Car Rental Industry Market Research Report 2025: $79.7B Market Size & 10.4% Annual Growth

Published: October 2025
Concentration Analysis & Long-term Forecasts (2029)

The U.S. Car Rental Industry has completed a dramatic post-pandemic rebound, achieving a sustained 10.4% annual growth over the past three years. The sector has expanded to a total industry revenue of $79.7 billion in 2025.

Our 2025 Market Research Report is the essential resource for investors, fleet managers, and operators, delivering crucial financial and operational benchmarks for profitability, market structure, and growth through 2029.

Market momentum is being driven by several critical trends:

  • Travel Recovery: Both leisure and business travel have returned to—and in some cases exceeded—pre-pandemic volumes, driving airport rental demand.
  • High Concentration: Unlike fragmented sectors, this industry is dominated by a few major players, with the Top 4 capturing 89.5% of the market share.
  • Neighborhood Expansion: Operators are increasingly focusing on non-airport, neighborhood locations to capitalize on insurance replacement demand and urban customers who rely less on personal ownership.

Car Rental Industry Market Research Report

100% Moneyback Guarantee
Kentley Insights Guarantee

Car Rental Industry Definition and Scope


This industry includes companies primarily engaged in providing short-term passenger vehicle use. Core activities include maintaining rental fleets, processing temporary agreements, offering daily or weekly rentals, and providing ancillary services for convenience and flexibility.

For strategic planners and finance professionals, understanding the high concentration and operational efficiency benchmarks detailed in this report is critical for successful merger, acquisition, and expansion strategies.

Car rental agency: Hearse rental, without drivers: Hearses and limousines, rental without drivers: Limousine rental, without driver: Passenger car rental, without driver

Key Car Rental Industry Statistics (2025 Report Insights)


This comprehensive 78-page report provides over 100 data sets on the U.S. industry, covering historical trends (2017-2025), profitability, and detailed forecasts for the next 5 years.

This report includes market size, growth, sales & cost trends, industry dynamics, operating expenses for 26 categories, profitability, employee productivity, 10 financial ratios, 31 balance sheet metrics, extensive statistics by state and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs), workforce composition statistics, market share for top 50 companies, inflation, payroll and pay range data on 46 jobs, product line breakdown, industry data sets segmented by business size, concentration, and business structure, and much more.

Below are a few of the statistics included in this extensive 78-page market research report:


MARKET SIZE
In 2025, industry revenue was $79.7 billion

NUMBER OF COMPANIES
There are 4,264 companies in the industry

MARKET GROWTH
The 5-year annual growth rate averaged 5.5%

MARKET SHARE
The top 4 companies have 89.5% market share

REVENUE PER LOCATION
The average sales per location is $3.6 million

INFLATION & PRICING
Over the past 5 years, inflation averaged 3.9%

FINANCIAL METRICS
For unprofitable firms, the avg. net loss is -21.4%

EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
Revenue per employee is $512,202

OPERATING EXPENSE BENCHMARKS
1.9% of expenses is spent on professional services

PAY BENCHMARKS
In 2025, avg. pay per employee was $43,169

ORGANIZATIONAL BENCHMARKS
2.1% of employees are in business ops & finance

JOB PAY RANGES
The avg. hourly pay for finance jobs is $34.58


Instantly download the 2026 Car Rental U.S. Market Research Report to access over 100 data sets on the industry.


Car Rental Report Format


The 2026 Car Rental Market Research Report is 78 pages of extensive data, trends, forecasts, benchmarks, analysis, and charts on the industry. Below are select page images from the report and scroll further down for the table of contents and a sample of the report.

Car Rental Revenue

Car Rental OPEX Expenses

Car Rental Profit

Car Rental BCG Matrix

Car Rental State Sales

Car Rental Benchmarks


Sample Report


Download the full sample report below. The Car Rental Market Research Report will have the same format and data sets.

Kentley Insights Services Sample Report

Table of Contents – Car Rental Report


1-2 Report Overview & Table of Contents

3 Industry Overview
– Methodology
– Industry Definition & Examples
– Market Commentary

4 Industry Snapshot – Revenue & Growth

5 Industry Snapshot – Costs & Profitability

Section One
REVENUE & GROWTH BENCHMARKS

7 Industry Growth Details
– Industry Revenues
– Number of Companies & Locations
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

8 Growth Benchmarks
– Revenues per Company & Locations
– Locations per Company
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

