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Size of the US Car Washes industry

NAICS 811192, Car Washes. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$14.8 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
193,601
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
20,042
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
15,613
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$5.1 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 193,601 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 171,2442019-Q2: 179,0332019-Q3: 175,2032019-Q4: 170,4822020-Q1: 170,9622020-Q2: 152,3312020-Q3: 157,3102020-Q4: 158,5832021-Q1: 164,8412021-Q2: 173,4902021-Q3: 168,8652021-Q4: 169,1212022-Q1: 172,8142022-Q2: 179,8242022-Q3: 175,5322022-Q4: 172,8472023-Q1: 178,2012023-Q2: 187,8892023-Q3: 184,2682023-Q4: 182,5062024-Q1: 185,2472024-Q2: 193,0232024-Q3: 188,1322024-Q4: 186,9102025-Q1: 192,3322025-Q2: 197,4662025-Q3: 192,9632025-Q4: 191,3222026-Q1: 193,601NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1193,6012022
2025-Q4191,3222022
2025-Q3192,9632022
2025-Q2197,4662022
2025-Q1192,3322022
2024-Q4186,9102022
2024-Q3188,1322022
2024-Q2193,0232022
2024-Q1185,2472022
2023-Q4182,5062022
2023-Q3184,2682022
2023-Q2187,8892022
2023-Q1178,2012022
2022-Q4172,8472022
2022-Q3175,5322022
2022-Q2179,8242022
2022-Q1172,8142022
2021-Q4169,1212017
2021-Q3168,8652017
2021-Q2173,4902017
2021-Q1164,8412017
2020-Q4158,5832017
2020-Q3157,3102017
2020-Q2152,3312017
2020-Q1170,9622017
2019-Q4170,4822017
2019-Q3175,2032017
2019-Q2179,0332017
2019-Q1171,2442017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 172,644 · 2023
2017: 163,1012018: 165,2802019: 163,1782020: 162,9082021: 156,4192022: 166,3682023: 172,644
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023172,644
2022166,368
2021156,419
2020162,908
2019163,178
2018165,280
2017163,101

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 20,042 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 15,8812019-Q2: 16,0412019-Q3: 16,1952019-Q4: 16,3802020-Q1: 16,4672020-Q2: 16,5222020-Q3: 16,9022020-Q4: 16,9932021-Q1: 17,0472021-Q2: 17,3592021-Q3: 17,6832021-Q4: 17,9842022-Q1: 18,0582022-Q2: 18,3862022-Q3: 18,6802022-Q4: 18,7252023-Q1: 18,8782023-Q2: 19,0462023-Q3: 19,2552023-Q4: 19,4262024-Q1: 19,5692024-Q2: 19,7812024-Q3: 19,7442024-Q4: 19,8512025-Q1: 19,5732025-Q2: 19,7672025-Q3: 19,9212025-Q4: 20,1002026-Q1: 20,042NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q120,0422022
2025-Q420,1002022
2025-Q319,9212022
2025-Q219,7672022
2025-Q119,5732022
2024-Q419,8512022
2024-Q319,7442022
2024-Q219,7812022
2024-Q119,5692022
2023-Q419,4262022
2023-Q319,2552022
2023-Q219,0462022
2023-Q118,8782022
2022-Q418,7252022
2022-Q318,6802022
2022-Q218,3862022
2022-Q118,0582022
2021-Q417,9842017
2021-Q317,6832017
2021-Q217,3592017
2021-Q117,0472017
2020-Q416,9932017
2020-Q316,9022017
2020-Q216,5222017
2020-Q116,4672017
2019-Q416,3802017
2019-Q316,1952017
2019-Q216,0412017
2019-Q115,8812017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 19,807 · 2023
2017: 16,3882018: 16,6972019: 16,9762020: 17,5842021: 18,5202022: 19,4632023: 19,807
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202319,807
202219,463
202118,520
202017,584
201916,976
201816,697
201716,388

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $1.6 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $933.7 million2019-Q2: $1.1 billion2019-Q3: $1.1 billion2019-Q4: $1.1 billion2020-Q1: $1.0 billion2020-Q2: $811.5 million2020-Q3: $1.0 billion2020-Q4: $1.1 billion2021-Q1: $986.7 million2021-Q2: $1.2 billion2021-Q3: $1.2 billion2021-Q4: $1.3 billion2022-Q1: $1.2 billion2022-Q2: $1.3 billion2022-Q3: $1.4 billion2022-Q4: $1.3 billion2023-Q1: $1.3 billion2023-Q2: $1.5 billion2023-Q3: $1.5 billion2023-Q4: $1.5 billion2024-Q1: $1.4 billion2024-Q2: $1.6 billion2024-Q3: $1.5 billion2024-Q4: $1.6 billion2025-Q1: $1.5 billion2025-Q2: $1.6 billion2025-Q3: $1.6 billion2025-Q4: $1.7 billion2026-Q1: $1.6 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$1.6 billion2022
2025-Q4$1.7 billion2022
2025-Q3$1.6 billion2022
2025-Q2$1.6 billion2022
2025-Q1$1.5 billion2022
2024-Q4$1.6 billion2022
2024-Q3$1.5 billion2022
2024-Q2$1.6 billion2022
2024-Q1$1.4 billion2022
2023-Q4$1.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$1.5 billion2022
2023-Q2$1.5 billion2022
2023-Q1$1.3 billion2022
2022-Q4$1.3 billion2022
2022-Q3$1.4 billion2022
2022-Q2$1.3 billion2022
2022-Q1$1.2 billion2022
2021-Q4$1.3 billion2017
2021-Q3$1.2 billion2017
2021-Q2$1.2 billion2017
2021-Q1$986.7 million2017
2020-Q4$1.1 billion2017
2020-Q3$1.0 billion2017
2020-Q2$811.5 million2017
2020-Q1$1.0 billion2017
2019-Q4$1.1 billion2017
2019-Q3$1.1 billion2017
2019-Q2$1.1 billion2017
2019-Q1$933.7 million2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $5.1 billion · 2023
2017: $3.2 billion2018: $3.4 billion2019: $3.6 billion2020: $3.4 billion2021: $4.1 billion2022: $4.6 billion2023: $5.1 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$5.1 billion
2022$4.6 billion
2021$4.1 billion
2020$3.4 billion
2019$3.6 billion
2018$3.4 billion
2017$3.2 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages193,6012026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages20,0422026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$1.6 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$5.1 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns172,64420232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns19,80720232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$4.4 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census169,60920222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census19,42220222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census15,61320222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$14.8 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.