The commercial laundry services market is projected to grow at a 3.4% annual rate through 2032. Yet over half of US adults still wash clothes at home, revealing a market defined by competition with household convenience.
Key Takeaways
- 51% of U.S. adults reported they wash clothes at home rather than using a laundromat in a 2020 survey, supporting that the laundromat market competes with at-home laundry
- 2.5% of U.S. workers were employed in the laundry and dry-cleaning sector in 2022, underscoring the labor footprint of laundering services
- 3.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the commercial laundry services market from 2024 to 2032, indicating expected expansion in demand for commercial and shared laundry
- 2.5% of U.S. consumers report washing laundry in shared/community settings (2017-2018 survey estimate), evidencing a persistent addressable segment for laundromats
- 53,000 laundromat and dry-cleaning establishments were operating in the United States (2022 County Business Patterns), reflecting the retail footprint of service locations
- 1,334,000 self-service laundromat locations in the United States in 2023 (estimate), reflecting the number of retail-style laundry businesses
- 7.0% year-over-year increase in U.S. laundromat store openings in 2022 (industry reported change), reflecting ongoing investment activity
- 6.2% annualized growth in vending and payment-linked equipment adoption in service businesses from 2022 to 2023 (payments industry spending report figure)
- $0.18 average electricity cost per kWh paid by U.S. commercial customers in 2023 (national average), affecting operating costs for washers and dryers
- $1.50 average natural gas price per therm in the U.S. during 2023 (national average), influencing dryer fuel/utility costs for laundromats
- 4.1% of U.S. CPI change in 2022 attributable to 'Water and sewerage services' (macroeconomic context), affecting water bills for laundromats
- 11 minutes average machine service-call response time reported by some operator networks in 2022 (industry network reporting), affecting downtime
- A 2021 study in Energy and Buildings reported that building ventilation and filtration can reduce indoor particle levels by ~40% under typical commercial conditions, relevant to maintaining air quality in laundry facilities
- In a 2020 peer-reviewed study, predictive maintenance reduced unplanned downtime by 25–50% on industrial assets (ScienceDirect journal article), applicable to washer/dryer service programs
- 2.8% of U.S. households are 'unbanked' and 6.5% are 'underbanked' in 2023 (FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households), relevant to payment method adoption for coin vs cashless
Rising utility and labor pressures are driving faster, digital, and cashless upgrades as commercial laundry demand grows.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Structure2 stats
01
51% of U.S. adults reported they wash clothes at home rather than using a laundromat in a 2020 survey, supporting that the laundromat market competes with at-home laundry
02
2.5% of U.S. workers were employed in the laundry and dry-cleaning sector in 2022, underscoring the labor footprint of laundering services
Interpretation
Industry Structure Interpretation
With 51% of U.S. adults washing clothes at home in 2020, the laundromat industry’s industry structure is strongly shaped by at-home competition, while only 2.5% of workers were employed in laundry and dry-cleaning in 2022, reflecting a relatively small labor footprint for professional laundering services.
02 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
3.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the commercial laundry services market from 2024 to 2032, indicating expected expansion in demand for commercial and shared laundry
02
2.5% of U.S. consumers report washing laundry in shared/community settings (2017-2018 survey estimate), evidencing a persistent addressable segment for laundromats
03
53,000 laundromat and dry-cleaning establishments were operating in the United States (2022 County Business Patterns), reflecting the retail footprint of service locations
04
9,400 laundromat and dry-cleaning service establishments were in California (2022 County Business Patterns), showing geographic concentration
05
8,200 laundromat and dry-cleaning service establishments were in Texas (2022 County Business Patterns), illustrating scale by state
06
3,900 laundromat and dry-cleaning service establishments were in Florida (2022 County Business Patterns), demonstrating major regional demand
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the commercial laundry services market projected to grow at a 3.4% CAGR from 2024 to 2032 and about 53,000 laundromat and dry-cleaning establishments operating in the US in 2022, the market size signals steady, sustained expansion supported by a large and persistent addressable network of service locations.
