Car Wash Industry Data · Updated June 9, 2026

Car Wash Industry Statistics

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.

Market size

How big the US car wash industry is — the official employer count and WashIndex's wider physical-location coverage.

19,736
car wash employer establishments in the US
BLS QCEW · 2024
187,502
people employed by US car washes
BLS QCEW · 2024
80,000+
physical wash locations tracked nationwide, including self-serve, in-bay, and attached washes
WashIndex
13M+
Google reviews analyzed across those locations
WashIndex
392
US metro areas (MSAs) covered
WashIndex

Pricing

What car washes charge, from the WashIndex Membership Price Index (list prices, base 2020 = 100).

$34
average advertised unlimited-membership price per month
WMPI · 2026
+16%
rise in unlimited-membership list prices since 2020
WMPI
$24
typical single basic-wash list price
WMPI · 2026
$43
typical top-tier unlimited-membership list price per month
WMPI · 2026

Customer experience & quality

Operating-quality benchmarks from AI-extracted Google reviews, measured at the chain level.

4.46★
median chain weighted Google rating
WashIndex
2.4%
median reviewer-reported vehicle-damage rate
WashIndex
12.0%
median membership cancellation-friction rate
WashIndex
43%
share of locations that are detail shop — the most common format
WashIndex
88%
of car wash locations are independent (non-chain) operators
WashIndex

Financing (SBA)

How car washes are financed, from the SBA 7(a) & 504 loan datasets (NAICS 811192).

380
SBA-backed car-wash loans approved per year
SBA 7(a)/504
$774,800
median SBA car-wash loan since 2010
SBA 7(a)/504
4.4%
of resolved SBA car-wash loans charge off (FY2010+)
SBA 7(a)/504
$10.09B
in SBA car-wash lending since 1991 (~12,972 loans)
SBA 7(a)/504
Tommy's Express
most SBA-financed car-wash franchise
SBA 7(a)/504

Industry structure

The shape of the industry — overwhelmingly small operators, from Census County Business Patterns and BLS wage data.

55%
of car-wash establishments have fewer than 5 employees
Census CBP · 2022
$32,560
average annual wage for a car-wash employee
BLS QCEW · 2024
459
multi-location car wash chains profiled
WashIndex

Car wash rankings

Data-driven leaderboards built from the same sources — by price, growth, rating, pay, and loan default rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

About US car wash industry statistics

How many car washes are there in the US?

+
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.

How much does a car wash membership cost?

+
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.

How much does it cost to finance a car wash?

+
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.

How much do car wash workers make?

+
The average annual wage for a US car-wash employee is about $32,560 (BLS QCEW, 2024).

Is the car wash industry fragmented?

+
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.
Cite this page

Data as of 2026-06-09. Pick a format and click Copy.

APA
WashIndex. (2026, June 9). Car Wash Industry Statistics (2026). https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics
Chicago
WashIndex. "Car Wash Industry Statistics (2026)." WashIndex. Last modified June 9, 2026. https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics.
MLA
"Car Wash Industry Statistics (2026)." WashIndex, Jun. 9, 2026, https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics.
BibTeX
@misc{washindex_car_wash_industry_statistics_2026,
  title  = {{Car Wash Industry Statistics (2026)}},
  author = {{WashIndex}},
  year   = {2026},
  month  = {Jun},
  url    = {https://washindex.com/car-wash-industry-statistics},
  urldate = {2026-06-09},
}
Sources & notes

Figures are drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (QCEW), the U.S. Census Bureau (County Business Patterns), the U.S. Small Business Administration (7(a) & 504 FOIA datasets), and WashIndex's own per-location dataset of 13M+ AI-analyzed Google reviews. Government counts (BLS/Census) measure car-wash employer establishments — a narrower universe than all physical wash locations. Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex.

Pricing methodology & index → Car Wash Lending Tracker → State of the US Car Wash (quarterly) → Methodology →