Market rankings · South Carolina
Car washes and detailers in South Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 850
- 226 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 288
- +15.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.9B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.0
- 5% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.3M
- 10% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #22 of 51
- Market score 54 · Upper middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in South 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
South Carolina has 850 car washes and detailers on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 226 are chain locations, or 27%, 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.
Household spending on vehicle maintenance and repairs in South Carolina comes to about $1.9B a year: $907 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. That works out to $2.3M per location, 10% 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 South Carolina was 288 in 2023, up 15.7% from 2019. That is one for every 7,354 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, 10 SBA-backed loans worth $14.6M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in South Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina ranks #22 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Spartanburg metro area scores highest (64). Of the 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Seneca area scores highest (74).
Every market in South Carolina for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Spartanburg, SC | 64 | 63 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +14.3% | #95 of 387 |
| 2Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 59 | 31 | 3.2 | $2.7M | +12.0% | #127 of 387 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 58 | 87 | 3.8 | $2.5M | +4.7% | #137 of 387 |
| 3Florence, SC | 57 | 22 | 2.8 | $3M | +0.9% | #144 of 387 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 56 | 420 | 3.9 | $2.4M | +10.1% | #156 of 387 |
| 4Columbia, SC | 56 | 146 | 4.3 | $2.1M | +6.0% | #161 of 387 |
| 5Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 52 | 126 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +10.7% | #180 of 387 |
| 6Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 50 | 169 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +9.0% | #192 of 387 |
| 7Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 42 | 90 | 5.7 | $1.5M | +20.9% | #266 of 387 |
| 8Sumter, SC | 14 | 21 | 5.1 | $1.7M | −0.3% | #379 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seneca, SC | 74 | 12 | 3.5 | $2.8M | +6.3% | #55 of 441 |
| 2Greenwood, SC | 65 | 12 | 3.2 | $2.7M | +1.7% | #107 of 441 |
| 3Murrells Inlet, SC | 59 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.8M | +3.8% | #144 of 441 |
| 4Newberry, SC | 43 | 9 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +4.8% | #284 of 441 |
| 5Orangeburg, SC | 28 | 14 | 4.2 | $2M | −0.9% | #387 of 441 |
| Gaffney, SC | Not scored | 4 | 1.8 | $4.9M | +3.7% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kershaw County, SC | 77 | 8 | 3.0 | $3.4M | +11.6% | #94 of 1,451 |
| 2Aiken County, SC | 74 | 26 | 3.7 | $2.6M | +7.3% | #146 of 1,451 |
| 3York County, SC | 69 | 38 | 3.3 | $3M | +8.1% | #253 of 1,451 |
| 4Oconee County, SC | 69 | 12 | 3.5 | $2.8M | +6.3% | #258 of 1,451 |
| 5Berkeley County, SC | 69 | 36 | 3.8 | $2.5M | +18.7% | #264 of 1,451 |
| 6Laurens County, SC | 66 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.8M | +6.2% | #320 of 1,451 |
| 7Spartanburg County, SC | 66 | 58 | 4.4 | $2.1M | +15.6% | #330 of 1,451 |
| 8Pickens County, SC | 64 | 20 | 3.8 | $2.5M | +5.7% | #375 of 1,451 |
| 9Lancaster County, SC | 62 | 15 | 3.7 | $2.5M | +18.3% | #416 of 1,451 |
| 10Lexington County, SC | 61 | 55 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +7.7% | #449 of 1,451 |
| 11Anderson County, SC | 58 | 38 | 4.5 | $2.1M | +7.7% | #528 of 1,451 |
| 12Darlington County, SC | 56 | 6 | 2.3 | $3.6M | +0.1% | #554 of 1,451 |
| 13Colleton County, SC | 55 | 5 | 3.0 | $2.9M | +2.2% | #589 of 1,451 |
| 14Beaufort County, SC | 55 | 29 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +8.9% | #594 of 1,451 |
| 15Florence County, SC | 53 | 16 | 3.0 | $2.8M | +1.2% | #644 of 1,451 |
| 16Georgetown County, SC | 52 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.8M | +3.8% | #671 of 1,451 |
| 17Dorchester County, SC | 52 | 28 | 4.4 | $2.2M | +10.1% | #689 of 1,451 |
| 18Charleston County, SC | 49 | 62 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +6.4% | #744 of 1,451 |
| 19Richland County, SC | 49 | 77 | 4.6 | $1.8M | +4.6% | #760 of 1,451 |
| 20Greenville County, SC | 48 | 102 | 4.6 | $2M | +10.6% | #784 of 1,451 |
| 21Greenwood County, SC | 46 | 10 | 3.6 | $2.3M | +1.5% | #824 of 1,451 |
| 22Horry County, SC | 46 | 90 | 5.7 | $1.5M | +20.9% | #841 of 1,451 |
| 23Newberry County, SC | 38 | 9 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +4.8% | #1,045 of 1,451 |
| 24Orangeburg County, SC | 24 | 14 | 4.2 | $2M | −0.9% | #1,316 of 1,451 |
| 25Sumter County, SC | 21 | 21 | 5.1 | $1.7M | −0.3% | #1,353 of 1,451 |
Show all 46 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Union County, SC | 20 | 5 | 4.3 | $1.9M | −1.4% | #1,362 of 1,451 |
| 27Clarendon County, SC | 17 | 8 | 6.5 | $1.3M | +0.7% | #1,385 of 1,451 |
| Cherokee County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 1.8 | $4.9M | +3.7% | |
| Chesterfield County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 2.3 | $3.8M | +3.4% | |
| Chester County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 2.3 | $4M | +2.2% | |
| Jasper County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $5.5M | +32.2% | |
| Williamsburg County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 3.3 | $2.6M | −4.0% | |
| Marion County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 3.3 | $2.1M | −2.9% | |
| Dillon County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 3.7 | $2.1M | −2.9% | |
| Edgefield County, SC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +16.1% | |
| Marlboro County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $6.9M | −3.8% | |
| Abbeville County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 2.0 | $4.7M | +2.3% | |
| Fairfield County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $4.1M | −2.6% | |
| Barnwell County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $2.2M | +0.4% | |
| Saluda County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $3.9M | +4.1% | |
| Hampton County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $6M | −1.9% | |
| Lee County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 4.7 | $1.8M | −5.0% | |
| Calhoun County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 3.2 | $3.2M | +0.6% | |
| Bamberg County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $1.8M | −3.5% | |
| McCormick County, SC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +7.3% | |
| Allendale County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $2.3M | −7.4% |
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 South Carolina?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 850 car washes and detailers in South Carolina. 226 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 288 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 15.7% from 2019.
How much do households in South Carolina spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $1.9B a year, or $907 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 850 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.3M 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 2,117,989 households in South Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Carolina compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
South Carolina has 4.0 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.3M, 10% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the U.S. ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, South Carolina would have about 763, against 850 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,354 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 15.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in South Carolina has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Spartanburg metro area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Seneca area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 27 scored counties in South Carolina, Kershaw 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. South Carolina scores 54 for car washes and detailers (upper middle), #22 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 South 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
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Top markets for car washes and detailers across the U.S. · All business types in South Carolina
Related business types in South Carolina
- Auto repair and car care7,515 listings
- Auto repair shops4,411 listings
- Collision repair and body shops630 listings
- Tire shops1,006 listings
- Oil change and quick lube183 listings
- Gas stations2,924 listings
- Insurance agencies2,949 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South 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.