Market rankings · North Carolina
Car washes and detailers in North Carolina
Markets across North Carolina ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,690
- 392 chain locations (23%)
- Official establishments
- 615
- +8.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $4B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.9
- 3% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.4M
- 5% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #21 of 51
- Market score 55 · Upper middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in North Carolina 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,690 car washes and detailers in North Carolina. Chain locations make up 23% of them, against 23% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 3.9, 3% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Household spending on vehicle maintenance and repairs in North Carolina comes to about $4B a year: $939 per household, 2% below the U.S. average. Spread across 1,690 car washes and detailers, that is $2.4M per location, 5% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as car washes in North Carolina was 615 in 2023, up 8.7% from 2019. That is one for every 6,963 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, 21 SBA-backed loans worth $39.4M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in North Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina ranks #21 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Pinehurst-Southern Pines metro area scores highest (83). Of the 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Lumberton area scores highest (79).
Every market in North Carolina for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 83 | 12 | 2.7 | $3.5M | +10.3% | #1 of 387 |
| 2Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 76 | 74 | 3.0 | $3M | +7.5% | #20 of 387 |
| 3Raleigh-Cary, NC | 67 | 206 | 3.6 | $2.7M | +12.6% | #70 of 387 |
| 4Winston-Salem, NC | 66 | 99 | 3.5 | $2.7M | +5.3% | #74 of 387 |
| 5Greenville, NC | 63 | 24 | 3.2 | $2.5M | +5.4% | #103 of 387 |
| 6Rocky Mount, NC | 60 | 17 | 2.9 | $3.2M | +2.8% | #120 of 387 |
| 7Burlington, NC | 58 | 31 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +8.5% | #140 of 387 |
| 8Jacksonville, NC | 57 | 33 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +6.0% | #152 of 387 |
| 9Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 56 | 420 | 3.9 | $2.4M | +10.1% | #156 of 387 |
| 10Greensboro-High Point, NC | 51 | 123 | 3.9 | $2.4M | +4.1% | #187 of 387 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 50 | 228 | 3.2 | $2.8M | +0.9% | #188 of 387 |
| 11Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 49 | 68 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +3.2% | #203 of 387 |
| 12Wilmington, NC | 49 | 90 | 4.5 | $2M | +15.9% | #206 of 387 |
| 13Asheville, NC | 43 | 67 | 4.2 | $2.2M | +3.6% | #252 of 387 |
| 14Goldsboro, NC | 41 | 26 | 5.5 | $1.7M | +3.8% | #271 of 387 |
| 15Fayetteville, NC | 38 | 89 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +1.6% | #295 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lumberton, NC | 79 | 10 | 2.3 | $3.9M | +3.4% | #18 of 441 |
| 2Albemarle, NC | 78 | 9 | 3.6 | $2.9M | +9.8% | #24 of 441 |
| 3Anderson Creek, NC | 75 | 21 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +12.3% | #49 of 441 |
| 4Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | 74 | 14 | 3.6 | $2.7M | +3.4% | #57 of 441 |
| 5Waynesville, NC | 73 | 5 | 1.8 | $5.2M | +1.9% | #59 of 441 |
| 6Sanford, NC | 62 | 11 | 4.4 | $2.3M | +10.8% | #129 of 441 |
| 7Roanoke Rapids, NC | 59 | 8 | 2.8 | $3.2M | −4.3% | #143 of 441 |
| 8New Bern, NC | 58 | 23 | 4.4 | $2M | +3.6% | #155 of 441 |
| 9Kinston, NC | 57 | 8 | 3.4 | $2.4M | +1.4% | #158 of 441 |
