Auto · Metro area · Iowa
Auto repair shops in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area
The auto repair shops in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other metro areas.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 58 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #125 of 387 scored metro areas
#4 of 8 scored metro areas based in Iowa
- Listings
- 139
- 18 chain locations (13%)
- Official establishments
- 81
- −4.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $76.6M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,104 a household
- Spending per listing
- $551K
- 24% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 20.0
- 7% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 169,189
- +0.5% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area
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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area. 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 139 auto repair shops in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area. Of those, 18 are chain locations, or 13%, against 16% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 20.0, 7% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
At $1,104 per household (15% above the U.S. average), households in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area spend about $76.6M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That works out to $551K per shop, 24% 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 81 businesses with payroll in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area classed as mechanical, body and glass repair, down 4.8% from 2019. That is one for every 857 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Official counts list 109 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $779K has gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area.
Population estimates show the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area grew 0.5% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area scores 58 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, ranking #125 of 387 scored metro areas and #4 of 8 scored metro areas based in Iowa.
How the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area 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 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 20.0 | 24.1 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $551K | $470K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 857 | 766 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −4.8% | −1.3% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.5% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,104 | $1,134 | $958 |
| Median household income | $70,811 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 58 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 81−4.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 375
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $18.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 109Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 13918 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 172The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $779K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area, 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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 169,189+0.5% since 2020
- Households
- 69,396
- Median age
- 37.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 69%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 1,503 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 112
- Median household income
- $70,811+23.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $92,709
- Median home value
- $194,800
- Jobs located here
- 88,619
- Daytime population
- 179,403Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. 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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area. 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 metro areas in Iowa for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Iowa (a market based in another state is listed without a number), with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area marked.
Top metro areas in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 79 | 594 | 20.1 | $558K | +6.7% | #15 of 387 |
| 2Iowa City, IA | 71 | 136 | 18.8 | $553K | +4.1% | #50 of 387 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 70 | 771 | 19.8 | $558K | +4.2% | #53 of 387 |
| 3Ames, IA | 62 | 107 | 21.5 | $520K | +2.2% | #97 of 387 |
| 4Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 58 | 139 | 20.0 | $551K | +0.5% | #125 of 387 |
| 5Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 53 | 126 | 22.7 | $507K | +1.0% | #175 of 387 |
| 6Cedar Rapids, IA | 52 | 258 | 22.6 | $498K | +1.0% | #186 of 387 |
| 7Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 51 | 343 | 21.2 | $488K | −0.9% | #194 of 387 |
| 8Dubuque, IA | 37 | 100 | 24.4 | $443K | +0.1% | #288 of 387 |
Other business types in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area
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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area?
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area has 139 auto repair shops on map listings as of September 2026. 18 of them (13%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 81 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, down 4.8% from 2019. Official counts also show 109 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $76.6M a year, or $1,104 per household. That is 15% above the U.S. average (an index of 115, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 139 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $551K per shop. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 69,396 households in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area has 20.0 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 7% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $551K, 24% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the national ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area would have about 172, against 139 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 857 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count fell 4.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
How fast is the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area at 169,189 people in 2025, up 0.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 69,396 households. The median household income in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area is $70,811 a year, 12% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.2% 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. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area scores 58 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #125 of 387 scored metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area. 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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area?
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 the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area. 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.