Costco vs Sam’s Club Store Numbers By US State

Map created by @mapstreamThe map above shows the absolute and relative number of Costco and Sam’s Club Stores by US state. Those in red and pink have more Costcos than Sam’s Clubs and vice versa for those in blue.

According to the data we have on each there are 612 Costcos in the US vs 600 Sam’s Clubs.

More Costcos than Sam’s Clubs (19 states + D.C.)

State	Number of Costco Stores	Number of Sam's Club Stores
Alaska	6	0
Arizona	20	13
California	143	29
Connecticut	8	1
District of Columbia	1	0
Hawaii	8	2
Idaho	7	1
Massachusetts	7	0
Minnesota	14	12
Montana	5	2
Nevada	8	7
New Jersey	21	8
New York	19	12
Oregon	13	0
Utah	14	8
Vermont	1	0
Virginia	17	15
Washington	34	0
Wisconsin	11	10

More Sam’s Clubs than Costcos (29 states)

State	Number of Costco Stores	Number of Sam's Club Stores
Alabama	5	13
Arkansas	1	10
Colorado	16	17
Florida	34	45
Georgia	17	24
Illinois	23	25
Indiana	9	13
Iowa	4	9
Kansas	3	9
Kentucky	4	9
Louisiana	4	14
Maine	1	3
Michigan	18	23
Mississippi	1	7
Missouri	9	19
Nebraska	4	5
New Hampshire	1	2
New Mexico	3	7
North Carolina	10	22
North Dakota	2	3
Ohio	13	27
Oklahoma	4	13
Pennsylvania	11	24
South Carolina	6	13
South Dakota	1	2
Tennessee	9	14
Texas	43	82
West Virginia	0	5
Wyoming	0	2

Equal numbers

State	Number of Costco Stores	Number of Sam's Club Stores
Delaware	1	1
Maryland	11	11
Rhode Island	0	0

Quick Takeaways:

Costco-heavy territory is concentrated on the Pacific Coast and parts of New England and the Upper Midwest.
Sam’s-heavy territory dominates the South, Plains, and much of the Midwest.
Three jurisdictions (DE, MD, RI) sit perfectly balanced—at least for now.

Costco vs Sam’s Club

Here are the key similarities and differences between them:

Similarities:

Warehouse Club Model:
- Both operate membership-based warehouse stores, offering discounted bulk products.
Product Offerings:
- Both offer groceries, household goods, electronics, furniture, clothing, pharmaceuticals, and automotive items.
- They both also provide gasoline at discounted prices at select locations.
Membership Structure:
- Both require annual membership fees and offer tiered memberships with different benefits.
Store Layout and Shopping Experience:
- Both stores typically have minimalistic warehouse-style interiors with bulk packages and limited decoration.
- Both provide limited customer service on the floor to keep costs low.
Private Label Products:
- Both feature their own private label brands extensively:
  - Costco has Kirkland Signature.
  - Sam’s Club has Member’s Mark.
Additional Services:
- Both offer extra services such as pharmacy, optical care, travel deals, and automotive services.

Differences

Factor	Costco	Sam’s Club
Ownership	Independent, publicly traded corporation (NASDAQ: COST).	Owned by Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT).
Store Count & Locations	Approximately 860 locations worldwide (as of 2024), often in affluent or suburban areas.	Approximately 600 locations (as of 2024), frequently positioned near Walmart stores.
Membership Cost (typical)	Slightly higher: Basic around $60, premium (“Executive”) around $120 annually.	Lower cost: Basic around $50, premium (“Plus”) around $110 annually.
Quality & Product Selection	Known for high-quality products, premium selections, and organic offerings. Limited but curated selection.	Offers broader variety, generally lower prices, more emphasis on common brands, and wider brand assortment.
Product Strategy	Curated approach emphasizing fewer high-quality, high-value items.	Wider assortment with a greater emphasis on brand variety and budget-friendly pricing.
Store Brand Reputation	Kirkland Signature is renowned for high quality, often compared to premium national brands.	Member’s Mark is positioned as good quality, budget-friendly, and competitive with national brands, but less frequently perceived as premium.
Employee Wages & Culture	Higher-than-average wages and employee benefits; consistently rated highly for workplace satisfaction.	Lower average wages, more reflective of Walmart’s broader employee policy, often slightly lower ratings in terms of employee satisfaction.
Shopping Experience	Known for samples and treasure-hunt style merchandising (frequently rotating inventory with unexpected premium items).	Less focused on the "treasure hunt"; more predictable, stable inventory with fewer premium surprises.