Why might a ZIP have few liquor stores?

Alcohol licenses are often capped, some counties and towns restrict or ban package sales, and in some states liquor is sold only through state-run stores. A high people-per-store number may reflect those limits.

Does the license transfer when buying a liquor store?

It depends on the state and town. Some licenses transfer with approval, some are tied to the location, and some can't move at all. A local attorney can confirm.

What drives sales for a liquor store?

Convenient location, parking, selection and pricing. Nearby grocery stores with beer and wine permits can take part of the demand.

Where liquor stores may be underserved

Estimate only, not proof of demand.

Liquor stores lean on convenience: most shoppers stop at the one closest to home or on the drive back from work. Busy roads, grocery-anchored strip centers and dense neighborhoods tend to support them, with weekends and holidays bringing the peaks. This map shows ZIP codes where liquor stores may be underserved.

This needs a license that may be limited or unavailable in some towns, so a gap may mean it isn't allowed there.

Open the full gap map Browse businesses for sale, free

1 per 8,094U.S. average people per liquor store
13,362ZIPs with at least 5,000 residents
2,913of them with none mapped

Top ZIPs where liquor stores may be underserved

People per business divides population by the liquor stores mapped in a ZIP; a high number can look like room, but grocery and convenience stores that sell alcohol also compete.

Top 25 ZIPs by people per business, ZIPs with at least 5,000 residents
#	ZIP	Place	Population	Mapped	People per business	Nearest	Links
1	92336	Fontana, CA	105,517	1	1 per 105,517 · 13.0× U.S.	2.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Fontana →View on the map →
2	99301	Pasco, WA	87,044	1	1 per 87,044 · 10.8× U.S.	8.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Pasco →View on the map →
3	75217	Dallas, TX	85,028	1	1 per 85,028 · 10.5× U.S.	1.3 mi	Businesses for sale in Dallas →View on the map →
4	76028	Burleson, TX	81,549	1	1 per 81,549 · 10.1× U.S.	3.1 mi	Businesses for sale in Burleson →View on the map →
5	98012	Mill Creek, WA	77,041	1	1 per 77,041 · 9.5× U.S.	1.6 mi	Businesses for sale in Mill Creek →View on the map →
6	76244	Fort Worth, TX	76,728	1	1 per 76,728 · 9.5× U.S.	0.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Fort Worth →View on the map →
7	83646	Meridian, ID	76,023	1	1 per 76,023 · 9.4× U.S.	1 mi	Businesses for sale in Meridian →View on the map →
8	85326	Buckeye, AZ	75,359	1	1 per 75,359 · 9.3× U.S.	9.7 mi	Businesses for sale in AZ →View on the map →
9	84096	Herriman, UT	74,603	1	1 per 74,603 · 9.2× U.S.	5.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Herriman →View on the map →
10	00725	Caguas, PR	73,462	1	1 per 73,462 · 9.1× U.S.	2.6 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
11	89108	Las Vegas, NV	72,814	1	1 per 72,814 · 9.0× U.S.	1.1 mi	Businesses for sale in Las Vegas →View on the map →
12	94568	Dublin, CA	70,803	1	1 per 70,803 · 8.7× U.S.	1.2 mi	Businesses for sale in Dublin →View on the map →
13	27519	Cary, NC	69,836	1	1 per 69,836 · 8.6× U.S.	1.9 mi	Businesses for sale in Cary →View on the map →
14	98682	Vancouver, WA	68,305	1	1 per 68,305 · 8.4× U.S.	3.3 mi	Businesses for sale in Vancouver →View on the map →
15	00956	Bayamon, PR	66,734	1	1 per 66,734 · 8.2× U.S.	2.3 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
16	19111	Philadelphia, PA	66,283	1	1 per 66,283 · 8.2× U.S.	0.7 mi	Businesses for sale in Philadelphia →View on the map →
17	00953	Rio Del Olata Mall Local 5-A-2, PR	66,156	1	1 per 66,156 · 8.2× U.S.	2.1 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
18	00949	Toa Baja, PR	65,867	1	1 per 65,867 · 8.1× U.S.	2.3 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
19	28173	Waxhaw, NC	65,274	1	1 per 65,274 · 8.1× U.S.	3 mi	Businesses for sale in Waxhaw →View on the map →
20	75043	Garland, TX	63,152	1	1 per 63,152 · 7.8× U.S.	2.4 mi	Businesses for sale in Garland →View on the map →
21	00612	Arecibo, PR	62,908	1	1 per 62,908 · 7.8× U.S.	2.4 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
22	23456	Virginia Beach, VA	61,911	1	1 per 61,911 · 7.6× U.S.	2.1 mi	Businesses for sale in Virginia Beach →View on the map →
23	93313	Bakersfield, CA	61,843	1	1 per 61,843 · 7.6× U.S.	7 mi	Businesses for sale in CA →View on the map →
24	85122	Casa Grande, AZ	61,624	1	1 per 61,624 · 7.6× U.S.	3.2 mi	Businesses for sale in Casa Grande →View on the map →
25	92584	Menifee, CA	61,366	1	1 per 61,366 · 7.6× U.S.	1.2 mi	Businesses for sale in Menifee →View on the map →