9 Breakdown of Product Lines
– Percentage of Revenue from Product Lines

10 BCG Income vs. Revenue Growth Matrix
– Service Subsectors vs. Industry

11 Total Revenue by Industry Segments
– Concentration (Top 4, next 4, next 12, next 30 largest companies)
– Business Size (1-4 employees, 5-9 employees, 10-19, 20-49, 50-99, 100-249, 250+)
– Business Structure (C-Corporations, S-Corporations, Partnerships, Sole Proprietorships)
– Franchise Segments

12 Total Revenue per State
– Revenue per State and State Rankings

13 Sales per Capita by State

14-17 Revenue per Metropolitan Statistical Area

18-21 Revenue per Capita per Metropolitan Statistical Area

22 Revenue per Company by Industry Segment
– Concentration, Business Size, & Business Structure

23 Revenue per Location by Industry Segment
– Concentration, Size, Structure, & Franchise

24 Revenue per Location by State
– Revenue per Location and State Rankings

25-28 Revenue per Location per MSA

29 Industry Segmentation by Business Size

30 Industry Consolidation Analysis
– By Business Size Segments
– Revenue, Companies, Locations & Employees
– 2020 vs. 2025 by Business Size

31 Industry Consolidation Benchmarks

32 Industry Segmentation by Top 50 Companies
– Segments include top 4, next 4, next 12, next 30, and top 50 companies by revenue
– Revenue, Locations, Employees & Payroll

33 Sector Concentration Benchmarks
– % of Sector Revenue from the Top 50 Companies for 12 Sectors

34 Industry Segmentation by Business Structure
– Revenue, Companies, Locations, Employees & Payroll

35 Pricing & Inflation
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts
– Monthly Inflation Figures for the Past 4 Years

36 Service Subsector Growth
– Revenue and 5-Year CAGR for 12 Subsectors

37 Service Subsector Analysis
– Revenue per Company & Location

38 Service Subsector Analysis
– Revenue & Payroll per Employee

SECTION TWO
COST & FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

40 Profitability & Financial Ratio Analysis
– Percent of Companies that are Profitable
– Average Net Income as a Percent of Revenue
– Financial Ratios – 10 ratios, such as Total Asset
Turnover, Assets to Liabilities, Return on
Net Worth, Solvency Ratio

41 Balance Sheet Benchmarks
– Assets and Liabilities indexed to industry revenue at 100
– Current & Non-Current Assets
– Short-term, Long-term Liabilities, & Net Worth

42 Operating Expenses
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

43 Operating Expenses by Company & Location
– Operating Expenses per Company & Location
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

44 Operating Expense Detail
– Employee Expenses: Annual Payroll, Health Insurance, Defined Benefit Pension Plans, Defined Contribution Plans, Other Fringe Benefits, Contract Labor Costs, Incl. Temporary Help
– Property Expenses: Lease and Rent for Buildings, Offices, Stores, Repairs and Maintenance to Buildings, Purchased Electricity, Purchased Fuels (except motor fuels), Water, Sewer, Refuse, Other Utility Payments
– Equipment Expenses: Expensed Equipment: Lease and Rent for Machinery and Equip., Repairs, Maint. to Machinery and Equip., Depreciation and Amortization Charges, Other Materials, Parts, and Supplies
– IT Expenses: Data Processing & Other Computer Services: Communication Services: Expensed Purchases of Software
– Miscellaneous Expenses: Advertising and Promotional Services, Professional and Technical Services, Taxes and License Fees

45 Productivity & Industry Employment
– Revenue per Employee
– Total Industry Employees
– Employees per Company
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

46 Employee Productivity by Segments

47 Employee Productivity by State

48-51 Employee Productivity per MSA

52 Industry Payroll
– Payroll per Employee, Company & Location
– 2016-2029 Trends & Forecasts

53 Workforce Composition Benchmarks
– 26 Job Categories
– Management & Finance
– Sales & Marketing
– Technology, Engineering, Science
– Service, Support & Training
– Operations
– Percent of Industry Employees

54 Job Categorization Pay Ranges
– 26 Job Categories
– Pay Bands – Bottom 10% & 25%, Mean, Top 25% & 10%
– Pay Bands (10%, 25%, Mean, 75%, 90%)

55 Top 20 Jobs Breakdown
– Percent of Total Employees by Job
– Rank Ordered by Top 20 Job Categories

56 Pay Ranges of Top 20 Jobs

57 Payroll per Company by Segments

58 Payroll per Location by Segments

59 Payroll per Employee by Segments

60 Payroll per Employee by State

61-64 Payroll per Employee per MSA

65 Employees per Company by Segments
– Concentration, Business Size, & Business Structure

66 Employees per Company by Segments
– Concentration, Business Size, Structure, & Franchise

67 Total Employment by State

68 Population to Every Employee by State

69-72 Total Employment per MSA

73 Locations per Company by Segments

74-77 Locations per MSA

78 About Kentley Insights


Report & Industry Details


NAICS Code: 532111

Number of Pages: 78

Format: PDF

Price: $295

Support Contact: Email us at support@kentleyinsights.com or call us at 1-800-613-3611

Key Questions Answered in this Market Research Report


How do professionals use this report?
Professionals utilize this report for industry research, market sizing and evaluation, forecasting, strategic planning, sales & marketing strategy, due diligence, valuations, benchmarking, streamlining, and other analyses.

