Saturation ranking
Where engineering services is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Engineering 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
- 8,898
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 1.9
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 45
- of 48 with data
- Cities ranked
- 231
- of 294 with data
Most saturated counties for engineering
45 of 48 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 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 122 | 4.3 | +133% | Densely served |
| 2 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 333 | 4.0 | +117% | Densely served |
| 3 | Nevada County101,911 residents | 41 | 4.0 | +117% | Densely served |
| 4 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 1,249 | 4.0 | +114% | Densely served |
| 5 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 707 | 3.7 | +99% | Densely served |
| 6 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 1,159 | 3.5 | +90% | Densely served |
| 7 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 66 | 3.4 | +85% | Densely served |
| 8 | Marin County253,694 residents | 85 | 3.4 | +81% | Densely served |
| 9 | Plumas County18,583 residents | 6 | 3.2 | +74% | Densely served |
| 10 | Placer County442,081 residents | 139 | 3.1 | +70% | Densely served |
| 11 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 363 | 3.1 | +67% | Densely served |
| 12 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 498 | 3.0 | +64% | Densely served |
| 13 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 125 | 2.8 | +53% | Densely served |
| 14 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 232 | 2.8 | +51% | Densely served |
| 15 | Inyo County18,158 residents | 5 | 2.8 | +49% | Above average |
State median for this industry: 1.9 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for engineering
The same 45 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 | 8 | 0.3 | -85% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Kings County154,327 residents | 8 | 0.5 | -72% | Thinly served |
| 3 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 51 | 0.6 | -67% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 32 | 0.7 | -64% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Sutter County98,787 residents | 7 | 0.7 | -62% | Thinly served |
| 6 | San Benito County70,082 residents | 5 | 0.7 | -62% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Madera County167,927 residents | 12 | 0.7 | -61% | Thinly served |
| 8 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 18 | 1.0 | -46% | Thinly served |
| 9 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 56 | 1.0 | -46% | Thinly served |
| 10 | Calaveras County46,605 residents | 5 | 1.1 | -42% | Thinly served |
| 11 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 245 | 1.1 | -41% | Thinly served |
| 12 | Yuba County88,691 residents | 10 | 1.1 | -39% | Below average |
| 13 | Solano County455,376 residents | 52 | 1.1 | -38% | Below average |
| 14 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 303 | 1.2 | -36% | Below average |
| 15 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 127 | 1.2 | -34% | Below average |
State median for this industry: 1.9 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 engineering
231 of 294 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 | EmeryvilleAlameda, 1,232 businesses in total | 32 | 2.60% | +219% | Densely served |
| 2 | PowaySan Diego, 1,702 businesses in total | 42 | 2.47% | +203% | Densely served |
| 3 | Walnut CreekContra Costa, 4,012 businesses in total | 91 | 2.27% | +179% | Densely served |
| 4 | San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, 2,659 businesses in total | 59 | 2.22% | +173% | Densely served |
| 5 | El SegundoLos Angeles, 2,288 businesses in total | 50 | 2.19% | +169% | Densely served |
| 6 | Santa ClaraSanta Clara, 4,587 businesses in total | 99 | 2.16% | +165% | Densely served |
| 7 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 314 | 2.10% | +158% | Densely served |
| 8 | RidgecrestKern, 504 businesses in total | 10 | 1.98% | +144% | Densely served |
| 9 | Pleasant HillContra Costa, 1,135 businesses in total | 22 | 1.94% | +138% | Densely served |
| 10 | LompocSanta Barbara, 883 businesses in total | 17 | 1.93% | +137% | Densely served |
