Market rankings · Delaware
Car washes and detailers in Delaware
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Delaware, ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 164
- 44 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 55
- +34.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $362.5M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.1
- 8% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.2M
- 12% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #29 of 51
- Market score 48 · Lower middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in Delaware 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
There are 164 car washes and detailers on map listings in Delaware as of September 2026. Of those, 44 are chain locations, or 27%, against 23% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 4.1, 8% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
At $902 per household (6% below the U.S. average), households in Delaware spend about $362.5M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That is about $2.2M of household spending for each location on map listings, 12% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only car washes and detailers.
Official counts show 55 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Delaware in 2023, up 34.2% from 2019. That is one for every 7,310 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 16.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $7.3M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in Delaware.
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware ranks #29 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 48 (lower middle). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest (61). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware, the Seaford area, scores 79.
Every market in Delaware for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Delaware, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dover, DE | 61 | 28 | 3.9 | $2.3M | +6.8% | #118 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 50 | 775 | 3.1 | $2.6M | +1.4% | #189 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seaford, DE | 79 | 37 | 3.5 | $2.7M | +16.1% | #21 of 441 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sussex County, DE | 77 | 37 | 3.5 | $2.7M | +16.1% | #100 of 1,451 |
| 2Kent County, DE | 62 | 28 | 3.9 | $2.3M | +6.8% | #422 of 1,451 |
| 3New Castle County, DE | 41 | 99 | 4.4 | $2M | +3.0% | #959 of 1,451 |
Questions
How many car washes and detailers are in Delaware?
As of September 2026, map listings count 164 car washes and detailers in Delaware. 44 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 55 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 34.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Delaware spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $362.5M a year, or $902 per household. That is 6% below the U.S. average (an index of 94, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 164 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.2M per location. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which car washes and detailers share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 402,038 households in Delaware and national spending patterns by income.
How does Delaware compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Delaware has 4.1 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 8% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.2M, 12% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the U.S. ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Delaware would have about 144, against 164 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,310 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 34.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Delaware has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest, at 61 (upper middle). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware is the Seaford area, at 79 (high). Among 3 scored counties in Delaware, Sussex County scores highest, at 77 (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. Delaware scores 48 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #29 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 Delaware. It maps the car washes and detailers 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.
Car washes and detailing in other states
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Top markets for car washes and detailers across the U.S. · All business types in Delaware
Related business types in Delaware
- Auto repair and car care1,261 listings
- Auto repair shops738 listings
- Collision repair and body shops88 listings
- Tire shops136 listings
- Oil change and quick lube16 listings
- Gas stations299 listings
- Insurance agencies427 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Delaware?
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.