Community Victories
Sprawl-Busters compiled the list below of 456 communities, over the period 1995 to 2018, which have beaten a big box store at least once, or pressured a developer to withdraw. In some cases a big box store came back a second time, moved to another location in the town, or otherwise gotten in. But every city or town on this list defeated a store at least once. There are many big box victories we never hear about. To read more, click on any town. Not all towns have a linked story.
- Accokeek, MD
- Accomac, VA
- Albany, GA
- Albuquerque, NM
- Amherst, NY
- Anchorage, AK
- Antioch, CA
- Antioch, IL
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Ashland, VA
- Athens, GA
- Atlanta, GA
- Auburn, CA
- Aurora, NY
- Avondale Estates, GA
- Ballston, NY
- Bangor, ME
- Barnstable, MA
- Barranquitas, PR
- Batavia, IL
- Bath, NY
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Beavercreek, OH
- Beaverton, OR
- Bedford, MI
- Bedford, NH
- Bel Air, MD
- Belfast, ME
- Bellevue, ID
- Bellevue, WI
- Belmont, NC
- Bentonville, AR
- Bethlehem, PA
- Billerica, MA
- Biloxi, MS
- Bloomington, MN
- Blue Springs, MO
- Bonita Springs, FL
- Boston, MA
- Boxborough, MA
- Braintree, MA
- Brampton, Ontario
- Brick, NJ
- Broadview Hts, OH
- Brookfield, WI
- Brooksville, FL
- Buffalo, MN
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, Ontario
- Burnsville, MN
- Canton, CT
- Canton, IL
- Canton, MI
- Carlsbad, CA
- Carroll, PA
- Carver, MN
- Cazenovia, NY
- Cecil, PA
- Central Point, OR
- Ceres, CA
- Chalmette, LA
- Chandler, AZ
- Chanhassen, MN
- Charlevoix, MI
- Charlottesville, VA
- Chelan, WA
- Cherokee, NC
- Chestertown, MD
- Chicago, IL
- Chico, CA
- Claremont, NH
- Clearbrook, VA
- Clemson, SC
- Clermont, FL
- Cleveland, OH
- Clovis, CA
- Cobb County, GA
- Colchester, CT
- Colonie, NY
- Columbia, MO
- Concord, CA
- Cooleyville, TX
- Cordova, TN
- Cornelius, OR
- Covington, GA
- Covington, LA
- Covington, PA
- Crofton, MD
- Crowley, TX
- Crystal River, FL
- Cudahy, WI
- Dallas, TX
- Damariscotta, ME
- Davie, FL
- Decatur, GA
- Decorah, IA
- DeLand, FL
- Delaware, OH
- Delray Beach, FL
- Denver, CO
- Deptford, NJ
- Derry, NH
- Drumore, PA
- Duluth, GA
- Durham, NC
- Eagle, CO
- East Bethel, MN
- East Longmeadow, MA
- Easthampton, MA
- Easton, MD
- Edmond, OK
- El Cajon, CA
- Ellisville, MO
- Elmwood Park, WI
- Englewood, NJ
- Estero, FL
- Etna, OH
- Eureka Springs, AR
- Eureka, CA
- Evergreen, IL
- Exeter, PA
- Fargo, ND
- Fayetteville, NC
- Fenton, MI
- Fircrest, WA
- Fishers, IN
- Folsom, CA
- Forsyth, GA
- Fort Atkinson, WI
- Fort Collins, CO
- Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fort Wright, KY
- Frederick, MD
- Fredericksburg, VA
- Front Royal, VA
- Fulton County, GA
- Gainesville, FL
- Gainesville, GA
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Garfield, MI
- Gig Harbor, WA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Glastonbury, CT
- Glen Carbon, IL
- Glendale, AZ
- Grass Valley, CA
- Great Falls, MT
- Green Bay, WI
- Green, OH
- Greenfield, MA
- Greenville, NC
- Greenwood, IN
- Gresham, OR
- Groton, GA
- Groton, CT
- Guelph, Ontario
- Hadley, MA
- Hagerstown, MD
- Hailey, ID
- Hallandale, FL
- Hamilton, MT
- Hamilton, NJ
- Harrison, NJ
- Harrison, OH
- Hawaii Kai, HI
- Hawthorne, NJ
- Hayden, ID
- Heber City, UT
- Henderson, KY
- Hercules, CA
- Hernando County, FL
- Hickory, NC
- Highland Hts, OH
- Highland, CA
- Hillsboro, OR
- Hillsborough, NH
- Hilo, HI
- Holiday, FL
- Holyoke, MA
- Hood River, OR
- Hornell, NY
- Houston, TX
- Hudson, OH
- Hyde Park, NY
- Inglewood, CA
- Isle of Wight, VA
- Ithaca, NY
- Jackson, MI
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jefferson County, CO
- Jefferson Hills, PA
- Jefferson, WI
- Joplin, MO
- Kennedale, TX
- Kent Island, MD
- Killingly, CT
- Kingman, AZ
- Knightdale, NC
- La Puente, CA
- Lacey, WA
- Lady’s Island, SC
- Lake County, FL
- Lake Forest, FL
- Lake in the Hills, IL
- Lake Placid, NY
- Lakeland, FL
- Lakeway, TX
- Lancaster, MA
- Lansingburgh, NY
- Lawrence, KS
- Lawrence, NJ
- Layton, UT
- Lee, MA
- Lee’s Summit, MO
- Leeds, NY
