NAICS 541330
Engineering Services in Morro Bay, CA
The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Morro Bay contained 7 Engineering establishments in 2023.
- Establishments (2023)
- 7
- 1 ZIP codes
- 10 or more employees
- n/a
- Practical financing floor
- Share of county
- 6%
- San Luis Obispo County
- City population
- 10,613
- 2025 estimate
Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Morro Bay (93442). 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 Morro Bay'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.
| Employees | Establishments | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 5 | 71.4% |
Business size mix
Morro Bay 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 establishments | Morro Bay | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer | 71.4% | 52.8% | +18.6% |
| 5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target | 0.0% | 23.9% | -23.9% |
| 10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing | 0.0% | 16.5% | -16.5% |
Nearest comparable markets
The closest places to Morro Bay 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.
| Market | Establishments | Vs state share |
|---|---|---|
| Atascadero | 12 | +61% |
| San Luis Obispo | 59 | +173% |
| Grover Beach | 4 | n/a |
| Arroyo Grande | 7 | -4% |
| Santa Maria | 18 | -21% |
The wider San Luis Obispo County market
Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Morro Bay sits in.
- County establishments (2023)
- 122
- San Luis Obispo County
- County employees
- 1,214
- Mid-March employment
- County annual payroll
- $108M
- All establishments
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 Morro Bay
Nearby cities
Sources
- 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.
- 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.