Auto · County · Iowa
Collision repair and body shops in Polk County, IA
The collision repair and body shops in Polk County, IA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 76 out of 100: High
Ranked #119 of 1,327 scored counties
#2 of 33 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 51
- 15 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 47
- −20.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $221.6M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,079 a household
- Spending per listing
- $4.3M
- 41% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 2.5
- 19% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 516,546
- +4.8% since 2020
See the collision repair and body shops around any address in Polk County
The site report maps the collision repair and body shops 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 Polk 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
For collision repair and body shops, Polk County has a Groundwork market score of 76 (high): #119 of 1,327 scored counties and #2 of 33 scored counties in Iowa. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for collision repair and body shops.
As of September 2026, map listings count 51 collision repair and body shops in Polk County. 15 of them (29%) are chain locations, against 14% across the U.S. That is 2.5 per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 3.1.
Households in Polk County spend about $221.6M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,079 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. That is about $4.3M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which collision repair and body shops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 47 businesses with payroll in Polk County classed as automotive body, paint and interior repair, down 20.3% from 2019. That is one for every 4,369 households, against one for every 3,689 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $204K have gone to businesses classed as automotive body, paint and interior repair in Polk County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Polk County grew 4.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Iowa and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the collision repair and body shops 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 | Polk County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 2.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Spending per listing | $4.3M | $2.9M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment | 4,369 | 2,805 | 3,689 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −20.3% | −6.0% | −0.8% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.8% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,079 | $1,134 | $958 |
| Median household income | $83,576 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 76 | 36 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 59 → 47−20.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 356
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $21.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 5115 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 72The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $204K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as automotive body, paint and interior repair in Polk 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 Polk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 516,546+4.8% since 2020
- Households
- 205,358
- Median age
- 37.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 573 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 879
- Median household income
- $83,576+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,398
- Median home value
- $262,100
- Jobs located here
- 309,340
- Daytime population
- 566,731Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Polk 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 collision repair and body shops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCollision repair and body shops across Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for collision repair and body shops, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dallas County, IA | 92 | 11 | 2.6 | $4.6M | +17.8% | #9 of 1,327 |
| 2Polk County, IA | 76 | 51 | 2.5 | $4.3M | +4.8% | #119 of 1,327 |
| 3Scott County, IA | 67 | 21 | 2.9 | $3.7M | +0.4% | #281 of 1,327 |
| 4Story County, IA | 64 | 12 | 3.1 | $3.5M | +2.7% | #345 of 1,327 |
| 5Johnson County, IA | 64 | 19 | 3.0 | $3.4M | +4.6% | #349 of 1,327 |
| 6Linn County, IA | 63 | 28 | 2.9 | $3.7M | +0.7% | #369 of 1,327 |
| 7Warren County, IA | 59 | 9 | 4.4 | $2.9M | +9.0% | #466 of 1,327 |
| 8Black Hawk County, IA | 58 | 16 | 2.9 | $3.6M | +0.4% | #479 of 1,327 |
| 9Pottawattamie County, IA | 58 | 12 | 3.2 | $3.4M | −0.7% | #484 of 1,327 |
| 10Marshall County, IA | 57 | 5 | 3.2 | $3.6M | −0.5% | #501 of 1,327 |
Other business types in Polk 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 care68
- Auto repair shops70
- Collision repair and body shops76
- Car washes and detailing48
- Tire shops66
- Oil change and quick lube80
- Gas stations71
- Insurance agencies23
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many collision repair and body shops are in Polk County, IA?
Polk County has 51 collision repair and body shops on map listings as of September 2026. 15 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count collision repair and auto body shops. Official counts show 47 businesses with payroll classed as automotive body, paint and interior repair in 2023, down 20.3% from 2019.
How much do households in Polk County, IA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $221.6M a year, or $1,079 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 51 collision repair and body shops on map listings, it comes to $4.3M per shop. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only collision repair and body shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 205,358 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, IA compare with the U.S. for collision repair and body shops?
Polk County has 2.5 collision repair and body shops per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 3.1. Spending per shop is $4.3M, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the national ratio of collision repair and body shops to household spending, Polk County would have about 72, against 51 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,369 households, against one for every 3,689 across the U.S. The official count fell 20.3% from 2019 to 2023, against −0.8% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 516,546 people in 2025, up 4.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 205,358 households. The median household income in Polk County is $83,576 a year, 4% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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. Polk County scores 76 for collision repair and body shops (high), #119 of 1,327 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk County. It maps the collision repair and body shops 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 collision repair and body shops · All 56 business types in Polk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk 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 Polk 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.