| 10Morehead City, NC | 55 | 13 | 4.1 | $2.3M | +4.1% | #176 of 441 |
| 11Kill Devil Hills, NC | 53 | 8 | 4.8 | $2.2M | +3.3% | #191 of 441 |
| 12Henderson, NC | 51 | 6 | 3.7 | $2.5M | +0.2% | #215 of 441 |
| 13North Wilkesboro, NC | 49 | 15 | 5.5 | $1.7M | +0.6% | #228 of 441 |
| 14Mount Airy, NC | 48 | 22 | 7.4 | $1.4M | +1.3% | #237 of 441 |
| 15Forest City, NC | 43 | 17 | 6.4 | $1.5M | +2.1% | #285 of 441 |
| 16Elizabeth City, NC | 41 | 8 | 5.1 | $1.9M | +4.5% | #296 of 441 |
| 17Marion, NC | 41 | 10 | 5.4 | $1.8M | +1.5% | #298 of 441 |
| 18Wilson, NC | 40 | 16 | 4.8 | $1.9M | +1.7% | #305 of 441 |
| 19Boone, NC | 40 | 11 | 5.2 | $1.8M | +0.6% | #307 of 441 |
| 20Rockingham, NC | 35 | 7 | 4.1 | $2M | −1.6% | #338 of 441 |
| 21Washington, NC | 29 | 11 | 5.7 | $1.6M | 0.0% | #384 of 441 |
| 22Laurinburg, NC | 16 | 8 | 6.4 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #425 of 441 |
| Brevard, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.4M | +2.9% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Moore County, NC | 82 | 12 | 2.7 | $3.5M | +10.3% | #48 of 1,451 |
| 2Orange County, NC | 81 | 11 | 1.9 | $4.9M | +6.1% | #52 of 1,451 |
| 3Rowan County, NC | 78 | 16 | 2.7 | $3.6M | +5.6% | #75 of 1,451 |
| 4Randolph County, NC | 77 | 17 | 2.9 | $3.4M | +3.5% | #93 of 1,451 |
| 5Brunswick County, NC | 77 | 25 | 3.6 | $2.7M | +26.5% | #102 of 1,451 |
| 6Robeson County, NC | 76 | 10 | 2.3 | $3.9M | +3.4% | #107 of 1,451 |
| 7Stanly County, NC | 75 | 9 | 3.6 | $2.9M | +9.8% | #129 of 1,451 |
| 8Union County, NC | 74 | 32 | 3.8 | $3M | +11.7% | #142 of 1,451 |
| 9Jackson County, NC | 72 | 5 | 2.7 | $3.4M | +6.9% | #177 of 1,451 |
| 10Rockingham County, NC | 72 | 12 | 3.0 | $3M | +3.3% | #181 of 1,451 |
| 11Lincoln County, NC | 72 | 15 | 4.1 | $2.7M | +13.2% | #190 of 1,451 |
| 12Harnett County, NC | 72 | 21 | 4.2 | $2.4M | +12.3% | #193 of 1,451 |
| 13Johnston County, NC | 72 | 40 | 4.7 | $2.3M | +17.9% | #195 of 1,451 |
| 14Stokes County, NC | 71 | 7 | 3.6 | $2.9M | +3.5% | #208 of 1,451 |
| 15Durham County, NC | 71 | 40 | 2.8 | $2.9M | +7.7% | #209 of 1,451 |
| 16Chatham County, NC | 71 | 14 | 4.2 | $2.5M | +11.0% | #216 of 1,451 |
| 17Davidson County, NC | 70 | 26 | 3.7 | $2.8M | +6.6% | #239 of 1,451 |
| 18Haywood County, NC | 69 | 5 | 1.8 | $5.2M | +1.9% | #247 of 1,451 |
| 19Cleveland County, NC | 69 | 14 | 3.6 | $2.7M | +3.4% | #262 of 1,451 |
| 20Davie County, NC | 66 | 8 | 4.6 | $2.3M | +6.9% | #327 of 1,451 |
| 21Burke County, NC | 65 | 11 | 3.0 | $3.3M | +1.6% | #338 of 1,451 |
| 22Pender County, NC | 65 | 11 | 4.3 | $2.4M | +19.0% | #347 of 1,451 |
| 23Pitt County, NC | 64 | 24 | 3.2 | $2.5M | +5.4% | #374 of 1,451 |
| 24Wake County, NC | 63 | 162 | 3.5 | $2.7M | +11.2% | #392 of 1,451 |
| 25Forsyth County, NC | 60 | 54 | 3.4 | $2.6M | +5.0% | #464 of 1,451 |
Show all 100 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Alamance County, NC | 60 | 31 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +8.5% | #473 of 1,451 |
| 27Onslow County, NC | 59 | 33 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +6.0% | #504 of 1,451 |
| 28Granville County, NC | 58 | 8 | 3.6 | $3M | +2.1% | #510 of 1,451 |
| 29Lee County, NC | 56 | 11 | 4.4 | $2.3M | +10.8% | #574 of 1,451 |
| 30Nash County, NC | 55 | 13 | 3.4 | $2.9M | +3.9% | #588 of 1,451 |
| 31Gaston County, NC | 55 | 35 | 3.7 | $2.5M | +7.8% | #596 of 1,451 |
| 32Cabarrus County, NC | 55 | 38 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +9.9% | #602 of 1,451 |
| 33Hoke County, NC | 55 | 9 | 4.7 | $2.1M | +9.0% | #609 of 1,451 |
| 34Ashe County, NC | 54 | 5 | 4.1 | $2.3M | +3.5% | #632 of 1,451 |
| 35Macon County, NC | 53 | 6 | 3.3 | $2.9M | +5.8% | #643 of 1,451 |
