Auto · County · Iowa
Auto repair shops in Des Moines County, IA
The auto repair shops in Des Moines County, IA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 32 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,939 of 2,378 scored counties
#60 of 72 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 49
- 8 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 23
- −14.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $18.3M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,063 a household
- Spending per listing
- $373K
- 16% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 28.5
- 33% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 38,077
- −2.0% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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
Des Moines County scores 32 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, ranking #1,939 of 2,378 scored counties and #60 of 72 scored counties in Iowa. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Households in Des Moines County spend about $18.3M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,063 per household, 11% above the U.S. average. That is about $373K of household spending for each shop on map listings, 16% below the U.S. figure of $445K. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops.
There are 49 auto repair shops on map listings in Des Moines County as of September 2026. Of those, 8 are chain locations, or 16%, against 16% across the U.S. That is 28.5 per 10,000 households, 33% above the U.S. rate of 21.5.
Official counts show 23 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Des Moines County in 2023, down 14.8% from 2019. That is one for every 747 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Des Moines County declined 2.0%, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Des Moines County compares
The same measures for Iowa 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 | Des Moines County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 28.5 | 24.1 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $373K | $470K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 747 | 766 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −14.8% | −1.3% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −2.0% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,063 | $1,134 | $958 |
| Median household income | $62,928 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 32 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 27 → 23−14.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 96
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 43Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 498 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 41The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Des Moines 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 Des Moines County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 38,077−2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 17,178
- Median age
- 42.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 416 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 92
- Median household income
- $62,928+22.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $80,523
- Median home value
- $136,500
- Jobs located here
- 19,578
- Daytime population
- 39,488Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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 Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Des Moines County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dallas County, IA | 95 | 53 | 12.5 | $964K | +17.8% | #5 of 2,378 |
| 2Tama County, IA | 78 | 11 | 16.4 | $738K | −1.5% | #150 of 2,378 |
| 3Johnson County, IA | 75 | 100 | 15.8 | $647K | +4.6% | #211 of 2,378 |
| 4Buchanan County, IA | 72 | 18 | 21.8 | $577K | +1.3% | #290 of 2,378 |
| 5Marion County, IA | 71 | 28 | 21.0 | $603K | +2.3% | #309 of 2,378 |
| 6Polk County, IA | 70 | 404 | 19.7 | $549K | +4.8% | #347 of 2,378 |
| 7Buena Vista County, IA | 69 | 15 | 19.9 | $597K | −1.7% | #372 of 2,378 |
| 8Grundy County, IA | 69 | 13 | 25.4 | $499K | +0.2% | #389 of 2,378 |
| 9Bremer County, IA | 68 | 19 | 19.6 | $626K | +1.1% | #412 of 2,378 |
| 10Story County, IA | 66 | 78 | 20.0 | $537K | +2.7% | #495 of 2,378 |
| 60Des Moines County, IA | 32 | 49 | 28.5 | $373K | −2.0% | #1,939 of 2,378 |
Other business types in Des Moines 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 Des Moines County, IA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 49 auto repair shops in Des Moines County. 8 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 23 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, down 14.8% from 2019. Another 43 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Des Moines County, IA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $18.3M a year, or $1,063 per household. That is 11% above the U.S. average (an index of 111, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 49 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $373K 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 17,178 households in Des Moines County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Des Moines County, IA compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
Des Moines County has 28.5 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 33% above the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $373K, 16% below the U.S. figure of $445K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, Des Moines County would have about 41, against 49 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 747 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count fell 14.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Des Moines County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Des Moines County at 38,077 people in 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 17,178 households. Median household income in Des Moines County is $62,928, 22% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 22.8%, 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. Des Moines County scores 32 for auto repair shops (lower middle), #1,939 of 2,378 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Des Moines 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 Des Moines County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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.