| 11 | Yorba LindaOrange, 1,953 businesses in total | 37 | 1.89% | +133% | Densely served |
| 12 | Rancho CordovaSacramento, 2,357 businesses in total | 43 | 1.82% | +124% | Densely served |
| 13 | San RamonContra Costa, 2,659 businesses in total | 47 | 1.77% | +117% | Densely served |
| 14 | Lake ForestOrange, 2,230 businesses in total | 39 | 1.75% | +115% | Densely served |
| 15 | Signal HillLos Angeles, 745 businesses in total | 13 | 1.74% | +114% | Densely served |
| 16 | SaratogaSanta Clara, 807 businesses in total | 14 | 1.73% | +113% | Densely served |
| 17 | CamarilloVentura, 2,597 businesses in total | 45 | 1.73% | +113% | Densely served |
| 18 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 57 | 1.70% | +108% | Densely served |
| 19 | ConcordContra Costa, 3,539 businesses in total | 60 | 1.70% | +108% | Densely served |
| 20 | Rancho Palos VerdesLos Angeles, 888 businesses in total | 15 | 1.69% | +108% | Densely served |
| 21 | SunnyvaleSanta Clara, 3,376 businesses in total | 57 | 1.69% | +107% | Densely served |
| 22 | PleasantonAlameda, 3,345 businesses in total | 56 | 1.67% | +106% | Densely served |
| 23 | CampbellSanta Clara, 2,034 businesses in total | 33 | 1.62% | +99% | Densely served |
| 24 | MilpitasSanta Clara, 2,220 businesses in total | 36 | 1.62% | +99% | Densely served |
| 25 | GoletaSanta Barbara, 1,183 businesses in total | 19 | 1.61% | +97% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.81% 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 engineering
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least engineering provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beverly HillsLos Angeles, 6,870 businesses in total | 6 | 0.09% | -89% | Thinly served |
| 2 | WhittierLos Angeles, 3,060 businesses in total | 6 | 0.20% | -76% | Thinly served |
| 3 | StocktonSan Joaquin, 6,022 businesses in total | 14 | 0.23% | -71% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Garden GroveOrange, 3,714 businesses in total | 9 | 0.24% | -70% | Thinly served |
| 5 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 5 | 0.27% | -67% | Thinly served |
| 6 | GardenaLos Angeles, 3,007 businesses in total | 9 | 0.30% | -63% | Thinly served |
| 7 | PalmdaleLos Angeles, 2,335 businesses in total | 7 | 0.30% | -63% | Thinly served |
| 8 | Yuba CitySutter, 1,959 businesses in total | 6 | 0.31% | -62% | Thinly served |
| 9 | HemetRiverside, 1,514 businesses in total | 5 | 0.33% | -59% | Thinly served |
| 10 | La HabraOrange, 1,511 businesses in total | 5 | 0.33% | -59% | Thinly served |
| 11 | TurlockStanislaus, 1,800 businesses in total | 6 | 0.33% | -59% | Thinly served |
| 12 | San LeandroAlameda, 2,673 businesses in total | 9 | 0.34% | -59% | Thinly served |
| 13 | TracySan Joaquin, 2,464 businesses in total | 9 | 0.37% | -55% | Thinly served |
| 14 | Chula VistaSan Diego, 4,885 businesses in total | 18 | 0.37% | -55% | Thinly served |
| 15 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 290 | 0.37% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 16 | AlhambraLos Angeles, 2,384 businesses in total | 9 | 0.38% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 17 | San GabrielLos Angeles, 2,119 businesses in total | 8 | 0.38% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 18 | WestminsterOrange, 2,112 businesses in total | 8 | 0.38% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 19 | Monterey ParkLos Angeles, 2,109 businesses in total | 8 | 0.38% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 20 | West CovinaLos Angeles, 2,345 businesses in total | 9 | 0.38% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 21 | LancasterLos Angeles, 2,565 businesses in total | 10 | 0.39% | -52% | Thinly served |
| 22 | MenifeeRiverside, 1,513 businesses in total | 6 | 0.40% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 23 | RedlandsSan Bernardino, 2,509 businesses in total | 10 | 0.40% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 24 | PomonaLos Angeles, 2,655 businesses in total | 11 | 0.41% | -49% | Thinly served |
| 25 | BellflowerLos Angeles, 1,195 businesses in total | 5 | 0.42% | -49% | Thinly served |
Statewide, 0.81% 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 engineering 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.