NAICS 541513, 541512
IT Managed Service Providers in Portola Valley, CA
The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Portola Valley contained 3 IT & MSP establishments in 2023.
- Establishments (2023)
- 3
- 1 ZIP codes
- 10 or more employees
- n/a
- Practical financing floor
- Share of county
- 1%
- San Mateo County
- City population
- 4,292
- 2025 estimate
Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Portola Valley (94028). 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 Portola Valley'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 | 3 | 100.0% |
Business size mix
Portola Valley 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 | Portola Valley | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer | 100.0% | 75.6% | +24.4% |
| 5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target | 0.0% | 7.5% | -7.5% |
| 10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing | 0.0% | 3.6% | -3.6% |
Nearest comparable markets
The closest places to Portola Valley that also have IT & MSP 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | 77 | +181% |
| Atherton | 4 | n/a |
| Los Altos | 31 | +219% |
| Mountain View | 56 | +164% |
| Menlo Park | 20 | +59% |
The wider San Mateo County market
Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Portola Valley sits in.
- County establishments (2023)
- 231
- San Mateo County
- County employees
- 1,625
- Mid-March employment
- County annual payroll
- $305M
- All establishments
What acquirers look at
Contracted monthly recurring revenue per seat is the model that trades well; break-fix and project revenue is not. Client concentration and tech debt drive most valuation adjustments.
Other industries in Portola Valley
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.