42371

Analysis

NAICS 42371 is the 2022 NAICS industry for hardware merchant wholesalers, part of 4237 (Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers).

It has only one more detailed code, 423710, which covers exactly the same activities; the definition, index entries and statistics are on that page.

County Business Patterns counts 5,967 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 99,773 people at an average annual payroll of $77,949 per employee (66th percentile of national industries). 47% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.

Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 2% and employment rose 12%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.

By establishments it ranks 3rd of the 4 codes at this level within Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers, with 29.7% of them.