Market rankings · North Carolina
Auto repair shops in North Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in North Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 9,304
- 1,506 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 4,240
- +3.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.7
- In line with the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $432K
- 3% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #27 of 51
- Market score 53 · Upper middle
A site report maps the auto repair shops on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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
North Carolina has 9,304 auto repair shops on map listings as of September 2026. 1,506 of them (16%) are chain locations, against 16% across the U.S. That comes to 21.7 for every 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 21.5.
At $939 per household (2% below the U.S. average), households in North Carolina spend about $4B a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Spread across 9,304 auto repair shops, that is $432K per shop, 3% below the U.S. figure of $445K. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops.
Official counts show 4,240 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in North Carolina in 2023, up 3.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,010 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, 141 SBA-backed loans worth $96.3M have gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #27 for auto repair shops, with a Groundwork market score of 53 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest (79). Of the 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Brevard area scores highest (75).
Every market in North Carolina for auto repair shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 79 | 376 | 15.1 | $592K | +7.5% | #14 of 387 |
| 2Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 73 | 71 | 16.1 | $599K | +10.3% | #41 of 387 |
| 3Raleigh-Cary, NC | 72 | 1,061 | 18.5 | $525K | +12.6% | #49 of 387 |
| 4Rocky Mount, NC | 67 | 106 | 18.1 | $517K | +2.8% | #74 of 387 |
| 5Wilmington, NC | 60 | 401 | 20.1 | $458K | +15.9% | #110 of 387 |
| 6Burlington, NC | 60 | 159 | 22.7 | $415K | +8.5% | #111 of 387 |
| 7Jacksonville, NC | 54 | 175 | 23.3 | $390K | +6.0% | #172 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 53 | 1,321 | 18.7 | $490K | +0.9% | #179 of 387 |
| 8Winston-Salem, NC | 53 | 624 | 22.2 | $434K | +5.3% | #184 of 387 |
| 9Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 53 | 2,468 | 22.9 | $415K | +10.1% | #185 of 387 |
| 10Greensboro-High Point, NC | 47 | 705 | 22.2 | $411K | +4.1% | #234 of 387 |
| 11Greenville, NC | 46 | 157 | 21.1 | $390K | +5.4% | #240 of 387 |
| 12Asheville, NC | 40 | 380 | 23.6 | $391K | +3.6% | #274 of 387 |
| 13Fayetteville, NC | 40 | 348 | 23.4 | $367K | +1.6% | #278 of 387 |
| 14Goldsboro, NC | 40 | 127 | 26.7 | $353K | +3.8% | #279 of 387 |
| 15Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 39 | 375 | 25.1 | $393K | +3.2% | #284 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brevard, NC | 75 | 22 | 15.1 | $620K | +2.9% | #41 of 538 |
| 2Kill Devil Hills, NC | 72 | 29 | 17.2 | $602K | +3.3% | #55 of 538 |
| 3Morehead City, NC | 72 | 54 | 16.9 | $554K | +4.1% | #56 of 538 |
| 4Anderson Creek, NC | 71 | 99 | 19.9 | $511K | +12.3% | #70 of 538 |
| 5Boone, NC | 65 | 35 | 16.5 | $556K | +0.6% | #105 of 538 |
| 6Waynesville, NC | 61 | 56 | 20.6 | $464K | +1.9% | #160 of 538 |
| 7Marion, NC | 60 | 44 | 23.6 | $403K | +1.5% | #173 of 538 |
