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County market analysis · Data updated · September 26, 2026
Car Washes in Wake County, NC
Wake County, NC has 124 car washes across 17 chains and 56 independents, drawing 35,417 Google reviews with a 1.5% reviewer-reported damage rate. It skews detail shop (46% of locations) and is a mix of chains and independents; its washes rate about average at 4.42★. The BLS counts 96 car-wash employer establishments in the county paying a $23,912 average wage.
Wake County at a glance
- Car washes
- 124
- 45% independent
- Top operator
- bp
- 19 locations
- Avg rating
- 4.42★
- Damage rate
- 1.5%
- Top format
- detail shop
- 46% of classified
- BLS establishments
- 96
- employer businesses (QCEW)
Market Quality snapshot
- Population
- 1,151,009
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Households
- 445,636
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Residents per wash
- 9,282
- 4.8× the national MSA median — lighter supply
- Express tunnels per 10K households
- 0.8
- in the 0.5–1.0 filling band · classified sites
Official footprint · BLS QCEW 2024
96
Employer establishments
737
Industry jobs
$23,912
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 Wake County, NC
Customer-experience signals
Net sentiment (−1 to +1) across 12,019 AI-analyzed reviews. Positive = more praise than complaints.
Price & value
+0.14
Speed & wait
+0.57
Wash quality
+0.74
Customer service
+0.83
Equipment reliability
-0.28
Facilities
+0.73
Membership value
+0.20
Top operators in Wake County, NC
| Operator | Locations | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|
| bp | 19 | 3.34 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 8 | 4.10 |
| American Pride Car Wash | 8 | 4.20 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 8 | 4.42 |
| Zips Car Wash | 5 | 4.33 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 2 | 4.56 |
| Heroes Car Wash | 2 | 4.80 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 2 | 4.52 |
| Rocket Wash Express | 2 | 4.84 |
| The RipTide Car Wash | 2 | 4.56 |
| First Class Mobile Detailing | 2 | 4.90 |
| SLEEQ Mobile Car Detailing Raleigh | 2 | 5.00 |
| TVP Auto Raleigh | 2 | 4.83 |
| Edge Express Car Wash | 1 | 4.20 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 1 | 4.90 |
| Majestic Solutions | 1 | 4.80 |
| Super Wash | 1 | 2.70 |
Car washes in Wake County, NC
| Car wash | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Zips Car Wash | 4.3 | 1,879 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 4.5 | 1,533 |
| Zips Car Wash | 3.9 | 1,450 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 1,366 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 4.7 | 1,149 |
| Edge Express Car Wash | 4.2 | 1,139 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.4 | 1,078 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 4.0 | 1,000 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.7 | 980 |
| Heroes Car wash | 4.8 | 962 |
| American Pride Xpress Car Wash | 4.4 | 901 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.4 | 831 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 3.7 | 815 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.5 | 806 |
| Westgate Car Wash | 4.6 | 777 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.3 | 680 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.4 | 632 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 4.1 | 601 |
| Take 5 Car Wash | 4.9 | 599 |
| WashNWerk Coatings and Detailing + Paint Protection Film + Window Tint | 4.7 | 583 |
| Rocket Wash Express | 4.8 | 575 |
| Prime Time Mobile Detailing | 4.7 | 560 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 3.7 | 546 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.5 | 529 |
| Ras Car Care Mobile Detailing Raleigh- NC|Car Detailing Raleigh - Best Interior & Exterior Mobile Detailing | 4.9 | 480 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 4.6 | 480 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 3.9 | 474 |
| American Pride Xpress Carwash | 4.3 | 466 |
| Wash N Go Car Wash | 3.9 | 436 |
| Rocket Wash Express | 4.9 | 399 |
| Ray's Auto Detailing | 5.0 | 338 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.4 | 321 |
| Majestic Solutions | 4.8 | 316 |
| American Pride Car Wash | 3.8 | 307 |
| Autobell Car Wash | 3.8 | 296 |
| American Pride Car Wash | 4.0 | 289 |
| Oak City Auto Detailing | Mobile Car Detailing Raleigh | Ceramic Coating Raleigh | 4.9 | 288 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 4.0 | 283 |
| Lee's Mobile Detailing | 4.9 | 278 |
| August Precision Detailing, Ceramic Coating & Paint Protection Film | 4.9 | 276 |
| Spotless Auto Detailing & Ceramic Coating | 5.0 | 258 |
| Detailing Genius | 4.9 | 254 |
| The RipTide Car Wash | 4.5 | 250 |
| Royale Auto Salon | 4.9 | 250 |
| Heroes Car Wash | 4.8 | 237 |
| American Pride Xpress Carwash | 4.8 | 227 |
| American Pride Car Wash | 4.0 | 221 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.6 | 219 |
| First Class Mobile Detailing | 4.9 | 212 |
| American Pride Xpress Carwash | 4.0 | 203 |
| Nick's Mobile Detailing | 5.0 | 202 |
| SLEEQ Car Detailing | Paint Correction & Ceramic Coating Raleigh | 5.0 | 192 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.6 | 185 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.6 | 180 |
| Phenomenal Detailing - Paint Protection Film, Ceramic Coating, and Window Tint | 5.0 | 178 |
| Supreme Finish Auto Detailing & Ceramic Coatings | 5.0 | 161 |
| Auto Worx Auto Wash | 4.3 | 157 |
| Sam's Xpress Car Wash | 4.4 | 155 |
| Ceramic Pro Wake Forest / HMAG PDR Auto Spa | 4.9 | 155 |
| Shine & Style Custom Auto Detailing | 4.9 | 144 |
Showing the 60 most-reviewed of 124 car washes in Wake County, NC.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Wake County, NC
How many car washes are in Wake County, NC?
+
WashIndex tracks 124 car washes in Wake County, NC — 17 chain operators and 56 independents. The BLS separately counts 96 car-wash employer establishments (businesses with payroll) in the county.
What is the most common type of car wash in Wake County, NC?
+
Detail Shop is the most common format in Wake County, NC, with 57 of 124 locations.
How much do car wash workers make in Wake County, NC?
+
Car-wash employees in Wake County earn about $23,912 per year on average (BLS QCEW, 2024), across roughly 737 jobs.
Cite this page
Data as of 2026-09-26. Pick a format and click Copy.
APA
WashIndex. (2026, September 26). Car Washes in Wake County, NC — Market Analysis & Statistics. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/wake-county-nc
Chicago
WashIndex. "Car Washes in Wake County, NC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex. Last modified September 26, 2026. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/wake-county-nc.
MLA
"Car Washes in Wake County, NC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex, Sep. 26, 2026, https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/wake-county-nc.
BibTeX
@misc{washindex_car_wash_counties_wake_county_nc_2026,
title = {{Car Washes in Wake County, NC — Market Analysis & Statistics}},
author = {{WashIndex}},
year = {2026},
month = {Sep},
url = {https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/wake-county-nc},
urldate = {2026-09-26},
} Per-location car-wash data for Wake County, NC (format, operators, AI-scored review signals) joined to the county's official BLS footprint. See the Raleigh metro analysis · methodology. Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex.