Where Mechanics Are Stretched Thinnest: Cars per Mechanic by State and Metro

Seventeen metros are repair deserts, and repair prices have risen faster than car insurance prices since 2020.

Updated: November 5, 2026

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

Oregon has 469 household vehicles for every automotive service technician. New Hampshire has 223. An Oregon mechanic has more than twice as many cars in line as a mechanic in New Hampshire.

Repair bills are rising at the same time. Bureau of Labor Statistics price data show vehicle maintenance and repair costs rose 5.8% nationally in the 12 months through September 2026. Car insurance prices fell 5.0% over the same stretch.

BLS projects about 66,200 openings for technicians a year through 2035. About 4,100 of those are new jobs; the rest replace technicians who retire or leave the trade.

MoneyGeek ranked all 50 states and 387 metro areas on how many household vehicles each technician serves, using BLS employment estimates and Census Bureau vehicle counts. The study also ranks states on vehicles per body repairer and per repair shop with paid employees. Seventeen metros, most of them in Oregon, California and Washington, have at least 1.5 times the national ratio. MoneyGeek calls those repair deserts.

None of this measures how long a repair takes. It measures how many cars are in line for each mechanic, and that’s worth knowing before a collision coverage claim leaves a driver paying for a rental.

STUDY FINDINGS

Oregon has the most cars per mechanic. Oregon has 469 household vehicles per automotive service technician, compared with 334 nationally. Washington (464) and Alabama (435) follow.
Three states rank among the 10 least served on every measure. Washington, Delaware and Alabama are in the bottom 10 for technicians, body repairers and repair shops with paid staff. Rhode Island is the only state in the top 10 on all three.
Technicians earn more in the least-served states. The 10 states with the most vehicles per technician have a median technician wage of $55,810, compared with $48,735 in the 10 best-served states.
Seventeen metros are repair deserts. Each has at least 502 household vehicles per technician, 1.5 times the national ratio. Napa, California (639), and Albany, Oregon (638), lead. Twelve of the 17 are in Oregon, California or Washington, and none has a million or more residents.
San Diego leads the large metros. San Diego has 468 vehicles per technician, the most among 56 metros with a million or more residents. Five of the 10 least-served large metros are in California; Salt Lake City has the fewest at 236.
Repair prices rose while premiums fell. Repair prices are up 56% since January 2020 and insurance prices are up 48%. Over the past year, repair prices rose 5.8% while insurance prices fell 5.0%.

State tile map showing cars per mechanic

Best and Worst Served States by Measure

No single state ranks last on all three measures. The spread between the best- and worst-served state runs from 2.1 times for technicians to 2.8 times for body repairers. Among metros, it reaches 3.7 times.


Household vehicles per technician	Oregon (469)	New Hampshire (223)	2.1x
Household vehicles per body repairer	Wyoming (2,656)	Rhode Island (944)	2.8x
Household vehicles per employer repair shop	Tennessee (2,474)	Vermont (1,072)	2.3x
Metro: household vehicles per technician	Napa, CA (639)	Carson City, NV (173)	3.7x

Household Vehicles per Mechanic in All 50 States

Oregon ranks first for technicians, Wyoming for body repairers and Tennessee for employer repair shops. In each column, rank 1 is the state with the most household vehicles per worker or shop, the least served, and the U.S. ratio for technicians is 334.


Oregon	469	1	1,973	10	1,806	23	$58,520
Washington	464	2	2,576	2	2,101	8	$57,270
Alabama	435	3	2,174	4	2,266	4	$45,640
California	404	4	1,881	15	1,681	30	$64,980
Ohio	391	5	1,488	33	2,029	11	$48,710
Delaware	388	6	2,182	3	2,125	7	$58,410
Colorado	381	7	1,500	31	1,686	29	$61,280
South Dakota	380	8	955	49	1,133	49	$51,160
Kansas	377	9	1,539	28	1,766	27	$47,790
Wisconsin	373	10	1,703	20	1,645	32	$54,350
Connecticut	368	11	1,383	42	1,810	22	$60,220
Virginia	367	12	1,764	19	1,915	20	$59,330
Minnesota	366	13	1,506	30	1,602	35	$58,390
Massachusetts	359	14	1,493	32	1,455	38	$60,760
Louisiana	357	15	1,855	17	1,985	14	$46,400
Alaska	354	16	1,860	16	1,626	33	$60,840
Georgia	352	17	1,661	21	2,064	9	$49,060
Nebraska	350	18	1,424	40	1,335	43	$50,560
Hawaii	345	19	2,075	6	2,358	2	$52,160
Tennessee	344	20	1,406	41	2,474	1	$50,290
Iowa	343	21	1,427	39	1,520	37	$50,510
Wyoming	341	22	2,656	1	1,373	41	$51,330
Montana	339	23	1,965	11	1,303	44	$58,740
Oklahoma	338	24	1,288	45	1,927	18	$46,560
New Jersey	336	25	1,592	25	1,563	36	$56,610
Michigan	329	26	1,464	36	1,728	28	$54,120
Arizona	328	27	1,956	12	1,959	16	$49,570
New Mexico	320	28	2,006	8	2,024	12	$47,300
Maine	319	29	1,589	26	1,286	45	$52,040
North Carolina	316	30	1,616	23	1,974	15	$48,200
Indiana	314	31	1,369	43	1,769	26	$49,360
Idaho	313	32	1,851	18	1,672	31	$48,420
Arkansas	312	33	1,998	9	2,058	10	$44,160
North Dakota	311	34	978	48	1,271	46	$57,360
Kentucky	308	35	2,044	7	2,282	3	$44,890
Pennsylvania	307	36	1,356	44	1,375	40	$49,800
Florida	303	37	1,638	22	1,788	25	$48,260
Maryland	301	38	1,461	37	1,792	24	$57,520
New York	301	38	1,129	46	1,213	47	$54,120
South Carolina	301	38	1,884	14	2,211	5	$48,100
Vermont	300	41	1,507	29	1,072	50	$51,630
Rhode Island	299	42	944	50	1,339	42	$51,770
Mississippi	298	43	1,600	24	2,174	6	$37,820
Nevada	298	43	2,170	5	1,926	19	$48,290
Texas	297	45	1,471	35	1,992	13	$48,310
West Virginia	292	46	1,954	13	1,943	17	$37,660
Illinois	287	47	1,473	34	1,412	39	$49,170
Missouri	273	48	1,078	47	1,615	34	$49,160
Utah	265	49	1,558	27	1,831	21	$46,570
New Hampshire	223	50	1,438	38	1,166	48	$59,020

