Market rankings · Michigan
Car washes and detailers in Michigan
Markets across Michigan ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,885
- 362 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 668
- +13.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4.2B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.6
- 21% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.2M
- 12% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #46 of 51
- Market score 31 · Lower middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in Michigan 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 1,885 car washes and detailers in Michigan. Of those, 362 are chain locations, or 19%, against 23% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 4.6, 21% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Households in Michigan spend about $4.2B a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,022 per household, 7% above the U.S. average. Spread across 1,885 car washes and detailers, that is $2.2M per location, 12% below 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.
Official counts show 668 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Michigan in 2023, up 13.2% from 2019. That is one for every 6,102 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, 63 SBA-backed loans worth $47.5M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in Michigan.
Among the 50 states and DC, Michigan ranks #46 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 31 (lower middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in Michigan, the Ann Arbor metro area scores highest (68). Of the 18 scored small-town markets in or partly in Michigan, the Holland area scores highest (76).
Every market in Michigan for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Michigan, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ann Arbor, MI | 68 | 45 | 3.0 | $3.4M | −0.4% | #55 of 387 |
| 2Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 63 | 70 | 3.6 | $2.8M | +1.4% | #99 of 387 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 61 | 42 | 3.3 | $3.1M | +0.1% | #114 of 387 |
| 3Bay City, MI | 55 | 15 | 3.3 | $3M | −1.6% | #163 of 387 |
| 4Monroe, MI | 55 | 33 | 5.2 | $2.1M | +0.7% | #167 of 387 |
| 5Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 54 | 32 | 4.7 | $2.1M | +1.8% | #172 of 387 |
| 6Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 45 | 237 | 5.4 | $2M | +2.8% | #243 of 387 |
| 7Traverse City, MI | 43 | 32 | 4.9 | $2.3M | +2.2% | #251 of 387 |
| 8Niles, MI | 40 | 35 | 5.5 | $1.8M | −1.3% | #276 of 387 |
| 9Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 39 | 800 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +0.1% | #278 of 387 |
| 10Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 39 | 53 | 4.9 | $2.1M | +0.8% | #281 of 387 |
| 11Jackson, MI | 39 | 33 | 5.3 | $1.9M | −0.4% | #282 of 387 |
| 12Battle Creek, MI | 38 | 28 | 5.3 | $1.9M | −0.6% | #292 of 387 |
| 13Flint, MI | 34 | 82 | 4.9 | $2M | −1.1% | #313 of 387 |
| 14Saginaw, MI | 31 | 37 | 4.7 | $2.1M | −1.1% | #334 of 387 |
| 15Midland, MI | 31 | 20 | 5.7 | $1.9M | +0.3% | #336 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Holland, MI | 76 | 22 | 4.8 | $2.5M | +2.1% | #39 of 441 |
| 2Hillsdale, MI | 73 | 5 | 2.8 | $3.9M | 0.0% | #60 of 441 |
| 3Owosso, MI | 73 | 10 | 3.6 | $3.1M | −0.4% | #64 of 441 |
| Marinette, WI-MI | 63 | 13 | 4.4 | $2.4M | +0.3% | #117 of 441 |
| 4Marquette, MI | 63 | 12 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +2.3% | #118 of 441 |
| 5Adrian, MI | 59 | 18 | 4.6 | $2.4M | −1.6% | #146 of 441 |
| 6Alma, MI | 52 | 7 | 4.7 | $2.3M | −1.1% | #201 of 441 |
| 7Big Rapids, MI | 52 | 10 | 6.0 | $1.8M | +4.7% | #210 of 441 |
| 8Cadillac, MI | 47 | 13 | 6.6 | $1.6M | +2.0% | #247 of 441 |
| 9Mount Pleasant, MI | 46 | 12 | 4.8 | $2.1M | +0.3% | #249 of 441 |
| 10Escanaba, MI | 45 | 7 | 4.4 | $2.2M | −0.8% | #258 of 441 |
| 11Iron Mountain, MI-WI | 45 | 7 | 5.0 | $2M | +0.4% | #260 of 441 |
| 12Coldwater, MI | 35 | 14 | 8.3 | $1.2M | +2.5% | #344 of 441 |
| 13Sturgis, MI | 34 | 17 | 7.2 | $1.5M | +0.1% | #348 of 441 |
| 14Ludington, MI | 31 | 9 | 7.0 | $1.5M | 0.0% | #370 of 441 |
| 15Petoskey, MI | 30 | 11 | 7.2 | $1.5M | −1.0% | #376 of 441 |
| 16Alpena, MI | 25 | 9 | 6.9 | $1.3M | −0.1% | #408 of 441 |
| 17Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 22 | 9 | 6.4 | $1.5M | −1.9% | #415 of 441 |
