U.S. Dealership count drops for the first time in six years. According to Urban Science Magazine, the number of U.S. new-vehicle dealerships fell from 18,294 in 2018 to 18,195 making it the first decline since 2013. According to the annual Automotive Franchise Activity Report, the average number of new-vehicle sales per dealership also fell to 940 in 2019, a decrease of 8 units from 2018, reports Urban Science. California had the biggest decrease in dealerships, down 28 to 1,478, followed by Illinois with nine fewer dealerships. Ohio and Missouri, lost 7 each. Texas experienced the most growth with 11 new dealerships; North Caroline, 4 and Pennsylvania and Tennessee, 3 each.