Oregon’s 469 comes from 6,990 technicians for 3,275,807 household vehicles. Washington is close behind at 464 and also ranks second for body repairers, at 2,576 vehicles each. Alabama is the most consistent of the low-ranked states: third for technicians, fourth for body repairers and fourth for employer shops.

The three measures often disagree. Wyoming leads on body repairers at 2,656 vehicles each but ranks 22nd for technicians. Its lead rests on a BLS estimate of 200 body repairers statewide; 20 more would move Wyoming to second, behind Washington. Tennessee, at 2,474 vehicles per employer shop, ranks 20th for technicians. South Dakota is eighth for technicians yet 49th for body repairers.

At the well-served end, New Hampshire has 223 vehicles per technician, followed by Utah (265), Missouri (273), Illinois (287) and West Virginia (292). Rhode Island has the fewest vehicles per body repairer (944) and ranks among the 10 best-served states for technicians and employer shops as well.

The West Has the Most Cars per Mechanic

The West has 379 household vehicles per technician, the highest of the four Census regions. The Northeast has the lowest at 316, with the South (320) and Midwest (332) between them. Four of the 10 least-served states for technicians are in the West, four are in the Midwest (Ohio, South Dakota, Kansas and Wisconsin) and two are in the South (Alabama and Delaware). None is in the Northeast.

The pattern reverses for repair shops. The South has 1,998 household vehicles per employer repair shop, more than any other region, and the Northeast has 1,370.

Pay doesn’t explain the technician map, at least not simply. The 10 least-served states have a median technician wage of $55,810, against $48,735 in the 10 best-served states. Those wages aren’t adjusted for living costs, and this data can’t say whether higher pay is drawing technicians in or failing to keep up with demand.

What the Repair Shop Counts Show

Census counts 135,268 auto repair shops with paid employees in the 50 states and 401,505 repair businesses with no paid employees, about three for every employer shop. These one-person businesses are mostly self-employed owners, and the Census category also includes oil change shops and car washes. Each is counted as a business, whatever its size. The count doesn’t capture service bays or the hours an owner works, and MoneyGeek ranks states on employer shops instead.

Adding them would change the ranking. One-person businesses make up 85% of Florida’s repair businesses, the highest share of any state, and counting them would make Florida the best-served state for shops. On employer shops alone, Florida ranks 25th. Florida’s lead comes from one-person businesses.

Oregon Has the Most Metro Repair Deserts

MoneyGeek defines a repair desert as a metro area with at least 1.5 times the national ratio of household vehicles per technician, or 502 or more. Seventeen of 387 metros meet that bar. Napa, California, has 639 vehicles per technician and Albany, Oregon, has 638, a tie within the margin of error of BLS estimates. Wildwood-The Villages, Florida (570), Corvallis, Oregon (567), and Grants Pass, Oregon (566), follow.

Oregon has five repair deserts, California has four and Washington has three. All 17 have fewer than 1 million residents. Carson City, Nevada, has the fewest vehicles per technician of any metro, at 173.

Map showing 12 of the 17 metro repair deserts are in Oregon, California or Washington


