{
  "name": "Car Wash Industry Statistics (2026)",
  "description": "Key US car wash industry statistics for 2026: ~19,736 establishments, 187,502 employees, a $34/mo average unlimited membership, SBA financing benchmarks, and operating-quality metrics — each dated and sourced (BLS, Census, SBA, WashIndex).",
  "asOf": "2026-06-09",
  "url": "https://washindex.com/api/industry-statistics.json",
  "humanUrl": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics",
  "publisher": "WashIndex (Sparkle Technologies)",
  "license": "https://washindex.com/terms",
  "attribution": "Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex and a link to washindex.com.",
  "leadAnswer": "As of June 9, 2026, the United States has about 19,736 car-wash employer establishments employing roughly 187,502 people at a $32,560 average annual wage (BLS). The average advertised unlimited car-wash membership costs about $34 per month — up ~16% since 2020 (WashIndex Membership Price Index). SBA-backed financing runs roughly 380 car-wash loans a year at a $774,800 median, with a 4.4% charge-off rate. WashIndex tracks 80,000+ physical wash locations and 13M+ reviews across 392 metros.",
  "groups": [
    {
      "id": "market-size",
      "title": "Market size",
      "intro": "How big the US car wash industry is — the official employer count and WashIndex's wider physical-location coverage.",
      "stats": [
        {
          "id": "establishments",
          "value": "19,736",
          "raw": 19736,
          "label": "car wash employer establishments in the US",
          "source": "BLS QCEW · 2024",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#establishments"
        },
        {
          "id": "employment",
          "value": "187,502",
          "raw": 187502,
          "label": "people employed by US car washes",
          "source": "BLS QCEW · 2024",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#employment"
        },
        {
          "id": "tracked-locations",
          "value": "80,000+",
          "raw": 80000,
          "label": "physical wash locations tracked nationwide, including self-serve, in-bay, and attached washes",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#tracked-locations"
        },
        {
          "id": "reviews-analyzed",
          "value": "13M+",
          "raw": 13000000,
          "label": "Google reviews analyzed across those locations",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#reviews-analyzed"
        },
        {
          "id": "msas-covered",
          "value": "392",
          "raw": 392,
          "label": "US metro areas (MSAs) covered",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#msas-covered"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "pricing",
      "title": "Pricing",
      "intro": "What car washes charge, from the WashIndex Membership Price Index (list prices, base 2020 = 100).",
      "stats": [
        {
          "id": "avg-membership-price",
          "value": "$34",
          "raw": 34,
          "label": "average advertised unlimited-membership price per month",
          "source": "WMPI · 2026",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#avg-membership-price"
        },
        {
          "id": "membership-price-change-since-2020",
          "value": "+16%",
          "raw": 0.16,
          "label": "rise in unlimited-membership list prices since 2020",
          "source": "WMPI",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#membership-price-change-since-2020"
        },
        {
          "id": "single-wash-price",
          "value": "$24",
          "raw": 24.16,
          "label": "typical single basic-wash list price",
          "source": "WMPI · 2026",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#single-wash-price"
        },
        {
          "id": "premium-membership-price",
          "value": "$43",
          "raw": 43.29,
          "label": "typical top-tier unlimited-membership list price per month",
          "source": "WMPI · 2026",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#premium-membership-price"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "customer-experience",
      "title": "Customer experience & quality",
      "intro": "Operating-quality benchmarks from AI-extracted Google reviews, measured at the chain level.",
      "stats": [
        {
          "id": "median-chain-rating",
          "value": "4.46★",
          "raw": 4.463016079965233,
          "label": "median chain weighted Google rating",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#median-chain-rating"
        },
        {
          "id": "median-damage-rate",
          "value": "2.4%",
          "raw": 0.023703703703703703,
          "label": "median reviewer-reported vehicle-damage rate",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#median-damage-rate"
        },
        {
          "id": "median-cancellation-friction",
          "value": "12.0%",
          "raw": 0.1199496015452115,
          "label": "median membership cancellation-friction rate",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#median-cancellation-friction"
        },
        {
          "id": "top-format-share",
          "value": "43%",
          "raw": 0.43374903997366787,
          "label": "share of locations that are detail shop — the most common format",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#top-format-share"
        },
        {
          "id": "independent-share",
          "value": "88%",
          "raw": 0.8810000405750842,
          "label": "of car wash locations are independent (non-chain) operators",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#independent-share"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "financing-sba",
      "title": "Financing (SBA)",
      "intro": "How car washes are financed, from the SBA 7(a) & 504 loan datasets (NAICS 811192).",
      "stats": [
        {
          "id": "sba-loans-per-year",
          "value": "380",
          "raw": 380,
          "label": "SBA-backed car-wash loans approved per year",
          "source": "SBA 7(a)/504",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#sba-loans-per-year"
        },
        {
          "id": "sba-median-loan",
          "value": "$774,800",
          "raw": 774800,
          "label": "median SBA car-wash loan since 2010",
          "source": "SBA 7(a)/504",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#sba-median-loan"
        },
        {
          "id": "sba-charge-off-rate",
          "value": "4.4%",
          "raw": 0.0439,
          "label": "of resolved SBA car-wash loans charge off (FY2010+)",
          "source": "SBA 7(a)/504",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#sba-charge-off-rate"
        },
        {
          "id": "sba-cumulative-lending",
          "value": "$10.09B",
          "raw": 10088180212,
          "label": "in SBA car-wash lending since 1991 (~12,972 loans)",
          "source": "SBA 7(a)/504",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#sba-cumulative-lending"
        },
        {
          "id": "top-sba-franchise",
          "value": "Tommy's Express",
          "raw": "Tommy's Express",
          "label": "most SBA-financed car-wash franchise",
          "source": "SBA 7(a)/504",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#top-sba-franchise"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "industry-structure",
      "title": "Industry structure",
      "intro": "The shape of the industry — overwhelmingly small operators, from Census County Business Patterns and BLS wage data.",
      "stats": [
        {
          "id": "under-5-employee-share",
          "value": "55%",
          "raw": 0.5521,
          "label": "of car-wash establishments have fewer than 5 employees",
          "source": "Census CBP · 2022",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#under-5-employee-share"
        },
        {
          "id": "avg-annual-wage",
          "value": "$32,560",
          "raw": 32560,
          "label": "average annual wage for a car-wash employee",
          "source": "BLS QCEW · 2024",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#avg-annual-wage"
        },
        {
          "id": "chains-profiled",
          "value": "459",
          "raw": 459,
          "label": "multi-location car wash chains profiled",
          "source": "WashIndex",
          "anchor": "https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics#chains-profiled"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "How many car washes are there in the US?",
      "answer": "The BLS counts about 19,736 car-wash employer establishments (businesses with payroll, NAICS 811192) employing roughly 187,502 people (2024). Counting all physical wash sites — including self-serve, in-bay automatic, and gas-station-attached washes that often have no separate payroll — WashIndex tracks 80,000+ locations nationwide."
    },
    {
      "question": "How much does a car wash membership cost?",
      "answer": "The average advertised unlimited car-wash membership is about $34 per month as of 2026, up roughly 16% since 2020 (WashIndex Membership Price Index). A single basic wash typically lists around $24."
    },
    {
      "question": "How much does it cost to finance a car wash?",
      "answer": "The median SBA-backed car-wash loan since 2010 is $774,800, across roughly 380 loans a year, with about a 4.4% charge-off rate. 504 loans (ground-up real estate) run a much higher median than 7(a) loans."
    },
    {
      "question": "How much do car wash workers make?",
      "answer": "The average annual wage for a US car-wash employee is about $32,560 (BLS QCEW, 2024)."
    },
    {
      "question": "Is the car wash industry fragmented?",
      "answer": "Yes — about 55% of car-wash establishments have fewer than 5 employees and only ~0.2% have 250 or more (Census CBP). Across metros, roughly 88% of locations are independent (non-chain) operators."
    }
  ],
  "sources": {
    "external": [
      "https://www.bls.gov/cew/",
      "https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html",
      "https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7-a-504-foia"
    ],
    "related": [
      "https://washindex.com/car-wash-price-index",
      "https://washindex.com/state-of-us-car-wash",
      "https://washindex.com/methodology"
    ],
    "apiRoot": "https://washindex.com/api/index.json"
  },
  "notes": "Government counts (BLS/Census) measure car-wash employer establishments — a narrower universe than all physical wash locations. Rates in `raw` are 0–1 fractions; prices are USD."
}