Market rankings · Washington
Car washes and detailers in Washington
Markets across Washington ranked by the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 866
- 193 chain locations (22%)
- Official establishments
- 428
- +8.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $3.4B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 2.8
- 26% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.9M
- 55% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #1 of 51
- Market score 80 · High
A site report maps the car washes and detailers on map listings around any address in Washington 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 866 car washes and detailers in Washington. Chain locations make up 22% of them, against 23% across the U.S. That is 2.8 per 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 3.8.
Household spending on vehicle maintenance and repairs in Washington comes to about $3.4B a year: $1,104 per household, 15% above the U.S. average. That is about $3.9M of household spending for each location on map listings, 55% above 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 Washington was 428 in 2023, up 8.1% from 2019. That is one for every 7,161 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, 23 SBA-backed loans worth $22.2M have gone to businesses classed as car washes in Washington.
Among the 50 states and DC, Washington ranks #1 for car washes and detailers, with a Groundwork market score of 80 (high). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area scores highest (80). Of the 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Centralia area scores highest (89).
Every market in Washington for car washes and detailers
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Washington, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 80 | 382 | 2.4 | $4.5M | +3.3% | #3 of 387 |
| 2Bellingham, WA | 78 | 30 | 3.2 | $3.5M | +3.9% | #8 of 387 |
| 3Longview-Kelso, WA | 77 | 12 | 2.7 | $4.2M | +3.5% | #11 of 387 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | 74 | 7 | 2.6 | $4.5M | +1.5% | #24 of 387 |
| 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 73 | 42 | 3.5 | $3.2M | +2.8% | #33 of 387 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 72 | 267 | 2.6 | $4M | +1.0% | #36 of 387 |
| 5Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 71 | 27 | 2.5 | $4.8M | +2.7% | #40 of 387 |
| 6Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 64 | 90 | 3.8 | $2.9M | +3.5% | #87 of 387 |
| 7Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 64 | 23 | 4.8 | $2.4M | +5.0% | #93 of 387 |
| 8Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 63 | 18 | 3.4 | $3.6M | +2.4% | #96 of 387 |
| 9Kennewick-Richland, WA | 54 | 55 | 5.1 | $2.3M | +6.5% | #171 of 387 |
| 10Yakima, WA | 46 | 46 | 5.2 | $2.3M | +1.0% | #232 of 387 |
| 11Walla Walla, WA | 39 | 12 | 5.1 | $2.2M | −0.4% | #279 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Centralia, WA | 89 | 9 | 2.7 | $4.5M | +6.7% | #2 of 441 |
| 2Ellensburg, WA | 81 | 5 | 2.5 | $4.8M | +4.2% | #15 of 441 |
| 3Port Angeles, WA | 76 | 8 | 2.3 | $4.6M | +1.1% | #30 of 441 |
| 4Moses Lake, WA | 76 | 20 | 5.7 | $2.1M | +6.3% | #41 of 441 |
| 5Oak Harbor, WA | 74 | 10 | 2.8 | $4.2M | −1.5% | #51 of 441 |
| Aberdeen, WA | Not scored | 3 | 1.0 | $11.2M | +3.0% | |
| Shelton, WA | Not scored | 2 | 0.8 | $16.7M | +7.8% | |
| Pullman, WA | Not scored | 2 | 1.1 | $9M | +1.5% | |
| Port Townsend, WA | Not scored | 2 | 1.2 | $8.9M | +2.7% | |
| Othello, WA | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $7.9M | +4.3% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Clark County, WA | 87 | 54 | 2.8 | $4.2M | +5.3% | #20 of 1,451 |
| 2Lewis County, WA | 85 | 9 | 2.7 | $4.5M | +6.7% | #33 of 1,451 |
| 3Snohomish County, WA | 83 | 81 | 2.6 | $4.7M | +4.9% | #43 of 1,451 |
| 4King County, WA | 79 | 185 | 2.0 | $5M | +3.1% | #63 of 1,451 |
| 5Whatcom County, WA | 78 | 30 | 3.2 | $3.5M | +3.9% | #76 of 1,451 |
| 6Cowlitz County, WA | 77 | 12 | 2.7 | $4.2M | +3.5% | #90 of 1,451 |
| 7Kittitas County, WA | 75 | 5 | 2.5 | $4.8M | +4.2% | #116 of 1,451 |
| 8Pierce County, WA | 75 | 116 | 3.3 | $3.5M | +2.5% | #120 of 1,451 |
| 9Thurston County, WA | 74 | 42 | 3.5 | $3.2M | +2.8% | #141 of 1,451 |
| 10Kitsap County, WA | 73 | 27 | 2.5 | $4.8M | +2.7% | #152 of 1,451 |
| 11Clallam County, WA | 72 | 8 | 2.3 | $4.6M | +1.1% | #171 of 1,451 |