1	Napa, CA	639	160	$76,450	Small	Yes
2	Albany, OR	638	170	$53,290	Small	Yes
3	Wildwood-The Villages, FL	570	180	$47,480	Small	Yes
4	Corvallis, OR	567	130	$54,330	Small	Yes
5	Grants Pass, OR	566	140	$54,330	Small	Yes
6	Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	540	450	$51,260	Medium	Yes
7	Merced, CA	538	330	$59,390	Medium	Yes
8	Salem, OR	535	590	$57,960	Medium	Yes
9	Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL	534	240	$39,800	Small	Yes
10	Springfield, OH	528	200	$46,300	Small	Yes
10	Walla Walla, WA	528	90	$50,090	Small	Yes
12	Bellingham, WA	525	360	$56,550	Small	Yes
13	Hinesville, GA	520	110	$46,810	Small	Yes
14	Hanford-Corcoran, CA	519	170	$64,090	Small	Yes
15	Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH	512	170	$40,670	Small	Yes
16	Bend, OR	509	440	$57,300	Medium	Yes
17	Chico, CA	507	320	$63,070	Small	Yes
18	Auburn-Opelika, AL	498	300	$47,250	Small	No
19	Amherst Town-Northampton, MA	494	220	$58,980	Small	No
20	Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	491	470	$53,820	Medium	No
21	Gadsden, AL	484	170	$42,200	Small	No
22	Eugene-Springfield, OR	481	620	$51,770	Medium	No
23	Jackson, MI	478	240	$51,870	Small	No
24	Ann Arbor, MI	477	540	$58,420	Medium	No
25	Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA	471	230	$49,470	Small	No
25	Yakima, WA	471	410	$50,150	Medium	No
27	Monroe, MI	468	270	$57,400	Small	No
27	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	468	4,910	$64,320	Large	No
29	Yuba City, CA	467	280	$58,580	Small	No
30	Greeley, CO	466	600	$60,920	Medium	No
30	Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ	466	220	$44,540	Small	No
32	Pueblo, CO	462	290	$58,480	Small	No
33	Decatur, AL	460	290	$45,740	Small	No
34	Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ	457	490	$47,480	Medium	No
35	Salinas, CA	455	620	$62,770	Medium	No
36	Bakersfield-Delano, CA	450	1,250	$62,450	Medium	No
36	Barnstable Town, MA	450	430	$60,650	Small	No
36	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	450	450	$58,860	Medium	No
39	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	447	4,180	$60,450	Large	No
40	Vallejo, CA	446	760	$69,710	Medium	No
41	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	445	520	$61,620	Medium	No
42	Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	444	1,460	$62,440	Medium	No
43	Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	442	230	$50,940	Small	No
44	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	439	3,040	$77,840	Large	No
45	Anniston-Oxford, AL	438	200	$44,590	Small	No
46	Huntsville, AL	437	940	$46,840	Medium	No
47	Medford, OR	436	420	$57,390	Small	No
48	Visalia, CA	435	700	$46,280	Medium	No
49	Dalton, GA	433	250	$47,770	Small	No
50	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	432	1,100	$54,840	Medium	No
51	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	430	6,860	$59,290	Large	No
52	Montgomery, AL	427	670	$47,030	Medium	No
52	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	427	700	$61,110	Medium	No
54	Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI	426	350	$50,320	Small	No
55	Dover, DE	424	320	$48,800	Small	No
56	Niles, MI	423	270	$49,450	Small	No
57	Kenosha, WI	421	310	$57,540	Small	No
58	Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	420	630	$54,840	Medium	No
58	Homosassa Springs, FL	420	300	$46,150	Small	No
60	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	419	1,090	$51,580	Medium	No
61	Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL	417	470	$45,720	Medium	No
61	Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	417	280	$55,270	Small	No
61	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	417	1,450	$65,160	Medium	No
64	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	415	7,680	$64,210	Large	No
65	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	412	7,270	$76,030	Large	No
66	Birmingham, AL	411	2,220	$47,830	Large	No
66	Cleveland, TN	411	260	$48,900	Small	No
68	Madison, WI	410	1,270	$60,650	Medium	No
68	Manhattan, KS	410	240	$44,410	Small	No
68	Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA	410	490	$47,350	Medium	No
71	Bay City, MI	408	200	$47,830	Small	No
72	Green Bay, WI	406	640	$56,180	Medium	No
73	Charlottesville, VA	405	430	$59,130	Small	No
74	Stockton-Lodi, CA	404	1,310	$62,840	Medium	No
74	Sumter, SC	404	190	$46,500	Small	No
76	Columbus, OH	401	3,920	$56,150	Large	No
77	Gettysburg, PA	399	220	$48,770	Small	No
78	Longview-Kelso, WA	398	230	$54,080	Small	No
79	Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	397	1,570	$47,100	Medium	No
79	Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	397	790	$61,610	Medium	No
79	Johnson City, TN	397	450	$49,830	Small	No
82	Kennewick-Richland, WA	396	590	$53,450	Medium	No
83	Las Cruces, NM	393	420	$45,690	Small	No
83	Traverse City, MI	393	320	$52,220	Small	No
85	Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA	392	670	$48,670	Medium	No
86	Fresno, CA	390	1,890	$52,000	Large	No
86	Lexington Park, MD	390	440	$56,560	Small	No
88	Rocky Mount, NC	389	300	$38,880	Small	No
88	Warner Robins, GA	389	390	$49,120	Small	No
90	Athens-Clarke County, GA	388	440	$51,170	Small	No
90	Helena, MT	388	220	$57,820	Small	No
90	Morristown, TN	388	260	$47,600	Small	No
90	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	388	1,000	$75,080	Medium	No
94	Lansing-East Lansing, MI	385	890	$56,130	Medium	No
94	Youngstown-Warren, OH	385	840	$46,090	Medium	No
96	Tuscaloosa, AL	383	530	$45,070	Medium	No
