Auto · County · Illinois
Auto repair shops in DeKalb County, IL
The auto repair shops in DeKalb County, IL, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #1,064 of 2,378 scored counties
#32 of 87 scored counties in Illinois
- Listings
- 89
- 10 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 41
- −6.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $40.6M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,026 a household
- Spending per listing
- $456K
- 3% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 22.5
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 101,835
- +1.5% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in DeKalb County
The site report maps the auto repair shops 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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb County spend about $40.6M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,026 per household, 7% above the U.S. average. That is about $456K of household spending for each shop on map listings, 3% above the U.S. figure of $445K. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops.
There are 89 auto repair shops on map listings in DeKalb County as of September 2026. 10 of them (11%) are chain locations, against 16% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 22.5, 5% above the U.S. rate of 21.5.
In 2023, official counts showed 41 businesses with payroll in DeKalb County classed as mechanical, body and glass repair, down 6.8% from 2019. That is one for every 965 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Official counts also show 64 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $865K has gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in DeKalb County.
Population estimates put the population change in DeKalb County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.5%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for auto repair shops in DeKalb County is 53 (upper middle), #1,064 of 2,378 scored counties and #32 of 87 scored counties in Illinois.
How DeKalb County compares
The same measures for Illinois and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the auto repair shops 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 | DeKalb County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 22.5 | 20.3 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $456K | $479K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 965 | 840 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −6.8% | −1.1% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.5% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,026 | $975 | $958 |
| Median household income | $70,724 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 38 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 44 → 41−6.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 206
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $11M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 64Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 8910 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 91The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $865K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 101,835+1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 39,550
- Median age
- 35.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 61%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 631 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 160
- Median household income
- $70,724+11.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $90,834
- Median home value
- $243,600
- Jobs located here
- 34,194
- Daytime population
- 89,501Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in DeKalb 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 shops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of DeKalb County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardAuto repair shops across Illinois
Every Illinois market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Illinois for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Illinois, with DeKalb County marked.
Top counties in Illinois
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kendall County, IL | 82 | 78 | 17.2 | $752K | +9.9% | #78 of 2,378 |
| 2Piatt County, IL | 76 | 9 | 13.0 | $994K | +0.6% | #182 of 2,378 |
| 3Woodford County, IL | 70 | 22 | 15.0 | $818K | −0.8% | #330 of 2,378 |
| 4Marshall County, IL | 70 | 8 | 15.7 | $743K | −2.0% | #332 of 2,378 |
| 5Boone County, IL | 69 | 40 | 20.6 | $583K | +0.4% | #375 of 2,378 |
| 6Menard County, IL | 68 | 8 | 15.3 | $725K | −3.3% | #401 of 2,378 |
| 7Crawford County, IL | 67 | 18 | 24.0 | $475K | +0.1% | #477 of 2,378 |
| 8Jersey County, IL | 65 | 16 | 20.1 | $599K | −1.5% | #517 of 2,378 |
| 9Greene County, IL | 64 | 8 | 18.0 | $648K | −5.1% | #550 of 2,378 |
| 10Douglas County, IL | 63 | 11 | 14.2 | $781K | +0.5% | #588 of 2,378 |
| 32DeKalb County, IL | 53 | 89 | 22.5 | $456K | +1.5% | #1,064 of 2,378 |
Other business types in DeKalb County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
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 shops are in DeKalb County, IL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 89 auto repair shops in DeKalb County. 10 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 41 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, down 6.8% from 2019. Another 64 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in DeKalb County, IL spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $40.6M a year, or $1,026 per household. That is 7% above the U.S. average (an index of 107, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 89 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $456K per shop. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which auto repair shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 39,550 households in DeKalb County and national spending patterns by income.
How does DeKalb County, IL compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
DeKalb County has 22.5 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $456K, 3% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, DeKalb County would have about 91, against 89 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 965 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
How fast is DeKalb County, IL growing?
Population estimates put DeKalb County at 101,835 people in 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 39,550 households. Median household income in DeKalb County is $70,724, 12% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 11.7%, 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. DeKalb County scores 53 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #1,064 of 2,378 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in DeKalb County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for auto repair shops · All 56 business types in DeKalb County
Screening a site or an acquisition in DeKalb 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 DeKalb 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.