Auto · County · Maryland
Auto repair and car care businesses in Washington County, MD
How Washington County, MD compares with other counties and the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 31 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #2,006 of 2,401 scored counties
#21 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 277
- 67 chain locations (24%)
- Official establishments
- 100
- +3.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $55.2M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $923 a household
- Spending per listing
- $199K
- 26% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 46.3
- 30% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 157,731
- +2.0% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Washington 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 Washington 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
The Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses in Washington County is 31 (lower middle), #2,006 of 2,401 scored counties and #21 of 24 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
At $923 per household (4% below the U.S. average), households in Washington County spend about $55.2M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That works out to $199K per business, 26% below the U.S. figure of $269K.
There are 277 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings in Washington County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 24% of them, against 24% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 46.3, 30% above the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Official counts show 100 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Washington County in 2023, up 3.1% from 2019. That is one for every 598 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $2.3M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Washington County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Washington County grew 2.0%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Washington County compares
The same measures for Maryland 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 | Washington County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 46.3 | 31.5 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $199K | $288K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 598 | 734 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.1% | +0.8% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.0% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $923 | $908 | $958 |
| Median household income | $77,747 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 31 | 54 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 97 → 100+3.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 530
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $26.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 147Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 27767 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 206The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $2.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Washington 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 Washington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 157,731+2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 59,818
- Median age
- 41.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 458 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 340
- Median household income
- $77,747+27.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,335
- Median home value
- $296,100
- Jobs located here
- 66,246
- Daytime population
- 152,730Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Washington 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 Washington 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 Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Washington County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Howard County, MD | 75 | 285 | 23.5 | $443K | +1.9% | #220 of 2,401 |
| 2Calvert County, MD | 72 | 119 | 35.6 | $351K | +1.7% | #300 of 2,401 |
| 3Frederick County, MD | 70 | 337 | 32.2 | $333K | +11.0% | #365 of 2,401 |
| 4Worcester County, MD | 68 | 73 | 30.2 | $311K | +3.7% | #436 of 2,401 |
| 5St. Mary’s County, MD | 68 | 152 | 35.8 | $307K | +2.4% | #438 of 2,401 |
| 6Somerset County, MD | 67 | 20 | 24.0 | $367K | +1.7% | #453 of 2,401 |
| 7Montgomery County, MD | 65 | 924 | 23.7 | $382K | +1.3% | #521 of 2,401 |
| 8Charles County, MD | 64 | 235 | 38.6 | $290K | +5.9% | #589 of 2,401 |
| 9Cecil County, MD | 58 | 137 | 33.7 | $301K | +3.2% | #832 of 2,401 |
| 10Harford County, MD | 56 | 338 | 33.2 | $304K | +2.0% | #923 of 2,401 |
| 21Washington County, MD | 31 | 277 | 46.3 | $199K | +2.0% | #2,006 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Washington 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 care31
- Auto repair shops32
- Collision repair and body shops46
- Car washes and detailing47
- Tire shops52
- Oil change and quick lube
- Gas stations75
- Insurance agencies68
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 Washington County, MD?
As of September 2026, map listings count 277 auto repair and car care businesses in Washington County. 67 of them (24%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 100 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, up 3.1% from 2019. Official counts also show 147 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Washington County, MD spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $55.2M a year, or $923 per household. That is 4% below the U.S. average (an index of 96, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 277 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $199K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 59,818 households in Washington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington County, MD compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Washington County has 46.3 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 30% above the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $199K, 26% below the U.S. figure of $269K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Washington County would have about 206, against 277 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 598 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Washington County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Washington County at 157,731 people in 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 59,818 households. The median household income in Washington County is $77,747 a year, 4% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 27.8% 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. Washington County scores 31 for auto repair and car care businesses (lower middle), #2,006 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington 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 Washington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington 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 Washington 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.