Auto · County · South Carolina
Car washes and detailers in Charleston County, SC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for car washes and detailers in Charleston County, SC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 49 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #744 of 1,451 scored counties
#18 of 27 scored counties in South Carolina
- Listings
- 62
- 23 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 43
- +79.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $157.8M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $882 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.5M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.5
- 8% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 436,200
- +6.4% since 2020
See the car washes and detailers around any address in Charleston County
The site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Charleston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
Households in Charleston County spend about $157.8M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $882 per household, 8% below the U.S. average. That works out to $2.5M per location, in line with the U.S. figure of $2.5M. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only car washes and detailers.
There are 62 car washes and detailers on map listings in Charleston County as of September 2026. 23 of them (37%) are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 3.5 for every 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Official counts show 43 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Charleston County in 2023, up 79.2% from 2019. That is one for every 4,162 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S.
Population estimates put the population change in Charleston County from 2020 to 2025 at +6.4%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers in Charleston County is 49 (lower middle), #744 of 1,451 scored counties and #18 of 27 scored counties in South Carolina.
How Charleston County compares
The same measures for South Carolina and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the car washes and detailers counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Charleston County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Spending per listing | $2.5M | $2.3M | $2.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 4,162 | 7,354 | 6,523 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +79.2% | +15.7% | +16.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.4% | +8.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $882 | $907 | $958 |
| Median household income | $88,494 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 49 | 54 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 24 → 43+79.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 366
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $9.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6223 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 63The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as car washes in Charleston County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Charleston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 436,200+6.4% since 2020
- Households
- 178,975
- Median age
- 40.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 918 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 458
- Median household income
- $88,494+38.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $131,674
- Median home value
- $489,100
- Jobs located here
- 279,531
- Daytime population
- 508,326Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Charleston County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the car washes and detailers on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Charleston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCar washes and detailing across South Carolina
Every South Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in South Carolina for car washes and detailers, numbered among those based in South Carolina, with Charleston County marked.
Top counties in South Carolina
| 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 |
| 18Charleston County, SC | 49 | 62 | 3.5 | $2.5M | +6.4% | #744 of 1,451 |
Other business types in Charleston County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
- Auto repair and car care55
- Auto repair shops58
- Collision repair and body shops60
- Car washes and detailing49
- Tire shops64
- Oil change and quick lube58
- Gas stations72
- Insurance agencies47
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many car washes and detailers are in Charleston County, SC?
As of September 2026, map listings count 62 car washes and detailers in Charleston County. 23 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 43 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 79.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Charleston County, SC spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $157.8M a year, or $882 per household. That is 8% below the U.S. average (an index of 92, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 62 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $2.5M 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 178,975 households in Charleston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Charleston County, SC compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Charleston County has 3.5 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.5M, in line with the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the U.S. ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Charleston County would have about 63, against 62 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,162 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 79.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
How fast is Charleston County, SC growing?
Population estimates put Charleston County at 436,200 people in 2025, up 6.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 178,975 households. The median household income in Charleston County is $88,494 a year, 10% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 38.2% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
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. Charleston County scores 49 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #744 of 1,451 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Charleston County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for car washes and detailers · All 56 business types in Charleston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Charleston County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Charleston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.