Auto · County · South Dakota
Car washes and detailers in Hughes County, SD
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for car washes and detailers in Hughes County, SD, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 32 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,178 of 1,451 scored counties
#9 of 11 scored counties in South Dakota
- Listings
- 5
- 2 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- n/a
- Fewer than 3, or not published
- Household spending a year
- $7.9M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,096 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.6M
- 37% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.9
- 82% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 17,570
- −0.9% since 2020
See the car washes and detailers around any address in Hughes 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 Hughes 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
The Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers in Hughes County is 32 (lower middle), #1,178 of 1,451 scored counties and #9 of 11 scored counties in South Dakota. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Household spending on vehicle maintenance and repairs in Hughes County comes to about $7.9M a year: $1,096 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. That is about $1.6M of household spending for each location on map listings, 37% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only car washes and detailers.
There are 5 car washes and detailers on map listings in Hughes County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 40% of them, against 23% across the U.S. That is 6.9 per 10,000 households, 82% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Official counts don’t publish a figure for car washes in Hughes County, since they leave out counts under 3. Population estimates show Hughes County declined 0.9% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Hughes County compares
The same measures for South Dakota 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 | Hughes County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.9 | 4.9 | 3.8 |
| Spending per listing | $1.6M | $2.4M | $2.5M |
| Households per official establishment | n/a | 5,712 | 6,523 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +14.3% | +16.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.9% | +5.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,096 | $1,189 | $958 |
| Median household income | $81,395 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 32 | 56 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- n/a
- Employees, 2023
- n/a
- Annual payroll, 2023
- n/a
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 52 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 3The 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 Hughes 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 Hughes County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 17,570−0.9% since 2020
- Households
- 7,253
- Median age
- 40.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 72%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 742 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 24
- Median household income
- $81,395+25.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,105
- Median home value
- $242,000
- Jobs located here
- 10,890
- Daytime population
- 19,525Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Hughes 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 Hughes 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 Dakota
Every South Dakota market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in South Dakota for car washes and detailers, numbered among those based in South Dakota, with Hughes County marked.
Top counties in South Dakota
| 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 |
Other business types in Hughes 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 care32
- Auto repair shops40
- Collision repair and body shops27
- Car washes and detailing32
- Tire shops
- Oil change and quick lube
- Gas stations22
- Insurance agencies8
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 Hughes County, SD?
As of September 2026, map listings count 5 car washes and detailers in Hughes County. 2 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. No official count is published for car washes in Hughes County: counts under 3 are left out.
How much do households in Hughes County, SD spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $7.9M a year, or $1,096 per household. That is 14% above the U.S. average (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 5 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $1.6M 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 7,253 households in Hughes County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Hughes County, SD compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Hughes County has 6.9 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 82% above the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $1.6M, 37% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the U.S. ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Hughes County would have about 3, against 5 on map listings.
How fast is Hughes County, SD growing?
Population estimates put Hughes County at 17,570 people in 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 7,253 households. The median household income in Hughes County is $81,395 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.6% 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. Hughes County scores 32 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #1,178 of 1,451 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Hughes 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 Hughes County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Hughes 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 Hughes 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.