97	Boulder, CO	382	670	$63,950	Medium	No
97	Colorado Springs, CO	382	1,600	$60,710	Medium	No
97	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	382	1,610	$49,190	Medium	No
100	Dothan, AL	381	300	$44,170	Small	No
100	Eagle Pass, TX	381	90	$44,360	Small	No
100	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	381	2,160	$58,910	Large	No
100	Lawrence, KS	381	240	$47,880	Small	No
104	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	379	4,520	$49,090	Large	No
104	Cleveland, OH	379	4,120	$50,260	Large	No
104	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	379	7,180	$60,490	Large	No
107	Burlington, NC	378	370	$45,750	Small	No
107	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	378	22,330	$62,820	Large	No
109	Eau Claire, WI	377	370	$50,280	Small	No
109	Wichita, KS	377	1,330	$47,800	Medium	No
111	Redding, CA	375	380	$50,260	Small	No
111	Topeka, KS	375	510	$48,320	Small	No
113	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	374	3,560	$58,290	Large	No
114	Ames, IA	373	260	$58,820	Small	No
114	Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ	373	540	$46,670	Small	No
116	Rochester, MN	372	480	$49,920	Small	No
117	Goldsboro, NC	371	260	$43,970	Small	No
117	Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	371	360	$52,040	Small	No
119	Monroe, LA	370	400	$43,760	Small	No
119	Pittsfield, MA	370	250	$51,400	Small	No
119	Rapid City, SD	370	360	$58,980	Small	No
122	Lynchburg, VA	368	590	$46,970	Medium	No
122	Santa Fe, NM	368	370	$55,640	Small	No
124	Flagstaff, AZ	367	300	$49,030	Small	No
124	Modesto, CA	367	1,030	$62,770	Medium	No
124	Sebring, FL	367	210	$44,650	Small	No
127	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	366	6,340	$61,960	Large	No
127	Grand Forks, ND-MN	366	220	$58,680	Small	No
127	Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI	366	340	$47,350	Small	No
130	Bloomington, IN	364	330	$48,480	Small	No
131	Canton-Massillon, OH	362	860	$46,990	Medium	No
132	Iowa City, IA	361	360	$49,960	Small	No
132	Tucson, AZ	361	2,150	$48,600	Large	No
134	York-Hanover, PA	360	1,000	$55,110	Medium	No
135	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	359	370	$50,180	Small	No
135	Mansfield, OH	359	250	$48,350	Small	No
137	Columbus, GA-AL	358	630	$48,830	Medium	No
137	Urban Honolulu, HI	358	1,720	$49,020	Medium	No
139	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	357	12,310	$51,450	Large	No
139	Richmond, VA	357	2,930	$61,510	Large	No
141	Cheyenne, WY	356	250	$53,750	Small	No
141	Pocatello, ID	356	200	$46,450	Small	No
141	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	356	4,870	$72,020	Large	No
144	Columbus, IN	355	190	$49,180	Small	No
144	Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	355	400	$45,840	Small	No
144	Lebanon, PA	355	300	$49,180	Small	No
147	Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC	354	250	$48,640	Small	No
148	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	353	1,260	$48,730	Medium	No
148	Ithaca, NY	353	190	$48,820	Small	No
150	Midland, MI	352	190	$48,490	Small	No
151	Enid, OK	351	130	$40,670	Small	No
152	Duluth, MN-WI	350	650	$52,640	Medium	No
152	Worcester, MA	350	1,720	$54,330	Medium	No
154	Winston-Salem, NC	349	1,630	$46,080	Medium	No
155	Brunswick-St. Simons, GA	348	250	$47,880	Small	No
155	Gainesville, GA	348	440	$55,330	Small	No
157	Reading, PA	347	890	$51,310	Medium	No
158	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	346	1,830	$57,810	Medium	No
158	Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN	346	480	$49,290	Small	No
158	Roanoke, VA	346	740	$51,230	Medium	No
161	Chattanooga, TN-GA	345	1,320	$51,020	Medium	No
161	Lafayette, LA	345	810	$45,920	Medium	No
161	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	345	3,170	$62,530	Large	No
161	South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI	345	670	$49,080	Medium	No
165	Cedar Rapids, IA	344	650	$49,890	Medium	No
165	Sandusky, OH	344	280	$46,660	Small	No
167	Lincoln, NE	343	770	$49,500	Medium	No
167	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	343	12,030	$61,860	Large	No
169	Anchorage, AK	342	850	$59,880	Medium	No
169	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	342	5,210	$50,610	Large	No
169	Baton Rouge, LA	342	1,710	$48,480	Medium	No
169	Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV	342	690	$47,800	Medium	No
169	Kalamazoo-Portage, MI	342	560	$48,210	Medium	No
169	Michigan City-La Porte, IN	342	250	$50,400	Small	No
169	Valdosta, GA	342	310	$46,730	Small	No
176	Champaign-Urbana, IL	341	460	$48,090	Small	No
176	Great Falls, MT	341	210	$59,110	Small	No
176	Springfield, MA	341	870	$56,440	Medium	No
179	Mobile, AL	340	890	$47,330	Medium	No
179	Sioux Falls, SD-MN	340	720	$59,190	Medium	No
181	Bozeman, MT	339	330	$61,320	Small	No
181	Greenville, NC	339	390	$47,220	Small	No
181	Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	339	330	$54,230	Small	No
184	Hammond, LA	338	280	$45,450	Small	No
184	Rome, GA	338	210	$47,460	Small	No
186	Jacksonville, NC	337	430	$46,180	Small	No
186	Knoxville, TN	337	2,280	$48,540	Medium	No
186	Waterbury-Shelton, CT	337	950	$59,040	Medium	No
189	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	336	9,360	$63,060	Large	No
190	Bismarck, ND	335	350	$56,960	Small	No
190	Clarksville, TN-KY	335	730	$49,570	Medium	No
190	State College, PA	335	300	$47,240	Small	No
193	Wausau, WI	334	340	$53,100	Small	No
193	Wilmington, NC	334	1,130	$48,100	Medium	No
195	Grand Junction, CO	333	400	$58,200	Small	No
