Market rankings · Rhode Island
Car washes and detailers in Rhode Island
Markets across Rhode Island ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 147
- 14 chain locations (10%)
- Official establishments
- 76
- +46.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $376.5M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.3
- 13% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.6M
- 2% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #44 of 51
- Market score 34 · Lower middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in Rhode Island 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 147 car washes and detailers in Rhode Island. Of those, 14 are chain locations, or 10%, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 3.3 for every 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 3.8.
At $853 per household (11% below the U.S. average), households in Rhode Island spend about $376.5M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. That is about $2.6M of household spending for each location on map listings, 2% 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.
In 2023, official counts showed 76 businesses with payroll in Rhode Island classed as car washes, up 46.2% from 2019. That is one for every 5,810 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, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $2.1M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in Rhode Island.
Among the 50 states and DC, Rhode Island ranks #44 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 34 (lower middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island, the Providence-Warwick metro area, scores 48. Among 5 scored counties, Washington County scores highest (73).
Every market in Rhode Island for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Rhode Island, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 48 | 223 | 3.3 | $2.6M | +2.1% | #209 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington County, RI | 73 | 10 | 1.9 | $5.4M | 0.0% | #151 of 1,451 |
| 2Newport County, RI | 64 | 7 | 1.9 | $4.8M | −2.9% | #354 of 1,451 |
| 3Kent County, RI | 41 | 27 | 3.7 | $2.5M | +1.8% | #953 of 1,451 |
| 4Providence County, RI | 40 | 95 | 3.7 | $2.1M | +2.8% | #984 of 1,451 |
| 5Bristol County, RI | 37 | 8 | 4.0 | $2.3M | −1.5% | #1,055 of 1,451 |
Questions
How many car washes and detailers are in Rhode Island?
There are 147 car washes and detailers on map listings in Rhode Island as of September 2026. 14 of them (10%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 76 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 46.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Rhode Island spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $376.5M a year, or $853 per household. That is 11% below the U.S. average (an index of 89, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 147 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.6M 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 441,570 households in Rhode Island and national spending patterns by income.
How does Rhode Island compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Rhode Island has 3.3 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.6M, 2% above the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Rhode Island would have about 150, against 147 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 5,810 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 46.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Rhode Island has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island is the Providence-Warwick metro area, at 48 (lower middle). Among 5 scored counties in Rhode Island, Washington County scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). 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. Rhode Island scores 34 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #44 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 Rhode Island. 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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- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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Top markets for car washes and detailers across the U.S. · All business types in Rhode Island
Related business types in Rhode Island
- Auto repair and car care1,380 listings
- Auto repair shops878 listings
- Collision repair and body shops188 listings
- Tire shops119 listings
- Oil change and quick lube25 listings
- Gas stations301 listings
- Insurance agencies422 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Rhode Island?
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.