Auto · County · Rhode Island
Auto repair and car care businesses in Kent County, RI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for auto repair and car care businesses in Kent County, RI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,597 of 2,401 scored counties
#4 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island
- Listings
- 258
- 59 chain locations (23%)
- Official establishments
- 126
- −4.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $67.2M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $922 a household
- Spending per listing
- $260K
- 3% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 35.4
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 173,495
- +1.8% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent County spend about $67.2M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $922 per household, 4% below the U.S. average. That is about $260K of household spending for each business on map listings, 3% below the U.S. figure of $269K.
Kent County has 258 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 59 are chain locations, or 23%, against 24% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 35.4, in line with the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Official counts show 126 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Kent County in 2023, down 4.5% from 2019. That is one for every 578 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Official counts list 117 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 12 SBA-backed loans worth $2.7M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Kent County.
Population estimates show Kent County grew 1.8% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses in Kent County is 41 (lower middle), #1,597 of 2,401 scored counties and #4 of 5 scored counties in Rhode Island.
How Kent County compares
The same measures for Rhode Island 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 | Kent County | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 35.4 | 31.3 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $260K | $273K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 578 | 618 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −4.5% | +1.6% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.8% | +1.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $922 | $853 | $958 |
| Median household income | $94,345 | $87,796 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 32 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 132 → 126−4.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 793
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $47.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 117Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 25859 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 250The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 12
- Amount
- $2.7M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Kent 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 Kent County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 173,495+1.8% since 2020
- Households
- 72,839
- Median age
- 44.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 73%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 169 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,017
- Median household income
- $94,345+28.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $119,389
- Median home value
- $366,100
- Jobs located here
- 79,114
- Daytime population
- 158,826Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Kent 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 Kent 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 Rhode Island
Every Rhode Island market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Rhode Island for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in Rhode Island, with Kent County marked.
Top counties in Rhode Island
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Newport County, RI | 62 | 86 | 23.3 | $390K | −2.9% | #649 of 2,401 |
| 2Washington County, RI | 61 | 139 | 26.5 | $389K | 0.0% | #687 of 2,401 |
| 3Bristol County, RI | 50 | 62 | 30.8 | $300K | −1.5% | #1,221 of 2,401 |
| 4Kent County, RI | 41 | 258 | 35.4 | $260K | +1.8% | #1,597 of 2,401 |
| 5Providence County, RI | 35 | 835 | 32.2 | $243K | +2.8% | #1,833 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Kent 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 care41
- Auto repair shops41
- Collision repair and body shops31
- Car washes and detailing41
- Tire shops65
- Oil change and quick lube43
- Gas stations56
- Insurance agencies35
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 Kent County, RI?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 258 auto repair and car care businesses in Kent County. 59 of them (23%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 126 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, down 4.5% from 2019. Official counts also show 117 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Kent County, RI spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $67.2M a year, or $922 per household. That is 4% below the U.S. average (an index of 96, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 258 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $260K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 72,839 households in Kent County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kent County, RI compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Kent County has 35.4 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $260K, 3% below the U.S. figure of $269K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Kent County would have about 250, against 258 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 578 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count fell 4.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Kent County, RI growing?
Population estimates put Kent County at 173,495 people in 2025, up 1.8% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 72,839 households. The median household income in Kent County is $94,345 a year, 17% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 28.3% 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. Kent County scores 41 for auto repair and car care businesses (lower middle), #1,597 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Kent 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 Kent County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kent 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 Kent 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.