BizGapMap

Home / Automotive repair & maintenance / Michigan / Wayne County, MI

Wayne County, MI — Auto repair Saturation

How many auto repair exist per person present — residents plus daytime workers — by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Establishment data: Census ZBP 2023. Population: ACS 2024 5-year. 76 ZIP codes analyzed.

Includes: Auto repair & maintenance shops · Body, paint & interior repair. Counted together because official statistics use one 811121 code.

Measured density: Range spans bands — 0.63× the U.S. rate (between 0.63× and 1.09× once withheld ZIP cells are counted)

Why a range: Census does not publish a ZIP-by-industry count when that ZIP has 0–2 businesses. 51 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 42 of them with residents. Each could hold 0, 1, or 2 businesses: counting them all as 0 gives the low end, counting them all as 2 gives the high end — the data cannot say where the truth sits. The density range uses only the populated cells, since ZIPs without residents are excluded from per-person rates. How ranges work

Range spans the U.S. rate   Wayne County auto repair — 63–109% of the U.S. rate

115 auto repair are counted in Wayne County — 0.5 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 63% of the U.S. rate of 0.9.

On the comparable ZIP set (ZIPs with a published count in every year), the total has fallen 13% between 2015 and 2023 (99 → 86). That set is smaller than today's county total. 2020–2021 were pandemic-distorted, and Census rounds counts, so small moves are within noise.

Measured supply density is highest in 48211 (Detroit), 48204 (Detroit), 48228 (Detroit) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 48126 (Dearborn), 48188 (Canton), 48152 (Livonia).

BLS QCEW puts the latest county-wide count (2026 Q1) at 149 establishments, the freshest available signal.

Measured density: Wayne County sits at 63% of the U.S. rate for auto repair. 42 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 63% and 109% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 48211 and 48204; the lowest measured density is in 48126 and 48188.

This is a supply-side read: it counts existing auto repair and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more. Treat low density as a question to check, not an answer.

Auto repair
115–217
published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (51 cells) (2023)
Per 10,000 present
0.5
residents + daytime workers
U.S. average
0.9
per 10,000 present
County index
0.63×
vs. U.S.
Latest quarter (QCEW)
149
2026 Q1 — county total
Residents
1,792,362
67 ZIPs with data
Workers
640,223
jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population
1,771,063
Census PEP, July 1 2024
Change since 2020
−1.0%
−18,592 people
Net migration 2024
+6,636
international +16,206, domestic −9,570
Jobs located here
669,243
LODES 2021, −8.1% since 2019

Wayne County had an estimated 1,771,063 residents on July 1, 2024 — 1.0% fewer than in 2020 (−18,592). In the latest year it gained 8,692 people: births minus deaths +2,025, international migration +16,206, domestic migration −9,570. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

669,243 jobs were located in the county in 2021 (−8.1% since 2019), and 670,458 employed residents lived there (−9.4% since 2019). LODES counts wage and salary jobs covered by unemployment insurance plus federal jobs; it excludes the self-employed and military, and counts jobs rather than unique people. 2019→2021 spans the pandemic, so read it as one change, not a trend. The 2022 file for this state is not usable, so 2021 is the latest year shown.

Population and migration say whether the customer base is growing. They do not say whether people want another business of this type. Definitions and limits →  ·  Full county detail →

ZIP gaining residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
48124 Dearborn
+21.4%
48122 Melvindale
+21.3%
48128 Dearborn
+20.3%
ZIP losing residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
48209 Detroit
−14.0%
48214 Detroit
−13.9%
48203 Highland Park
−13.1%

ACS 5-year estimates for 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. Only ZIPs with at least 2,000 residents in both windows and a change larger than the survey margin of error (90%) are listed — small ZIPs move a lot on paper without a real signal.

Nonemployer businesses

Not shown. Census publishes only a broader group that also includes auto glass shops, so an auto-repair-only nonemployer count is not published.

Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 (NAICS 2022). We do not approximate this figure.

Saturation map

Each ZIP area is shaded by its density of this business type per person present (residents + workers) vs. the U.S. average. Click any ZIP to zoom to its boundary, see its numbers, and switch to aerial imagery. Individual mapped shops appear as dots at street level — Show locations zooms you in to them (scroll or double-click to zoom).

Basemap:
Under 50% 50–100% 100–150% 150–250% 250%+ 0–2 (not published) / no data ZIP total (dot size) Mapped shop (OpenStreetMap, street level)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap.