| Houghton, MI | Not scored | 3 | 1.9 | $5.3M | +1.8% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Clinton County, MI | 82 | 11 | 3.5 | $3.5M | +1.6% | #49 of 1,451 |
| 2Livingston County, MI | 75 | 28 | 3.7 | $3.4M | +1.7% | #123 of 1,451 |
| 3Shiawassee County, MI | 71 | 10 | 3.6 | $3.1M | −0.4% | #204 of 1,451 |
| 4Hillsdale County, MI | 70 | 5 | 2.8 | $3.9M | 0.0% | #225 of 1,451 |
| 5Lapeer County, MI | 70 | 12 | 3.4 | $3.4M | +1.0% | #231 of 1,451 |
| 6Van Buren County, MI | 69 | 10 | 3.3 | $3.3M | +0.7% | #251 of 1,451 |
| 7Washtenaw County, MI | 68 | 45 | 3.0 | $3.4M | −0.4% | #274 of 1,451 |
| 8Eaton County, MI | 68 | 17 | 3.7 | $2.9M | +0.4% | #282 of 1,451 |
| 9Allegan County, MI | 68 | 22 | 4.8 | $2.5M | +2.1% | #290 of 1,451 |
| 10Ionia County, MI | 67 | 9 | 3.9 | $2.9M | −0.5% | #300 of 1,451 |
| 11Barry County, MI | 66 | 13 | 5.3 | $2.3M | +2.2% | #329 of 1,451 |
| 12Newaygo County, MI | 65 | 9 | 4.6 | $2.5M | +3.1% | #346 of 1,451 |
| 13St. Clair County, MI | 59 | 32 | 4.7 | $2.3M | +0.1% | #498 of 1,451 |
| 14Monroe County, MI | 58 | 33 | 5.2 | $2.1M | +0.7% | #526 of 1,451 |
| 15Oakland County, MI | 57 | 215 | 4.1 | $2.6M | +1.2% | #540 of 1,451 |
| 16Bay County, MI | 56 | 15 | 3.3 | $3M | −1.6% | #559 of 1,451 |
| 17Ingham County, MI | 56 | 42 | 3.6 | $2.6M | +1.7% | #566 of 1,451 |
| 18Marquette County, MI | 56 | 12 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +2.3% | #572 of 1,451 |
| 19Muskegon County, MI | 56 | 32 | 4.7 | $2.1M | +1.8% | #577 of 1,451 |
| 20Tuscola County, MI | 55 | 9 | 4.2 | $2.6M | −1.2% | #591 of 1,451 |
| 21Lenawee County, MI | 55 | 18 | 4.6 | $2.4M | −1.6% | #598 of 1,451 |
| 22Montcalm County, MI | 55 | 13 | 5.3 | $2M | +4.1% | #611 of 1,451 |
| 23Ottawa County, MI | 54 | 62 | 5.6 | $2.1M | +3.9% | #634 of 1,451 |
| 24Cheboygan County, MI | 53 | 5 | 4.5 | $2.4M | +0.9% | #652 of 1,451 |
| 25Manistee County, MI | 48 | 6 | 5.7 | $1.9M | +2.3% | #788 of 1,451 |
Show all 83 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Gratiot County, MI | 47 | 7 | 4.7 | $2.3M | −1.1% | #803 of 1,451 |
| 27Mecosta County, MI | 47 | 10 | 6.0 | $1.8M | +4.7% | #814 of 1,451 |
| 28Jackson County, MI | 45 | 33 | 5.3 | $1.9M | −0.4% | #858 of 1,451 |
| 29Kent County, MI | 45 | 140 | 5.5 | $1.9M | +2.5% | #859 of 1,451 |
| 30Berrien County, MI | 45 | 35 | 5.5 | $1.8M | −1.3% | #863 of 1,451 |
| 31Kalamazoo County, MI | 44 | 53 | 4.9 | $2.1M | +0.8% | #883 of 1,451 |
| 32Gladwin County, MI | 44 | 6 | 5.3 | $1.9M | +2.8% | #885 of 1,451 |
| 33Calhoun County, MI | 43 | 28 | 5.3 | $1.9M | −0.6% | #916 of 1,451 |
| 34Delta County, MI | 40 | 7 | 4.4 | $2.2M | −0.8% | #983 of 1,451 |
| 35Genesee County, MI | 40 | 82 | 4.9 | $2M | −1.1% | #986 of 1,451 |
| 36Isabella County, MI | 39 | 12 | 4.8 | $2.1M | +0.3% | #1,008 of 1,451 |
| 37Midland County, MI | 37 | 20 | 5.7 | $1.9M | +0.3% | #1,062 of 1,451 |
| 38Otsego County, MI | 37 | 11 | 9.8 | $1.1M | +3.8% | #1,072 of 1,451 |
| 39Macomb County, MI | 36 | 195 | 5.4 | $1.9M | +0.7% | #1,085 of 1,451 |
| 40Saginaw County, MI | 35 | 37 | 4.7 | $2.1M | −1.1% | #1,094 of 1,451 |
| 41Charlevoix County, MI | 34 | 9 | 7.3 | $1.5M | 0.0% | #1,131 of 1,451 |
| 42Sanilac County, MI | 31 | 11 | 6.3 | $1.7M | −1.0% | #1,192 of 1,451 |
| 43Menominee County, MI | 30 | 5 | 4.8 | $2.1M | −2.2% | #1,202 of 1,451 |
| 44Wayne County, MI | 30 | 318 | 4.5 | $1.9M | −1.1% | #1,209 of 1,451 |
| 45St. Joseph County, MI | 30 | 17 | 7.2 | $1.5M | +0.1% | #1,217 of 1,451 |
| 46Wexford County, MI | 30 | 11 | 8.0 | $1.3M | +2.3% | #1,223 of 1,451 |
| 47Grand Traverse County, MI | 29 | 27 | 6.7 | $1.6M | +1.4% | #1,235 of 1,451 |
| 48Branch County, MI | 29 | 14 | 8.3 | $1.2M | +2.5% | #1,243 of 1,451 |
| 49Dickinson County, MI | 27 | 7 | 5.9 | $1.6M | −0.3% | #1,268 of 1,451 |
| 50Emmet County, MI | 27 | 11 | 7.2 | $1.5M | −1.0% | #1,270 of 1,451 |
| 51Mason County, MI | 27 | 9 | 7.0 | $1.5M | 0.0% | #1,273 of 1,451 |
| 52Roscommon County, MI | 25 | 10 | 8.6 | $1.1M | +1.9% | #1,311 of 1,451 |
| 53Iosco County, MI | 22 | 7 | 6.0 | $1.5M | +0.3% | #1,346 of 1,451 |
| 54Chippewa County, MI | 20 | 9 | 6.4 | $1.5M | −1.9% | #1,365 of 1,451 |
| 55Alpena County, MI | 20 | 9 | 6.9 | $1.3M | −0.1% | #1,366 of 1,451 |
| Cass County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 1.9 | $6.1M | +0.2% | |
| Houghton County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $4.9M | +1.6% | |
| Clare County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 0.8 | $11.4M | +2.3% | |
