Market rankings · South Dakota
Car washes and detailers in South Dakota
Markets across South Dakota ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 178
- 41 chain locations (23%)
- Official establishments
- 64
- +14.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $434.6M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.9
- 29% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.4M
- 3% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #19 of 51
- Market score 56 · Upper middle
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in South Dakota 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 178 car washes and detailers in South Dakota. Of those, 41 are chain locations, or 23%, against 23% across the U.S. That is 4.9 per 10,000 households, 29% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
At $1,189 per household (24% above the U.S. average), households in South Dakota spend about $434.6M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Spread across 178 car washes and detailers, that is $2.4M per location, 3% 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.
In 2023, official counts showed 64 businesses with payroll in South Dakota classed as car washes, up 14.3% from 2019. That is one for every 5,712 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, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $1.1M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in South Dakota.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Dakota ranks #19 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 56 (upper middle). Of the 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest (77). Of the 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Brookings area scores highest (78).
Every market in South Dakota for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South Dakota, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 77 | 55 | 4.5 | $2.6M | +9.5% | #15 of 387 |
| 2Rapid City, SD | 42 | 41 | 6.5 | $1.8M | +6.2% | #265 of 387 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 28 | 38 | 6.9 | $1.7M | +1.0% | #348 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brookings, SD | 78 | 7 | 5.1 | $2.3M | +9.6% | #25 of 441 |
| 2Yankton, SD | 55 | 6 | 6.2 | $1.9M | +1.5% | #181 of 441 |
| 3Watertown, SD | 54 | 8 | 6.4 | $1.8M | +4.3% | #186 of 441 |
| 4Spearfish, SD | 52 | 7 | 5.8 | $2M | +14.0% | #206 of 441 |
| 5Pierre, SD | 45 | 5 | 5.9 | $1.9M | −0.5% | #262 of 441 |
| 6Aberdeen, SD | 41 | 11 | 6.1 | $1.8M | −1.5% | #297 of 441 |
| 7Mitchell, SD | 35 | 10 | 9.1 | $1.3M | +0.6% | #343 of 441 |
| Huron, SD | Not scored | 4 | 5.3 | $2.2M | +2.4% | |
| Vermillion, SD | Not scored | 4 | 7.2 | $1.5M | +0.2% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lincoln County, SD | 77 | 16 | 5.7 | $2.2M | +17.5% | #103 of 1,451 |
| 2Brookings County, SD | 71 | 7 | 5.1 | $2.3M | +9.6% | #220 of 1,451 |
| 3Minnehaha County, SD | 70 | 37 | 4.4 | $2.5M | +7.6% | #245 of 1,451 |
| 4Meade County, SD | 58 | 8 | 6.7 | $2M | +2.7% | #530 of 1,451 |
| 5Lawrence County, SD | 49 | 7 | 5.8 | $2M | +14.0% | #759 of 1,451 |
| 6Yankton County, SD | 47 | 6 | 6.2 | $1.9M | +1.5% | #812 of 1,451 |
| 7Codington County, SD | 47 | 8 | 6.4 | $1.8M | +4.3% | #813 of 1,451 |
| 8Pennington County, SD | 41 | 32 | 6.9 | $1.7M | +6.6% | #966 of 1,451 |
| 9Hughes County, SD | 32 | 5 | 6.9 | $1.6M | −0.9% | #1,178 of 1,451 |
| 10Brown County, SD | 28 | 11 | 6.8 | $1.6M | −1.7% | #1,252 of 1,451 |
| 11Davison County, SD | 25 | 10 | 11.2 | $996K | +0.6% | #1,312 of 1,451 |
| Beadle County, SD | Not scored | 4 | 5.3 | $2.2M | +2.4% | |
| Union County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $4.8M | +3.3% | |
| Clay County, SD | Not scored | 4 | 7.2 | $1.5M | +0.2% | |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.3% | |
| Lake County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 4.2 | $3M | −0.2% | |
| Butte County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $5.8M | +5.5% | |
| Roberts County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Charles Mix County, SD | Not scored | 4 | 13.2 | $975K | −0.5% | |
| Todd County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.9% | |
| Custer County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $6.3M | +13.2% | |
| Turner County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $4.9M | +7.3% | |
| Grant County, SD | Not scored | 2 | 6.6 | $2M | 0.0% | |
| Hutchinson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Fall River County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $4.7M | +7.1% |
Show all 66 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Homme County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.8% | |
| Moody County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $3.5M | +4.5% | |
| Hamlin County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +11.9% | |
| Spink County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.0% | |
| McCook County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% | |
| Tripp County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.8% | |
| Day County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 4.2 | $3.1M | +0.8% | |
| Brule County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 5.1 | $2.5M | +0.5% | |
| Walworth County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $2.9M | −1.4% | |
| Kingsbury County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.6% | |
| Dewey County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 5.9 | $1.7M | +3.8% | |
| Marshall County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.9% | |
| Deuel County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.6% | |
| Edmunds County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.0% | |
| Gregory County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 6.2 | $2.3M | +1.1% | |
| Clark County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 7.5 | $1.8M | +4.7% | |
| Corson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.8% | |
| Lyman County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Hanson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.3% | |
| Bennett County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.6% | |
| Hand County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 7.1 | $1.7M | −0.7% | |
| Stanley County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.8% | |
| Perkins County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.9% | |
| Douglas County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Jackson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.7% | |
| Aurora County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.6% | |
| Potter County, SD | Not scored | 1 | 9.4 | $1.3M | −3.8% | |
| Sanborn County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.5% | |
| Ziebach County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Miner County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.8% | |
| McPherson County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.2% | |
| Faulk County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.4% | |
| Mellette County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +11.5% | |
| Buffalo County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −6.8% | |
| Jerauld County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.6% | |
| Haakon County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.6% | |
| Campbell County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Sully County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.6% | |
| Harding County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.2% | |
| Jones County, SD | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.5% |
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 Dakota?
South Dakota has 178 car washes and detailers on map listings as of September 2026. 41 of them (23%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 64 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 14.3% from 2019.
How much do households in South Dakota spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $434.6M a year, or $1,189 per household. That is 24% above the U.S. average (an index of 124, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 178 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 365,544 households in South Dakota and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Dakota compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
South Dakota has 4.9 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 29% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $2.4M, 3% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, South Dakota would have about 173, against 178 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 5,712 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in South Dakota has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest, at 77 (high). Among 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Brookings area scores highest, at 78 (high). Among 11 scored counties in South Dakota, Lincoln 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 Dakota scores 56 for car washes and detailers (upper middle), #19 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 Dakota. 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 Dakota
Related business types in South Dakota
- Auto repair and car care1,556 listings
- Auto repair shops913 listings
- Collision repair and body shops168 listings
- Tire shops139 listings
- Oil change and quick lube21 listings
- Gas stations708 listings
- Insurance agencies698 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South Dakota?
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.