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Riverside County, CA — Car washes Saturation

How many car washes 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. 96 ZIP codes analyzed.

Includes: Car wash tunnels & bays · Self-serve & automatic washes · Detailing (wash-attached). Counted together because official statistics use one 811192 code.

Measured density: Range spans bands — 0.84× the U.S. rate (between 0.84× and 1.48× 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. 70 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 44 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   Riverside County car washes — 84–148% of the U.S. rate

116 car washes are counted in Riverside County — 0.4 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 84% of the U.S. rate of 0.5.

On the comparable ZIP set (ZIPs with a published count in every year), the total has risen 29% between 2015 and 2023 (38 → 49). 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 92211 (Palm Desert), 92264 (Palm Springs), 92508 (Riverside) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 92592 (Temecula), 92562 (Murrieta), 92223 (Beaumont).

Census County Business Patterns (2023) puts the county-wide count at 147 establishments, including locations in ZIP codes that do not map to a ZCTA — so it can run slightly above the sum of the ZIP rows on this page. It is annual, so it lags more than QCEW.

Measured density: Riverside County sits at 84% of the U.S. rate for car washes. 44 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 84% and 148% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 92211 and 92264; the lowest measured density is in 92592 and 92562.

This is a supply-side read: it counts existing car washes 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.

Car washes
116–256
published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (70 cells) (2023)
Per 10,000 present
0.4
residents + daytime workers
U.S. average
0.5
per 10,000 present
County index
0.84×
vs. U.S.
Latest year (CBP)
147
2023 — $45M annual payroll
Residents
2,482,806
70 ZIPs with data
Workers
674,999
jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population
2,529,933
Census PEP, July 1 2024
Change since 2020
+4.3%
+105,270 people
Net migration 2024
+18,546
international +11,037, domestic +7,509
Jobs located here
799,021
LODES 2022, +7.1% since 2019

Riverside County had an estimated 2,529,933 residents on July 1, 2024 — 4.3% more than in 2020 (+105,270). In the latest year it gained 26,384 people: births minus deaths +7,801, international migration +11,037, domestic migration +7,509. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

799,021 jobs were located in the county in 2022 (+7.1% since 2019), and 1,035,761 employed residents lived there (+7.6% 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→2022 spans the pandemic, so read it as one change, not a trend.

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
92549 Idyllwild
+59.6%
92582 San Jacinto
+35.6%
92585 Menifee
+34.8%
ZIP losing residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
92260 Palm Desert
−11.9%
92225 Blythe
−9.5%
92503 Riverside
−7.5%

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 oil-change and other auto service shops, so a car-wash-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.

Basemap:
Under 50% 50–100% 100–150% 150–250% 250%+ 0–2 (not published) / no data ZIP total (dot size)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap.

White dots are ZIP totals from the official Census count — the bigger the dot, the more car washes in that ZIP.

Market trend — up 29% since 2015

Number of car washes in Riverside 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.

38
2015
39
2018
41
2020
47
2021
49
2022
49
2023

Highest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
92211 Palm Desert
463%
92264 Palm Springs
263%
92508 Riverside
249%
92504 Riverside
216%
92532 Lake Elsinore
206%
92591 Temecula
200%
92860 Norco
199%
92553 Moreno Valley
199%
92883 Corona
186%
92234 Cathedral City
181%
92571 Perris
173%
92503 Riverside
166%
92882 Corona
163%
92260 Palm Desert
151%
92543 Hemet
142%

Lowest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
92592 Temecula
70%
92562 Murrieta
81%
92223 Beaumont
89%
92879 Corona
95%
92570 Perris
99%
92505 Riverside
101%
92563 Murrieta
117%
92236 Coachella
132%
92253 La Quinta
134%
92509 Jurupa Valley
139%
92543 Hemet
142%
92260 Palm Desert
151%
92882 Corona
163%
92503 Riverside
166%
92571 Perris
173%
Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A ZIP with few car washes 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 ResidentsWorkersCar washesIndex
92590Temecula Employment hub 5,08922,770 4 496%
92230Cabazon Employment hub 1,8874,721 0–2 —
92518March Air Reserve Base Employment hub 1,2607,735 0–2 —

