Auto · County · Washington
Auto repair and car care businesses in King County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for auto repair and car care businesses in King County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 76 out of 100: High
Ranked #196 of 2,401 scored counties
#18 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 2,125
- 556 chain locations (26%)
- Official establishments
- 1,003
- −4.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $921.9M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $980 a household
- Spending per listing
- $434K
- 62% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 22.6
- 37% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,344,939
- +3.1% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in King 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 King 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
For auto repair and car care businesses, King County has a Groundwork market score of 76 (high): #196 of 2,401 scored counties and #18 of 35 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for auto repair and car care businesses.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,125 auto repair and car care businesses in King County. Chain locations make up 26% of them, against 24% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 22.6, 37% below the U.S. rate of 35.7.
Households in King County spend about $921.9M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $980 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. That works out to $434K per business, 62% above the U.S. figure of $269K.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,003 businesses with payroll in King County classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers, down 4.8% from 2019. That is one for every 938 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 53 SBA-backed loans worth $22M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in King County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of King County grew 3.1%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).
How King County compares
The same measures for Washington 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 | King County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 22.6 | 27.9 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $434K | $396K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 938 | 767 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −4.8% | +1.6% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.1% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $980 | $1,104 | $958 |
| Median household income | $124,746 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 76 | 84 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 1,054 → 1,003−4.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 6,673
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $450.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 856Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2,125556 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 3,432The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 53
- Amount
- $22M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in King 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 King County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,344,939+3.1% since 2020
- Households
- 941,054
- Median age
- 38.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 2,116 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,081
- Median household income
- $124,746+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $176,807
- Median home value
- $859,900
- Jobs located here
- 1,503,962
- Daytime population
- 2,645,877Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in King 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 King 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for auto repair and car care businesses, numbered among those based in Washington, with King County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, WA | 96 | 37 | 23.2 | $547K | +8.0% | #1 of 2,401 |
| 2Skamania County, WA | 94 | 9 | 17.9 | $756K | +5.2% | #5 of 2,401 |
| 3Pend Oreille County, WA | 94 | 12 | 20.2 | $612K | +7.1% | #6 of 2,401 |
| 4Klickitat County, WA | 92 | 18 | 18.2 | $673K | +6.6% | #10 of 2,401 |
| 5Mason County, WA | 92 | 65 | 25.0 | $514K | +7.8% | #13 of 2,401 |
| 6San Juan County, WA | 89 | 20 | 22.2 | $526K | +4.2% | #25 of 2,401 |
| 7Stevens County, WA | 87 | 52 | 26.8 | $480K | +6.6% | #34 of 2,401 |
| 8Pacific County, WA | 86 | 24 | 21.9 | $502K | +3.6% | #44 of 2,401 |
| 9Jefferson County, WA | 84 | 28 | 17.1 | $634K | +2.7% | #61 of 2,401 |
| 10Kitsap County, WA | 81 | 255 | 23.5 | $504K | +2.7% | #101 of 2,401 |
| 18King County, WA | 76 | 2,125 | 22.6 | $434K | +3.1% | #196 of 2,401 |
Other business types in King 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 care76
- Auto repair shops73
- Collision repair and body shops72
- Car washes and detailing79
- Tire shops79
- Oil change and quick lube71
- Gas stations71
- Insurance agencies42
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 King County, WA?
There are 2,125 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings in King County as of September 2026. 556 of them (26%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 1,003 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, down 4.8% from 2019. Official counts also show 856 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in King County, WA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $921.9M a year, or $980 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,125 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $434K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 941,054 households in King County and national spending patterns by income.
How does King County, WA compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
King County has 22.6 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 37% below the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $434K, 62% above the U.S. figure of $269K. At the national ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, King County would have about 3,432, against 2,125 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 938 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count fell 4.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is King County, WA growing?
Population estimates put King County at 2,344,939 people in 2025, up 3.1% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 941,054 households. Median household income in King County is $124,746, 55% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.4%, 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. King County scores 76 for auto repair and car care businesses (high), #196 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in King 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 King County
Screening a site or an acquisition in King 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 King 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.