- Leominster, MA
- Lewiston, ID
- Lewiston, ME
- Lima, NY
- Lincoln, NB
- Lincoln, CA
- Lincoln, ME
- Lisle, IL
- Littleton, CO
- Littleton, NH
- Liverpool, NY
- Livingston, CA
- Lodi, CA
- Logan, NJ
- Longmont, CO
- Lorain, OH
- Los Angeles, CA
- Lower Gwynedd, PA
- Lower Makefield, PA
- Lumberton, NJ
- Madison, WI
- Manalapan, NJ
- Manchester, NH
- Manhattan, KS
- Manor, PA
- Manteo, NC
- Marietta, GA
- Marine City, MI
- Marlboro, NJ
- Martinez, CA
- Mary Esther, FL
- Mason City, IA
- McKinney, TX
- Medford, OR
- Memphis, TN
- Mendocino County, CA
- Menomonee Falls, WI
- Mentor, OH
- Mesa, AZ
- Mexico City
- Middletown, RI
- Milford, OH
- Milford, PA
- Mill Creek, WA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Miramar, FL
- Miramichi, NB
- Mobile, AL
- Mokena, IL
- Monroe, WI
- Monsey, NY
- Monument, CO
- Morgantown, WV
- Mount Joy, PA
- Mount Pleasant, NY
- Mount Pleasant, SC
- Murphy, TX
- Naples, FL
- Nashua, NH
- Neptune Beach, FL
- New Albany, IN
- New Milford, CT
- New Milford, MA
- New Paltz, NY
- New Prague, MN
- New Rochelle, NY
- Newburgh, IN
- Newcastle, ME
- Nobleboro, ME
- North Auburn, CA
- North Aurora, IL
- North Greenbush, NY
- North Lauderdale, FL
- North Miami, FL
- North Olmsted, OH
- Northboro, MA
- Northbrook, IL
- Novato, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Oakley, CA
- Oakville, Ontario
- Ocala, FL
- Ocean Beach, CA
- Oconomowoc, WI
- Old Saybrook, CT
- Olivette, MO
- Orange County, VA
- Orange, CT
- Oregon City, OR
- Oswego, NY
- Ottawa, OH
- Overland Park, KS
- Oxford, NC
- Pajaro, CA
- Paradise, MD
- Park Royal, BC
- Pawleys Island, SC
- Pembroke Pines, FL
- Pennfield, MI
- Pennsville, NJ
- Peterboro, NH
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsylvania County, VA
- Plainfield, IL
- Plainville, CT
- Plaistow, NH
- Plymouth, MA
- Port Orange, FL
- Port Townsend, WA
- Portland, OR
- Portsmouth, MI
- Prescott Valley, AZ
- Prince George’s County, MD
- Princeton, MN
- Punta Gorda, FL
- Queens, NY
- Racine, WI
- Raleigh, NC
- Rapho, PA
- Rapid City, SD
- Ravalli County, MT
- Reading, MA
- Reedley, CA
- Rehobeth, DE
- Reno, NV
- Richardson, TX
- Rindge, NH
- River Falls, WI
- Riverhead, NY
- Roanoke, VA
- Rockland, ME
- Rohnert Park, CA
- Rotterdam, NY
- Rutland Charter, MI
- Salinas, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Juan Capistrano, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- San Marcos, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Saranac Lake, NY
- Sarasota, FL
- Saugus, MA
- Seabrook, NH
- Seekonk, MA
- Seminole County, FL
- Silverthorne, CO
- Simi Valley, CA
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Somerville, MA
- Southlake, TX
- Spokane, WA
- Spooner, WI
- Spring, PA
- Springfield, MO
- St. Albans, VT
- St. Charles, IL
- St. Cloud, MN
- St. Johnsbury, VT
- St. Louis, MO
- St. Peters, MO
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Stafford Springs, CT
- Stilwell, KS
- Stockton, CA
- Stoughton, WI
- Stratford, Ontario
- Stratham, NH
- Strongsville, OH
- Sturgeon Bay, WI
- Sunrise, FL
- Surrey, British Columbia
- Sutton, MA
- Talbot County, MD
- Taos, NM
- Tarpon Springs, FL
- Taylorsville, UT
- Teays Valley, WV
- Temple Terrace, FL
- Terre Haute, IN
- Thornton, CO
- Tijeras, NM
- Tinley Park, IL
- Tolland, CT
- Topsham, ME
- Tucson, AZ
- Turlock, CA
- Union City, CA
- Upland, CA
- Utuado, PR
- Vallejo, CA
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Vancouver, WA
- Venice, FL
- Ventura, CA
- Vernon Hills, IL
- Vernon, CT
- Vineland, NJ
- Waite Park, MN
- Walpole, NH
- Warren, OR
- Warrenton, VA
- Warsaw, MO
- Warwick, NY
- Washington, DC
- Waterloo
- Watertown, MA
- Waukesha, WI
- Waxhaw, NC
- Wells, ME
- Wellsville, NY
- West Hempfield, PA
- West Lake Village, CA
- Westerville, OH
- Westfield, IN
- Westford, MA
- Westlake, OH
- Wheaton, IL
- White Lake, MI
- Wichita, KS
- Williamsburg, VA
- Willison, VT
- Willows, CA
- Windham, CT
- Windsor, CO
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Woodland Park, CO
- Woodland, CA
- Yankton, SD
- Yarmouth, MA
- Yellow Springs, OH
- Yucaipa, CA
- Yucca Valley, CA
- Zionsville, IN