192336 Fontana, CA1 per 105,517Pop 105,517 · 1 mapped · 13.0× U.S. · nearest 2.5 miBusinesses for sale in Fontana →View on the map →
299301 Pasco, WA1 per 87,044Pop 87,044 · 1 mapped · 10.8× U.S. · nearest 8.5 miBusinesses for sale in Pasco →View on the map →
375217 Dallas, TX1 per 85,028Pop 85,028 · 1 mapped · 10.5× U.S. · nearest 1.3 miBusinesses for sale in Dallas →View on the map →
476028 Burleson, TX1 per 81,549Pop 81,549 · 1 mapped · 10.1× U.S. · nearest 3.1 miBusinesses for sale in Burleson →View on the map →
598012 Mill Creek, WA1 per 77,041Pop 77,041 · 1 mapped · 9.5× U.S. · nearest 1.6 miBusinesses for sale in Mill Creek →View on the map →
676244 Fort Worth, TX1 per 76,728Pop 76,728 · 1 mapped · 9.5× U.S. · nearest 0.5 miBusinesses for sale in Fort Worth →View on the map →
783646 Meridian, ID1 per 76,023Pop 76,023 · 1 mapped · 9.4× U.S. · nearest 1 miBusinesses for sale in Meridian →View on the map →
885326 Buckeye, AZ1 per 75,359Pop 75,359 · 1 mapped · 9.3× U.S. · nearest 9.7 miBusinesses for sale in AZ →View on the map →
984096 Herriman, UT1 per 74,603Pop 74,603 · 1 mapped · 9.2× U.S. · nearest 5.5 miBusinesses for sale in Herriman →View on the map →
1000725 Caguas, PR1 per 73,462Pop 73,462 · 1 mapped · 9.1× U.S. · nearest 2.6 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
1189108 Las Vegas, NV1 per 72,814Pop 72,814 · 1 mapped · 9.0× U.S. · nearest 1.1 miBusinesses for sale in Las Vegas →View on the map →
1294568 Dublin, CA1 per 70,803Pop 70,803 · 1 mapped · 8.7× U.S. · nearest 1.2 miBusinesses for sale in Dublin →View on the map →
1327519 Cary, NC1 per 69,836Pop 69,836 · 1 mapped · 8.6× U.S. · nearest 1.9 miBusinesses for sale in Cary →View on the map →
1498682 Vancouver, WA1 per 68,305Pop 68,305 · 1 mapped · 8.4× U.S. · nearest 3.3 miBusinesses for sale in Vancouver →View on the map →
1500956 Bayamon, PR1 per 66,734Pop 66,734 · 1 mapped · 8.2× U.S. · nearest 2.3 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
1619111 Philadelphia, PA1 per 66,283Pop 66,283 · 1 mapped · 8.2× U.S. · nearest 0.7 miBusinesses for sale in Philadelphia →View on the map →
1700953 Rio Del Olata Mall Local 5-A-2, PR1 per 66,156Pop 66,156 · 1 mapped · 8.2× U.S. · nearest 2.1 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
1800949 Toa Baja, PR1 per 65,867Pop 65,867 · 1 mapped · 8.1× U.S. · nearest 2.3 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
1928173 Waxhaw, NC1 per 65,274Pop 65,274 · 1 mapped · 8.1× U.S. · nearest 3 miBusinesses for sale in Waxhaw →View on the map →
2075043 Garland, TX1 per 63,152Pop 63,152 · 1 mapped · 7.8× U.S. · nearest 2.4 miBusinesses for sale in Garland →View on the map →
2100612 Arecibo, PR1 per 62,908Pop 62,908 · 1 mapped · 7.8× U.S. · nearest 2.4 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
2223456 Virginia Beach, VA1 per 61,911Pop 61,911 · 1 mapped · 7.6× U.S. · nearest 2.1 miBusinesses for sale in Virginia Beach →View on the map →
2393313 Bakersfield, CA1 per 61,843Pop 61,843 · 1 mapped · 7.6× U.S. · nearest 7 miBusinesses for sale in CA →View on the map →
2485122 Casa Grande, AZ1 per 61,624Pop 61,624 · 1 mapped · 7.6× U.S. · nearest 3.2 miBusinesses for sale in Casa Grande →View on the map →
2592584 Menifee, CA1 per 61,366Pop 61,366 · 1 mapped · 7.6× U.S. · nearest 1.2 miBusinesses for sale in Menifee →View on the map →