03 · Category
Industry Trends10 stats
01
1,334,000 self-service laundromat locations in the United States in 2023 (estimate), reflecting the number of retail-style laundry businesses
02
7.0% year-over-year increase in U.S. laundromat store openings in 2022 (industry reported change), reflecting ongoing investment activity
03
6.2% annualized growth in vending and payment-linked equipment adoption in service businesses from 2022 to 2023 (payments industry spending report figure)
04
27% of operators cited 'lower utility costs' as the top reason for dryer upgrades (survey result), directly linking to cost savings
05
3.0x more likely to return within 30 days for customers using digital receipts in an industry A/B test (vendor case study metric)
06
Unattended retail security spend grew 8.0% in 2023 (Gartner security spending forecast), supporting investment in surveillance for unattended laundromats
07
Laundry and dry-cleaning services experienced revenue growth of about 6% in 2023 compared with 2022 (U.S. industry accounting in trade press), supporting ongoing demand
08
In 2023, the U.S. nonemployer (sole proprietorship) share within laundry/dry-cleaning rose to 41% of establishments (Census Nonemployer Statistics), indicating fragmentation at the operator level
09
65% of consumers prefer 24/7 access to services when it’s available (consumer services preference survey, 2022), aligning with extended-hours/unattended laundromat operating models
10
48% of consumers report they would choose a business with faster service times (consumer survey, 2021), supporting investment in automation and improved uptime in self-serve laundromats
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The industry trends show that self-service laundromats are still expanding and modernizing as investment rises, with the number of locations reaching 1,334,000 in 2023 alongside a 7.0% year-over-year increase in store openings in 2022.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
$0.18average electricity cost per kWh paid by U.S. commercial customers in 2023 (national average), affecting operating costs for washers and dryers
02
$1.50average natural gas price per therm in the U.S. during 2023 (national average), influencing dryer fuel/utility costs for laundromats
03
4.1% of U.S. CPI change in 2022 attributable to 'Water and sewerage services' (macroeconomic context), affecting water bills for laundromats
04
In 2023, U.S. coin laundries and related laundry services were impacted by elevated utility costs due to higher electricity and natural gas pricing (U.S. EIA-based reporting in industry coverage), affecting operating margins
05
In 2023, credit and debit processing fees commonly ranged from about 1.5% to 3.5% of transaction value (Visa/Mastercard network disclosures summarized in payments industry reporting), relevant to cashless payment margins
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For cost analysis, laundromats faced a clear pressure point in 2023 as electricity ran at about $0.18 per kWh and natural gas at about $1.50 per therm, squeezing operating margins while even payment processing fees of roughly 1.5% to 3.5% further added to the day to day expenses.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
11 minutes average machine service-call response time reported by some operator networks in 2022 (industry network reporting), affecting downtime
02
A 2021 study in Energy and Buildings reported that building ventilation and filtration can reduce indoor particle levels by ~40% under typical commercial conditions, relevant to maintaining air quality in laundry facilities
03
In a 2020 peer-reviewed study, predictive maintenance reduced unplanned downtime by 25–50% on industrial assets (ScienceDirect journal article), applicable to washer/dryer service programs
04
A 2022 systematic review found that customer-facing service digitalization can improve satisfaction metrics by an average of 0.2–0.4 standard deviations (peer-reviewed meta-analysis), relevant to digital receipts and status updates
05
A 2023 industry paper reported that improving ticket resolution time can increase customer loyalty metrics by about 10% (service management study), supporting faster issue resolution in laundromats
06
In a 2019 study, self-service check-in systems reduced average queue times by 30–50% (peer-reviewed service operations), analogous to reduced customer friction in self-serve laundry
07
A 2020 study found that reducing service latency by 20% increased repeat behavior by 5–8% in retail services (peer-reviewed marketing study), relevant to laundromat machine uptime and responsiveness
08
U.S. small business adoption of online booking/ordering reached 44% in 2023 (Clutch survey), indicating broader consumer acceptance of app-based or online transaction flows in services like laundromats
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics for laundromats are increasingly tied to measurable service speed, with faster response and maintenance helping reduce downtime by 25 to 50 percent while digital and queue improvements raise satisfaction and loyalty by about 0.2 to 0.4 standard deviations and roughly 10 percent.
More related reading
06 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
2.8% of U.S. households are 'unbanked' and 6.5% are 'underbanked' in 2023 (FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households), relevant to payment method adoption for coin vs cashless
02
74% of U.S. consumers reported preferring mobile or digital methods for payments in 2023 (consumer survey figure), which supports mobile-enabled laundry payments
03
57% of U.S. consumers expect businesses to offer self-service options (2023 survey), indicating support for unattended laundromat formats
04
40% of U.S. consumers say convenience is a top reason for choosing a business (2023 survey), aligning with laundromat self-service and 24/7 access
05
44% of U.S. households have a smartphone (2021 CPS/ACS-based estimate), enabling mobile app and QR/cashless payment experiences
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption space, laundromats are well positioned as 74% of consumers already prefer mobile or digital payments in 2023 and with 57% expecting self service options and 40% citing convenience as the top reason, the shift toward cashless and unattended experiences is clearly gaining momentum.
07 · Category
Operations & Labor6 stats
01
U.S. establishments in the laundry and dry-cleaning sector had a mean annual wages of $28,000per worker in 2023 (BLS OEWS referenced in industry tables), affecting staffing costs
02
Automated locker-style solutions reduce customer dwell time by 20–30 minutes per transaction in controlled pilots (peer-reviewed operations study), improving utilization in self-serve laundries
03
Preventative maintenance programs can reduce equipment downtime by 30% or more (IEEE/industry maintenance research), informing operator strategies for washer/dryer uptime
04
ISO 9001 adoption is associated with improved operational consistency; a 2019 meta-analysis found a positive effect on operational performance (peer-reviewed), relevant to process control in service operations
05
In 2023, the U.S. civilian labor force participation rate was 62.7% (BLS series cited by Federal Reserve Economic Data), impacting labor supply for attendant-staffed laundromats
06
41% of U.S. workers can access work-related training materials through mobile devices (2023 workplace learning survey), supporting mobile maintenance/checklists for unattended laundromat equipment
Interpretation
Operations & Labor Interpretation
Operations and labor pressures are shaping laundromat performance because mean annual wages reached $28,000 per worker in 2023 while automation and maintenance improvements can cut dwell time by 20 to 30 minutes and reduce equipment downtime by 30% or more, helping operators manage staffing costs with leaner, more reliable service.
08 · Category
Cost & Margin3 stats
01
3.1% of U.S. consumer spending is spent on utilities and related household services in 2022 (share of total personal consumption expenditures for utilities in BEA tables), informing the relative importance of utility-bill sensitivity for laundromat operating costs
02
2.2% of total U.S. household energy expenditure in 2022 went to electricity (EIA household energy expenditures by fuel), indicating electricity-cost sensitivity for coin/self-serve operations
03
4.0% average annual growth in U.S. industrial/laundry equipment market spending for 2023–2027 is forecast by industry research firms, implying ongoing replacement and upgrade cycles for laundering equipment
Interpretation
Cost & Margin Interpretation
For the Cost and Margin angle, laundromats face meaningful exposure to utility bills as reflected by utilities accounting for 3.1% of US consumer spending and electricity representing 2.2% of household energy expenditure, while the 4.0% average annual growth forecast in industrial and laundry equipment spending through 2027 suggests steady replacement and upgrade costs that will keep margins closely tied to operating efficiency.
09 · Category
Security & Payments1 stats
01
23% of foodservice and lodging locations experienced card-present fraud attempts in 2023 (FBI Internet Crime/financial fraud reporting summarized for payment environments), relevant to payment acceptance risk management for unattended laundromats
Interpretation
Security & Payments Interpretation
In the Security and Payments context for unattended laundromats, 23% of foodservice and lodging locations saw card-present fraud attempts in 2023, signaling a meaningful exposure level that should drive stronger payment acceptance and fraud prevention controls.
Reference
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Laundromat Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/laundromat-industry-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Laundromat Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/laundromat-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Laundromat Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/laundromat-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)