| 36Lenoir County, NC | 51 | 8 | 3.4 | $2.4M | +1.4% | #699 of 1,451 |
| 37Mecklenburg County, NC | 51 | 186 | 4.0 | $2.2M | +10.5% | #709 of 1,451 |
| 38Craven County, NC | 50 | 19 | 4.4 | $2M | +3.5% | #730 of 1,451 |
| 39Bladen County, NC | 49 | 5 | 4.2 | $2.3M | +1.3% | #749 of 1,451 |
| 40Iredell County, NC | 49 | 38 | 5.0 | $2.1M | +12.9% | #756 of 1,451 |
| 41Catawba County, NC | 49 | 41 | 6.2 | $1.6M | +5.8% | #762 of 1,451 |
| 42Person County, NC | 48 | 9 | 5.6 | $1.9M | +3.7% | #790 of 1,451 |
| 43Henderson County, NC | 47 | 21 | 4.1 | $2.3M | +5.0% | #802 of 1,451 |
| 44Carteret County, NC | 46 | 13 | 4.1 | $2.3M | +4.1% | #823 of 1,451 |
| 45Dare County, NC | 46 | 8 | 4.8 | $2.2M | +3.3% | #827 of 1,451 |
| 46Columbus County, NC | 45 | 8 | 4.0 | $2.4M | 0.0% | #846 of 1,451 |
| 47Wayne County, NC | 45 | 26 | 5.5 | $1.7M | +3.8% | #866 of 1,451 |
| 48Surry County, NC | 45 | 22 | 7.4 | $1.4M | +1.3% | #869 of 1,451 |
| 49Vance County, NC | 44 | 6 | 3.7 | $2.5M | +0.2% | #874 of 1,451 |
| 50Wilkes County, NC | 44 | 15 | 5.5 | $1.7M | +0.6% | #892 of 1,451 |
| 51Guilford County, NC | 43 | 94 | 4.3 | $2.1M | +4.4% | #908 of 1,451 |
| 52Buncombe County, NC | 42 | 43 | 4.2 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #933 of 1,451 |
| 53Sampson County, NC | 42 | 17 | 7.9 | $1.2M | +4.1% | #951 of 1,451 |
| 54Halifax County, NC | 40 | 8 | 3.9 | $2.3M | −3.9% | #981 of 1,451 |
| 55Rutherford County, NC | 39 | 17 | 6.4 | $1.5M | +2.1% | #1,017 of 1,451 |
| 56Caldwell County, NC | 37 | 13 | 3.9 | $2.4M | +0.7% | #1,054 of 1,451 |
| 57Cumberland County, NC | 37 | 80 | 6.2 | $1.4M | +0.4% | #1,071 of 1,451 |
| 58Pasquotank County, NC | 35 | 8 | 5.1 | $1.9M | +4.5% | #1,097 of 1,451 |
| 59McDowell County, NC | 34 | 10 | 5.4 | $1.8M | +1.5% | #1,119 of 1,451 |
| 60New Hanover County, NC | 34 | 54 | 5.1 | $1.7M | +8.6% | #1,123 of 1,451 |
| 61Wilson County, NC | 33 | 16 | 4.8 | $1.9M | +1.7% | #1,144 of 1,451 |
| 62Watauga County, NC | 32 | 11 | 5.2 | $1.8M | +0.6% | #1,172 of 1,451 |
| 63Richmond County, NC | 30 | 7 | 4.1 | $2M | −1.6% | #1,205 of 1,451 |
| 64Cherokee County, NC | 30 | 8 | 6.0 | $1.4M | +6.8% | #1,219 of 1,451 |
| 65Beaufort County, NC | 24 | 11 | 5.7 | $1.6M | 0.0% | #1,318 of 1,451 |
| 66Martin County, NC | 20 | 5 | 5.3 | $1.7M | −1.6% | #1,363 of 1,451 |
| 67Scotland County, NC | 14 | 8 | 6.4 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #1,403 of 1,451 |
| Franklin County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 1.4 | $7.3M | +18.8% | |
| Duplin County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 1.4 | $6.7M | +6.0% | |
| Edgecombe County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.0 | $4.4M | +0.7% | |
| Yadkin County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $4.2M | +2.9% | |
| Alexander County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $5.1M | +1.5% | |
| Transylvania County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $3.4M | +2.9% | |
| Currituck County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 3.4 | $3.7M | +16.7% | |
| Montgomery County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $5.7M | +2.7% | |
| Caswell County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.3 | $4.7M | +0.4% | |
| Anson County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.7 | $2.1M | −2.1% | |
| Madison County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $2.8M | +5.9% | |
| Greene County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $6.5M | +1.3% | |
| Hertford County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 2.4 | $3.9M | −11.2% | |
| Polk County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +6.0% | |
| Yancey County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2.7M | +3.2% | |
