Auto · County · Washington
Car washes and detailers in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for car washes and detailers in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 78 out of 100: High
Ranked #76 of 1,451 scored counties
#5 of 20 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 30
- 0 chain locations (0%)
- Official establishments
- 13
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $104.7M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,113 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.5M
- 38% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.2
- 16% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the car washes and detailers around any address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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
Whatcom County scores 78 (high) on the Groundwork market score for car washes and detailers, ranking #76 of 1,451 scored counties and #5 of 20 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for car washes and detailers.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 30 car washes and detailers in Whatcom County. None of them are chain locations, against 23% across the U.S. That comes to 3.2 for every 10,000 households, 16% below the U.S. rate of 3.8.
At $1,113 per household (16% above the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $104.7M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Spread across 30 car washes and detailers, that is $3.5M per location, 38% 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 Whatcom County was 13 in 2023. That is one for every 7,232 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $1.1M has gone to businesses classed as car washes in Whatcom County. Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Whatcom County compares
The same measures for Washington 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 | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3.8 |
| Spending per listing | $3.5M | $3.9M | $2.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 7,232 | 7,161 | 6,523 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +8.1% | +16.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,113 | $1,104 | $958 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 78 | 80 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 14 → 13
- Employees, 2023
- 75
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $2.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 300 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 42The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $1.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as car washes in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for car washes and detailers, numbered among those based in Washington, with Whatcom County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| 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 |
Other business types in Whatcom 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 care75
- Auto repair shops73
- Collision repair and body shops82
- Car washes and detailing78
- Tire shops84
- Oil change and quick lube66
- Gas stations62
- Insurance agencies63
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 Whatcom County, WA?
There are 30 car washes and detailers on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. None of them are chain locations. The listings count car washes and detailers. Official counts show 13 businesses with payroll classed as car washes in 2023.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $104.7M a year, or $1,113 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 30 car washes and detailers on map listings, it comes to $3.5M 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 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for car washes and detailers?
Whatcom County has 3.2 car washes and detailers per 10,000 households, 16% below the U.S. rate of 3.8. Spending per location is $3.5M, 38% above the U.S. figure of $2.5M. At the national ratio of car washes and detailers to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 42, against 30 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 7,232 households, against one for every 6,523 across the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, 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. Whatcom County scores 78 for car washes and detailers (high), #76 of 1,451 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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.