Auto · County · Minnesota
Auto repair shops in Dakota County, MN
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for auto repair shops in Dakota County, MN, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 77 out of 100: High
Ranked #166 of 2,378 scored counties
#4 of 65 scored counties in Minnesota
- Listings
- 273
- 92 chain locations (34%)
- Official establishments
- 172
- +0.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $198.6M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,139 a household
- Spending per listing
- $728K
- 64% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.7
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 457,710
- +3.9% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in Dakota 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 Dakota 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
The Groundwork market score for auto repair shops in Dakota County is 77 (high), #166 of 2,378 scored counties and #4 of 65 scored counties in Minnesota. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for auto repair shops.
As of September 2026, map listings count 273 auto repair shops in Dakota County. Chain locations make up 34% of them, against 16% across the U.S. That is 15.7 per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
At $1,139 per household (19% above the U.S. average), households in Dakota County spend about $198.6M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That works out to $728K per shop, 64% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Dakota County was 172 in 2023, up 0.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,014 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $6.3M have gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Dakota County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Dakota County grew 3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Dakota County compares
The same measures for Minnesota 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 | Dakota County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.7 | 19.7 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $728K | $561K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,014 | 844 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +0.6% | +1.7% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +2.1% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,139 | $1,108 | $958 |
| Median household income | $106,318 | $89,062 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 77 | 64 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 171 → 172+0.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,705
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $157.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 187Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 27392 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 447The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $6.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Dakota 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 Dakota County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 457,710+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 174,362
- Median age
- 39.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 563 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 792
- Median household income
- $106,318+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $131,265
- Median home value
- $381,000
- Jobs located here
- 180,369
- Daytime population
- 396,728Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Minnesota
Every Minnesota market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Minnesota for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Minnesota, with Dakota County marked.
Top counties in Minnesota
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington County, MN | 88 | 141 | 13.4 | $908K | +6.9% | #33 of 2,378 |
| 2Carver County, MN | 83 | 54 | 13.1 | $993K | +6.6% | #66 of 2,378 |
| 3Pine County, MN | 80 | 23 | 18.7 | $656K | +5.5% | #115 of 2,378 |
| 4Dakota County, MN | 77 | 273 | 15.7 | $728K | +3.9% | #166 of 2,378 |
| 5Pope County, MN | 76 | 6 | 12.1 | $1M | +0.8% | #180 of 2,378 |
| 6Wright County, MN | 75 | 116 | 21.5 | $617K | +11.1% | #212 of 2,378 |
| 7Wabasha County, MN | 73 | 21 | 22.9 | $543K | +0.7% | #272 of 2,378 |
| 8Isanti County, MN | 71 | 33 | 20.3 | $637K | +7.3% | #306 of 2,378 |
| 9Scott County, MN | 71 | 125 | 22.7 | $578K | +5.1% | #314 of 2,378 |
| 10Cass County, MN | 71 | 27 | 21.0 | $564K | +4.2% | #315 of 2,378 |
Other business types in Dakota 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 Dakota County, MN?
Dakota County has 273 auto repair shops on map listings as of September 2026. 92 of them (34%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 172 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, up 0.6% from 2019. Another 187 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Dakota County, MN spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $198.6M a year, or $1,139 per household. That is 19% above the U.S. average (an index of 119, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 273 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $728K per shop. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 174,362 households in Dakota County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Dakota County, MN compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
Dakota County has 15.7 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $728K, 64% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the national ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, Dakota County would have about 447, against 273 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,014 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Dakota County, MN growing?
Population estimates put Dakota County at 457,710 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 174,362 households. The median household income in Dakota County is $106,318 a year, 32% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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. Dakota County scores 77 for auto repair shops (high), #166 of 2,378 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Dakota 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 Dakota County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Dakota 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 Dakota 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.