There are 151,975 convenience stores in the United States, a slight decrease of 280 stores (0.2 percent) compared to the year prior, according to the 2026 NACS/NIQ TDLinx Convenience Industry Store Count.
While the overall store count dipped slightly, the number of convenience stores selling fuel increased by 768 stores (0.6 percent) to 122,620, the highest number in eight years. Convenience stores sell an estimated 80 percent of the fuel purchased by consumers in the United States. Overall, 80.7 percent of convenience stores sell fuel.
With the U.S. population at an estimated 343 million according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is one convenience store per every 2,257 people in the United States.
The industry continues to be dominated by smaller operators. Overall, 95,672 stores are owned by a company that has 10 or fewer stores, representing 63 percent of the total store count. Companies operating 500-plus stores own 33,810 stores, or 22.2 percent of the overall total.
Texas continues to have the most convenience stores at 16,504 stores, or more than one in 10 stores in the United States. Alaska has the fewest stores at 185, the same as a year prior.
The top 10 states by store count are Texas (16,504), California (12,143), Florida (9,730), New York (7,561), Georgia (7,092), Ohio (5,833), North Carolina (5,799), Michigan (4,957), Pennsylvania (4,784) and Illinois (4,708).
Store count increases were recorded in 22 states, led by Texas (+88 stores), Georgia (+39 stores) and Ohio (+38 stores). New York’s count decreased the most (-143 stores), followed by Massachusetts (-77 stores) and New Jersey (-61 stores).
The U.S. convenience store industry had total sales of $837.4 billion in 2024, comprising $335.5 billion in in-store sales and $501.9 billion in motor fuels sales. The industry’s 2025 operational and financial performance data will be announced at the NACS State of the Industry Summit, which will take place April 14-16 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The 2026 NACS/NIQ TDLinx Convenience Industry Store Count is based on stores in operation as of Dec. 31, 2025.
For more than 60 years, Alexandria, Virginia-based NACS has been recognized as the association for convenience and fuel retailers. NACS has 1,000 retail member companies that cumulatively represent more than 400,000 stores in 50-plus countries, including 45,000 stores in the United States.
Related: NGA, NACS Urge USDA To Clarify SNAP Restriction Enforcement