Auto · County · Michigan
Auto repair and car care businesses in Houghton County, MI
The auto repair and car care businesses in Houghton County, MI, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 46 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,367 of 2,401 scored counties
#40 of 75 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 52
- 15 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 28
- −3.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $14.7M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,025 a household
- Spending per listing
- $282K
- 5% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 36.4
- 2% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 37,842
- +1.6% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Houghton 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 Houghton 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 Houghton County spend about $14.7M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,025 per household, 7% above the U.S. average. That works out to $282K per business, 5% above the U.S. figure of $269K.
Houghton County has 52 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 15 of them (29%) are chain locations, against 24% across the U.S. That is 36.4 per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Houghton County in 2023, down 3.4% from 2019. That is one for every 511 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Another 16 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $660K has gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Houghton County.
Population estimates show Houghton County grew 1.6% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Houghton County scores 46 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses, ranking #1,367 of 2,401 scored counties and #40 of 75 scored counties in Michigan.
How Houghton County compares
The same measures for Michigan 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 | Houghton County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 36.4 | 35.7 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $282K | $286K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 511 | 643 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −3.4% | +3.9% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.6% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,025 | $1,022 | $958 |
| Median household income | $58,899 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 46 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 29 → 28−3.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 125
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $5.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 16Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 5215 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 55The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $660K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Houghton 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 Houghton County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 37,842+1.6% since 2020
- Households
- 14,305
- Median age
- 36.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 72%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 1,009 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 37
- Median household income
- $58,899+36.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $80,899
- Median home value
- $159,900
- Jobs located here
- 11,811
- Daytime population
- 36,847Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Houghton 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 Houghton 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 Michigan
Every Michigan market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Michigan for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in Michigan, with Houghton County marked.
Top counties in Michigan
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Leelanau County, MI | 88 | 19 | 19.7 | $627K | +3.0% | #28 of 2,401 |
| 2Alcona County, MI | 83 | 9 | 17.0 | $591K | +3.7% | #75 of 2,401 |
| 3Lake County, MI | 82 | 6 | 11.6 | $809K | +9.1% | #89 of 2,401 |
| 4Benzie County, MI | 80 | 27 | 35.0 | $326K | +3.1% | #132 of 2,401 |
| 5Antrim County, MI | 76 | 26 | 23.4 | $467K | +5.3% | #195 of 2,401 |
| 6Livingston County, MI | 76 | 226 | 29.6 | $423K | +1.7% | #197 of 2,401 |
| 7Cass County, MI | 75 | 55 | 25.9 | $442K | +0.2% | #221 of 2,401 |
| 8Clinton County, MI | 75 | 91 | 28.8 | $417K | +1.6% | #222 of 2,401 |
| 9Washtenaw County, MI | 72 | 342 | 22.7 | $450K | −0.4% | #290 of 2,401 |
| 10Monroe County, MI | 72 | 192 | 30.5 | $368K | +0.7% | #295 of 2,401 |
| 40Houghton County, MI | 46 | 52 | 36.4 | $282K | +1.6% | #1,367 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Houghton 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 care46
- Auto repair shops48
- Collision repair and body shops32
- Car washes and detailing
- Tire shops57
- Oil change and quick lube
- Gas stations42
- Insurance agencies36
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 Houghton County, MI?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 52 auto repair and car care businesses in Houghton County. 15 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, down 3.4% from 2019. Official counts list 16 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Houghton County, MI spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $14.7M a year, or $1,025 per household. That is 7% above the U.S. average (an index of 107, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 52 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $282K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 14,305 households in Houghton County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Houghton County, MI compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Houghton County has 36.4 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $282K, 5% above the U.S. figure of $269K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Houghton County would have about 55, against 52 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 511 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count fell 3.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Houghton County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Houghton County at 37,842 people in 2025, up 1.6% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 14,305 households. The median household income in Houghton County is $58,899 a year, 27% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 36.4% 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. Houghton County scores 46 for auto repair and car care businesses (lower middle), #1,367 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Houghton 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 Houghton County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Houghton 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 Houghton 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.