NAICS 446110

Independent Pharmacies in Huntington Beach, CA

The 4 ZIP codes assigned to Huntington Beach contained 32 Pharmacy establishments in 2023, of which 12 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
32
4 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
12
Practical financing floor
Share of county
7%
Orange County
City population
191,451
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Huntington Beach (92646, 92647, 92648, 92649). 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 Huntington Beach'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
1-41134.4%
10-1939.4%
20-49928.1%

How this market compares

Huntington Beach 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 average0.51% of local businesses, against 0.35% 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
+45%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#17
of 293 cities
Rank by share
#85
of 266 ranked
Since 2020
-3%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Huntington Beach’s business base is independent pharmacies, against the California figure. Base: 6,263 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

Huntington Beach is more fragmented than California as a whole: a larger share of very small operators. Fragmented markets are where roll-ups are assembled, and where an owner nearing retirement has no obvious internal buyer.

Share of establishmentsHuntington BeachCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer34.4%10.8%+23.6%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target37.5%38.9%-1.4%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing37.5%27.7%+9.8%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Huntington Beach that also have Pharmacy 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
Fountain Valley23+219%
Westminster36+383%
Seal Beach4+48%
Costa Mesa9-53%
Garden Grove45+243%

The wider Orange County market

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

County establishments (2023)
466
Orange County
County employees
5,947
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$320M
All establishments
Full Pharmacy data for Orange County

What acquirers look at

PBM reimbursement pressure has compressed margins for a decade. Compounding, long-term-care contracts and clinical services are what make one viable.

Other industries in Huntington Beach

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.