NAICS 541330

Engineering Services in Malibu, CA

The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Malibu contained 3 Engineering establishments in 2023.

Establishments (2023)
3
1 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
n/a
Practical financing floor
Share of county
0%
Los Angeles County
City population
9,574
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Malibu (90265). 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 Malibu's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

How this market compares

Malibu 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.

Thinly served0.30% of local businesses, against 0.81% statewide

A far smaller slice of the local business base than the statewide share. Either a genuine gap in provision or a market served from somewhere nearby. Worth checking the neighbouring places below before drawing a conclusion.

Vs state share
-64%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#282
of 294 cities
Rank by share
#240
of 262 ranked
Since 2020
-25%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Malibu’s business base is engineering services, against the California figure. Base: 1,013 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

Malibu is more consolidated than California as a whole: fewer micro-operators and a larger share of businesses with real headcount. Fewer targets, but the ones that exist are more likely to be financeable.

Share of establishmentsMalibuCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer0.0%52.8%-52.8%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target0.0%23.9%-23.9%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing0.0%16.5%-16.5%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Malibu that also have Engineering 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
Westlake Village13-4%
Agoura Hills12-3%
Calabasas17-1%
Thousand Oaks29-5%
Santa Monica36-40%

The wider Los Angeles County market

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

County establishments (2023)
1,734
Los Angeles County
County employees
20,563
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$2.5B
All establishments
Full Engineering data for Los Angeles County

What acquirers look at

Value sits in licensed professional engineers and public-agency prequalification, both of which are people-dependent. Retention packages are mandatory.

Other industries in Malibu

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.