At first glance, comparing New York City to the entire state of New Jersey seems like an uneven match—one is a dense metropolis, the other a sprawling state. However, the data reveals a surprising parity. Despite the vast geographic difference, the eligible consumer bases are surprisingly close with NYC’s ~6.5 million adults 21+ population rivaling New Jersey’s ~7.1 million. As NYC’s store count (233) climbs toward New Jersey’s (284), the city that never sleeps is proving that a single urban center can effectively compete with the retail footprint of an entire state.
The graphic illustrates that NYC is servicing a population of ~6.5M with nearly the same efficiency (3.58 stores per 100k) as New Jersey services its ~7.1M residents (4 stores per 100k).
Originally published in the Cultivated Media newsletter.
