Saturation ranking
Where accounting & tax preparation firms is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Accounting data, ranked on how much provision it already has. Counties are measured per 10,000 residents. Cities are measured as a share of the businesses in the same ZIP codes, because a city’s establishment counts cover its ZIP codes rather than its city limits and cannot be divided by its municipal population. Neither measure says anything about revenue or profitability, and a crowded market is not automatically a bad one: it is also where the most businesses come up for sale.
- Statewide establishments
- 11,500
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 2.4
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 47
- of 50 with data
- Cities ranked
- 263
- of 330 with data
Most saturated counties for accounting
47 of 50 counties with sourced data qualify for this ranking. Markets with fewer than 5 establishments are excluded at both levels, because a single opening or closing would move them enough to dominate the list. Counties under 2,000 residents are also excluded, where a per-capita figure is arithmetically true and analytically useless.
| # | County | Establishments | Per 10k | Vs state median | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marin County253,694 residents | 118 | 4.7 | +95% | Densely served |
| 2 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 1,399 | 4.4 | +86% | Densely served |
| 3 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 3,637 | 3.8 | +57% | Densely served |
| 4 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 304 | 3.7 | +54% | Densely served |
| 5 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 299 | 3.6 | +51% | Densely served |
| 6 | Inyo County18,158 residents | 6 | 3.3 | +38% | Above average |
| 7 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 159 | 3.3 | +37% | Above average |
| 8 | Placer County442,081 residents | 139 | 3.1 | +32% | Above average |
| 9 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 1,024 | 3.1 | +31% | Above average |
| 10 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 80 | 3.1 | +29% | Above average |
| 11 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 223 | 3.0 | +26% | Above average |
| 12 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 346 | 3.0 | +24% | Above average |
| 13 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 562 | 2.9 | +23% | Above average |
| 14 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 80 | 2.8 | +19% | Above average |
| 15 | Tuolumne County53,160 residents | 15 | 2.8 | +18% | Above average |
State median for this industry: 2.4 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for accounting
The same 47 counties, read from the bottom of the ordering upward. Thin provision is worth checking against the neighbouring counties before treating it as an opening.
| # | County | Establishments | Per 10k | Vs state median | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake County67,772 residents | 8 | 1.2 | -51% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Kings County154,327 residents | 19 | 1.2 | -48% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Merced County297,260 residents | 40 | 1.3 | -44% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Tehama County64,665 residents | 9 | 1.4 | -42% | Thinly served |
| 5 | San Benito County70,082 residents | 10 | 1.4 | -40% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Solano County455,376 residents | 66 | 1.4 | -39% | Below average |
| 7 | Madera County167,927 residents | 27 | 1.6 | -33% | Below average |
| 8 | Kern County927,068 residents | 150 | 1.6 | -32% | Below average |
| 9 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 135 | 1.6 | -31% | Below average |
| 10 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 371 | 1.7 | -30% | Below average |
| 11 | Amador County41,876 residents | 7 | 1.7 | -30% | Below average |
| 12 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 436 | 1.7 | -28% | Below average |
| 13 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 32 | 1.8 | -26% | Below average |
| 14 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 44 | 2.0 | -18% | Below average |
| 15 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 96 | 2.0 | -17% | Below average |
State median for this industry: 2.4 establishments per 10,000 residents. A low figure can mean a genuine gap, or a market served from the next county over.
Most saturated cities for accounting
263 of 330 cities with sourced data qualify for this ranking. Markets with fewer than 5 establishments are excluded at both levels, because a single opening or closing would move them enough to dominate the list. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are also excluded, because on a base that small the industry’s share moves on rounding.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los AlamitosOrange, 1,247 businesses in total | 40 | 3.21% | +214% | Densely served |
| 2 | CalabasasLos Angeles, 2,108 businesses in total | 60 | 2.85% | +179% | Densely served |
| 3 | Walnut CreekContra Costa, 4,012 businesses in total | 99 | 2.47% | +142% | Densely served |
| 4 | CalexicoImperial, 641 businesses in total | 15 | 2.34% | +129% | Densely served |
| 5 | AlhambraLos Angeles, 2,384 businesses in total | 55 | 2.31% | +126% | Densely served |
| 6 | Pleasant HillContra Costa, 1,135 businesses in total | 26 | 2.29% | +125% | Densely served |
| 7 | ArtesiaLos Angeles, 703 businesses in total | 16 | 2.28% | +123% | Densely served |
| 8 | La MesaSan Diego, 2,279 businesses in total | 49 | 2.15% | +111% | Densely served |
| 9 | Diamond BarLos Angeles, 1,793 businesses in total | 38 | 2.12% | +108% | Densely served |
| 10 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 69 | 2.05% | +101% | Densely served |
| 11 | Thousand OaksVentura, 3,759 businesses in total | 77 | 2.05% | +101% | Densely served |
| 12 | Westlake VillageLos Angeles, 1,669 businesses in total | 34 | 2.04% | +100% | Densely served |
| 13 | CovinaLos Angeles, 2,014 businesses in total | 40 | 1.99% | +95% | Densely served |
| 14 | San MarinoLos Angeles, 656 businesses in total | 13 | 1.98% | +94% | Densely served |
| 15 | LomitaLos Angeles, 563 businesses in total | 11 | 1.95% | +91% | Densely served |
| 16 | Laguna HillsOrange, 1,901 businesses in total | 37 | 1.95% | +91% | Densely served |
| 17 | PortervilleTulare, 937 businesses in total | 17 | 1.81% | +78% | Densely served |
| 18 | San MateoSan Mateo, 4,307 businesses in total | 78 | 1.81% | +77% | Densely served |
| 19 | CeresStanislaus, 676 businesses in total | 12 | 1.78% | +74% | Densely served |
| 20 | CampbellSanta Clara, 2,034 businesses in total | 36 | 1.77% | +73% | Densely served |
| 21 | Temple CityLos Angeles, 1,038 businesses in total | 18 | 1.73% | +70% | Densely served |
| 22 | LafayetteContra Costa, 1,069 businesses in total | 18 | 1.68% | +65% | Densely served |
| 23 | Fountain ValleyOrange, 2,040 businesses in total | 34 | 1.67% | +63% | Densely served |
| 24 | VisaliaTulare, 3,364 businesses in total | 56 | 1.66% | +63% | Densely served |
| 25 | WestminsterOrange, 2,112 businesses in total | 35 | 1.66% | +62% | Densely served |
Statewide, 1.02% of California businesses are in this industry. A higher local share means the industry takes up more of the local business base than it does statewide.
