Data KC: Retailers aplenty in the Kansas City area

You want to buy something? Kansas City has 5,443 stores and dealers that will sell you something.

Or at least that’s the number of “retail establishments” counted by the U.S. Census Bureau in the five-county Kansas City area in the most recent Economic Census. That includes everything from 643 motor vehicle and parts dealers and 639 food and beverage stores to 582 clothing stores, 502 gas stations and 473 health and personal care stores, the most plentiful general categories.

Of course, those categories get broken down and then down some more. Among car dealers, used outnumber new, 153 to 129, and supermarkets outnumber liquor stores, but not by that much, 249 to 207. On the lighter side, gift, novelty and souvenir stores have it over hobby, toy and game stories, 128 to 76.

Looking at retailers by county, you get tidbits such as five window treatment stores in Johnson County; 25 used car dealers in Wyandotte County; eight shoe stores in Clay County; 43 jewelry stores stores in Jackson County; and two sewing, needlework and piece goods shops in Platte County.

As with most parsings of the counties, Jackson ($9.2 billion from 2,228 retailers) and Johnson ($10.5 billion from 1,868 retailers) dominate the area in sheer numbers.

Adjusted for population, however, Platte Country stores earn the most revenue per 1,000 people.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Data KC: Retailers aplenty in the Kansas City area."