| Huron County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 1.4 | $7.2M | −2.7% | |
| Oceana County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.8 | $2.9M | +1.7% | |
| Antrim County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 0.9 | $12.1M | +5.3% | |
| Osceola County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $2.5M | +2.7% | |
| Leelanau County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $11.9M | +3.0% | |
| Ogemaw County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $2.4M | +1.6% | |
| Benzie County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $4.4M | +3.1% | |
| Kalkaska County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $4.2M | +4.3% | |
| Missaukee County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $3.2M | +1.4% | |
| Arenac County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $6.8M | +0.5% | |
| Gogebic County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 4.3 | $2.1M | −0.4% | |
| Crawford County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 6.4 | $1.5M | +5.7% | |
| Presque Isle County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $3.5M | +1.0% | |
| Lake County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.1% | |
| Iron County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 5.4 | $1.8M | +1.1% | |
| Mackinac County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $4.9M | +3.8% | |
| Alcona County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $5.3M | +3.7% | |
| Montmorency County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +7.3% | |
| Alger County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.3% | |
| Oscoda County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 5.3 | $1.7M | +6.0% | |
| Baraga County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 2.9 | $3.5M | +0.3% | |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $3.7M | +1.7% | |
| Luce County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $2.4M | −1.1% | |
| Ontonagon County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.4% | |
| Keweenaw County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.2% |
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 Michigan?
There are 1,885 car washes and detailers on map listings in Michigan as of September 2026. 362 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 668 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 13.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Michigan spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $4.2B a year, or $1,022 per household. That is 7% above the U.S. average (an index of 107, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,885 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.2M 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 4,076,369 households in Michigan and national spending patterns by income.
How does Michigan compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Michigan has 4.6 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 21% 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 national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Michigan would have about 1,654, against 1,885 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 6,102 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Michigan has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in Michigan, the Ann Arbor metro area scores highest, at 68 (upper middle). Among 18 scored small-town markets in or partly in Michigan, the Holland area scores highest, at 76 (high). Among 55 scored counties in Michigan, Clinton 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. Michigan scores 31 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #46 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 Michigan. 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
All 51 states
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- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for car washes and detailers across the U.S. · All business types in Michigan
Related business types in Michigan
- Auto repair and car care14,563 listings
- Auto repair shops8,132 listings
- Collision repair and body shops1,178 listings
- Tire shops1,223 listings
- Oil change and quick lube535 listings
- Gas stations5,561 listings
- Insurance agencies5,508 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Michigan?
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.