| 8North Wilkesboro, NC | 59 | 59 | 21.8 | $439K | +0.6% | #179 of 538 |
| 9New Bern, NC | 56 | 106 | 20.2 | $443K | +3.6% | #208 of 538 |
| 10Lumberton, NC | 55 | 100 | 23.2 | $386K | +3.4% | #228 of 538 |
| 11Laurinburg, NC | 54 | 21 | 16.7 | $502K | −0.3% | #230 of 538 |
| 12Albemarle, NC | 50 | 74 | 29.3 | $350K | +9.8% | #287 of 538 |
| 13Roanoke Rapids, NC | 48 | 56 | 19.8 | $458K | −4.3% | #298 of 538 |
| 14Forest City, NC | 47 | 86 | 32.3 | $296K | +2.1% | #319 of 538 |
| 15Sanford, NC | 47 | 87 | 34.6 | $289K | +10.8% | #320 of 538 |
| 16Wilson, NC | 46 | 71 | 21.5 | $418K | +1.7% | #323 of 538 |
| 17Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 46 | 103 | 26.5 | $367K | +3.4% | #326 of 538 |
| 18Elizabeth City, NC | 45 | 57 | 36.1 | $264K | +4.5% | #338 of 538 |
| 19Mount Airy, NC | 43 | 89 | 29.8 | $340K | +1.3% | #353 of 538 |
| 20Henderson, NC | 38 | 37 | 22.9 | $398K | +0.2% | #387 of 538 |
| 21Washington, NC | 25 | 55 | 28.4 | $323K | 0.0% | #486 of 538 |
| 22Kinston, NC | 25 | 64 | 27.4 | $304K | +1.4% | #487 of 538 |
| 23Rockingham, NC | 14 | 60 | 35.2 | $233K | −1.6% | #528 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hoke County, NC | 84 | 21 | 10.9 | $893K | +9.0% | #57 of 2,378 |
| 2Brunswick County, NC | 82 | 102 | 14.8 | $651K | +26.5% | #86 of 2,378 |
| 3Madison County, NC | 82 | 13 | 15.6 | $649K | +5.9% | #87 of 2,378 |
| 4Orange County, NC | 80 | 63 | 11.0 | $854K | +6.1% | #110 of 2,378 |
| 5Perquimans County, NC | 78 | 6 | 10.7 | $887K | +3.6% | #143 of 2,378 |
| 6Pamlico County, NC | 76 | 5 | 9.2 | $1M | +3.7% | #181 of 2,378 |
| 7Pender County, NC | 76 | 42 | 16.6 | $620K | +19.0% | #190 of 2,378 |
| 8Caswell County, NC | 75 | 14 | 15.9 | $670K | +0.4% | #209 of 2,378 |
| 9Chatham County, NC | 74 | 54 | 16.4 | $651K | +11.0% | #227 of 2,378 |
| 10Granville County, NC | 74 | 37 | 16.5 | $648K | +2.1% | #228 of 2,378 |
| 11Jackson County, NC | 74 | 27 | 14.7 | $626K | +6.9% | #231 of 2,378 |
| 12Davie County, NC | 73 | 38 | 22.0 | $491K | +6.9% | #275 of 2,378 |
| 13Warren County, NC | 72 | 8 | 9.8 | $926K | +1.6% | #280 of 2,378 |
| 14Yancey County, NC | 72 | 16 | 19.7 | $513K | +3.2% | #298 of 2,378 |
| 15Polk County, NC | 71 | 16 | 17.8 | $545K | +6.0% | #318 of 2,378 |
| 16Gates County, NC | 69 | 6 | 14.3 | $742K | −2.1% | #362 of 2,378 |
| 17Moore County, NC | 69 | 71 | 16.1 | $599K | +10.3% | #371 of 2,378 |
| 18Transylvania County, NC | 68 | 22 | 15.1 | $620K | +2.9% | #414 of 2,378 |
| 19Johnston County, NC | 68 | 195 | 22.8 | $466K | +17.9% | #438 of 2,378 |
| 20Avery County, NC | 67 | 6 | 8.8 | $1.1M | +1.1% | #442 of 2,378 |
| 21Wake County, NC | 67 | 809 | 17.6 | $540K | +11.2% | #467 of 2,378 |
| 22Durham County, NC | 66 | 223 | 15.7 | $523K | +7.7% | #497 of 2,378 |
| 23Dare County, NC | 65 | 29 | 17.2 | $602K | +3.3% | #516 of 2,378 |
| 24Harnett County, NC | 65 | 99 | 19.9 | $511K | +12.3% | #528 of 2,378 |
| 25Edgecombe County, NC | 64 | 29 | 14.8 | $605K | +0.7% | #553 of 2,378 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Carteret County, NC | 64 | 54 | 16.9 | $554K | +4.1% | #564 of 2,378 |
| 27Franklin County, NC | 64 | 57 | 20.0 | $514K | +18.8% | #576 of 2,378 |
| 28Currituck County, NC | 64 | 29 | 24.5 | $504K | +16.7% | #578 of 2,378 |
| 29Stokes County, NC | 62 | 39 | 20.0 | $528K | +3.5% | #655 of 2,378 |
| 30Burke County, NC | 62 | 70 | 19.3 | $512K | +1.6% | #658 of 2,378 |
| 31Nash County, NC | 62 | 77 | 19.8 | $484K | +3.9% | #667 of 2,378 |
| 32Bladen County, NC | 61 | 21 | 17.8 | $556K | +1.3% | #687 of 2,378 |
