Market rankings · Kentucky
Car washes and detailers in Kentucky
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Kentucky, ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 721
- 153 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 224
- +2.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.6B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.0
- 5% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.2M
- 11% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #37 of 51
- Market score 42 · Lower middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in Kentucky 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 721 car washes and detailers on map listings in Kentucky as of September 2026. 153 of them (21%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 4.0 for every 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
At $889 per household (7% below the U.S. average), households in Kentucky spend about $1.6B a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That is about $2.2M of household spending for each location on map listings, 11% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only car washes and detailers.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Kentucky was 224 in 2023, up 2.8% from 2019. That is one for every 8,100 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, 22 SBA-backed loans worth $16.9M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #37 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 42 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest (67). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Richmond-Berea area scores highest (69).
Every market in Kentucky for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Kentucky, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 67 | 311 | 3.4 | $3.1M | +2.7% | #66 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 51 | 51 | 3.4 | $2.6M | −2.6% | #185 of 387 |
| 1Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 48 | 242 | 4.3 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #217 of 387 |
| 2Elizabethtown, KY | 47 | 22 | 4.3 | $2.1M | +2.4% | #224 of 387 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 46 | 53 | 4.2 | $2.2M | +8.5% | #233 of 387 |
| 3Lexington-Fayette, KY | 44 | 93 | 4.3 | $2M | +3.4% | #248 of 387 |
| 4Bowling Green, KY | 43 | 33 | 4.5 | $2M | +9.5% | #254 of 387 |
| 5Owensboro, KY | 41 | 16 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +1.3% | #267 of 387 |
| 6Paducah, KY-IL | 14 | 23 | 5.5 | $1.7M | −1.2% | #380 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Richmond-Berea, KY | 69 | 18 | 3.6 | $2.5M | +7.0% | #82 of 441 |
| 2Mount Sterling, KY | 67 | 6 | 3.3 | $2.8M | +3.1% | #91 of 441 |
| 3Danville, KY | 65 | 7 | 3.2 | $2.8M | +3.6% | #105 of 441 |
| 4Frankfort, KY | 65 | 11 | 3.4 | $2.7M | +3.1% | #106 of 441 |
| 5Corbin, KY | 58 | 20 | 3.5 | $2.4M | +0.1% | #152 of 441 |
| 6Glasgow, KY | 58 | 9 | 4.1 | $2.2M | +2.6% | #153 of 441 |
| 7Mayfield, KY | 52 | 5 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +1.4% | #198 of 441 |
| 8Henderson, KY | 49 | 9 | 3.8 | $2.3M | −0.9% | #225 of 441 |
| 9Pikeville, KY | 45 | 9 | 2.3 | $3.5M | −5.4% | #255 of 441 |
| 10Murray, KY | 43 | 7 | 4.6 | $1.8M | +4.9% | #282 of 441 |
| 11Somerset, KY | 40 | 16 | 6.1 | $1.5M | +3.5% | #309 of 441 |
| 12Madisonville, KY | 35 | 8 | 4.3 | $2M | −0.5% | #337 of 441 |
| 13Campbellsville, KY | 35 | 9 | 6.1 | $1.5M | +3.4% | #342 of 441 |
| 14Franklin, KY | 30 | 7 | 8.7 | $1.1M | +5.9% | #383 of 441 |
| 15Middlesborough, KY | 3 | 6 | 6.0 | $1.2M | −4.8% | #440 of 441 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 77 | 10 | 4.3 | $2.7M | +4.9% | #101 of 1,451 |
| 2Jessamine County, KY | 73 | 5 | 2.5 | $3.7M | +7.8% | #156 of 1,451 |
| 3Boone County, KY | 70 | 15 | 2.9 | $3.4M | +6.5% | #232 of 1,451 |
| 4Bullitt County, KY | 69 | 12 | 3.8 | $2.7M | +5.0% | #260 of 1,451 |
| 5Shelby County, KY | 68 | 7 | 3.8 | $2.7M | +6.2% | #283 of 1,451 |
| 6Kenton County, KY | 61 | 17 | 2.5 | $3.6M | +3.9% | #428 of 1,451 |
| 7Scott County, KY | 59 | 10 | 4.4 | $2.3M | +8.2% | #499 of 1,451 |
| 8Campbell County, KY | 58 | 15 | 3.8 | $2.3M | +2.5% | #522 of 1,451 |
| 9Madison County, KY | 56 | 15 | 4.0 | $2.3M | +9.4% | #575 of 1,451 |
| 10Nelson County, KY | 55 | 9 | 4.7 | $2.2M | +4.8% | #605 of 1,451 |
| 11Franklin County, KY | 51 | 7 | 3.1 | $2.8M | +2.0% | #695 of 1,451 |
| 12Barren County, KY | 48 | 7 | 3.9 | $2.3M | +2.6% | #776 of 1,451 |
| 13Pike County, KY | 46 | 5 | 2.1 | $3.9M | −6.4% | #816 of 1,451 |
| 14Daviess County, KY | 45 | 15 | 3.6 | $2.5M | +1.5% | #844 of 1,451 |
| 15Graves County, KY | 44 | 5 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +1.4% | #872 of 1,451 |
| 16Hardin County, KY | 44 | 21 | 4.7 | $1.9M | +2.4% | #886 of 1,451 |
