Auto · County · Washington
Auto repair and car care businesses in Thurston County, WA
The auto repair and car care businesses in Thurston County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 79 out of 100: High
Ranked #141 of 2,401 scored counties
#16 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 311
- 104 chain locations (33%)
- Official establishments
- 139
- +3.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $133.4M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,122 a household
- Spending per listing
- $429K
- 60% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 26.2
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 304,261
- +2.8% since 2020
See the auto repair and car care businesses around any address in Thurston 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 Thurston 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
Thurston County scores 79 (high) on the Groundwork market score for auto repair and car care businesses, ranking #141 of 2,401 scored counties and #16 of 35 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for auto repair and car care businesses.
At $1,122 per household (17% above the U.S. average), households in Thurston County spend about $133.4M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Spread across 311 auto repair and car care businesses, that is $429K per business, 60% above the U.S. figure of $269K.
There are 311 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings in Thurston County as of September 2026. 104 of them (33%) are chain locations, against 24% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 26.2, 27% below the U.S. rate of 35.7.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Thurston County was 139 in 2023, up 3.0% from 2019. That is one for every 855 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $9.6M have gone to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Thurston County. Population estimates show Thurston County grew 2.8% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Thurston 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 | Thurston County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 26.2 | 27.9 | 35.7 |
| Spending per listing | $429K | $396K | $269K |
| Households per official establishment | 855 | 767 | 681 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +3.0% | +1.6% | +4.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.8% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,122 | $1,104 | $958 |
| Median household income | $96,563 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 79 | 84 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 135 → 139+3.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 970
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $60.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 125Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 311104 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 497The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $9.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in Thurston 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 Thurston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 304,261+2.8% since 2020
- Households
- 118,899
- Median age
- 40.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 68%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 723 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 414
- Median household income
- $96,563+34.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $114,140
- Median home value
- $480,300
- Jobs located here
- 136,091
- Daytime population
- 311,425Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Thurston 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 Thurston 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 Thurston 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 |
| 16Thurston County, WA | 79 | 311 | 26.2 | $429K | +2.8% | #141 of 2,401 |
Other business types in Thurston 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 care79
- Auto repair shops79
- Collision repair and body shops80
- Car washes and detailing74
- Tire shops83
- Oil change and quick lube58
- Gas stations71
- Insurance agencies58
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 Thurston County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 311 auto repair and car care businesses in Thurston County. 104 of them (33%) are chain locations. The listings count repair shops, body shops, tire shops, car washes, oil change and parts stores. Official counts show 139 businesses with payroll classed as automotive repair and maintenance, and tire dealers in 2023, up 3.0% from 2019. Official counts list 125 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Thurston County, WA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $133.4M a year, or $1,122 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 311 auto repair and car care businesses on map listings, it comes to $429K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 118,899 households in Thurston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Thurston County, WA compare with the U.S. for auto repair and car care businesses?
Thurston County has 26.2 auto repair and car care businesses per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 35.7. Spending per business is $429K, 60% above the U.S. figure of $269K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair and car care businesses to household spending, Thurston County would have about 497, against 311 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 855 households, against one for every 681 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +4.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Thurston County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Thurston County at 304,261 people in 2025, up 2.8% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 118,899 households. The median household income in Thurston County is $96,563 a year, 20% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 34.1% 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. Thurston County scores 79 for auto repair and car care businesses (high), #141 of 2,401 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Thurston 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 Thurston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Thurston 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 Thurston 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.