There is no single official U.S. statistic covering every business commonly called a junkyard, salvage yard, auto wrecking yard, used-parts yard, or scrap yard. The most reliable answer depends on how the term is defined.
How many junk yards are in the US?
The closest federal count is 1,805 employer establishments. This figure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 Business Patterns data for NAICS 423140, a category covering used motor vehicle parts merchant wholesalers, including businesses that dismantle vehicles to sell their parts.
For a broader estimate, the commercial directory SalvageAtlas lists 2,648 auto salvage yards across the United States. That directory count includes used auto-parts businesses, U-pull-it lots, and yards that buy junk cars. It is not a federal business census and may include inactive, duplicate, or unverified listings.
Why the numbers are different
“Junkyard” is a common business term rather than one complete federal industry category. Different types of operations are classified separately:
- NAICS 423140: used motor vehicle parts merchant wholesalers and businesses that dismantle vehicles to sell parts.
- NAICS 441310: retail used automotive-parts dealers, which can include retail-oriented junkyards.
- NAICS 423930: some scrap-focused operations.
Because these categories are separate, the Census Bureau’s 1,805 establishments do not represent every junkyard operating in the country. Combining the categories also requires care to avoid counting the same business more than once.
Best estimate for the number of U.S. junkyards
For a narrow, official count, use approximately 1,805 employer establishments. This is the strongest federal figure for vehicle-dismantling and used-parts wholesale businesses.
For a broader answer based on listed auto salvage businesses, use approximately 2,648 junkyards and auto salvage yards. This number is more inclusive but comes from a commercial directory rather than government statistics.
How many junk yards are in the USA?
The practical answer is that the United States has at least about 1,805 federally counted vehicle-dismantling and used-parts establishments, and roughly 2,648 listed auto salvage yards in a broader commercial directory. The actual total for every type of junkyard is not published as one official national number.
