Saturation ranking
Where dry cleaning & laundry services is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Dry Cleaning 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
- 2,013
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.5
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 31
- of 35 with data
- Cities ranked
- 84
- of 175 with data
Most saturated counties for dry cleaning
31 of 35 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 | 31 | 1.2 | +164% | Densely served |
| 2 | Napa County132,949 residents | 11 | 0.8 | +78% | Densely served |
| 3 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 66 | 0.8 | +72% | Densely served |
| 4 | Nevada County101,911 residents | 8 | 0.8 | +69% | Densely served |
| 5 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 246 | 0.8 | +68% | Densely served |
| 6 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 52 | 0.7 | +51% | Densely served |
| 7 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 619 | 0.6 | +38% | Above average |
| 8 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 50 | 0.6 | +30% | Above average |
| 9 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 64 | 0.5 | +18% | Above average |
| 10 | Placer County442,081 residents | 24 | 0.5 | +17% | Above average |
| 11 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 177 | 0.5 | +16% | Above average |
| 12 | Monterey County433,729 residents | 23 | 0.5 | +14% | Typical |
| 13 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 86 | 0.5 | +13% | Typical |
| 14 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 23 | 0.5 | +12% | Typical |
| 15 | Solano County455,376 residents | 22 | 0.5 | +4% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.5 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for dry cleaning
The same 31 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 | Merced County297,260 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -64% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Kern County927,068 residents | 17 | 0.2 | -60% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 11 | 0.2 | -51% | Thinly served |
| 4 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 20 | 0.2 | -48% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 29 | 0.3 | -40% | Below average |
| 6 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 69 | 0.3 | -33% | Below average |
| 7 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 19 | 0.3 | -27% | Below average |
| 8 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 10 | 0.4 | -24% | Below average |
| 9 | Butte County209,211 residents | 8 | 0.4 | -18% | Below average |
| 10 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 98 | 0.4 | -17% | Below average |
| 11 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 9 | 0.4 | -13% | Typical |
| 12 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 65 | 0.4 | -13% | Typical |
| 13 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 83 | 0.4 | -6% | Typical |
| 14 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 12 | 0.5 | 0% | Typical |
| 15 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 9 | 0.5 | +1% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.5 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 dry cleaning
84 of 175 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 | BelmontSan Mateo, 694 businesses in total | 5 | 0.72% | +461% | Densely served |
| 2 | Seal BeachOrange, 766 businesses in total | 5 | 0.65% | +409% | Densely served |
| 3 | La HabraOrange, 1,511 businesses in total | 9 | 0.60% | +364% | Densely served |
| 4 | MalibuLos Angeles, 1,013 businesses in total | 6 | 0.59% | +361% | Densely served |
| 5 | South PasadenaLos Angeles, 1,030 businesses in total | 6 | 0.58% | +354% | Densely served |
| 6 | Rancho Palos VerdesLos Angeles, 888 businesses in total | 5 | 0.56% | +339% | Densely served |
| 7 | Palm DesertRiverside, 2,689 businesses in total | 15 | 0.56% | +335% | Densely served |
| 8 | Santa ClaritaLos Angeles, 1,301 businesses in total | 7 | 0.54% | +319% | Densely served |
| 9 | TruckeeNevada, 1,148 businesses in total | 5 | 0.44% | +239% | Densely served |
