There are more than 13,000 Dollar General stores in the United States, which is roughly equal to Starbucks and almost double the number of Walmarts. The chain has found a profitable market outside of cities and in many of these places, Dollar General is the easiest and most affordable store for essential goods. | Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station at donate.npr.org/1A and subscribe to our podcast. Have questions? Email the show at 1a@wamu.org and find us on Twitter @1a.