NAICS 446110
Independent Pharmacies in California
Establishments primarily engaged in retailing prescription and non-prescription drugs and medicines.
- Establishments (2023)
- 4,247
- Statewide, California
- Employees
- 62,237
- Mid-March employment
- Annual payroll
- $3.3B
- All establishments
- Avg. establishment size
- 14.7
- Employees per establishment
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.
Pharmacy by county
Ranked by establishment count, 2023 County Business Patterns. For the crowded-versus-underserved reading, see the saturation ranking, which ranks by establishments per resident instead.
| # | County | Establishments | Per 10k residents | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County | 1,417 | 1.5 | 33.4% |
| 2 | Orange County | 466 | 1.5 | 11.0% |
| 3 | San Diego County | 291 | 0.9 | 6.9% |
| 4 | Riverside County | 244 | 1.0 | 5.7% |
| 5 | San Bernardino County | 220 | 1.0 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Santa Clara County | 151 | 0.8 | 3.6% |
| 7 | Sacramento County | 134 | 0.8 | 3.2% |
| 8 | Alameda County | 116 | 0.7 | 2.7% |
| 9 | Ventura County | 100 | 1.2 | 2.4% |
| 10 | Fresno County | 95 | 0.9 | 2.2% |
| 11 | Kern County | 95 | 1.0 | 2.2% |
| 12 | San Francisco County | 94 | 1.1 | 2.2% |
| 13 | Contra Costa County | 89 | 0.8 | 2.1% |
| 14 | San Joaquin County | 54 | 0.7 | 1.3% |
| 15 | San Mateo County | 54 | 0.7 | 1.3% |
| 16 | Stanislaus County | 51 | 0.9 | 1.2% |
| 17 | Tulare County | 48 | 1.0 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Sonoma County | 38 | 0.8 | 0.9% |
| 19 | Monterey County | 36 | 0.8 | 0.8% |
| 20 | Placer County | 34 | 0.8 | 0.8% |
| 21 | Santa Barbara County | 32 | 0.7 | 0.8% |
| 22 | San Luis Obispo County | 31 | 1.1 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Santa Cruz County | 30 | 1.2 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Marin County | 29 | 1.1 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Solano County | 24 | 0.5 | 0.6% |
Counties in California
Pharmacy in Los AngelesPharmacy in San DiegoPharmacy in OrangePharmacy in RiversidePharmacy in San BernardinoPharmacy in Santa ClaraPharmacy in AlamedaPharmacy in SacramentoPharmacy in Contra CostaPharmacy in FresnoPharmacy in KernPharmacy in VenturaPharmacy in San FranciscoPharmacy in San JoaquinPharmacy in San MateoPharmacy in StanislausPharmacy in SonomaPharmacy in TularePharmacy in SolanoPharmacy in PlacerPharmacy in Santa BarbaraPharmacy in MontereyPharmacy in MercedPharmacy in San Luis ObispoPharmacy in Santa CruzPharmacy in MarinPharmacy in YoloPharmacy in ButtePharmacy in El DoradoPharmacy in ShastaPharmacy in ImperialPharmacy in MaderaPharmacy in KingsPharmacy in NapaPharmacy in HumboldtPharmacy in NevadaPharmacy in SutterPharmacy in YubaPharmacy in MendocinoPharmacy in San BenitoPharmacy in LakePharmacy in TehamaPharmacy in TuolumnePharmacy in CalaverasPharmacy in SiskiyouPharmacy in AmadorPharmacy in GlennLassenDel NortePharmacy in ColusaPharmacy in PlumasInyoMariposaPharmacy in TrinityMonoModocSierraAlpine
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- 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.