What is the market size of the car rental industry?
This report covers the historical industry market size (2017-2025), and forecasts for 2026 and the next 5 years. This report also includes market share of the top 50 companies.

What is the outlook for the industry?
This report has dozens of market forecasts (2025 & 5 years) on total sales, companies, employees, productivity, inflation, compensation, operating expense, and others.

What industry analysis/data exists for the industry?
This report covers over 100+ data sets on the car rental industry. Check out the table of contents for all the data sets and analyses.

What segmentations are there on the car rental industry?
This report segments the industry many ways including by business size, concentration (Top 50 companies), business structure, state, MSAs, and product lines.

What are the financial metrics for the industry?
This report covers many financial metrics for the industry including profitability, growth, opex / revenue, 31 balance sheet items organized by liabilities, assets, and equity, and 10 financial metrics including return on sales, asset turnover, liability ratio, and net worth ratio.

What are important benchmarks for the industry?
Some of the most important benchmarks for the industry include market share, sales growth, employee productivity, operating expense breakdown, product line breakdown, span of control, and organizational composition. This report includes all of them and many more.



Car Rental Product Lines Analyzed


Rental of automobiles and light-duty trucks
All other products and services, not elsewhere classified
Retail sales of other goods, not elsewhere classified
Maintenance and repair services for automobiles and light-duty trucks
Wholesale sales of other goods, not elsewhere classified
Rental and leasing services for motor homes, travel trailers, campers, and utility trailers
Insurance brokerage and agency services
Maintenance and repair services for heavy trucks and buses
All other nonoperating or tax-exempt revenue

Industry Jobs Analyzed


Counter and Rental Clerks and Parts Salespersons
Laborers and Material Movers
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers
Automotive Technicians and Repairers
General and Operations Managers
Miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Operators
Customer Service Representatives
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Building Cleaning Workers
Passenger Vehicle Drivers
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
Office Clerks, General
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Miscellaneous Material Moving Workers
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Marketing and Sales Managers
Miscellaneous Sales Representatives, Services

States Covered


Alaska
Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) Covered


Abilene, TX
Akron, OH
Albany, GA
Albany, OR
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Albuquerque, NM
Alexandria, LA
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Altoona, PA
Amarillo, TX
Ames, IA
Anchorage, AK
Ann Arbor, MI
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL
Appleton, WI
Asheville, NC
Athens-Clarke County, GA
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
Auburn-Opelika, AL
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
Austin-Round Rock, TX
Bakersfield, CA
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Bangor, ME
Barnstable Town, MA
Baton Rouge, LA
Battle Creek, MI
Bay City, MI
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
Beckley, WV
Bellingham, WA
Bend-Redmond, OR
Billings, MT
Binghamton, NY
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
Bismarck, ND
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Bloomington, IL
Bloomington, IN
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA
Boise City, ID
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Boulder, CO
Bowling Green, KY
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Brunswick, GA
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
Burlington, NC
Burlington-South Burlington, VT
California-Lexington Park, MD
Canton-Massillon, OH
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Carbondale-Marion, IL
Carson City, NV
Casper, WY
Cedar Rapids, IA
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA
Champaign-Urbana, IL
Charleston, WV
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Charlottesville, VA
Chattanooga, TN-GA
Cheyenne, WY
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Chico, CA
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Clarksville, TN-KY
Cleveland, TN
Cleveland-Elyria, OH
Coeur d’Alene, ID
College Station-Bryan, TX
Colorado Springs, CO
Columbia, MO
Columbia, SC
Columbus, GA-AL
Columbus, IN
Columbus, OH
Corpus Christi, TX
Corvallis, OR
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
Cumberland, MD-WV
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Dalton, GA
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
Dayton, OH
Decatur, AL
Decatur, IL
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Dothan, AL
Dover, DE
Dubuque, IA
Duluth, MN-WI
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
East Stroudsburg, PA
Eau Claire, WI
El Centro, CA
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
Elmira, NY
El Paso, TX
Erie, PA
Eugene, OR
Evansville, IN-KY
Fairbanks, AK
Fargo, ND-MN
Farmington, NM
Fayetteville, NC
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
Flagstaff, AZ
Flint, MI
Florence, SC
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Fort Collins, CO
Fort Smith, AR-OK
Fort Wayne, IN
Fresno, CA
Gadsden, AL
Gainesville, FL
Gainesville, GA
Gettysburg, PA
Goldsboro, NC
Grand Forks, ND-MN
Grand Island, NE
Grand Junction, CO
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
Grants Pass, OR
Great Falls, MT
Greeley, CO
Green Bay, WI
Greensboro-High Point, NC
Greenville, NC
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
Hammond, LA
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Harrisonburg, VA
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
Hattiesburg, MS
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC
Hinesville, GA
Homosassa Springs, FL
Hot Springs, AR
Houma-Thibodaux, LA
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
Huntsville, AL
Idaho Falls, ID
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
Iowa City, IA
Ithaca, NY
Jackson, MI
Jackson, MS
Jackson, TN
Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, NC
Jefferson City, MO
Johnson City, TN
Johnstown, PA
Jonesboro, AR
Joplin, MO
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Kankakee, IL
Kansas City, MO-KS
Kennewick-Richland, WA
Killeen-Temple, TX
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
Kingston, NY
Knoxville, TN
Kokomo, IN
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
Lafayette, LA
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Lake Charles, LA
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Lancaster, PA
Lansing-East Lansing, MI

