Auto · County · New Jersey
Auto repair and car care businesses in Ocean County, NJ
The auto repair and car care businesses in Ocean County, NJ, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 68 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #428 of 2,401 scored counties
#3 of 21 scored counties in New Jersey
- Listings
- 671
- 141 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 295
- +10.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $220.9M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $906 a household
- Spending per listing
- $329K
- 23% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 27.5
- 23% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 673,746
- +5.6% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Ocean 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 Ocean 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 671 auto repair and car care businesses in Ocean County. Of those, 141 are chain locations, or 21%, against 24% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 27.5, 23% below the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Households in Ocean County spend about $220.9M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $906 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. Spread across 671 auto repair and car care businesses, that is $329K per business, 23% above the U.S. figure of $269K.
Official counts show 295 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Ocean County in 2023, up 10.9% from 2019. That is one for every 827 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Official counts also show 356 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 23 SBA-backed loans worth $13.1M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Ocean County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Ocean County grew 5.6%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses in Ocean County is 68 (upper middle), #428 of 2,401 scored counties and #3 of 21 scored counties in New Jersey. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Ocean County compares
The same measures for New Jersey 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 | Ocean County | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 27.5 | 28.5 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $329K | $304K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 827 | 692 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.9% | +0.4% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +5.6% | +3.0% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $906 | $865 | $958 |
| Median household income | $89,863 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 68 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 266 → 295+10.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,621
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $84.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 356Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 671141 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 823The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 23
- Amount
- $13.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Ocean 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 Ocean County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 673,746+5.6% since 2020
- Households
- 243,843
- Median age
- 41.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 81%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 628 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,042
- Median household income
- $89,863+26.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $118,774
- Median home value
- $398,400
- Jobs located here
- 183,196
- Daytime population
- 568,313Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Ocean 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 Ocean 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 New Jersey
Every New Jersey market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New Jersey for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in New Jersey, with Ocean County marked.
Top counties in New Jersey
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Somerset County, NJ | 77 | 276 | 21.1 | $487K | +3.5% | #175 of 2,401 |
| 2Burlington County, NJ | 70 | 501 | 28.3 | $348K | +4.3% | #359 of 2,401 |
| 3Ocean County, NJ | 68 | 671 | 27.5 | $329K | +5.6% | #428 of 2,401 |
| 4Gloucester County, NJ | 63 | 349 | 31.0 | $323K | +3.3% | #620 of 2,401 |
| 5Monmouth County, NJ | 62 | 716 | 28.4 | $350K | +1.4% | #653 of 2,401 |
| 6Mercer County, NJ | 62 | 374 | 26.0 | $328K | +3.3% | #657 of 2,401 |
| 7Sussex County, NJ | 60 | 189 | 32.7 | $328K | +2.9% | #728 of 2,401 |
| 8Hudson County, NJ | 60 | 459 | 15.3 | $324K | +1.8% | #730 of 2,401 |
| 9Hunterdon County, NJ | 59 | 194 | 38.1 | $291K | +2.3% | #793 of 2,401 |
| 10Morris County, NJ | 58 | 616 | 31.9 | $322K | +3.2% | #824 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Ocean 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 care68
- Auto repair shops68
- Collision repair and body shops68
- Car washes and detailing60
- Tire shops70
- Oil change and quick lube77
- Gas stations74
- Insurance agencies67
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 Ocean County, NJ?
Ocean County has 671 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 141 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 295 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, up 10.9% from 2019. Another 356 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Ocean County, NJ spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $220.9M a year, or $906 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 671 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $329K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 243,843 households in Ocean County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Ocean County, NJ compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Ocean County has 27.5 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 23% below the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $329K, 23% above the U.S. figure of $269K. At the national ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Ocean County would have about 823, against 671 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 827 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Ocean County, NJ growing?
Population estimates put Ocean County at 673,746 people in 2025, up 5.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 243,843 households. Median household income in Ocean County is $89,863, 11% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 26.7%, 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. Ocean County scores 68 for auto repair and car care businesses (upper middle), #428 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Ocean 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 Ocean County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Ocean 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 Ocean 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.