Guide · October 29, 2026 · 2 min read
How many car dealerships are in the US? About 18,000 franchise rooftops
About 18,000 US franchise dealership rooftops by industry counts, plus 1,440 dealer groups. The dealer market sized by type, group size, store size and state.
How many car dealerships in the us
Industry counts put US franchise dealerships at about 18,000 rooftops. Urban Science counted 18,347 at the end of 2023, and IBISWorld puts new car dealers at 16,442 businesses in 2026. DealerData holds 29,305 US franchise dealer records, more than the rooftop count, because many rooftops run more than one website or trade under more than one name. It also holds 34,758 independent dealer records and 4,524 powersports and RV records. In Canada, the CADA counts 3,457 dealers; DealerData holds 2,119 Canadian franchise records. 1,440 dealer groups own 11,835 store records.
Counts from the DealerData database on 29 October 2026. A store is counted once per name and state, because some stores run more than one website.
Dealers by type
| Type | US | Canada | Median people on file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise dealer records | 29,305 | 2,119 | 12 |
| Independent dealer records | 34,758 | 1,051 | 1 |
| Powersports and RV records | 4,524 | 296 | 3 |
The franchise count is the one that matters for most software and service vendors. 23,281 US franchise records have named people on file. Independents are many but small. Only 6,291 have a named person on file.
Dealers by group size
| Group size | Groups | Stores |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 stores | 627 | 1,846 |
| 5 to 9 stores | 452 | 2,963 |
| 10 to 24 stores | 252 | 3,706 |
| 25 to 49 stores | 63 | 2,086 |
| 50 stores or more | 13 | 1,201 |
The largest is AutoNation with 294 stores, then Penske Automotive Group (123), Napleton Automotive Group (111), Lithia Motors (103) and Hendrick Automotive Group (97). See the largest dealer groups.
Dealers by store size
| Employees | Franchise stores |
|---|---|
| 1 to 19 | 7,945 |
| 20 to 49 | 4,691 |
| 50 to 99 | 3,743 |
| 100 to 249 | 2,316 |
| 250 or more | 563 |
Store records with a size band on file; 14,753 franchise records have none yet.
Dealers by state
California (1,836 franchise stores), Texas (1,684), Florida (1,239), Pennsylvania (1,139) and New York (1,109) lead. See car dealerships by state for all 50.
Dealers by OEM
| OEM network | Stores | People on file |
|---|---|---|
| GM | 5,440 | 200,090 |
| Ford and Lincoln | 4,133 | 138,059 |
| Stellantis CDJR | 3,157 | 98,128 |
| Toyota and Lexus | 2,111 | 133,041 |
| Honda and Acura | 1,918 | 77,582 |
US and Canada, stores with named people.
What this means if you sell to dealers
Your real market is smaller than the headline count. Cut it by type, OEM, group size and role before you plan a quarter. See choosing your first dealer segment.
Frequently asked questions
How many car dealerships are in the US?
About 18,000 franchise rooftops by industry counts. Urban Science counted 18,347 at the end of 2023. DealerData holds 29,305 US franchise dealer records, because many rooftops run more than one website, and 34,758 independent dealer records.
How many dealer groups are there?
1,440 dealer groups own 11,835 store records in DealerData. 13 own 50 stores or more.
Which is the largest car dealer group?
AutoNation, with 294 stores in DealerData.
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