Auto · County · California
Auto repair and car care businesses in San Luis Obispo County, CA
The auto repair and car care businesses in San Luis Obispo County, CA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 63 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #615 of 2,401 scored counties
#19 of 55 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 394
- 81 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 173
- +0.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $131.1M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,197 a household
- Spending per listing
- $333K
- 24% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 36.0
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 282,367
- 0.0% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in San Luis Obispo County
The site report maps the auto repair and car care businesses on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 394 auto repair and car care businesses in San Luis Obispo County. Of those, 81 are chain locations, or 21%, against 24% across the U.S. That comes to 36.0 for every 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Households in San Luis Obispo County spend about $131.1M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,197 per household, 25% above the U.S. average. That is about $333K of household spending for each business on map listings, 24% above the U.S. figure of $269K.
Official counts show 173 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in San Luis Obispo County in 2023, up 0.6% from 2019. That is one for every 633 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Another 234 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $4.8M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in San Luis Obispo County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of San Luis Obispo County held about level, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses in San Luis Obispo County is 63 (upper middle), #615 of 2,401 scored counties and #19 of 55 scored counties in California.
How San Luis Obispo County compares
The same measures for California and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the auto repair and car care businesses counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | San Luis Obispo County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 36.0 | 39.1 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $333K | $287K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 633 | 614 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +0.6% | +3.3% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | 0.0% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,197 | $1,122 | $958 |
| Median household income | $97,446 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 63 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 172 → 173+0.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,042
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $57.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 234Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 39481 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 488The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $4.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in San Luis Obispo County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in San Luis Obispo County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 282,3670.0% since 2020
- Households
- 109,503
- Median age
- 42.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 62%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 3,301 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 85
- Median household income
- $97,446+32.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $132,001
- Median home value
- $824,700
- Jobs located here
- 112,621
- Daytime population
- 276,085Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in San Luis Obispo County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the auto repair and car care businesses on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardAuto repair and car care across California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in California, with San Luis Obispo County marked.
Top counties in California
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba County, CA | 87 | 71 | 24.8 | $460K | +8.2% | #35 of 2,401 |
| 2Calaveras County, CA | 86 | 48 | 26.0 | $503K | +2.8% | #43 of 2,401 |
| 3Mariposa County, CA | 79 | 11 | 14.7 | $784K | −1.2% | #133 of 2,401 |
| 4Placer County, CA | 79 | 527 | 33.4 | $362K | +8.9% | #147 of 2,401 |
| 5San Benito County, CA | 77 | 74 | 36.0 | $402K | +8.6% | #181 of 2,401 |
| 6Contra Costa County, CA | 74 | 1,156 | 27.9 | $438K | +0.3% | #242 of 2,401 |
| 7Trinity County, CA | 71 | 9 | 16.1 | $642K | −2.3% | #328 of 2,401 |
| 8El Dorado County, CA | 71 | 214 | 28.1 | $457K | +0.6% | #329 of 2,401 |
| 9Merced County, CA | 71 | 282 | 32.8 | $339K | +5.1% | #339 of 2,401 |
| 10Mono County, CA | 68 | 12 | 20.9 | $557K | −5.4% | #408 of 2,401 |
| 19San Luis Obispo County, CA | 63 | 394 | 36.0 | $333K | 0.0% | #615 of 2,401 |
Other business types in San Luis Obispo County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
- Auto repair and car care63
- Auto repair shops61
- Collision repair and body shops63
- Car washes and detailing69
- Tire shops69
- Oil change and quick lube56
- Gas stations72
- Insurance agencies45
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many auto repair and car care businesses are in San Luis Obispo County, CA?
There are 394 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings in San Luis Obispo County as of September 2026. 81 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 173 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, up 0.6% from 2019. Official counts list 234 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in San Luis Obispo County, CA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $131.1M a year, or $1,197 per household. That is 25% above the U.S. average (an index of 125, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 394 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $333K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 109,503 households in San Luis Obispo County and national spending patterns by income.
How does San Luis Obispo County, CA compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
San Luis Obispo County has 36.0 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $333K, 24% above the U.S. figure of $269K. At the national ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, San Luis Obispo County would have about 488, against 394 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 633 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is San Luis Obispo County, CA growing?
Population estimates put San Luis Obispo County at 282,367 people in 2025, unchanged since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 109,503 households. Median household income in San Luis Obispo County is $97,446, 21% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 32.6%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. San Luis Obispo County scores 63 for auto repair and car care businesses (upper middle), #615 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in San Luis Obispo County. It maps the auto repair and car care businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for auto repair and car care businesses · All 56 business types in San Luis Obispo County
Screening a site or an acquisition in San Luis Obispo County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.