City figures are aggregated over the ZIP codes the Postal Service assigns to each place, which do not follow municipal boundaries. That is why the comparison here is a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than a figure per resident: both sides then cover the same ground, so a city that loses establishments to a separately named ZIP loses its denominator with them.
Most underserved cities for accounting
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least accounting provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BerkeleyAlameda, 4,279 businesses in total | 6 | 0.14% | -86% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Baldwin ParkLos Angeles, 1,638 businesses in total | 5 | 0.31% | -70% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Mountain ViewSanta Clara, 2,974 businesses in total | 10 | 0.34% | -67% | Thinly served |
| 4 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 7 | 0.38% | -63% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Palo AltoSanta Clara, 3,843 businesses in total | 15 | 0.39% | -62% | Thinly served |
| 6 | West HollywoodLos Angeles, 2,749 businesses in total | 11 | 0.40% | -61% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Redondo BeachLos Angeles, 2,814 businesses in total | 12 | 0.43% | -58% | Thinly served |
| 8 | TruckeeNevada, 1,148 businesses in total | 5 | 0.44% | -57% | Thinly served |
| 9 | RocklinPlacer, 2,054 businesses in total | 9 | 0.44% | -57% | Thinly served |
| 10 | Moreno ValleyRiverside, 2,220 businesses in total | 10 | 0.45% | -56% | Thinly served |
| 11 | PomonaLos Angeles, 2,655 businesses in total | 12 | 0.45% | -56% | Thinly served |
| 12 | Lake ElsinoreRiverside, 1,327 businesses in total | 6 | 0.45% | -56% | Thinly served |
| 13 | HesperiaSan Bernardino, 1,542 businesses in total | 7 | 0.45% | -56% | Thinly served |
| 14 | West SacramentoYolo, 1,439 businesses in total | 7 | 0.49% | -52% | Thinly served |
| 15 | SebastopolSonoma, 987 businesses in total | 5 | 0.51% | -50% | Thinly served |
| 16 | OntarioSan Bernardino, 5,487 businesses in total | 29 | 0.53% | -48% | Thinly served |
| 17 | FontanaSan Bernardino, 3,587 businesses in total | 19 | 0.53% | -48% | Thinly served |
| 18 | San BernardinoSan Bernardino, 3,569 businesses in total | 19 | 0.53% | -48% | Thinly served |
| 19 | MantecaSan Joaquin, 1,669 businesses in total | 9 | 0.54% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 20 | Santa CruzSanta Cruz, 2,943 businesses in total | 16 | 0.54% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 21 | Pico RiveraLos Angeles, 918 businesses in total | 5 | 0.54% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 22 | VacavilleSolano, 2,017 businesses in total | 11 | 0.55% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 23 | San LeandroAlameda, 2,673 businesses in total | 15 | 0.56% | -45% | Thinly served |
| 24 | EmeryvilleAlameda, 1,232 businesses in total | 7 | 0.57% | -44% | Thinly served |
| 25 | ChinoSan Bernardino, 3,295 businesses in total | 19 | 0.58% | -43% | Thinly served |
Statewide, 1.02% of California businesses are in this industry. A lower local share can mean a genuine gap, or a market served from the next town over.
How to read these rankings
- Both measures are supply measures. They say nothing about how much each business earns, how large it is, or how much demand comes from outside the market.
- The two levels are not directly comparable to each other. A county figure is establishments per resident; a city figure is this industry’s share of the local business base against the statewide share. Compare counties to counties and cities to cities.
- A thinly served market can be a genuine gap or a market already served from a neighbouring town. The individual market pages list the nearest comparable places for exactly this check.
- A densely served market means competition, but it is also where the largest pool of existing businesses sits, and therefore where the most owners reach retirement each year.
- Counties are the more stable measure. City figures rest on ZIP code geography, which the Postal Service redraws as it pleases, so a city can gain or lose a ZIP between years.
Full accounting data for California/All industry rankings/Methodology
Sources
- 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city, including the all-industry totals used as the local business base. Retrieved 2026-09-10.