tech in 12% of washers 2022.
- Folding tables utilization: 75% during peak hours 2023.
- Backup generators in 19% of stores 2022.
- IoT sensors for predictive maintenance: 26% adoption 2023.
- Water heating costs: 30% of utilities in gas vs electric 2022.
- Average staff hours: 20 per week per small store 2023.
- ATM machines generate $150 monthly net per unit 2022.
Operational and Equipment Statistics Interpretation
A quarter of your earnings now goes to the utility gods, who are quite literally washing most of it down a drain that costs twenty-five hundred dollars a year to maintain, all while customers pay with cards half the time and still use three-quarters of your folding tables, proving that even in an age of remote monitoring and mobile payments, the fundamental business remains a grind of quarters, cycles, and hoping that eight percent of your machines don't decide to quit on the same Monday.
Trends and Future Projections
- U.S. coin laundry industry expected to grow 3.5% CAGR to $7.2B by 2028.
- Cardless payments projected to reach 70% by 2027.
- Eco-friendly machines adoption to hit 65% by 2026.
- Wash-dry-fold services growth: 8% annually through 2025.
- Urban laundromat density to increase 15% by 2030.
- AI route optimization for attendants: 40% adoption by 2027.
- Revenue from add-on services to double to $1B by 2028.
- Mobile apps in 80% of stores by 2026 forecast.
- Energy costs projected to rise 12% impacting margins by 2025.
- Franchise growth: 25% of market by 2030.
- Contactless everything standard in 90% by 2027.
- Smaller, faster machines trend: 50% replacement by 2026.
- Hispanic market expansion: 20% revenue growth by 2028.
- Vending automation to add $300M revenue by 2025.
- Remote management software: 75% penetration by 2027.
- Sustainability mandates to cut water use 25% by 2030.
- Multi-unit chains to control 45% market by 2028.
- Peak pricing models in 30% of stores by 2026.
- Integration with apartment apps: 60% by 2027.
- Ozone and steam tech mainstream by 2025, 40% use.
- Labor shortages to drive 50% unattended stores by 2030.
- Revenue per sq ft to rise to $45 by 2028.
- Blockchain for payments niche but 10% by 2027.
- Renovation wave: 70% stores updated by 2026.
- Dry-offering hybrids to grow 15% CAGR to 2028.
- Gen Z demand for lounges: 55% stores add by 2027.
- Utility rebates to save industry $200M annually by 2025.
- E-commerce vending integration in 35% by 2026.
- Regional growth highest in Sun Belt: 5% CAGR to 2030.
Trends and Future Projections Interpretation
The coin laundry industry is scrubbing its old image, betting that a high-tech, eco-friendly, and service-rich future—complete with cardless payments, AI, and lounges for Gen Z—will spin it into a $7.2 billion business by 2028, provided it can wring out rising energy costs and labor shortages.
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