Auto · County · Virginia
Auto repair shops in Nelson County, VA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for auto repair shops in Nelson County, VA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 76 out of 100: High
Ranked #187 of 2,378 scored counties
#14 of 114 scored counties in Virginia
- Listings
- 9
- 0 chain locations (0%)
- Official establishments
- 4
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $6.7M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,058 a household
- Spending per listing
- $748K
- 68% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.1
- 34% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 14,920
- +1.2% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in Nelson 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 Nelson 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
Nelson County scores 76 (high) on the Groundwork market score for auto repair shops, ranking #187 of 2,378 scored counties and #14 of 114 scored counties in Virginia. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for auto repair shops.
At $1,058 per household (10% above the U.S. average), households in Nelson County spend about $6.7M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That works out to $748K per shop, 68% above the U.S. figure of $445K. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops.
Nelson County has 9 auto repair shops on map listings as of September 2026. None of them are chain locations, against 16% across the U.S. That comes to 14.1 for every 10,000 households, 34% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
Official counts show 4 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Nelson County in 2023. That is one for every 1,591 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Population estimates show Nelson County grew 1.2% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Nelson County compares
The same measures for Virginia 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 | Nelson County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.1 | 19.5 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $748K | $496K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,591 | 982 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +0.4% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.2% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,058 | $968 | $958 |
| Median household income | $72,589 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 76 | 58 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 3 → 4
- Employees, 2023
- 22
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $730K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 9Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 90 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 15The 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 Nelson 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 Nelson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 14,920+1.2% since 2020
- Households
- 6,364
- Median age
- 49.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 80%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 471 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 31
- Median household income
- $72,589+12.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $104,122
- Median home value
- $321,700
- Jobs located here
- 3,841
- Daytime population
- 12,142Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Virginia
Every Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Virginia for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Virginia, with Nelson County marked.
Top counties in Virginia
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fluvanna County, VA | 95 | 8 | 7.7 | $1.6M | +6.2% | #4 of 2,378 |
| 2Caroline County, VA | 90 | 18 | 15.0 | $768K | +11.3% | #22 of 2,378 |
| 3Poquoson city, VA | 89 | 6 | 12.7 | $912K | +6.6% | #27 of 2,378 |
| 4Clarke County, VA | 87 | 11 | 18.7 | $632K | +5.4% | #36 of 2,378 |
| 5Prince George County, VA | 86 | 11 | 8.5 | $1.4M | +2.0% | #37 of 2,378 |
| 6James City County, VA | 85 | 31 | 9.7 | $1M | +6.2% | #46 of 2,378 |
| 7Louisa County, VA | 84 | 28 | 18.0 | $660K | +13.6% | #61 of 2,378 |
| 8King George County, VA | 83 | 21 | 20.7 | $571K | +10.5% | #74 of 2,378 |
| 9Albemarle County, VA | 81 | 48 | 10.5 | $927K | +5.1% | #92 of 2,378 |
| 10Chesterfield County, VA | 81 | 221 | 15.8 | $669K | +8.7% | #101 of 2,378 |
| 14Nelson County, VA | 76 | 9 | 14.1 | $748K | +1.2% | #187 of 2,378 |
Other business types in Nelson 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 Nelson County, VA?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 9 auto repair shops in Nelson County. None of them are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 4 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023. Official counts also show 9 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Nelson County, VA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $6.7M a year, or $1,058 per household. That is 10% above the U.S. average (an index of 110, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 9 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $748K 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 6,364 households in Nelson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Nelson County, VA compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
Nelson County has 14.1 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 34% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $748K, 68% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, Nelson County would have about 15, against 9 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,591 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S.
How fast is Nelson County, VA growing?
Population estimates put Nelson County at 14,920 people in 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 6,364 households. Median household income in Nelson County is $72,589, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 12.9%, 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. Nelson County scores 76 for auto repair shops (high), #187 of 2,378 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Nelson 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 Nelson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Nelson 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 Nelson 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.