Market rankings · South Carolina
Auto repair shops in South Carolina
Markets across South Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 4,411
- 867 chain locations (20%)
- Official establishments
- 1,824
- +5.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.9B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 20.8
- 3% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $435K
- 2% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #16 of 51
- Market score 60 · Upper middle
A site report maps the auto repair shops on map listings around any address in South 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 4,411 auto repair shops in South Carolina. Of those, 867 are chain locations, or 20%, against 16% across the U.S. That is 20.8 per 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
Household spending on vehicle maintenance and repairs in South Carolina comes to about $1.9B a year: $907 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. Spread across 4,411 auto repair shops, that is $435K per shop, 2% below 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.
Official counts show 1,824 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in South Carolina in 2023, up 5.9% from 2019. That is one for every 1,161 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, 70 SBA-backed loans worth $36.6M have gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in South Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina ranks #16 for auto repair shops, with a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro area scores highest (75). Of the 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Murrells Inlet area scores highest (77).
Every market in South Carolina for auto repair shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 75 | 161 | 16.9 | $527K | +12.0% | #32 of 387 |
| 2Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 73 | 594 | 17.7 | $516K | +10.7% | #44 of 387 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 62 | 473 | 20.4 | $451K | +4.7% | #101 of 387 |
| 3Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 56 | 307 | 19.3 | $437K | +20.9% | #151 of 387 |
| 4Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 56 | 898 | 23.4 | $398K | +9.0% | #152 of 387 |
| 5Columbia, SC | 55 | 697 | 20.5 | $439K | +6.0% | #161 of 387 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 53 | 2,468 | 22.9 | $415K | +10.1% | #185 of 387 |
| 6Sumter, SC | 47 | 82 | 20.0 | $430K | −0.3% | #230 of 387 |
| 7Spartanburg, SC | 45 | 367 | 25.6 | $364K | +14.3% | #251 of 387 |
| 8Florence, SC | 25 | 223 | 28.4 | $298K | +0.9% | #354 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Murrells Inlet, SC | 77 | 43 | 15.9 | $578K | +3.8% | #30 of 538 |
| 2Seneca, SC | 76 | 65 | 18.8 | $521K | +6.3% | #36 of 538 |
| 3Greenwood, SC | 60 | 73 | 19.4 | $441K | +1.7% | #170 of 538 |
| 4Newberry, SC | 50 | 36 | 23.5 | $401K | +4.8% | #283 of 538 |
| 5Gaffney, SC | 40 | 58 | 26.3 | $340K | +3.7% | #373 of 538 |
| 6Orangeburg, SC | 37 | 77 | 23.3 | $355K | −0.9% | #402 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Edgefield County, SC | 82 | 15 | 15.4 | $659K | +16.1% | #85 of 2,378 |
| 2Berkeley County, SC | 80 | 142 | 15.2 | $625K | +18.7% | #118 of 2,378 |
| 3Abbeville County, SC | 76 | 12 | 12.3 | $779K | +2.3% | #186 of 2,378 |
| 4Beaufort County, SC | 74 | 126 | 15.3 | $586K | +8.9% | #234 of 2,378 |
| 5Aiken County, SC | 73 | 124 | 17.7 | $546K | +7.3% | #271 of 2,378 |
| 6Georgetown County, SC | 70 | 43 | 15.9 | $578K | +3.8% | #339 of 2,378 |
| 7Oconee County, SC | 69 | 65 | 18.8 | $521K | +6.3% | #383 of 2,378 |
| 8Dorchester County, SC | 68 | 121 | 19.2 | $498K | +10.1% | #432 of 2,378 |
| 9York County, SC | 68 | 231 | 20.3 | $493K | +8.1% | #434 of 2,378 |
| 10Saluda County, SC | 66 | 16 | 20.9 | $486K | +4.1% | #504 of 2,378 |
| 11Laurens County, SC | 65 | 56 | 20.8 | $449K | +6.2% | #542 of 2,378 |
| 12Kershaw County, SC | 63 | 57 | 21.2 | $481K | +11.6% | #623 of 2,378 |
| 13Lee County, SC | 61 | 7 | 11.0 | $780K | −5.0% | #678 of 2,378 |
| 14Calhoun County, SC | 59 | 11 | 17.8 | $582K | +0.6% | #756 of 2,378 |
| 15Charleston County, SC | 58 | 331 | 18.5 | $477K | +6.4% | #811 of 2,378 |
| 16Lancaster County, SC | 58 | 90 | 22.4 | $423K | +18.3% | #822 of 2,378 |
| 17Greenville County, SC | 58 | 486 | 22.0 | $418K | +10.6% | #824 of 2,378 |
