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Car Rental in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Jared Ristoff Jared Ristoff New York, United States Last Updated: July 2024 NAICS 53211

Revenue

$58.5bn

2024

$58.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xbn

Employees

128k

Businesses

3,375

Wages

$X.Xbn

Car Rental in the US industry analysis

Car rental services fluctuated throughout the period. Stay-at-home orders during the pandemic prevented traveling, which decimated the market for car rentals. As mass vaccinations spread, the restrictions began to lift, leading to an influx of traveling for leisure and business purposes. While car rental operators recovered quite well, inflationary concerns led some consumers to hold off on traveling, constraining additional growth. Revenue grew at a CAGR of 1.8% to $57.65 billion over the past five years, including a 4.5% increase in 2023 alone. Average profit has also increased from the lows suffered in 2020.

Trends and Insights

  • Car rentals have skyrocketed as travel picked back up following mass vaccination efforts. Consumers are taking trips that they held off because of the pandemic.
  • The airport market has experienced a significant boost thanks to a surge in both international and domestic travelers. This surge is a direct result of the pent-up demand for travel that had accumulated during the pandemic.
  • Companies near popular tourist spots will enter agreements to offer specialized rental units for their business activities. Some hotels and resorts will provide car rental services for customers.
  • The rise in popularity of ride-share apps has directly threatened car rental services. Ride-sharing makes accessing a ride simple with a mobile device.
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Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Industry Overview

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $58.5bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

The pandemic sends shockwaves to travelers

  • The pandemic spelled disaster for car rental services because of stay-at-home orders and plummeting usage. Airline travel stopped from fear of the virus, decimating the airport markets and leisure rentals. Airport customers alone make up half of the industry revenue. Business rentals fell as companies switched to a remote working policy.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Car Rental in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

External competition remains a challenge

  • Ride-sharing services and taxi cabs continue to pressure car rental services. Many consumers prefer to be in the backseat instead of driving themselves, so much so that they would pay the premium.

Biggest companies in the Car Rental in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Profit ($m)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024
Enterprise Holdings Inc.
11,155.5
946.1
8.5
Avis Budget Group, Inc.
7,365.2
603.3
8.2
Hertz Global Holdings, inc.
6,673.0
687.0
10.3

To view the market share and analysis for all 11 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Car Rental in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Leisure car rental, Business car rental and Car leasing. Leisure car rental is the largest segment of the Car Rental in the US.

Trends and Insights

Leisure rentals are the backbone

  • Leisure rentals represent customers who rent a car for personal use and account for almost half of car rental revenue.
  • More insights available in the full report

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Competitors

  • Auto Leasing, Loans & Sales Financing in the US
  • Taxi & Limousine Services in the US

Complementors

  • New Car Dealers in the US
  • International Airlines in the US
  • Domestic Airlines in the US
  • Travel Agencies in the US
  • Hotels & Motels in the US

International industries

  • Car Rental in Canada
  • Passenger Car Rental and Hiring in Australia
  • Passenger Car Rental and Hiring in New Zealand
  • Car Rental & Leasing in the UK
  • Motor Vehicle Rental and Leasing in Ireland

View all industries in United States

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Operators rent or lease passenger cars to customers. Car rentals typically last a short time (30 days or fewer) while leasing agreements last longer (12 months or more). This industry excludes the rental or leasing of cars with drivers or trucks.

What's included in this industry?

Passenger car rentalPassenger car leasing

Companies

Enterprise Holdings Inc.Avis Budget Group, Inc.Hertz Global Holdings, inc.

Purchase this report to view all 11 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

AIRPORT MARKETCAR SHARINGCONCESSIONOFF-AIRPORT MARKETRESIDUAL VALUE

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 53211 - Car Rental in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Car rentals have skyrocketed as travel picked back up following mass vaccination efforts. Consumers are taking trips that they held off because of the pandemic.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The airport market has experienced a significant boost thanks to a surge in both international and domestic travelers. This surge is a direct result of the pent-up demand for...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Companies near popular tourist spots will enter agreements to offer specialized rental units for their business activities. Some hotels and resorts will provide car rental se...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The rise in popularity of ride-share apps has directly threatened car rental services. Ride-sharing makes accessing a ride simple with a mobile device.

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Hertz's partnership with Tesla to increase the number of electric vehicles in their fleet has sent shockwaves throughout the industry.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Enterprise Holdings Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Avis Budget Group, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Hertz Global Holdings, inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 8 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Enterprise Holdings Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Avis Budget Group, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Hertz Global Holdings, inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 8 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Lower tariffs on imported vehicles have led to lower purchasing costs. Trade relationships with Mexico and Canada provide companies with easier access to cars.

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Purchases remain the highest cost for car rental companies. Partnerships and contracts with suppliers help ease expenses.

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Car Rental in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Car Rental in the US industry in United States is $58.5bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Car Rental in the US industry in 2024?

There are 3,375 businesses in the Car Rental in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Car Rental in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Car Rental in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 0.6 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Car Rental in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Car Rental in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Car Rental in the US market in United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Car Rental market in United States are Enterprise Holdings Inc., Avis Budget Group, Inc. and Hertz Global Holdings, inc.

What does the Car Rental in the US in United States include?

Passenger car rental and Passenger car leasing are part of the Car Rental in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Car Rental in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is Enterprise Holdings Inc..

How competitive is the Car Rental in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Car Rental in the US industry in United States.