| 12Island County, WA | 71 | 10 | 2.8 | $4.2M | −1.5% | #196 of 1,451 |
| 13Grant County, WA | 71 | 20 | 5.7 | $2.1M | +6.3% | #221 of 1,451 |
| 14Skagit County, WA | 65 | 18 | 3.4 | $3.6M | +2.4% | #335 of 1,451 |
| 15Spokane County, WA | 60 | 88 | 4.0 | $2.7M | +3.2% | #461 of 1,451 |
| 16Benton County, WA | 59 | 37 | 4.7 | $2.4M | +6.9% | #494 of 1,451 |
| 17Chelan County, WA | 55 | 19 | 6.0 | $1.9M | +3.3% | #616 of 1,451 |
| 18Franklin County, WA | 52 | 18 | 6.0 | $2.2M | +5.6% | #688 of 1,451 |
| 19Yakima County, WA | 50 | 46 | 5.2 | $2.3M | +1.0% | #724 of 1,451 |
| 20Walla Walla County, WA | 43 | 12 | 5.1 | $2.2M | −0.4% | #904 of 1,451 |
| Grays Harbor County, WA | Not scored | 3 | 1.0 | $11.2M | +3.0% | |
| Mason County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 0.8 | $16.7M | +7.8% | |
| Stevens County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 1.0 | $12.5M | +6.6% | |
| Whitman County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 1.1 | $9M | +1.5% | |
| Douglas County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 2.5 | $5.1M | +8.0% |
Show all 39 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okanogan County, WA | Not scored | 3 | 1.7 | $7M | +7.3% | |
| Jefferson County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 1.2 | $8.9M | +2.7% | |
| Pacific County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 3.6 | $3M | +3.6% | |
| Klickitat County, WA | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $12.1M | +6.6% | |
| Asotin County, WA | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $11.1M | +1.0% | |
| Adams County, WA | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $7.9M | +4.3% | |
| San Juan County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $5.3M | +4.2% | |
| Pend Oreille County, WA | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $3.7M | +7.1% | |
| Skamania County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% | |
| Lincoln County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.7% | |
| Ferry County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.4% | |
| Wahkiakum County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.6% | |
| Columbia County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.7% | |
| Garfield County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% |
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 Washington?
There are 866 car washes and detailers on map listings in Washington as of September 2026. 193 of them (22%) are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 428 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023, up 8.1% from 2019.
How much do households in Washington spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $3.4B a year, or $1,104 per household. That is 15% above the U.S. average (an index of 115, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 866 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $3.9M 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 3,064,820 households in Washington and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Washington has 2.8 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $3.9M, 55% above the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Washington would have about 1,343, against 866 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,161 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +16.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Washington has the highest market score for car washes and detailers?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Centralia area scores highest, at 89 (high). Among 20 scored counties in Washington, Clark County scores highest, at 87 (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. Washington scores 80 for car washes and detailers (high), #1 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 Washington. 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
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for car washes and detailers across the U.S. · All business types in Washington
Related business types in Washington
- Auto repair and car care8,541 listings
- Auto repair shops5,039 listings
- Collision repair and body shops654 listings
- Tire shops809 listings
- Oil change and quick lube218 listings
- Gas stations2,917 listings
- Insurance agencies3,847 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington?
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.