195	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	333	950	$46,860	Medium	No
195	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	333	14,910	$50,940	Large	No
195	Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	333	630	$58,950	Medium	No
199	Akron, OH	331	1,580	$52,900	Medium	No
199	Chambersburg, PA	331	400	$48,270	Small	No
199	Janesville-Beloit, WI	331	390	$53,240	Small	No
199	Rockford, IL	331	730	$48,110	Medium	No
199	Toledo, OH	331	1,350	$47,090	Medium	No
204	Brownsville-Harlingen, TX	329	780	$39,160	Medium	No
204	Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	329	980	$39,120	Medium	No
204	Kokomo, IN	329	200	$48,580	Small	No
207	Fargo, ND-MN	328	600	$59,510	Medium	No
207	Omaha, NE-IA	328	2,250	$54,230	Large	No
209	Asheville, NC	326	950	$47,900	Medium	No
210	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	325	11,970	$49,550	Large	No
210	Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL	325	370	$47,950	Small	No
212	Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	324	2,310	$48,120	Large	No
212	Lawton, OK	324	260	$45,010	Small	No
212	Oklahoma City, OK	324	3,340	$46,820	Large	No
215	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	322	9,520	$56,000	Large	No
215	Flint, MI	322	920	$48,680	Medium	No
215	Muncie, IN	322	260	$47,360	Small	No
215	Portland-South Portland, ME	322	1,360	$59,090	Medium	No
219	Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA	320	440	$48,500	Small	No
219	Boise City, ID	320	2,030	$48,630	Medium	No
219	Lake Charles, LA	320	520	$45,540	Small	No
219	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	320	28,420	$57,760	Large	No
219	Tallahassee, FL	320	870	$45,640	Medium	No
224	Coeur d'Alene, ID	319	490	$50,910	Small	No
224	Fond du Lac, WI	319	260	$54,300	Small	No
224	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	319	1,620	$39,920	Medium	No
224	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	319	2,980	$50,490	Large	No
224	Tulsa, OK	319	2,430	$47,410	Large	No
229	Harrisonburg, VA	318	340	$48,930	Small	No
229	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	318	5,150	$58,700	Large	No
229	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	318	12,700	$58,460	Large	No
229	Rochester, NY	318	2,310	$58,530	Large	No
233	Binghamton, NY	317	520	$47,870	Small	No
233	Fort Smith, AR-OK	317	550	$42,030	Small	No
233	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	317	1,460	$47,670	Medium	No
236	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	316	1,410	$49,540	Medium	No
236	Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	316	430	$48,720	Small	No
238	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	315	3,700	$51,970	Large	No
239	Kansas City, MO-KS	314	5,380	$53,790	Large	No
239	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	314	1,190	$46,290	Medium	No
239	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	314	11,340	$50,090	Large	No
242	North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	313	2,110	$51,970	Medium	No
243	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	312	17,690	$49,720	Large	No
244	Hot Springs, AR	310	260	$40,430	Small	No
244	Terre Haute, IN	310	410	$46,840	Small	No
246	Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	309	740	$47,760	Medium	No
246	Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC	309	560	$50,920	Small	No
246	Missoula, MT	309	350	$59,650	Small	No
246	Sherman-Denison, TX	309	360	$49,030	Small	No
250	Macon-Bibb County, GA	308	540	$47,700	Small	No
251	Albuquerque, NM	307	2,320	$48,820	Medium	No
251	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	307	6,340	$57,630	Large	No
251	El Centro, CA	307	320	$54,330	Small	No
251	Logan, UT-ID	307	380	$46,490	Small	No
255	Appleton, WI	306	640	$58,060	Small	No
256	Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	305	2,590	$48,550	Large	No
256	Decatur, IL	305	240	$47,880	Small	No
256	Gainesville, FL	305	800	$47,460	Medium	No
256	Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	305	4,970	$47,650	Large	No
256	Minot, ND	305	210	$60,020	Small	No
256	Raleigh-Cary, NC	305	3,650	$50,600	Large	No
262	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	304	890	$47,050	Medium	No
262	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	304	1,700	$46,810	Medium	No
262	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	304	920	$37,240	Medium	No
262	Lewiston, ID-WA	304	190	$48,870	Small	No
262	Port St. Lucie, FL	304	1,200	$49,380	Medium	No
262	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	304	7,380	$47,880	Large	No
268	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	303	1,870	$60,470	Medium	No
268	Owensboro, KY	303	290	$43,900	Small	No
268	Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	303	1,590	$43,980	Medium	No
268	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	303	1,300	$47,600	Medium	No
272	Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	302	1,530	$56,260	Medium	No
272	Trenton-Princeton, NJ	302	800	$56,550	Medium	No
274	Bowling Green, KY	301	470	$42,860	Small	No
275	Killeen-Temple, TX	300	1,110	$45,870	Medium	No
276	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	299	980	$47,880	Medium	No
277	Naples-Marco Island, FL	298	940	$51,320	Medium	No
277	Punta Gorda, FL	298	520	$46,190	Small	No
279	Kingston, NY	297	440	$53,290	Small	No
280	Vineland, NJ	296	330	$48,670	Small	No
281	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	295	20,140	$55,320	Large	No
