Auto · County · Delaware
Car washes and detailers in Sussex County, DE
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for car washes and detailers in Sussex County, DE, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 77 out of 100: High
Ranked #100 of 1,451 scored counties
#1 of 3 scored counties in Delaware
- Listings
- 37
- 6 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 8
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $101.3M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $952 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.7M
- 9% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.5
- 8% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 277,140
- +16.1% since 2020
See the car washes and detailers around any address in Sussex County
The site report maps the car washes and detailers 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 Sussex 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
For car washes and detailers, Sussex County has a Groundwork market score of 77 (high): #100 of 1,451 scored counties and #1 of 3 scored counties in Delaware. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for car washes and detailers.
As of September 2026, map listings count 37 car washes and detailers in Sussex County. Of those, 6 are chain locations, or 16%, against 23% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 3.5, 8% below the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Households in Sussex County spend about $101.3M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $952 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That works out to $2.7M per location, 9% above the U.S. figure of $2.5M. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which car washes and detailers share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Sussex County was 8 in 2023. That is one for every 13,305 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $10K has gone to businesses classed as car washes in Sussex County. Population estimates show Sussex County grew 16.1% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Sussex County compares
The same measures for Delaware and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the car washes and detailers 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 | Sussex County | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
| Spending per listing | $2.7M | $2.2M | $2.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 13,305 | 7,310 | 6,523 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +34.2% | +16.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +16.1% | +6.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $952 | $902 | $958 |
| Median household income | $81,497 | $84,954 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 77 | 48 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 8 → 8
- Employees, 2023
- 49
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $1.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 376 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 40The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $10K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as car washes in Sussex 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 Sussex County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 277,140+16.1% since 2020
- Households
- 106,441
- Median age
- 49.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 82%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 936 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 273
- Median household income
- $81,497+29.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,287
- Median home value
- $382,600
- Jobs located here
- 85,870
- Daytime population
- 239,628Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Sussex 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 car washes and detailers on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Sussex County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCar washes and detailing across Delaware
Every Delaware market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Delaware for car washes and detailers, numbered among those based in Delaware, with Sussex County marked.
Top counties in Delaware
| 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 |
Other business types in Sussex County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
- Auto repair and car care77
- Auto repair shops77
- Collision repair and body shops86
- Car washes and detailing77
- Tire shops82
- Oil change and quick lube
- Gas stations88
- Insurance agencies91
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many car washes and detailers are in Sussex County, DE?
Sussex County has 37 car washes and detailers on map listings as of September 2026. 6 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 8 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023.
How much do households in Sussex County, DE spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $101.3M a year, or $952 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 37 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.7M per location. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only car washes and detailers. It is estimated from the incomes of the 106,441 households in Sussex County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Sussex County, DE compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Sussex County has 3.5 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.7M, 9% above the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Sussex County would have about 40, against 37 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 13,305 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S.
How fast is Sussex County, DE growing?
Population estimates put Sussex County at 277,140 people in 2025, up 16.1% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 106,441 households. Median household income in Sussex County is $81,497, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.0%, 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. Sussex County scores 77 for car washes and detailers (high), #100 of 1,451 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Sussex County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for car washes and detailers · All 56 business types in Sussex County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Sussex 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 Sussex 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.