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

All ZIP codes

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

ZIPNeighborhood ResidentsWorkersCar washes Per 10kIndexStatus
92590Temecula 5,08922,770 4 2.4 496% Very high density
92211Palm Desert 28,09214,395 8 2.3 463% Very high density
92264Palm Springs 19,8996,792 3 1.3 263% Very high density
92508Riverside 36,9098,172 5 1.2 249% High density
92504Riverside 57,13218,144 7 1.1 216% High density
92532Lake Elsinore 28,0553,451 3 1.0 206% High density
92591Temecula 41,95518,073 5 1.0 200% High density
92860Norco 25,10911,256 3 1.0 199% High density
92553Moreno Valley 74,64015,017 8 1.0 199% High density
92883Corona 39,9907,929 4 0.9 186% High density
92234Cathedral City 52,2678,685 5 0.9 181% High density
92571Perris 60,09621,347 6 0.8 173% High density
92503Riverside 88,39520,783 8 0.8 166% High density
92882Corona 68,71513,420 6 0.8 163% High density
92260Palm Desert 30,52320,177 3 0.7 151% High density
92543Hemet 39,9376,464 3 0.7 142% Above average
92509Jurupa Valley 81,18214,455 6 0.7 139% Above average
92253La Quinta 38,66613,956 3 0.7 134% Above average
92236Coachella 43,6425,781 3 0.6 132% Above average
92563Murrieta 80,37914,262 5 0.6 117% Above average
92505Riverside 53,41914,275 3 0.5 101% Above average
92570Perris 58,0828,005 3 0.5 99% Below average
92879Corona 49,31730,373 3 0.5 95% Below average
92223Beaumont 63,8339,596 3 0.4 89% Below average
92562Murrieta 64,78121,022 3 0.4 81% Below average
92592Temecula 80,03516,196 3 0.3 70% Below average
91752Mira Loma 37,98330,704 0–2 — — Not published
92201Indio 65,82513,275 0–2 — — Not published
92202Indio —147 0–2 — — Not published
92203Indio 34,7357,490 0–2 — — Not published
92210Indian Wells 4,8714,872 0–2 — — Not published
92220Banning 33,7554,989 0–2 — — Not published
92225Blythe 20,3192,240 0–2 — — Not published
92226Blythe —72 0–2 — — Not published
92230Cabazon 1,8874,721 0–2 — — Not published
92235Cathedral City —173 0–2 — — Not published
92239Desert Center 14460 0–2 — — Not published
92240Desert Hot Springs 41,6153,179 0–2 — — Not published
92241Desert Hot Springs 8,884513 0–2 — — Not published
92248La Quinta —160 0–2 — — Not published
92254Mecca 11,333824 0–2 — — Not published
92255Palm Desert —27 0–2 — — Not published
92258North Palm Springs 474514 0–2 — — Not published
92261Palm Desert —195 0–2 — — Not published
92262Palm Springs 26,88720,468 0–2 — — Not published
92263Palm Springs —282 0–2 — — Not published
92270Rancho Mirage 17,56316,505 0–2 — — Not published
92274Thermal 18,1671,627 0–2 — — Not published
92276Thousand Palms 7,7203,400 0–2 — — Not published
92282Whitewater 1,419115 0–2 — — Not published
92320Calimesa 10,9022,887 0–2 — — Not published
92501Riverside 22,93414,016 0–2 — — Not published
92502Riverside —201 0–2 — — Not published
92506Riverside 45,08614,413 0–2 — — Not published
92507Riverside 64,01536,439 0–2 — — Not published
92513Riverside —11 0–2 — — Not published
92514Riverside —9 0–2 — — Not published
92516Riverside —29 0–2 — — Not published
92517Riverside —62 0–2 — — Not published
92518March Air Reserve Base 1,2607,735 0–2 — — Not published
92519Riverside —64 0–2 — — Not published
92521Riverside 0106 0–2 — — Not published
92530Lake Elsinore 61,76810,372 0–2 — — Not published
92531Lake Elsinore —17 0–2 — — Not published
92536Aguanga 2,970144 0–2 — — Not published
92539Anza 3,774384 0–2 — — Not published
92544Hemet 51,7513,384 0–2 — — Not published
92545Hemet 45,9828,142 0–2 — — Not published
92546Hemet —148 0–2 — — Not published
92548Homeland 8,312187 0–2 — — Not published
92549Idyllwild 4,0161,146 0–2 — — Not published
92551Moreno Valley 37,42522,245 0–2 — — Not published
92552Moreno Valley —70 0–2 — — Not published
92554Moreno Valley —13 0–2 — — Not published
92555Moreno Valley 45,97810,663 0–2 — — Not published
92556Moreno Valley —70 0–2 — — Not published
92557Moreno Valley 54,0613,639 0–2 — — Not published
92561Mountain Center 2,157180 0–2 — — Not published
92564Murrieta —200 0–2 — — Not published
92567Nuevo 10,867483 0–2 — — Not published
92572Perris —99 0–2 — — Not published
92581San Jacinto —1,526 0–2 — — Not published
92582San Jacinto 23,3561,459 0–2 — — Not published
92583San Jacinto 33,7783,892 0–2 — — Not published
92584Menifee 61,3667,863 0–2 — — Not published
92585Menifee 29,5342,452 0–2 — — Not published
92586Menifee 20,7673,300 0–2 — — Not published
92587Menifee 18,2181,473 0–2 — — Not published
92589Temecula —338 0–2 — — Not published
92593Temecula —64 0–2 — — Not published
92595Wildomar 34,4386,332 0–2 — — Not published
92596Winchester 38,9812,167 0–2 — — Not published
92877Corona —295 0–2 — — Not published
92878Corona —6,127 0–2 — — Not published
92880Corona 75,04315,562 0–2 — — Not published
92881Corona 30,34713,748 0–2 — — Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Find an actual space in Riverside

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 Riverside retail space →
Crexi
Free listings + market data
Browse Riverside retail space →
CityFeet
Retail space for lease
Browse Riverside 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 Riverside County and car washes

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 811192 — car washes. Counts establishments with paid employees. ZBP is published annually with a ~2-year lag.

Fresh county signal. This industry has no clean QCEW series, so the freshest county signal is Census County Business Patterns 2023: 147 establishments and $45M in annual payroll county-wide. This count includes locations in ZIP codes that do not map to a ZCTA, so it can be slightly higher than the sum of the ZIP rows. CBP is annual and slower than QCEW. 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 (0.49 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.