282	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	294	2,140	$55,500	Medium	No
282	Sheboygan, WI	294	310	$51,080	Small	No
284	Savannah, GA	293	1,000	$52,230	Medium	No
284	Spartanburg, SC	293	970	$48,610	Medium	No
286	Johnstown, PA	292	330	$46,350	Small	No
287	Greensboro-High Point, NC	291	2,110	$48,770	Medium	No
287	Lewiston-Auburn, ME	291	280	$56,370	Small	No
287	Lima, OH	291	270	$45,740	Small	No
287	New Haven, CT	291	1,320	$59,760	Medium	No
287	Utica-Rome, NY	291	670	$47,770	Medium	No
292	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	290	1,900	$46,840	Medium	No
293	Waco, TX	289	730	$46,790	Medium	No
294	Evansville, IN	288	740	$47,920	Medium	No
295	Jefferson City, MO	287	420	$47,010	Small	No
295	Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	287	930	$45,990	Medium	No
297	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	286	6,320	$46,880	Large	No
298	Reno, NV	285	1,580	$50,190	Medium	No
299	Alexandria, LA	284	340	$44,900	Small	No
299	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	284	6,480	$47,850	Large	No
299	Springfield, IL	284	550	$48,810	Small	No
299	Winchester, VA-WV	284	410	$57,570	Small	No
303	Jacksonville, FL	283	4,160	$51,530	Large	No
303	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	283	3,640	$47,440	Large	No
305	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR	282	1,520	$46,840	Medium	No
306	Bloomington, IL	281	440	$46,260	Small	No
307	College Station-Bryan, TX	280	700	$49,080	Medium	No
307	El Paso, TX	280	2,080	$44,250	Medium	No
307	Ocala, FL	280	1,030	$45,900	Medium	No
310	Elizabethtown, KY	279	350	$41,630	Small	No
310	Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	279	5,600	$50,530	Large	No
310	Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	279	1,820	$45,900	Medium	No
313	Morgantown, WV	278	360	$37,060	Small	No
314	St. Louis, MO-IL	277	7,590	$58,190	Large	No
315	Battle Creek, MI	276	340	$47,720	Small	No
315	Pittsburgh, PA	276	6,430	$48,900	Large	No
315	Yuma, AZ	276	540	$44,510	Small	No
318	Paducah, KY-IL	275	290	$43,260	Small	No
319	Corpus Christi, TX	274	1,090	$44,710	Medium	No
319	Fort Wayne, IN	274	1,240	$49,810	Medium	No
321	Jonesboro, AR	273	350	$44,830	Small	No
321	Mankato, MN	273	290	$48,450	Small	No
321	Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC	273	1,040	$45,360	Medium	No
321	St. George, UT	273	550	$47,430	Small	No
325	Elmira, NY	271	210	$46,720	Small	No
325	St. Joseph, MO-KS	271	330	$47,180	Small	No
327	Casper, WY	269	260	$59,530	Small	No
328	Dubuque, IA	268	290	$61,030	Small	No
329	Erie, PA	267	670	$46,840	Medium	No
330	Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL	266	620	$43,730	Small	No
330	Peoria, IL	266	1,040	$47,750	Medium	No
330	Syracuse, NY	266	1,650	$49,410	Medium	No
330	Twin Falls, ID	266	360	$46,990	Small	No
334	Hattiesburg, MS	265	430	$37,700	Small	No
334	Jackson, TN	265	520	$49,910	Small	No
334	Joplin, MO-KS	265	590	$46,320	Small	No
334	Kahului-Wailuku, HI	265	440	$57,180	Small	No
334	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	265	2,160	$46,130	Medium	No
339	Bangor, ME	262	450	$50,170	Small	No
339	Longview, TX	262	800	$46,400	Medium	No
341	Ogden, UT	261	1,870	$46,650	Medium	No
342	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	260	7,990	$53,660	Large	No
342	Fairbanks-College, AK	260	270	$61,060	Small	No
344	Glens Falls, NY	259	370	$50,300	Small	No
345	Columbia, MO	258	630	$48,370	Small	No
345	Columbia, SC	258	2,500	$48,080	Medium	No
347	Lancaster, PA	256	1,540	$50,530	Medium	No
348	Billings, MT	255	650	$60,150	Small	No
348	Wheeling, WV-OH	255	400	$42,030	Small	No
350	Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	252	3,340	$49,310	Large	No
350	Lexington-Fayette, KY	252	1,530	$46,080	Medium	No
352	Elkhart-Goshen, IN	251	530	$49,990	Small	No
353	Burlington-South Burlington, VT	250	660	$57,580	Small	No
354	Albany, GA	248	420	$49,710	Small	No
354	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	248	2,510	$49,120	Medium	No
354	Texarkana, TX-AR	248	410	$44,940	Small	No
357	Laredo, TX	247	640	$39,450	Medium	No
357	Salisbury, MD	247	390	$54,840	Small	No
357	Williamsport, PA	247	340	$48,450	Small	No
360	Saginaw, MI	243	580	$47,320	Small	No
361	Cape Girardeau, MO-IL	242	310	$48,690	Small	No
361	Grand Island, NE	242	260	$53,250	Small	No
361	St. Cloud, MN	242	640	$48,490	Small	No
364	Kankakee, IL	240	320	$45,190	Small	No
365	Florence, SC	238	600	$46,130	Small	No
365	Victoria, TX	238	300	$45,060	Small	No
365	Wichita Falls, TX	238	440	$44,780	Small	No
368	Jackson, MS	237	1,900	$38,040	Medium	No
369	Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	236	3,910	$47,280	Large	No
370	Midland, TX	231	600	$49,990	Small	No
371	Fayetteville, NC	224	1,220	$46,870	Medium	No
372	Idaho Falls, ID	222	580	$48,320	Small	No
373	Altoona, PA	220	400	$46,160	Small	No
373	Watertown-Fort Drum, NY	220	350	$47,280	Small	No
375	Lubbock, TX	216	1,180	$44,950	Medium	No
376	San Angelo, TX	210	410	$46,130	Small	No
377	Amarillo, TX	209	930	$45,860	Medium	No
377	Beckley, WV	209	380	$37,340	Small	No
377	Farmington, NM	209	400	$46,660	Small	No
380	Charleston, WV	207	690	$41,390	Small	No
380	Manchester-Nashua, NH	207	1,540	$59,720	Medium	No
382	Springfield, MO	204	1,840	$49,570	Medium	No
383	Parkersburg-Vienna, WV	201	330	$37,250	Small	No
384	Abilene, TX	193	650	$46,190	Small	No
385	Tyler, TX	189	850	$44,590	Medium	No
386	Odessa, TX	187	640	$47,510	Small	No
387	Carson City, NV	173	270	$54,270	Small	No

