There were 27 more dealerships in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 2023, and auto sales are expected to increase to 16.1 million unit sales in 2025, according to the new Automotive Franchise Activity Report from Urban Science in Detroit, a subsidiary of General Motors Co.
At the end of 2023, there were 18,347 dealership rooftops in the U.S. At the close of 2024, that number had jumped to 18,374. At the same time, the number of franchises — brands a dealership sells — decreased by 380 (from 30,504 to 30,124) year over year.
The most significant state-level changes were net increases in Florida (+21), Texas (+14), Georgia (+9), and North Carolina (+7), and net decreases in Pennsylvania (-8) and Missouri (-10); Alabama, Ohio and Wisconsin’s dealership counts all (net) decreased by four stores each.
Urban Science also reported throughput — the number of vehicles a dealership sells — increased by 22 units this year (from 851 units in 2023 to 873 units in 2024). Overall, retail sales — comprising all powertrain types –—increased 2. percent last year compared to 2023.
“These year-end figures reveal continued stability across the U.S. automotive retail network last year,” the report says. “In this environment of continued stability regarding dealership count and retail sales, we expect throughput to remain stable in 2025 with a modest increase of three units. This uptick to 876 units would represent a new peak since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.”
The 2025 sales prediction is based on GlobalData’s forecast of 16.1 million unit sales this year, according to Urban Science.
The report shows Q4 EV sales — comprising battery electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales — achieved record sales again in 2024. Year-end EV retail sales were up 22.7 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
Click here to view the full report.
