Barber shops / Rhode Island
How many barber shops are in Rhode Island?
The Census Bureau counted 27 barber shops with paid employees in Rhode Island in 2023. That is 80.0% more than in 2017.
RHODE ISLAND · 2023
The count
27
barber shops with paid employees
- Employees
- 44
- Average per site
- 1.6
- Change since 2017
- +80.0%
- State rank
- 41 of 51
What the number means
Rhode Island had 27 barber shops in 2023, ranking number 41 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Together they employed 44 people and paid $1 million in annual payroll, an average of 1.6 employees per site.
These businesses make up 0.09% of every employer establishment in Rhode Island, close to the 0.09% national share. A site count is not the same as the number of companies: a chain with 40 locations counts 40 times.
89% of barber shops in Rhode Island have fewer than 5 employees, against 76% across the U.S.
Rhode Island holds 0.3% of the nation's barber shops and 0.4% of all U.S. employer establishments, so, measured against the state's overall size, the trade is about as common as in the country as a whole. The most common size class is under 5 employees (24 sites). Average payroll per employee is $25,932, against $33,667 for the U.S. trade.
With only 27 sites, adding or losing a few moves the percentage change a lot, and Census noise on employment and payroll matters more. Read the percentages as rough.
Size of the businesses
| Employees per site | Share | Sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 24 | 88.9% | |
| 5 to 9 | 3 | 11.1% | |
| 10 to 19 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| 20 to 49 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| 50 to 99 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| 100 to 249 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| 250 to 499 | 0 | 0.0% |
Count since 2017
Index: 2017 = 100. Employer establishments only. 2017 count 15; 2019 count 18; 2022 count 23; 2023 count 27. Employment +57.1% since 2017.
Biggest other trades in Rhode Island
| Trade | Sites | Employees | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 1,153 | 22,883 | −0.2% |
| Landscaping services | 794 | 2,885 | +16.9% |
| Plumbing and HVAC contractors | 494 | 4,410 | +14.4% |
| Coffee shops and snack bars | 487 | 6,567 | +14.6% |
| Beauty salons | 387 | 1,320 | −2.5% |
| General auto repair | 330 | 1,316 | −4.9% |
| Janitorial services | 286 | 3,845 | +13.5% |
| Child day care | 279 | 4,032 | +2.6% |
Barber shops in nearby ranks
| State | Sites | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 31 | 38 |
| Iowa | 28 | 39 |
| Mississippi | 28 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | 26 | 42 |
| Maine | 20 | 43 |
| North Dakota | 20 | 44 |
Questions
How many barber shops are in Rhode Island?
The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 27 barber shops with paid employees in Rhode Island in 2023. That ranks Rhode Island number 41 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Is the number of barber shops in Rhode Island growing?
Between 2017 and 2023 the count grew (80.0%), from 15 to 27. Across the United States the count changed by +51.2% over the same period. These years include the 2020 pandemic.
Does this count include self-employed owners with no staff?
No. County Business Patterns covers establishments with at least one paid employee. A sole proprietor with no employees is counted in a separate Census series called Nonemployer Statistics, which this site does not use yet, so the real number of people working in this trade is higher than the figure shown.
Read this before using the number
These counts describe how many businesses already exist. They say nothing about demand, profit, competition near you or how much any owner earns, and we make no estimate of income. Check local licensing, costs and rules before acting on any figure here. See the disclaimer.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (2023; change measured against 2017, 2019 and 2022). Establishments with paid employees only; employment and payroll carry Census noise infusion. Retrieved November 2, 2026. Method and sources.