Five of the 10 Least-Served Large Metros Are in California

None of the 56 metros with a million or more residents reaches the repair desert bar. Twenty-four have more vehicles per technician than the national ratio of 334. San Diego has the most at 468, followed by Portland (447), San Jose (439), Seattle (430) and Riverside (415). Five of the 10 are in California. Salt Lake City has the fewest at 236, followed by Grand Rapids, Michigan (252), and Charlotte, North Carolina (260).


1	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	468	27	2,274	$64,320
2	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	447	39	1,780	$60,450
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	439	44	2,188	$77,840
4	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	430	51	2,202	$59,290
5	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	415	64	1,932	$64,210
6	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	412	65	1,118	$76,030
7	Birmingham, AL	411	66	2,281	$47,830
8	Columbus, OH	401	76	1,427	$56,150
9	Fresno, CA	390	86	2,380	$52,000
10	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	381	100	1,372	$58,910

Repair Prices Have Outpaced Insurance Premiums

The BLS consumer price index for motor vehicle maintenance and repair rose 56% from January 2020 to September 2026. The motor vehicle insurance index rose 48% over the same period, and prices overall rose 31%.

Repair prices passed car insurance prices in June 2026, up 56% since 2020

Insurance prices peaked in February 2026, up 56% from January 2022, and have fallen 5.7% since. Repair prices kept rising, and measured from January 2020, they passed insurance prices in June 2026. Lower premiums help drivers at renewal. A long stay in the shop costs the same either way. Newer cars add another layer of expense, covered in MoneyGeek’s analysis of repair costs for cars with advanced driver-assistance systems.

WHAT A LONG REPAIR CAN COST DRIVERS

When a repair runs long, your rental reimbursement limits decide who pays for the substitute car. Say your policy pays $30 a day for up to 30 days, or $900 in total, and the rental costs $50 a day.

A 20-day repair: You pay the $20 daily difference, or $400.
A 40-day repair: You pay $20 a day for the first 30 days ($600) and the full $50 for the last 10 ($500), or $1,100.

The extra 20 days cost you $700 in this example. Limits and rental rates vary by insurer and location.

How to Prepare for a Repair in a Low-Capacity Area

If you live in Oregon, Washington, Alabama or one of the 17 repair-desert metros, take these steps before you need a major repair:

1
Check rental reimbursement limits.
Look at the daily limit, the total limit and any time cap, and consider raising them if repairs in your area often take weeks.
2
Ask your insurer about its repair network.
Many insurers work with direct-repair shops. Ask which nearby shops are in the network and whether they have open capacity.
3
Schedule maintenance early.
In areas with few technicians, booking routine service weeks ahead gives the shop room to fit you in.
4
Know the claims steps before you need them.
MoneyGeek’s guide on how to file a car insurance claim covers what to document and when. Claims handling also varies by company; MoneyGeek ranks the insurers with the best claims service.

Which Metros Are Car Repair Deserts?

These 17 metros have at least 502 household vehicles per automotive service technician, 1.5 times the national ratio of 334.