| 17Logan County, KY | 43 | 6 | 5.5 | $1.8M | +4.2% | #920 of 1,451 |
| 18Laurel County, KY | 41 | 14 | 5.8 | $1.6M | +1.6% | #969 of 1,451 |
| 19Mercer County, KY | 40 | 5 | 5.4 | $1.7M | +4.8% | #994 of 1,451 |
| 20Fayette County, KY | 39 | 66 | 4.7 | $1.7M | +2.2% | #1,014 of 1,451 |
| 21Warren County, KY | 38 | 29 | 5.2 | $1.7M | +10.6% | #1,044 of 1,451 |
| 22Calloway County, KY | 37 | 7 | 4.6 | $1.8M | +4.9% | #1,066 of 1,451 |
| 23Clark County, KY | 35 | 7 | 4.6 | $1.9M | +2.3% | #1,096 of 1,451 |
| 24Jefferson County, KY | 34 | 150 | 4.5 | $1.8M | +1.6% | #1,120 of 1,451 |
| 25Pulaski County, KY | 34 | 16 | 6.1 | $1.5M | +3.5% | #1,132 of 1,451 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Boyd County, KY | 32 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.3M | −0.9% | #1,155 of 1,451 |
| 27Henderson County, KY | 32 | 8 | 4.3 | $1.9M | −0.9% | #1,163 of 1,451 |
| 28Boyle County, KY | 32 | 6 | 5.0 | $1.7M | +2.9% | #1,173 of 1,451 |
| 29Marshall County, KY | 31 | 8 | 6.1 | $1.7M | −0.1% | #1,193 of 1,451 |
| 30Hopkins County, KY | 30 | 8 | 4.3 | $2M | −0.5% | #1,203 of 1,451 |
| 31Marion County, KY | 29 | 6 | 7.8 | $1.2M | +2.7% | #1,242 of 1,451 |
| 32Simpson County, KY | 27 | 7 | 8.7 | $1.1M | +5.9% | #1,275 of 1,451 |
| 33Christian County, KY | 26 | 12 | 4.7 | $1.7M | −3.6% | #1,281 of 1,451 |
| 34Muhlenberg County, KY | 25 | 8 | 6.6 | $1.5M | −0.9% | #1,304 of 1,451 |
| 35Taylor County, KY | 24 | 6 | 5.8 | $1.4M | +2.9% | #1,323 of 1,451 |
| 36Rowan County, KY | 15 | 6 | 6.3 | $1.4M | −1.0% | #1,396 of 1,451 |
| 37McCracken County, KY | 12 | 20 | 7.2 | $1.2M | −0.5% | #1,420 of 1,451 |
| 38Johnson County, KY | 10 | 5 | 5.5 | $1.5M | −2.6% | #1,425 of 1,451 |
| 39Bell County, KY | 3 | 6 | 6.0 | $1.2M | −4.8% | #1,447 of 1,451 |
| Whitley County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $5.7M | +1.6% | |
| Greenup County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.5M | −1.9% | |
| Floyd County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $2.9M | −3.9% | |
| Meade County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.6 | $2.8M | +2.2% | |
| Knox County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.6 | $2.9M | −2.2% | |
| Montgomery County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.6 | $2.5M | +2.5% | |
| Perry County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.7 | $3.1M | −6.4% | |
| Woodford County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $5.1M | +3.7% | |
| Grayson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $2.5M | +3.6% | |
| Carter County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $5.4M | −1.7% | |
| Harlan County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $4.4M | −7.6% | |
| Grant County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $3M | +4.7% | |
| Lincoln County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $9.1M | +4.6% | |
| Anderson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $2.6M | +5.5% | |
| Ohio County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $9.1M | +0.8% | |
| Allen County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $7.9M | +9.5% | |
| Breckinridge County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2.8M | +5.2% | |
| Letcher County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −7.0% | |
| Bourbon County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2.4M | −0.3% | |
| Spencer County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $9.6M | +7.7% | |
| Clay County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $5.7M | −4.1% | |
| Hart County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.4 | $1.7M | +4.3% | |
| Wayne County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2.4M | +0.3% | |
| Harrison County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.5 | $1.9M | +4.9% | |
| Adair County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.6 | $1.7M | +2.9% | |
| Russell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.3 | $1.7M | +3.4% | |
| Garrard County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +7.3% | |
| Mason County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.2 | $2M | −1.2% | |
| McCreary County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.7% | |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $6M | +0.6% | |
| Lawrence County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $5.6M | −3.3% | |
| Casey County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.1 | $2.9M | +1.8% | |
| Henry County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.8% | |
| Fleming County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $5.1M | +4.6% | |
| Larue County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $6.4M | +2.1% | |