Ranked by people per business, highest first. ZIPs with at least 5,000 residents and at least one mapped. Estimate only, not proof of demand.

None mapped
≥2× U.S. people per business
1.25–2×
Near average
Well served

Large ZIPs with none mapped

The most populated ZIPs with at least 5,000 residents where open map data shows no liquor store businesses. Listed separately, not ranked: one may sit just over the ZIP line, so check the nearest distance and the map.

Most populated ZIPs with none mapped, at least 5,000 residents
#	ZIP	Place	Population	People per business	Nearest	Links
1	30044	Lawrenceville, GA	101,475	None mapped	2.6 mi	Businesses for sale in Lawrenceville →View on the map →
2	00926	San Juan, PR	92,284	None mapped	2.9 mi	Businesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
3	75035	Frisco, TX	89,682	None mapped	2.3 mi	Businesses for sale in Frisco →View on the map →
4	84043	Lehi, UT	88,390	None mapped	3.2 mi	Businesses for sale in UT →View on the map →
5	30043	Lawrenceville, GA	87,929	None mapped	2.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Lawrenceville →View on the map →
6	75126	Forney, TX	84,799	None mapped	6.5 mi	Businesses for sale in Forney →View on the map →
7	96706	Ewa Beach, HI	83,692	None mapped	4.5 mi	Businesses for sale in HI →View on the map →
8	96797	Waipahu, HI	72,435	None mapped	3.6 mi	Businesses for sale in HI →View on the map →
9	84015	Clearfield, UT	71,812	None mapped	2.4 mi	Businesses for sale in Clearfield →View on the map →
10	33033	Homestead, FL	71,458	None mapped	3 mi	Businesses for sale in Homestead →View on the map →

130044 Lawrenceville, GANone mappedPop 101,475 · 0 mapped · nearest 2.6 miBusinesses for sale in Lawrenceville →View on the map →
200926 San Juan, PRNone mappedPop 92,284 · 0 mapped · nearest 2.9 miBusinesses for sale in PR →View on the map →
375035 Frisco, TXNone mappedPop 89,682 · 0 mapped · nearest 2.3 miBusinesses for sale in Frisco →View on the map →
484043 Lehi, UTNone mappedPop 88,390 · 0 mapped · nearest 3.2 miBusinesses for sale in UT →View on the map →
530043 Lawrenceville, GANone mappedPop 87,929 · 0 mapped · nearest 2.5 miBusinesses for sale in Lawrenceville →View on the map →
675126 Forney, TXNone mappedPop 84,799 · 0 mapped · nearest 6.5 miBusinesses for sale in Forney →View on the map →
796706 Ewa Beach, HINone mappedPop 83,692 · 0 mapped · nearest 4.5 miBusinesses for sale in HI →View on the map →
896797 Waipahu, HINone mappedPop 72,435 · 0 mapped · nearest 3.6 miBusinesses for sale in HI →View on the map →
984015 Clearfield, UTNone mappedPop 71,812 · 0 mapped · nearest 2.4 miBusinesses for sale in Clearfield →View on the map →
1033033 Homestead, FLNone mappedPop 71,458 · 0 mapped · nearest 3 miBusinesses for sale in Homestead →View on the map →

Estimate only, not proof of demand.

See all ZIPs on the gap map →

Rather buy one that's already running? See liquor stores for sale near you on BizFisher Hunt. It's free.

Questions about liquor store gaps

Why might a ZIP have few liquor stores?: Alcohol licenses are often capped, some counties and towns restrict or ban package sales, and in some states liquor is sold only through state-run stores. A high people-per-store number may reflect those limits.
Does the license transfer when buying a liquor store?: It depends on the state and town. Some licenses transfer with approval, some are tied to the location, and some can't move at all. A local attorney can confirm.
What drives sales for a liquor store?: Convenient location, parking, selection and pricing. Nearby grocery stores with beer and wine permits can take part of the demand.