| 18Richland County, SC | 57 | 301 | 17.9 | $458K | +4.6% | #867 of 2,378 |
| 19Chesterfield County, SC | 57 | 35 | 20.0 | $434K | +3.4% | #874 of 2,378 |
| 20Horry County, SC | 56 | 307 | 19.3 | $437K | +20.9% | #915 of 2,378 |
| 21Colleton County, SC | 55 | 32 | 19.5 | $445K | +2.2% | #965 of 2,378 |
| 22Williamsburg County, SC | 50 | 20 | 16.3 | $526K | −4.0% | #1,171 of 2,378 |
| 23Pickens County, SC | 50 | 132 | 25.2 | $380K | +5.7% | #1,199 of 2,378 |
| 24Spartanburg County, SC | 48 | 342 | 26.0 | $364K | +15.6% | #1,311 of 2,378 |
| 25Fairfield County, SC | 47 | 15 | 16.8 | $548K | −2.6% | #1,317 of 2,378 |
Show all 46 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sumter County, SC | 47 | 82 | 20.0 | $430K | −0.3% | #1,335 of 2,378 |
| 27Lexington County, SC | 47 | 297 | 24.4 | $399K | +7.7% | #1,342 of 2,378 |
| 28Clarendon County, SC | 47 | 27 | 21.9 | $388K | +0.7% | #1,347 of 2,378 |
| 29Anderson County, SC | 47 | 224 | 26.7 | $354K | +7.7% | #1,359 of 2,378 |
| 30Hampton County, SC | 45 | 14 | 19.4 | $431K | −1.9% | #1,434 of 2,378 |
| 31Bamberg County, SC | 44 | 8 | 17.2 | $459K | −3.5% | #1,466 of 2,378 |
| 32Newberry County, SC | 43 | 36 | 23.5 | $401K | +4.8% | #1,528 of 2,378 |
| 33Chester County, SC | 42 | 32 | 24.3 | $371K | +2.2% | #1,563 of 2,378 |
| 34Greenwood County, SC | 41 | 61 | 21.9 | $375K | +1.5% | #1,612 of 2,378 |
| 35Marion County, SC | 36 | 23 | 18.9 | $369K | −2.9% | #1,819 of 2,378 |
| 36Darlington County, SC | 34 | 69 | 27.0 | $316K | +0.1% | #1,892 of 2,378 |
| 37Union County, SC | 33 | 25 | 21.5 | $373K | −1.4% | #1,916 of 2,378 |
| 38Cherokee County, SC | 33 | 58 | 26.3 | $340K | +3.7% | #1,922 of 2,378 |
| 39Orangeburg County, SC | 32 | 77 | 23.3 | $355K | −0.9% | #1,946 of 2,378 |
| 40Dillon County, SC | 32 | 24 | 22.2 | $349K | −2.9% | #1,949 of 2,378 |
| 41Jasper County, SC | 30 | 35 | 26.7 | $314K | +32.2% | #2,030 of 2,378 |
| 42Barnwell County, SC | 26 | 21 | 25.9 | $321K | +0.4% | #2,142 of 2,378 |
| 43Florence County, SC | 26 | 154 | 29.1 | $290K | +1.2% | #2,147 of 2,378 |
| 44Marlboro County, SC | 13 | 19 | 19.4 | $364K | −3.8% | #2,340 of 2,378 |
| McCormick County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 9.5 | $911K | +7.3% | |
| Allendale County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 12.4 | $563K | −7.4% |
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 South Carolina?
There are 4,411 auto repair shops on map listings in South Carolina as of September 2026. 867 of them (20%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 1,824 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, up 5.9% from 2019. Official counts list 4,792 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in South Carolina spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $1.9B a year, or $907 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,411 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $435K per shop. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,117,989 households in South Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Carolina compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
South Carolina has 20.8 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $435K, 2% below the U.S. figure of $445K. At the national ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, South Carolina would have about 4,320, against 4,411 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,161 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
Which market in South Carolina has the highest market score for auto repair shops?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Murrells Inlet area scores highest, at 77 (high). Among 44 scored counties in South Carolina, Edgefield County scores highest, at 82 (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. South Carolina scores 60 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #16 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 South 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 South Carolina
Related business types in South Carolina
- Auto repair and car care7,515 listings
- Collision repair and body shops630 listings
- Car washes and detailing850 listings
- Tire shops1,006 listings
- Oil change and quick lube183 listings
- Gas stations2,924 listings
- Insurance agencies2,949 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South 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.