How Much Do Laundromats Make?
Laundromats make a $335,000 median gross revenue per store, according to the Coin Laundry Association's 2024 survey of 377 owner-operators reporting 2023 results. Median operating profit before tax, debt service, and owner compensation was 27%. Stores that actually sold had a lower $219,878 median revenue (Source: BizBuySell, 2021-2025).
Key takeaways
- Median surveyed store revenue: $335,000 for 2023, with a $334,000 mean and $120 median revenue per square foot (Source: CLA 2024 Laundry Industry Survey).
- Stores that sell are smaller. The 855 laundromats sold through BizBuySell for 2021-2025 had a $219,878 median revenue (Source: BizBuySell, 2021-2025).
- 27% median operating profit is not income. It sits before tax, before debt service, before owner compensation, and before any equipment replacement reserve.
- Utilities took a median 20% and rent 18% of gross revenue among survey respondents, and utilities were the most-cited operator problem at 53%.
- The Coin Laundry Association estimates roughly 29,500 U.S. coin laundries generating close to $5 billion in annual gross revenue (Source: CLA Industry Overview).
The Short Answer
A typical surveyed store did $335,000 of gross revenue in 2023. A typical store that changed hands did about $220,000. Both figures are real; they describe different populations.
The Longer Answer
Two datasets answer this question and they should not be blended.
| Measure | CLA 2024 Survey (377 owner respondents, 2023) | BizBuySell closed sales (855 sales, 2021-2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $335,000 median / $334,000 mean | $219,878 median |
| Revenue per square foot | $120 median / $125 mean | — |
| Store size | 2,740 sq. ft. median | — |
| Machines | 62 median (36.5 washers, 30.4 dryer pockets) | — |
| Owner earnings | — | $76,560 median |
| Sale price | — | $250,000 median |
The survey measures operators who respond to an industry survey, which skews toward engaged, often larger operators. The transaction data measures stores that came to market and sold, which skews smaller. Neither is "the average laundromat," and quoting one as though it were the other is the most common error on this topic.
Where the Revenue Goes
Revenue is not income. Among CLA survey respondents, the median store's cost structure ran:
| Line | Median share of gross revenue |
|---|---|
| Rent | 18% |
| Utilities | 20% |
| Payroll (stores with payroll) | 20% |
| Operating profit before tax, debt, and owner comp | 27% |
Source: CLA 2024 Laundry Industry Survey. The payroll figure excludes stores with no payroll from the calculation, and the CLA notes extreme responses pulled the mean rent figure to 24%.
That 27% is the most misquoted number in this industry. On $335,000 of revenue it is about $90,000 — before income tax, before debt service on any acquisition loan, before paying the owner for the hours they work, and before setting anything aside for machines that will eventually need replacing. Subtract all four and the remaining figure is much smaller.
What It Depends On
Store size and machine mix. Revenue per square foot is a more stable comparison than revenue, and larger-capacity machines capture loads that would otherwise split across two smaller ones at a lower combined vend price.
Service mix. Sixty-five percent of survey respondents offered drop-off wash-dry-fold, 38% offered pickup and delivery, and 51% served at least one commercial account. Median pricing was $1.50 per pound for drop-off and $1.90 where delivery was included. Service revenue raises the top line and adds labor.
Vend pricing. The survey's mean 2023 washer vend prices were $3.57 for 18-24 lb, $5.00 for 30-35 lb, $6.32 for 40-49 lb, $8.16 for 50-60 lb, $10.75 for 75-80 lb, and $12.22 for 90-100 lb.
Trade area. Renter-occupied household density, in-unit laundry access, household size, parking, visibility, and — most of all — how many competing machines already serve the same households.
Turns per day. Paid washer cycles divided by installed washers and days. It converts machine count into revenue capacity, and it is established by observation rather than by looking up a benchmark.
An Illustrative Store
Assumptions, not benchmarks:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vend revenue | $268,000 |
| Wash-dry-fold | $44,000 |
| Gross revenue | $312,000 |
| Rent, CAM, insurance | ($58,000) |
| Utilities | ($64,000) |
| Payroll | ($22,000) |
| Repairs, supplies, card fees, other | ($47,000) |
| Operating profit before owner comp, debt, tax | $121,000 |
| Less: market-rate value of the owner's own labor | ($45,000) |
| Less: debt service on an acquisition loan | ($38,000) |
| Less: replacement reserve | ($12,000) |
| Before income tax | $26,000 |
Same store, four different defensible answers to "how much does it make," depending on which line you stop at. That is why the question needs a follow-up question.
What to Do Next
If you are evaluating a specific store, ignore averages and get its numbers: three years of returns, 24-36 months of original utility bills, machine-level payment-system exports, and the lease. If you own one and want to know where you stand, compare your revenue per square foot and your utility share against the surveyed medians and find out why any gap exists.
The Next Step
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average laundromat revenue?
The Coin Laundry Association's 2024 survey of 377 owner-operators reported a $335,000 median and $334,000 mean gross revenue per store for 2023 operations. Separately, 855 laundromats sold through BizBuySell for 2021-2025 had a $219,878 median revenue — lower, because stores that come to market skew smaller than the surveyed operator base.
How much revenue per square foot does a laundromat do?
The CLA's 2024 survey reported $120 median and $125 mean gross revenue per square foot for 2023, against a 2,740 square-foot median store. That is a useful reasonableness check once you know a store's size and service mix, and a fast way to spot a revenue claim that does not fit the building.
Does wash-dry-fold change the revenue picture?
Meaningfully. Sixty-five percent of CLA survey respondents offered drop-off wash-dry-fold, 38% offered pickup and delivery, and 51% served at least one commercial account. Median pricing was $1.50 per pound for drop-off and $1.90 where delivery was included. Service revenue raises the top line and adds labor, so it must be valued on its own margin.
Is revenue the number that decides what a laundromat is worth?
No. Earnings decide it. Two stores with identical revenue can produce very different earnings after rent, utilities, labor, and repairs, and buyers finance earnings. Revenue multiples are a sanity check: median 1.21x with the middle half between 0.93x and 1.64x across 855 reported sales (Source: BizBuySell, 2021-2025).
Sources
- Coin Laundry Association, 2024 Laundry Industry Survey (377 owner respondents, 2023 operations) — https://member.laundryassociation.org/hubfs/IndustrySurvey24.pdf
- Coin Laundry Association, Industry Overview — https://laundryassociation.org/for-investors/industry-overview/
- BizBuySell, Laundromat and Coin Laundry Valuation Benchmarks, 2021-2025 closed sales — https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/valuation-benchmarks/laundromats-coin-laundry/
This page is general information about laundromat transactions, not legal, tax, or investment advice, and not a guarantee of sale price, timing, or financing approval. Verify current rules with your own CPA, attorney, lender, and the relevant state or municipal agency before acting.