Florence-Muscle Shoals	AL	240	534	Small
Chico	CA	320	507	Small
Hanford-Corcoran	CA	170	519	Small
Merced	CA	330	538	Medium
Napa	CA	160	639	Small
Wildwood-The Villages	FL	180	570	Small
Hinesville	GA	110	520	Small
Springfield	OH	200	528	Small
Albany	OR	170	638	Small
Bend	OR	440	509	Medium
Corvallis	OR	130	567	Small
Grants Pass	OR	140	566	Small
Salem	OR	590	535	Medium
Bellingham	WA	360	525	Small
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater	WA	450	540	Medium
Walla Walla	WA	90	528	Small
Weirton-Steubenville	WV-OH	170	512	Small

Methodology

MoneyGeek ranked the 50 states on three ratios and 387 metropolitan statistical areas on one. Washington, D.C., and the five Puerto Rico metros are excluded.

Household vehicles divided by automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023). This is the headline measure for states and metros.
Household vehicles divided by automotive body and related repairers (SOC 49-3021). BLS published no body repairer estimate for 26 metros. Metros are ranked on technicians only.
Household vehicles divided by auto repair establishments with paid employees in NAICS 81111 (general and specialized automotive repair) and 81112 (body, paint, interior and glass repair). Other automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 81119), which includes oil change shops and car washes, is excluded. Repair businesses without paid employees (Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 8111) are reported but not ranked.

For each ratio, rank 1 is the most vehicles per worker or shop, the least-served state or metro. Ties share a rank.
An earlier version of this analysis counted Census non-employer businesses as shops. They made up three of every four repair businesses in that count, and Florida, where 85% of repair businesses have no paid staff, came out as the best-served state. We ranked states on employer shops instead and report one-person businesses separately.
Household vehicles are the aggregate number of vehicles available to households from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020 to 2024 (Table B25046). Technician and body repairer employment and median annual wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. Employer shop counts come from Census County Business Patterns for 2023. Metro size classes use Census Vintage 2025 population estimates. Price trends use BLS CPI-U, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted, for motor vehicle maintenance and repair (CUUR0000SETD), motor vehicle insurance (CUUR0000SETE) and all items (CUUR0000SA0), January 2020 through September 2026. BLS published no CPI data for October 2025 and no insurance index for November 2025; those months are left blank. Technician job openings and growth come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035 projections.
A metro is a repair desert if its household vehicles per technician are at least 1.5 times the national ratio of 334 (all 50 states combined), or 502 or more.
Household vehicles exclude commercial and fleet vehicles, while BLS technician counts include workers at dealerships and fleet operations. BLS counts exclude self-employed mechanics. The ratios measure capacity relative to household vehicles. They do not measure repair wait times, prices or quality. Employer shop counts (2023) and vehicle counts (2020 to 2024) cover different periods. BLS employment estimates are survey-based and rounded to the nearest 10; small differences between states or metros may fall within sampling error.

About Nathan Paulus

Nathan Paulus is the Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at MoneyGeek, where he leads content strategy and conducts original data research across insurance, consumer costs, transportation safety, housing, public policy and personal finance. He reviews studies for methodology, source quality and factual accuracy.

Research and Analysis

In more than six years at MoneyGeek, Nathan has published more than 100 original studies and explanatory guides. His insurance research includes 50-state comparisons of health care outcomes, costs and access, and an analysis of how uninsured rates track with state Medicaid expansion decisions and electoral patterns.

He has analyzed full-coverage auto rates across major insurers in all 50 states and tracked how premium trends relate to industry underwriting losses. That research draws on combined ratio data from Fitch Ratings and AM Best, plus the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI figures. Beyond insurance, his work spans vehicle pricing trends across the U.S. new car market, summer traffic fatality rates by state, homeowner underinsurance ratios using mortgage and policy data, and housing affordability across all 50 states.

His research has been cited by Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Fast Company, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today and NBC Los Angeles. Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale have referenced his work.

Career

Nathan traces his interest in personal finance back to his grandmother, who ran her household on a simple rule: spend less than you make and save the difference before anything else. That rule shows up in his work today. His writing skips jargon and complex strategy in favor of the basics that help someone living paycheck to paycheck.

He joined MoneyGeek in July 2020 as Director of Content Marketing, where he led the content team and oversaw data journalism production across insurance and personal finance verticals. A promotion to Head of Marketing and Communications followed in December 2023. The new role added digital PR and communications strategy to his responsibilities. He was appointed Head of Content and SEO in January 2025.

Before MoneyGeek, Nathan served as Director of Content Marketing and SEO at Ventrix Advertising, where he helped build two content sites from scratch, contributed to link-building programs that generated more than 1,500 unique referring domains within a year and co-managed a marketing team of more than 20 people. Two and a half years at ABUV Media preceded that role. He advanced from Marketing Research Analyst to Senior Marketing Tactics Analyst, where he built expertise in audience research, content strategy and SEO.

Read Full Bio »

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: May 2025 Tables." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Consumer Price Index." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau. "Aggregate Number of Vehicles Available by Tenure (ACS 5-Year Estimates, Table B25046)." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau. "County Business Patterns Datasets." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau. "Nonemployer Statistics Datasets." Accessed November 5, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau. "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2025." Accessed November 5, 2026.