White dots are ZIP totals from the official Census count — the bigger the dot, the more auto repair in that ZIP. They are aggregated, not individual shops. Turquoise dots are individual locations mapped in OpenStreetMap, shown only at street level; they are crowd-sourced and indicative, may be incomplete, and do not equal the official counts. Only the official ZIP totals feed the saturation index.

Market trend — down 13% since 2015

Number of auto repair in Wayne County across 2015–2023, on a consistent set of ZIP codes present in every year — so changes are real, not ZIP-boundary artifacts. 2015/2018 are pre-pandemic baselines; 2020/2021 are COVID-distorted.

99
2015
95
2018
95
2020
91
2021
84
2022
86
2023

Highest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
48211 Detroit
419%
48204 Detroit
323%
48228 Detroit
288%
48184 Wayne
203%
48210 Detroit
200%
48223 Detroit
192%
48146 Lincoln Park
167%
48234 Detroit
167%
48227 Detroit
166%
48238 Detroit
133%
48124 Dearborn
125%
48170 Plymouth
122%
48135 Garden City
120%
48150 Livonia
119%
48192 Wyandotte
118%

Lowest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
48126 Dearborn
68%
48188 Canton
69%
48152 Livonia
77%
48185 Westland
85%
48212 Hamtramck
101%
48174 Romulus
101%
48101 Allen Park
105%
48180 Taylor
109%
48111 Belleville
111%
48192 Wyandotte
118%
48150 Livonia
119%
48135 Garden City
120%
48170 Plymouth
122%
48124 Dearborn
125%
48238 Detroit
133%
Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A ZIP with few auto repair may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. We rank only residential and mixed ZIPs here; employment hubs and visitor destinations are listed separately below. ZIPs where Census did not publish a count (0–2 businesses) are not ranked: they may be the least served of all, but the data cannot tell 0 from 1 or 2. Verify those locally.

Employment hubs & destinations

These ZIPs have far more workers (or visitors) than residents, so their counts are driven by daytime and visitor demand — not a place to read "shortage" from resident numbers alone.

ZIPNeighborhoodType ResidentsWorkersAuto repairIndex
48226Detroit Employment hub 6,83157,605 0–2 —

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

All ZIP codes

Click a column header to sort. Index = auto repair per 10,000 people present (residents + 0.5×workers) ÷ the U.S. average. 100% = exactly average.

