NAICS 541940

Veterinary Clinics in San Francisco, CA

The 10 ZIP codes assigned to San Francisco contained 38 Veterinary establishments in 2023, of which 3 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
38
10 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
3
Practical financing floor
Share of county
83%
San Francisco County
City population
826,079
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to San Francisco (94103, 94109, 94110, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94122, 94123, 94131, 94133). 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 San Francisco'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
1-437.9%
10-1937.9%

How this market compares

San Francisco 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 served0.11% of local businesses, against 0.27% 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
-58%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#3
of 256 cities
Rank by share
#224
of 231 ranked
Since 2020
+36%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of San Francisco’s business base is veterinary clinics, against the California figure. Base: 33,575 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

San Francisco 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 establishmentsSan FranciscoCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer7.9%14.2%-6.3%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target7.9%24.7%-16.8%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing7.9%19.9%-12.0%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to San Francisco that also have Veterinary 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
Mill Valley6+73%
Daly City11+164%
Pacifica9+421%
San Rafael13+52%
San Bruno3+11%

The wider San Francisco County market

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

County establishments (2023)
46
San Francisco County
County employees
1,215
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$96M
All establishments
Full Veterinary data for San Francisco County

What acquirers look at

Consolidator demand has pushed multiples well above the rest of small-business healthcare. Independent single-doctor clinics remain the last un-rolled segment.

Other industries in San Francisco

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.