| 33Chowan County, NC | 60 | 11 | 17.9 | $475K | +2.8% | #735 of 2,378 |
| 34Watauga County, NC | 58 | 35 | 16.5 | $556K | +0.6% | #799 of 2,378 |
| 35Mecklenburg County, NC | 58 | 927 | 19.9 | $437K | +10.5% | #818 of 2,378 |
| 36Alamance County, NC | 58 | 159 | 22.7 | $415K | +8.5% | #826 of 2,378 |
| 37Bertie County, NC | 57 | 8 | 11.2 | $852K | −3.6% | #831 of 2,378 |
| 38Lincoln County, NC | 57 | 86 | 23.4 | $467K | +13.2% | #865 of 2,378 |
| 39Duplin County, NC | 57 | 50 | 24.1 | $399K | +6.0% | #880 of 2,378 |
| 40Davidson County, NC | 56 | 166 | 23.8 | $440K | +6.6% | #914 of 2,378 |
| 41Person County, NC | 55 | 36 | 22.4 | $470K | +3.7% | #955 of 2,378 |
| 42McDowell County, NC | 54 | 44 | 23.6 | $403K | +1.5% | #1,027 of 2,378 |
| 43Haywood County, NC | 53 | 56 | 20.6 | $464K | +1.9% | #1,062 of 2,378 |
| 44Onslow County, NC | 53 | 175 | 23.3 | $390K | +6.0% | #1,077 of 2,378 |
| 45Anson County, NC | 52 | 17 | 19.9 | $487K | −2.1% | #1,094 of 2,378 |
| 46Northampton County, NC | 52 | 16 | 20.4 | $470K | −5.4% | #1,101 of 2,378 |
| 47Ashe County, NC | 52 | 29 | 23.8 | $404K | +3.5% | #1,120 of 2,378 |
| 48Wilkes County, NC | 51 | 59 | 21.8 | $439K | +0.6% | #1,151 of 2,378 |
| 49Forsyth County, NC | 51 | 331 | 20.7 | $427K | +5.0% | #1,153 of 2,378 |
| 50Randolph County, NC | 50 | 139 | 24.1 | $422K | +3.5% | #1,191 of 2,378 |
| 51Guilford County, NC | 49 | 461 | 21.0 | $421K | +4.4% | #1,239 of 2,378 |
| 52Gaston County, NC | 49 | 222 | 23.7 | $394K | +7.8% | #1,247 of 2,378 |
| 53Union County, NC | 49 | 258 | 30.6 | $376K | +11.7% | #1,251 of 2,378 |
| 54Montgomery County, NC | 48 | 27 | 25.4 | $422K | +2.7% | #1,292 of 2,378 |
| 55Martin County, NC | 48 | 20 | 21.0 | $421K | −1.6% | #1,293 of 2,378 |
| 56Cabarrus County, NC | 48 | 213 | 25.3 | $401K | +9.9% | #1,304 of 2,378 |
| 57Scotland County, NC | 47 | 21 | 16.7 | $502K | −0.3% | #1,321 of 2,378 |
| 58Pitt County, NC | 47 | 157 | 21.1 | $390K | +5.4% | #1,346 of 2,378 |
| 59Robeson County, NC | 47 | 100 | 23.2 | $386K | +3.4% | #1,349 of 2,378 |
| 60Henderson County, NC | 46 | 115 | 22.5 | $421K | +5.0% | #1,396 of 2,378 |
| 61Iredell County, NC | 46 | 212 | 27.8 | $376K | +12.9% | #1,409 of 2,378 |
| 62Craven County, NC | 45 | 89 | 20.8 | $424K | +3.5% | #1,437 of 2,378 |
| 63Stanly County, NC | 45 | 74 | 29.3 | $350K | +9.8% | #1,452 of 2,378 |
| 64Macon County, NC | 44 | 41 | 22.3 | $418K | +5.8% | #1,479 of 2,378 |
| 65Yadkin County, NC | 44 | 50 | 33.3 | $337K | +2.9% | #1,501 of 2,378 |
| 66Wayne County, NC | 43 | 127 | 26.7 | $353K | +3.8% | #1,534 of 2,378 |
| 67Rockingham County, NC | 43 | 105 | 26.5 | $348K | +3.3% | #1,537 of 2,378 |
| 68Lee County, NC | 43 | 87 | 34.6 | $289K | +10.8% | #1,540 of 2,378 |
| 69Caldwell County, NC | 42 | 75 | 22.8 | $413K | +0.7% | #1,554 of 2,378 |
| 70Rutherford County, NC | 42 | 86 | 32.3 | $296K | +2.1% | #1,575 of 2,378 |
| 71Greene County, NC | 41 | 14 | 20.3 | $463K | +1.3% | #1,579 of 2,378 |
| 72Alleghany County, NC | 41 | 12 | 23.2 | $416K | +5.4% | #1,593 of 2,378 |
| 73Sampson County, NC | 41 | 62 | 28.7 | $339K | +4.1% | #1,625 of 2,378 |
| 74Clay County, NC | 41 | 17 | 33.5 | $297K | +9.9% | #1,636 of 2,378 |
| 75Pasquotank County, NC | 41 | 57 | 36.1 | $264K | +4.5% | #1,638 of 2,378 |
| 76Cleveland County, NC | 40 | 103 | 26.5 | $367K | +3.4% | #1,670 of 2,378 |
| 77Buncombe County, NC | 40 | 252 | 24.7 | $364K | +2.9% | #1,672 of 2,378 |
| 78Halifax County, NC | 39 | 40 | 19.6 | $453K | −3.9% | #1,684 of 2,378 |
| 79Alexander County, NC | 39 | 38 | 26.9 | $402K | +1.5% | #1,696 of 2,378 |
| 80Rowan County, NC | 39 | 180 | 30.6 | $321K | +5.6% | #1,716 of 2,378 |
| 81Washington County, NC | 38 | 9 | 19.0 | $434K | −3.1% | #1,727 of 2,378 |
| 82Wilson County, NC | 38 | 71 | 21.5 | $418K | +1.7% | #1,731 of 2,378 |
| 83Catawba County, NC | 38 | 192 | 29.0 | $341K | +5.8% | #1,754 of 2,378 |
| 84New Hanover County, NC | 37 | 257 | 24.5 | $355K | +8.6% | #1,782 of 2,378 |
| 85Surry County, NC | 37 | 89 | 29.8 | $340K | +1.3% | #1,786 of 2,378 |
| 86Swain County, NC | 37 | 19 | 31.6 | $290K | −0.6% | #1,796 of 2,378 |
| 87Cherokee County, NC | 37 | 41 | 31.0 | $281K | +6.8% | #1,798 of 2,378 |
| 88Hertford County, NC | 34 | 20 | 24.1 | $390K | −11.2% | #1,875 of 2,378 |
| 89Cumberland County, NC | 34 | 327 | 25.2 | $334K | +0.4% | #1,889 of 2,378 |
| 90Columbus County, NC | 34 | 64 | 31.9 | $299K | 0.0% | #1,895 of 2,378 |
| 91Mitchell County, NC | 33 | 16 | 24.3 | $385K | +1.1% | #1,913 of 2,378 |
| 92Vance County, NC | 32 | 37 | 22.9 | $398K | +0.2% | #1,933 of 2,378 |
| 93Beaufort County, NC | 21 | 55 | 28.4 | $323K | 0.0% | #2,231 of 2,378 |
| 94Lenoir County, NC | 21 | 64 | 27.4 | $304K | +1.4% | #2,234 of 2,378 |
| 95Richmond County, NC | 13 | 60 | 35.2 | $233K | −1.6% | #2,351 of 2,378 |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 10.0 | $1.1M | +8.8% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 12 | 29.1 | $346K | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 11.4 | $741K | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 20.6 | $389K | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 12.9 | $628K | +9.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 auto repair shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many auto repair shops are in North Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 9,304 auto repair shops in North Carolina. 1,506 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 4,240 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, up 3.0% from 2019. Another 9,703 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $4B a year, or $939 per household. That is 2% below the U.S. average (an index of 98, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 9,304 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $432K 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 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
North Carolina has 21.7 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $432K, 3% below the U.S. figure of $445K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, North Carolina would have about 9,048, against 9,304 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,010 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for auto repair shops?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area scores highest, at 79 (high). Among 23 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Brevard area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 95 scored counties in North Carolina, Hoke County scores highest, at 84 (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. North Carolina scores 53 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #27 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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Auto repair and car care15,696 listings
- Collision repair and body shops1,171 listings
- Car washes and detailing1,690 listings
- Tire shops2,010 listings
- Oil change and quick lube348 listings
- Gas stations5,244 listings
- Insurance agencies5,580 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.