ZIPNeighborhood ResidentsWorkersAuto repair Per 10kIndexStatus
48211Detroit 5,4195,700 3 3.6 419% Very high density
48204Detroit 20,6961,595 6 2.8 323% Very high density
48228Detroit 50,1174,218 13 2.5 288% Very high density
48184Wayne 17,34810,907 4 1.8 203% High density
48210Detroit 26,7224,349 5 1.7 200% High density
48223Detroit 22,6222,820 4 1.7 192% High density
48146Lincoln Park 39,2574,613 6 1.4 167% High density
48234Detroit 32,7603,770 5 1.4 167% High density
48227Detroit 40,3023,093 6 1.4 166% High density
48238Detroit 24,7312,611 3 1.2 133% Above average
48124Dearborn 34,47923,485 5 1.1 125% Above average
48170Plymouth 40,07633,685 6 1.1 122% Above average
48135Garden City 26,7394,138 3 1.0 120% Above average
48150Livonia 26,68743,888 5 1.0 119% Above average
48192Wyandotte 24,4899,646 3 1.0 118% Above average
48111Belleville 44,70914,326 5 1.0 111% Above average
48180Taylor 62,08123,940 7 0.9 109% Above average
48101Allen Park 27,92510,096 3 0.9 105% Above average
48174Romulus 32,21127,008 4 0.9 101% Above average
48212Hamtramck 43,3844,745 4 0.9 101% Above average
48185Westland 48,53012,200 4 0.7 85% Below average
48152Livonia 30,11930,270 3 0.7 77% Below average
48188Canton 45,6659,425 3 0.6 69% Below average
48126Dearborn 51,99731,248 4 0.6 68% Below average
48195Southgate 29,3669,217 ~1 0.3 34% Far below average
48112Belleville —105 0–2 — — Not published
48120Dearborn 8,32311,334 0–2 — — Not published
48121Dearborn —4,573 0–2 — — Not published
48122Melvindale 12,5542,535 0–2 — — Not published
48125Dearborn Heights 22,1252,160 0–2 — — Not published
48127Dearborn Heights 39,6466,180 0–2 — — Not published
48128Dearborn 12,6241,565 0–2 — — Not published
48134Flat Rock 23,9355,914 0–2 — — Not published
48136Garden City —34 0–2 — — Not published
48138Grosse Ile 10,344971 0–2 — — Not published
48141Inkster 25,4281,740 0–2 — — Not published
48151Livonia —1,029 0–2 — — Not published
48153Livonia —15 0–2 — — Not published
48154Livonia 37,0457,246 0–2 — — Not published
48164New Boston 9,5763,979 0–2 — — Not published
48167Northville 24,7139,440 0–2 — — Not published
48168Northville 25,0384,389 0–2 — — Not published
48173Rockwood 12,931862 0–2 — — Not published
48183Trenton 41,76516,933 0–2 — — Not published
48186Westland 35,1033,245 0–2 — — Not published
48187Canton 53,37615,495 0–2 — — Not published
48193Riverview 16,1193,295 0–2 — — Not published
48201Detroit 15,09126,429 0–2 — — Not published
48202Detroit 15,78024,584 0–2 — — Not published
48203Highland Park 20,04910,913 0–2 — — Not published
48205Detroit 34,1872,272 0–2 — — Not published
48206Detroit 15,227772 0–2 — — Not published
48207Detroit 20,8489,932 0–2 — — Not published
48208Detroit 8,0372,794 0–2 — — Not published
48209Detroit 27,1845,178 0–2 — — Not published
48213Detroit 20,0755,083 0–2 — — Not published
48214Detroit 18,5954,450 0–2 — — Not published
48215Detroit 10,3226,347 0–2 — — Not published
48216Detroit 5,8654,066 0–2 — — Not published
48217Detroit 6,5641,605 0–2 — — Not published
48218River Rouge 7,011857 0–2 — — Not published
48219Detroit 47,2083,625 0–2 — — Not published
48221Detroit 41,3923,447 0–2 — — Not published
48224Detroit 39,6682,442 0–2 — — Not published
48225Harper Woods 16,0982,277 0–2 — — Not published
48226Detroit 6,83157,605 0–2 — — Not published
48229Ecorse 9,0611,611 0–2 — — Not published
48230Grosse Pointe 17,1745,151 0–2 — — Not published
48232Detroit —123 0–2 — — Not published
48235Detroit 45,6005,286 0–2 — — Not published
48236Grosse Pointe 31,43512,252 0–2 — — Not published
48239Redford 36,9769,806 0–2 — — Not published
48240Redford 17,0083,163 0–2 — — Not published
48242Detroit 014,188 0–2 — — Not published
48243Detroit 05,336 0–2 — — Not published
48265Detroit —4,578 0–2 — — Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Find an actual space in Detroit

The numbers above tell you how the market looks. To find a specific storefront, these marketplaces list available retail space for lease.

LoopNet
Largest commercial marketplace
Browse Detroit retail space →
Crexi
Free listings + market data
Browse Detroit retail space →
CityFeet
Retail space for lease
Browse Detroit retail space →

Open vacancy data (actual empty units) is only published by some cities; where it exists we show it directly. Listings above are third-party.

Census withholds some ZIP-by-industry cells to protect small businesses. 0–2 means the cell was not published (Census publishes industry counts only at 3+ per ZIP), so the ZIP is left unranked rather than counted as zero. ~ means the count is estimated from the broader industry group and can be off by a business or two.

Follow Wayne County and auto repair

When a data vintage changes or a section of this report is revised, we post it to a public update feed. No email address, no account, no tracking — and nothing is sent unless something actually changed.

Subscribe to updates (RSS) How these numbers are built →

Methodology & sources

Establishments. U.S. Census ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP 2023), NAICS 811121 — automotive body, paint & interior repair. Counts establishments with paid employees. ZBP is published annually with a ~2-year lag.

Fresh county signal. BLS QCEW (quarterly) is newer than ZBP — 2026 Q1 shows 149 establishments county-wide for this industry. It cannot be broken down by ZIP.

Population. U.S. Census American Community Survey 2024 5-year ZCTA population (table B01003). Workers are the ZIP's total employment from the same 2023 ZBP file.

Demand ("people present"). Demand comes from residents and daytime workers: residents + 0.5 × workers. This is the single documented assumption in the model and can be tuned.

Index. index = (ZIP establishments ÷ ZIP demand × 10,000) ÷ the U.S. average for this industry (0.87 per 10,000 present). It is a supply-side density measure; it does not capture income, rent, tourism, or whether locals actually want more.

Read the full methodology →  ·  Data sources & vintages →

BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.