Market rankings · Delaware
Auto repair shops in Delaware
Markets across Delaware ranked by the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 738
- 115 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 349
- +3.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $362.5M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 18.4
- 14% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $491K
- 10% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #7 of 51
- Market score 68 · Upper middle
A site report maps the auto repair shops on map listings around any address in Delaware by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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 738 auto repair shops in Delaware. Of those, 115 are chain locations, or 16%, against 16% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 18.4, 14% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
Households in Delaware spend about $362.5M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $902 per household, 6% below the U.S. average. That is about $491K of household spending for each shop on map listings, 10% above the U.S. figure of $445K. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which auto repair shops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 349 businesses with payroll in Delaware classed as mechanical, body and glass repair, up 3.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,152 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 2.1% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 26 SBA-backed loans worth $10.2M have gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Delaware.
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware ranks #7 for auto repair shops, with a Groundwork market score of 68 (upper middle). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest (66). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware, the Seaford area, scores 82.
Every market in Delaware for auto repair shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Delaware, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dover, DE | 66 | 127 | 17.8 | $512K | +6.8% | #79 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 31 | 4,878 | 19.8 | $416K | +1.4% | #326 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seaford, DE | 82 | 177 | 16.6 | $572K | +16.1% | #17 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sussex County, DE | 77 | 177 | 16.6 | $572K | +16.1% | #176 of 2,378 |
| 2Kent County, DE | 63 | 127 | 17.8 | $512K | +6.8% | #612 of 2,378 |
| 3New Castle County, DE | 51 | 434 | 19.4 | $452K | +3.0% | #1,144 of 2,378 |
Questions
How many auto repair shops are in Delaware?
Delaware has 738 auto repair shops on map listings as of September 2026. 115 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 349 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, up 3.3% from 2019. Official counts list 641 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Delaware spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $362.5M a year, or $902 per household. That is 6% below the U.S. average (an index of 94, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 738 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $491K per shop. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 402,038 households in Delaware and national spending patterns by income.
How does Delaware compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
Delaware has 18.4 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $491K, 10% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the national ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, Delaware would have about 815, against 738 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,152 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
Which market in Delaware has the highest market score for auto repair shops?
Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware is the Seaford area, at 82 (high). Among 3 scored counties in Delaware, Sussex County scores highest, at 77 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
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. Delaware scores 68 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #7 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Delaware. It maps the auto repair shops 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.
Auto repair shops in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for auto repair shops across the U.S. · All business types in Delaware
Related business types in Delaware
- Auto repair and car care1,261 listings
- Collision repair and body shops88 listings
- Car washes and detailing164 listings
- Tire shops136 listings
- Oil change and quick lube16 listings
- Gas stations299 listings
- Insurance agencies427 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Delaware?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.