NAICS 541310

Architectural Services in Modesto, CA

The 2 ZIP codes assigned to Modesto contained 9 Architecture establishments in 2023, of which 4 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
9
2 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
4
Practical financing floor
Share of county
69%
Stanislaus County
City population
219,652
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Modesto (95354, 95355). 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 Modesto'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
10-19444.4%

How this market compares

Modesto 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 served0.17% of local businesses, against 0.32% 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
-48%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#62
of 160 cities
Rank by share
#130
of 157 ranked
Since 2020
+13%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Modesto’s business base is architectural services, against the California figure. Base: 5,412 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

Modesto 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 establishmentsModestoCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer0.0%60.1%-60.1%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target44.4%17.7%+26.7%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing44.4%9.2%+35.3%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Modesto that also have Architecture 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
Pleasanton11+3%
Dublin4-22%
San Jose55-20%
Milpitas4-43%
San Ramon4-53%

The wider Stanislaus County market

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

County establishments (2023)
13
Stanislaus County
County employees
107
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$10M
All establishments
Full Architecture data for Stanislaus County

What acquirers look at

Reputation and principal relationships rarely survive an owner exit. Firms with public-sector master service agreements are the exception worth pursuing.

Other industries in Modesto

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.