Laredo, TX
Las Cruces, NM
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
Lawrence, KS
Lawton, OK
Lebanon, PA
Lewiston, ID-WA
Lewiston-Auburn, ME
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Lima, OH
Lincoln, NE
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Logan, UT-ID
Longview, TX
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Lubbock, TX
Lynchburg, VA
Macon-Bibb County, GA
Madera, CA
Madison, WI
Manchester-Nashua, NH
Manhattan, KS
Mankato-North Mankato, MN
Mansfield, OH
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
Medford, OR
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Merced, CA
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Midland, MI
Midland, TX
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Missoula, MT
Mobile, AL
Modesto, CA
Monroe, LA
Monroe, MI
Montgomery, AL
Morgantown, WV
Morristown, TN
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
Muncie, IN
Muskegon, MI
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
Napa, CA
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
New Bern, NC
New Haven-Milford, CT
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
Norwich-New London, CT
Ocala, FL
Ocean City, NJ
Odessa, TX
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
Oklahoma City, OK
Olympia-Tumwater, WA
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
Owensboro, KY
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Panama City, FL
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
Peoria, IL
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Pine Bluff, AR
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsfield, MA
Portland-South Portland, ME
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Port St. Lucie, FL
Prescott, AZ
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Provo-Orem, UT
Pueblo, CO
Punta Gorda, FL
Racine, WI
Raleigh, NC
Rapid City, SD
Reading, PA
Redding, CA
Reno, NV

Richmond, VA
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Roanoke, VA
Rochester, MN
Rochester, NY
Rockford, IL
Rocky Mount, NC
Rome, GA
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
Saginaw, MI
St. Cloud, MN
St. George, UT
St. Joseph, MO-KS
St. Louis, MO-IL
Salem, OR
Salinas, CA
Salisbury, MD-DE
Salt Lake City, UT
San Angelo, TX
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Santa Fe, NM
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Savannah, GA
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
Sebring, FL
Sheboygan, WI
Sherman-Denison, TX
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
Sioux Falls, SD
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
Spartanburg, SC
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
Springfield, IL
Springfield, MA
Springfield, MO
Springfield, OH
State College, PA
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Sumter, SC
Syracuse, NY
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Terre Haute, IN
Texarkana, TX-AR
The Villages, FL
Toledo, OH
Topeka, KS
Trenton, NJ
Tucson, AZ
Tulsa, OK
Tuscaloosa, AL
Tyler, TX
Urban Honolulu, HI
Utica-Rome, NY
Valdosta, GA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
Victoria, TX
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
Visalia-Porterville, CA
Waco, TX
Walla Walla, WA
Warner Robins, GA
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Wausau, WI
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
Wenatchee, WA
Wheeling, WV-OH
Wichita, KS
Wichita Falls, TX
Williamsport, PA
Wilmington, NC
Winchester, VA-WV
Winston-Salem, NC
Worcester, MA-CT
Yakima, WA
York-Hanover, PA
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
Yuba City, CA
Yuma, AZ


About Kentley Insights


Kentley Insights is the leader in data-rich market research with coverage of over 1200 industries and 2000 product lines. All the top consulting firms, banks, accounting firms, private equity firms, and many of the Fortune 1000 depend on Kentley Insights for their in-depth market research needs. There is a reason why we are the only market research firm to offer a 100% Moneyback Guarantee.