Auto · County · Florida
Auto repair and car care businesses in Polk County, FL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for auto repair and car care businesses in Polk County, FL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 55 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,009 of 2,401 scored counties
#24 of 64 scored counties in Florida
- Listings
- 965
- 246 chain locations (25%)
- Official establishments
- 352
- +16.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $240.8M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $832 a household
- Spending per listing
- $250K
- 7% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 33.3
- 7% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 874,790
- +19.8% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Polk 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 Polk 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
Households in Polk County spend about $240.8M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $832 per household, 13% below the U.S. average. That works out to $250K per business, 7% below the U.S. figure of $269K.
Polk County has 965 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 25% of them, against 24% across the U.S. That is 33.3 per 10,000 households, 7% below the U.S. rate of 35.7.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Polk County was 352 in 2023, up 16.2% from 2019. That is one for every 822 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Official counts also show 1,345 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 14 SBA-backed loans worth $18M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Polk County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Polk County grew 19.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For auto repair and car care businesses, Polk County has a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle): #1,009 of 2,401 scored counties and #24 of 64 scored counties in Florida.
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Florida 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 | Polk County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 33.3 | 36.3 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $250K | $230K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 822 | 692 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +16.2% | +8.0% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +19.8% | +8.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $832 | $835 | $958 |
| Median household income | $65,978 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 55 | 39 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 303 → 352+16.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,107
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $103.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 1,345Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 965246 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 897The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 14
- Amount
- $18M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Polk 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 Polk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 874,790+19.8% since 2020
- Households
- 289,425
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 1,799 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 440
- Median household income
- $65,978+30.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $87,487
- Median home value
- $266,500
- Jobs located here
- 284,856
- Daytime population
- 728,367Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Polk 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 Polk 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 Florida
Every Florida market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Florida for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in Florida, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Florida
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1St. Johns County, FL | 84 | 246 | 21.2 | $459K | +25.0% | #62 of 2,401 |
| 2Walton County, FL | 83 | 77 | 22.4 | $423K | +22.9% | #83 of 2,401 |
| 3Santa Rosa County, FL | 81 | 200 | 27.5 | $372K | +11.7% | #106 of 2,401 |
| 4Sumter County, FL | 80 | 78 | 11.1 | $647K | +21.1% | #111 of 2,401 |
| 5Gilchrist County, FL | 79 | 23 | 32.2 | $308K | +14.5% | #151 of 2,401 |
| 6Nassau County, FL | 78 | 114 | 29.0 | $340K | +17.4% | #168 of 2,401 |
| 7Flagler County, FL | 72 | 139 | 26.4 | $331K | +21.0% | #305 of 2,401 |
| 8Union County, FL | 72 | 13 | 30.1 | $317K | +5.2% | #313 of 2,401 |
| 9Wakulla County, FL | 71 | 42 | 33.0 | $309K | +12.3% | #345 of 2,401 |
| 10Gulf County, FL | 70 | 19 | 32.0 | $283K | +11.7% | #372 of 2,401 |
| 24Polk County, FL | 55 | 965 | 33.3 | $250K | +19.8% | #1,009 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Polk 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 care55
- Auto repair shops60
- Collision repair and body shops71
- Car washes and detailing47
- Tire shops46
- Oil change and quick lube69
- Gas stations70
- Insurance agencies69
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 Polk County, FL?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 965 auto repair and car care businesses in Polk County. 246 of them (25%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 352 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, up 16.2% from 2019. Another 1,345 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Polk County, FL spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $240.8M a year, or $832 per household. That is 13% below the U.S. average (an index of 87, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 965 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $250K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 289,425 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, FL compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Polk County has 33.3 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 7% below the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $250K, 7% below the U.S. figure of $269K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Polk County would have about 897, against 965 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 822 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count rose 16.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, FL growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 874,790 people in 2025, up 19.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 289,425 households. The median household income in Polk County is $65,978 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.4% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Polk County scores 55 for auto repair and car care businesses (upper middle), #1,009 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk 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 Polk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk 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 Polk 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.