← Columbia metro
County market analysis · Data updated · September 26, 2026
Car Washes in Richland County, SC
Richland County, SC has 47 car washes across 9 chains and 17 independents, drawing 15,785 Google reviews with a 1.4% reviewer-reported damage rate. It skews express tunnel (43% of locations) and is a mix of chains and independents; its washes rate well above the national norm at 4.53★. The BLS counts 23 car-wash employer establishments in the county paying a $32,469 average wage.
Richland County at a glance
- Car washes
- 47
- 36% independent
- Top operator
- Hurricane Express Wash
- 7 locations
- Avg rating
- 4.53★
- +0.12 vs U.S. norm
- Damage rate
- 1.4%
- Top format
- express tunnel
- 43% of classified
- BLS establishments
- 23
- employer businesses (QCEW)
Market Quality snapshot
- Population
- 418,725
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Households
- 165,308
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Residents per wash
- 8,909
- 4.6× the national MSA median — lighter supply
- Express tunnels per 10K households
- 1.2
- above ~1.0 — contested · classified sites
Official footprint · BLS QCEW 2024
23
Employer establishments
222
Industry jobs
$32,469
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 Richland County, SC
Customer-experience signals
Net sentiment (−1 to +1) across 5,368 AI-analyzed reviews. Positive = more praise than complaints.
Price & value
+0.40
Speed & wait
+0.49
Wash quality
+0.71
Customer service
+0.83
Equipment reliability
-0.32
Facilities
+0.68
Membership value
+0.25
Top operators in Richland County, SC
| Operator | Locations | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Express Wash | 7 | 4.59 |
| bp | 7 | 3.81 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 6 | 4.54 |
| WhiteWater Express Car Wash | 3 | 4.57 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 2 | 4.50 |
| Spinx | 2 | 3.28 |
| Blue Beacon | 1 | 4.10 |
| Big Dan's Car Wash | 1 | 4.70 |
| Tommy's Express® Car Wash | 1 | 4.60 |
Car washes in Richland County, SC
| Car wash | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.5 | 1,462 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.7 | 1,351 |
| Blue Beacon Truck Wash of Columbia, SC | 4.1 | 929 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.3 | 901 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.6 | 878 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.9 | 873 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.7 | 804 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.5 | 778 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.8 | 656 |
| Details Count Professional Detailing, LLC. | 4.7 | 628 |
| Big Dan's Car Wash | 4.7 | 571 |
| WhiteWater Express Car Wash | 4.5 | 569 |
| Tommy's Express® Car Wash | 4.6 | 569 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.7 | 533 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.2 | 493 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.2 | 485 |
| Frank's Car Wash Express | 4.2 | 473 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.5 | 413 |
| Rosewood Car Wash | 4.3 | 189 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.5 | 171 |
| Zest Mobile Detail | 5.0 | 166 |
| WhiteWater Express Car Wash | 4.8 | 164 |
| Apex Auto Spa | 4.9 | 161 |
| Hurricane Express Wash | 4.7 | 151 |
| WhiteWater Express Car Wash | 4.6 | 136 |
| Ziebart | 4.6 | 122 |
| Automotive Perfection | 4.8 | 121 |
| Spinx | 3.1 | 102 |
| Rosewood Express Car Wash | 3.8 | 90 |
| Heavenly Shine Auto & Marine Detailing LLC | 4.9 | 87 |
| Automotive Services Group LLC | 5.0 | 86 |
| 3Ms Mobile Auto Detailing | 4.8 | 76 |
| Precision Detail | 5.0 | 71 |
| bp | 4.1 | 60 |
| Clearwater Car Wash | 4.0 | 56 |
| Details Count Elite, LLC. | 4.7 | 45 |
| Spinx | 3.7 | 43 |
| bp | 3.3 | 42 |
| bp | 3.7 | 42 |
| Ultra Gloss Mobile Detailing Columbia | 5.0 | 39 |
| Amoco | 3.9 | 36 |
| R L Carwash Express-Detailing | 4.4 | 33 |
| bp | 3.6 | 32 |
| McKenneys Car Wash & Detail Shop | 4.8 | 25 |
| bp | 4.2 | 25 |
| Top Shelf Auto Detailing | 4.2 | 24 |
| bp | 3.9 | 24 |
Frequently Asked Questions
About Richland County, SC
How many car washes are in Richland County, SC?
+
WashIndex tracks 47 car washes in Richland County, SC — 9 chain operators and 17 independents. The BLS separately counts 23 car-wash employer establishments (businesses with payroll) in the county.
What is the most common type of car wash in Richland County, SC?
+
Express Tunnel is the most common format in Richland County, SC, with 20 of 47 locations.
How much do car wash workers make in Richland County, SC?
+
Car-wash employees in Richland County earn about $32,469 per year on average (BLS QCEW, 2024), across roughly 222 jobs.
Cite this page
Data as of 2026-09-26. Pick a format and click Copy.
APA
WashIndex. (2026, September 26). Car Washes in Richland County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/richland-county-sc
Chicago
WashIndex. "Car Washes in Richland County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex. Last modified September 26, 2026. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/richland-county-sc.
MLA
"Car Washes in Richland County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex, Sep. 26, 2026, https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/richland-county-sc.
BibTeX
@misc{washindex_car_wash_counties_richland_county_sc_2026,
title = {{Car Washes in Richland County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics}},
author = {{WashIndex}},
year = {2026},
month = {Sep},
url = {https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/richland-county-sc},
urldate = {2026-09-26},
} Per-location car-wash data for Richland County, SC (format, operators, AI-scored review signals) joined to the county's official BLS footprint. See the Columbia metro analysis · methodology. Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex.