← Knoxville metro
County market analysis · Data updated · September 26, 2026
Car Washes in Knox County, TN
Knox County, TN has 52 car washes across 12 chains and 21 independents, drawing 29,904 Google reviews with a 1.7% reviewer-reported damage rate. It skews express tunnel (48% of locations) and is a mix of chains and independents; its washes rate well above the national norm at 4.51★. The BLS counts 44 car-wash employer establishments in the county paying a $34,309 average wage.
Knox County at a glance
- Car washes
- 52
- 40% independent
- Top operator
- Zips Car Wash
- 10 locations
- Avg rating
- 4.51★
- +0.10 vs U.S. norm
- Damage rate
- 1.7%
- Top format
- express tunnel
- 48% of classified
- BLS establishments
- 44
- employer businesses (QCEW)
Market Quality snapshot
- Population
- 487,401
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Households
- 197,298
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Residents per wash
- 9,373
- 4.8× the national MSA median — lighter supply
- Express tunnels per 10K households
- 1.3
- above ~1.0 — contested · classified sites
Official footprint · BLS QCEW 2024
44
Employer establishments
538
Industry jobs
$34,309
Avg annual wage
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW (private, NAICS 811192). Counts employer establishments — a narrower universe than all physical wash locations. “—” = withheld by BLS for disclosure.
Format mix in Knox County, TN
Customer-experience signals
Net sentiment (−1 to +1) across 11,031 AI-analyzed reviews. Positive = more praise than complaints.
Price & value
+0.13
Speed & wait
+0.39
Wash quality
+0.72
Customer service
+0.86
Equipment reliability
-0.35
Facilities
+0.75
Membership value
+0.14
Top operators in Knox County, TN
| Operator | Locations | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|
| Zips Car Wash | 10 | 4.48 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 6 | 4.61 |
| Harper Auto Wash Express | 3 | 4.62 |
| Sparkling Image Car Wash | 2 | 4.06 |
| Synergy Auto Wash | 2 | 3.97 |
| Miracle Car Wash | 2 | 4.40 |
| Blue Beacon | 1 | 4.10 |
| Pride Truck Wash - Hebron | 1 | 4.30 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 1 | 4.80 |
| Club Car Wash | 1 | 4.40 |
| Blue Auto Wash | 1 | 3.90 |
| bp | 1 | 3.00 |
Car washes in Knox County, TN
| Car wash | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 2,041 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.5 | 2,017 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.7 | 1,926 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.3 | 1,416 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.7 | 1,395 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.8 | 1,380 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.4 | 1,172 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.4 | 1,108 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.2 | 1,096 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 1,065 |
| Blue Beacon Truck Wash of Knoxville, TN | 4.1 | 945 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 926 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.6 | 908 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.8 | 894 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 883 |
| Pride Truck Wash - Knoxville | 4.3 | 825 |
| Sparkling Image Car Wash | 4.1 | 800 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.4 | 790 |
| Synergy Auto Wash | 4.0 | 766 |
| Harper Auto Wash - Parkside | 4.6 | 697 |
| Sparkling Image Car Wash | 4.0 | 572 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.8 | 572 |
| All Pro Auto Detailing | Professional Detailing & Ceramic Coating | 5.0 | 547 |
| Harper Auto Wash - Bearden | 4.7 | 506 |
| Zoom Wash | 4.9 | 472 |
| Outstanding Car Detailing | 5.0 | 462 |
| Miracle Car Wash | 4.4 | 373 |
| Synergy Auto Wash Halls | 3.9 | 361 |
| PureMagic Car Wash | 4.8 | 309 |
| Knox Details Paint Protection Film and Window Tint | 4.9 | 308 |
| Get Clean Mobile Detailing | 5.0 | 258 |
| SoCal Detail - Ceramic Pro Knoxville | 4.9 | 224 |
| Club Car Wash | 4.4 | 221 |
| Harper Auto Wash Express | 4.5 | 216 |
| Weigel's Auto Spa | 4.9 | 215 |
| GNJ Auto Graphics | 4.5 | 213 |
| Miracle Car Wash | 4.4 | 203 |
| Knox Wash Mobile Detailing | 5.0 | 118 |
| Knox Auto Spa | 4.5 | 79 |
| 2CLEAN Auto Detailing | 5.0 | 75 |
| Admiral Detailing – Mobile Car Detailing & Ceramic Coatings | 4.8 | 69 |
| Parkside Detail and Accessories | 3.9 | 68 |
| Diva's Auto Spa | 4.8 | 61 |
| Max Detailing Ceramic Coatings | 5.0 | 59 |
| Polish-Masters Auto Spa | 4.6 | 53 |
| Blue Auto Wash | 3.9 | 53 |
| Elevate Detailing - Mobile Car, Truck, Fleet Detailing | 5.0 | 46 |
| ProWax mobile auto detailing | 5.0 | 41 |
| Knoxville Precision Detailing | 5.0 | 28 |
| Karns Auto Detailing | 4.6 | 27 |
| bp | 3.0 | 25 |
| Squeaky Clean Auto Detailing and Ceramic Coatings | 4.8 | 20 |
Frequently Asked Questions
About Knox County, TN
How many car washes are in Knox County, TN?
+
WashIndex tracks 52 car washes in Knox County, TN — 12 chain operators and 21 independents. The BLS separately counts 44 car-wash employer establishments (businesses with payroll) in the county.
What is the most common type of car wash in Knox County, TN?
+
Express Tunnel is the most common format in Knox County, TN, with 25 of 52 locations.
How much do car wash workers make in Knox County, TN?
+
Car-wash employees in Knox County earn about $34,309 per year on average (BLS QCEW, 2024), across roughly 538 jobs.
Cite this page
Data as of 2026-09-26. Pick a format and click Copy.
APA
WashIndex. (2026, September 26). Car Washes in Knox County, TN — Market Analysis & Statistics. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/knox-county-tn
Chicago
WashIndex. "Car Washes in Knox County, TN — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex. Last modified September 26, 2026. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/knox-county-tn.
MLA
"Car Washes in Knox County, TN — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex, Sep. 26, 2026, https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/knox-county-tn.
BibTeX
@misc{washindex_car_wash_counties_knox_county_tn_2026,
title = {{Car Washes in Knox County, TN — Market Analysis & Statistics}},
author = {{WashIndex}},
year = {2026},
month = {Sep},
url = {https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/knox-county-tn},
urldate = {2026-09-26},
} Per-location car-wash data for Knox County, TN (format, operators, AI-scored review signals) joined to the county's official BLS footprint. See the Knoxville metro analysis · methodology. Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex.