Auto · County · South Dakota
Car washes and detailers in Pennington County, SD
How Pennington County, SD compares with other counties and the U.S. for car washes and detailers: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #966 of 1,451 scored counties
#8 of 11 scored counties in South Dakota
- Listings
- 32
- 5 chain locations (16%)
- Official establishments
- 22
- +10.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $53.7M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,158 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.7M
- 33% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.9
- 82% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 116,792
- +6.6% since 2020
See the car washes and detailers around any address in Pennington 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 Pennington 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 32 car washes and detailers in Pennington County. Of those, 5 are chain locations, or 16%, against 23% across the U.S. That is 6.9 per 10,000 households, 82% above the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Households in Pennington County spend about $53.7M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,158 per household, 21% above the U.S. average. Spread across 32 car washes and detailers, that is $1.7M per location, 33% 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as car washes in Pennington County was 22 in 2023, up 10.0% from 2019. That is one for every 2,108 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $585K has gone to businesses classed as car washes in Pennington County.
Population estimates show Pennington County grew 6.6% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers in Pennington County is 41 (lower middle), #966 of 1,451 scored counties and #8 of 11 scored counties in South Dakota.
How Pennington 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 | Pennington County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.9 | 4.9 | 3.8 |
| Spending per listing | $1.7M | $2.4M | $2.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 2,108 | 5,712 | 6,523 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +10.0% | +14.3% | +16.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.6% | +5.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,158 | $1,189 | $958 |
| Median household income | $74,517 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 56 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 20 → 22+10.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 152
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $3.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 325 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 21The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $585K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as car washes in Pennington 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 Pennington County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 116,792+6.6% since 2020
- Households
- 46,370
- Median age
- 41.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 69%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,777 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 41
- Median household income
- $74,517+30.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $99,289
- Median home value
- $302,200
- Jobs located here
- 59,416
- Daytime population
- 120,445Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Pennington 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 Pennington 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 Pennington 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 Pennington 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 care44
- Auto repair shops46
- Collision repair and body shops42
- Car washes and detailing41
- Tire shops52
- Oil change and quick lube
- Gas stations50
- Insurance agencies29
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 Pennington County, SD?
Pennington County has 32 car washes and detailers on map listings as of September 2026. 5 of them (16%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 22 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 10.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Pennington County, SD spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $53.7M a year, or $1,158 per household. That is 21% above the U.S. average (an index of 121, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 32 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $1.7M 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 46,370 households in Pennington County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Pennington County, SD compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Pennington 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 $1.7M, 33% below the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Pennington County would have about 21, against 32 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,108 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
How fast is Pennington County, SD growing?
Population estimates put Pennington County at 116,792 people in 2025, up 6.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 46,370 households. Median household income in Pennington County is $74,517, 8% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 30.6%, 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. Pennington County scores 41 for car washes and detailers (lower middle), #966 of 1,451 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Pennington 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 Pennington County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Pennington 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 Pennington 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.