| 10 | Rancho Santa MargaritaOrange, 1,156 businesses in total | 5 | 0.43% | +237% | Densely served |
| 11 | HawthorneLos Angeles, 1,403 businesses in total | 6 | 0.43% | +233% | Densely served |
| 12 | BrentwoodContra Costa, 1,414 businesses in total | 6 | 0.42% | +231% | Densely served |
| 13 | Aliso ViejoOrange, 1,444 businesses in total | 6 | 0.42% | +224% | Densely served |
| 14 | Laguna NiguelOrange, 1,969 businesses in total | 8 | 0.41% | +217% | Densely served |
| 15 | EncinitasSan Diego, 2,778 businesses in total | 11 | 0.40% | +209% | Densely served |
| 16 | Mill ValleyMarin, 1,277 businesses in total | 5 | 0.39% | +205% | Densely served |
| 17 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 13 | 0.39% | +201% | Densely served |
| 18 | PlacentiaOrange, 1,304 businesses in total | 5 | 0.38% | +199% | Densely served |
| 19 | MontebelloLos Angeles, 1,370 businesses in total | 5 | 0.36% | +184% | Densely served |
| 20 | Fountain ValleyOrange, 2,040 businesses in total | 7 | 0.34% | +167% | Densely served |
| 21 | Laguna BeachOrange, 1,515 businesses in total | 5 | 0.33% | +157% | Densely served |
| 22 | FairfieldSolano, 2,170 businesses in total | 7 | 0.32% | +151% | Densely served |
| 23 | Thousand OaksVentura, 3,759 businesses in total | 12 | 0.32% | +149% | Densely served |
| 24 | South San FranciscoSan Mateo, 2,283 businesses in total | 7 | 0.31% | +139% | Densely served |
| 25 | Huntington BeachOrange, 6,263 businesses in total | 19 | 0.30% | +136% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.13% 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 dry cleaning
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least dry cleaning provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 6 | 0.06% | -55% | Thinly served |
| 2 | RiversideRiverside, 7,958 businesses in total | 6 | 0.08% | -41% | Thinly served |
| 3 | GlendaleLos Angeles, 7,130 businesses in total | 6 | 0.08% | -34% | Below average |
| 4 | OrangeOrange, 5,761 businesses in total | 5 | 0.09% | -32% | Below average |
| 5 | San JoseSanta Clara, 21,501 businesses in total | 19 | 0.09% | -31% | Below average |
| 6 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 14 | 0.09% | -27% | Below average |
| 7 | FresnoFresno, 13,153 businesses in total | 13 | 0.10% | -23% | Below average |
| 8 | StocktonSan Joaquin, 6,022 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | -22% | Below average |
| 9 | SacramentoSacramento, 19,687 businesses in total | 20 | 0.10% | -21% | Below average |
| 10 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 48 | 0.11% | -11% | Typical |
| 11 | BurbankLos Angeles, 5,899 businesses in total | 7 | 0.12% | -8% | Typical |
| 12 | San MateoSan Mateo, 4,307 businesses in total | 6 | 0.14% | +9% | Typical |
| 13 | TorranceLos Angeles, 7,600 businesses in total | 11 | 0.14% | +13% | Typical |
| 14 | SunnyvaleSanta Clara, 3,376 businesses in total | 5 | 0.15% | +15% | Above average |
| 15 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 50 | 0.15% | +16% | Above average |
| 16 | Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino, 5,340 businesses in total | 8 | 0.15% | +17% | Above average |
| 17 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 7 | 0.16% | +26% | Above average |
| 18 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 126 | 0.16% | +26% | Above average |
| 19 | Elk GroveSacramento, 3,042 businesses in total | 5 | 0.16% | +28% | Above average |
| 20 | FullertonOrange, 4,049 businesses in total | 7 | 0.17% | +35% | Above average |
| 21 | Walnut CreekContra Costa, 4,012 businesses in total | 7 | 0.17% | +36% | Above average |
| 22 | AnaheimOrange, 9,049 businesses in total | 16 | 0.18% | +38% | Above average |
| 23 | Santa MonicaLos Angeles, 7,320 businesses in total | 13 | 0.18% | +38% | Above average |
| 24 | Simi ValleyVentura, 3,329 businesses in total | 6 | 0.18% | +40% | Above average |
| 25 | PasadenaLos Angeles, 7,697 businesses in total | 14 | 0.18% | +42% | Above average |
Statewide, 0.13% 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 dry cleaning 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.