| Warren County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $7.4M | +1.6% | |
| Avery County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +1.1% | |
| Bertie County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $6.8M | −3.6% | |
| Northampton County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.4% | |
| Mitchell County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $6.2M | +1.1% | |
| Swain County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $5.5M | −0.6% | |
| Chowan County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Perquimans County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.6% | |
| Pamlico County, NC | Not scored | 4 | 7.3 | $1.3M | +3.7% | |
| Clay County, NC | Not scored | 3 | 5.9 | $1.7M | +9.9% | |
| Alleghany County, NC | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $2.5M | +5.4% | |
| Camden County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +8.8% | |
| Washington County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.1% | |
| Gates County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.1% | |
| Jones County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.6% | |
| Graham County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $3M | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, NC | Not scored | 1 | 5.2 | $1.6M | +1.0% | |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.3% |
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 North Carolina?
North Carolina has 1,690 car washes and detailers on map listings as of September 2026. 392 of them (23%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 615 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 8.7% from 2019.
How much do households in North Carolina spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $4B a year, or $939 per household. That is 2% below the U.S. average (an index of 98, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,690 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.4M 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 4,282,345 households in North Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does North Carolina compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
North Carolina has 3.9 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 3% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.4M, 5% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, North Carolina would have about 1,597, against 1,690 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 6,963 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in North Carolina has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in North Carolina, the Pinehurst-Southern Pines metro area scores highest, at 83 (high). Among 22 scored small-town markets in or partly in North Carolina, the Lumberton area scores highest, at 79 (high). Among 67 scored counties in North Carolina, Moore 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. North Carolina scores 55 for car washes and detailers (upper middle), #21 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 North Carolina. 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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- 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 North Carolina
Related business types in North Carolina
- Auto repair and car care15,696 listings
- Auto repair shops9,304 listings
- Collision repair and body shops1,171 listings
- Tire shops2,010 listings
- Oil change and quick lube348 listings
- Gas stations5,244 listings
- Insurance agencies5,580 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in North Carolina?
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.