NAICS 621111

Physician Practices in Bakersfield, CA

The 9 ZIP codes assigned to Bakersfield contained 434 Medical Practice establishments in 2023, of which 84 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
434
9 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
84
Practical financing floor
Share of county
88%
Kern County
City population
422,165
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Bakersfield (93301, 93304, 93306, 93308, 93309, 93311, 93312, 93313, 93314). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in Bakersfield's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

Establishments by size

Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShareDistribution
1-427463.1%
5-96114.1%
10-195011.5%
20-49317.1%
50-9930.7%

How this market compares

Bakersfield against every other city in California on the same measure. City figures cover the ZIP codes assigned to the place rather than its municipal boundary, so they are compared as a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than per resident. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are left unranked.

Above average4.02% of local businesses, against 2.85% statewide

A larger slice of the local business base than the statewide share. Usually a sign of genuine local demand rather than oversupply.

Vs state share
+41%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#11
of 373 cities
Rank by share
#51
of 297 ranked
Since 2020
-9%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Bakersfield’s business base is physician practices, against the California figure. Base: 10,791 establishments across all industries in the same ZIP codes, 2023. It does not measure revenue, profitability or whether a market is worth entering.

Business size mix

Bakersfield tracks the California size distribution closely.

Share of establishmentsBakersfieldCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer63.1%65.6%-2.5%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target32.7%27.4%+5.3%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing19.4%12.9%+6.5%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Bakersfield that also have Medical Practice establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.

MarketEstablishmentsVs state share
Shafter5n/a
Taft4n/a
Delano15+3%
Tehachapi4n/a
Porterville46+72%

The wider Kern County market

Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Bakersfield sits in.

County establishments (2023)
494
Kern County
County employees
4,823
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$369M
All establishments
Full Medical Practice data for Kern County

What acquirers look at

California’s corporate practice of medicine doctrine restricts lay ownership, so deals are structured as MSO arrangements. Not a first acquisition for an unlicensed buyer.

Other industries in Bakersfield

Nearby cities

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2026Q1). Quarterly establishment counts and employment for employers covered by unemployment insurance. Retrieved 2026-09-08.