| Pendleton County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $5.7M | +1.1% | |
| Trigg County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $5.8M | +3.1% | |
| Morgan County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $4.7M | +5.0% | |
| Estill County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.3 | $2.6M | −1.4% | |
| Knott County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $4.3M | −5.9% | |
| Breathitt County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.3% | |
| Union County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.8 | $2.5M | −5.9% | |
| Jackson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $2.3M | +2.8% | |
| Powell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.4 | $1M | −2.2% | |
| Lewis County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.4% | |
| Bath County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $4.5M | +3.6% | |
| Webster County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $5M | −0.7% | |
| Caldwell County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $4.7M | −0.3% | |
| Todd County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.4 | $2.2M | +5.6% | |
| Butler County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.4 | $2.2M | +1.6% | |
| Edmonson County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $5M | +5.0% | |
| Washington County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.1 | $2.4M | +2.7% | |
| Green County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.8 | $1.6M | +4.6% | |
| Magoffin County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $3.6M | −4.3% | |
| Owen County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.6% | |
| Monroe County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.5 | $1.5M | −1.1% | |
| Martin County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.9% | |
| Carroll County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.8 | $2M | +2.9% | |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $1.9M | +2.9% | |
| Leslie County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.0% | |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.2 | $1.7M | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.7 | $3.6M | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.5 | $1.9M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.6 | $1.7M | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% | |
| Gallatin County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $3.1M | +1.9% | |
| Trimble County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Bracken County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.9 | $1.8M | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 6.2 | $1.6M | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $1.6M | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 4.0 | $2.2M | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.8 | $2.1M | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 car washes and detailers on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many car washes and detailers are in Kentucky?
As of September 2026, map listings count 721 car washes and detailers in Kentucky. 153 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 224 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 2.8% from 2019.
How much do households in Kentucky spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $1.6B a year, or $889 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 721 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 1,814,469 households in Kentucky and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kentucky compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Kentucky has 4.0 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.2M, 11% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the U.S. ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Kentucky would have about 640, against 721 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 8,100 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Richmond-Berea area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 39 scored counties in Kentucky, Oldham 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. Kentucky scores 42 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #37 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 Kentucky. 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 Kentucky
Related business types in Kentucky
- Auto repair and car care6,623 listings
- Auto repair shops3,835 listings
- Collision repair and body shops514 listings
- Tire shops727 listings
- Oil change and quick lube167 listings
- Gas stations2,753 listings
- Insurance agencies2,697 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kentucky?
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.