Saturation ranking
Where flooring contractors is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Flooring 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
- 2,194
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.6
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 35
- of 38 with data
- Cities ranked
- 98
- of 164 with data
Most saturated counties for flooring
35 of 38 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 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 46 | 0.9 | +59% | Densely served |
| 2 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 26 | 0.9 | +55% | Densely served |
| 3 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 17 | 0.9 | +48% | Above average |
| 4 | Marin County253,694 residents | 21 | 0.8 | +39% | Above average |
| 5 | Napa County132,949 residents | 11 | 0.8 | +39% | Above average |
| 6 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 133 | 0.8 | +38% | Above average |
| 7 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 266 | 0.8 | +36% | Above average |
| 8 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 59 | 0.8 | +33% | Above average |
| 9 | Shasta County181,648 residents | 14 | 0.8 | +29% | Above average |
| 10 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 88 | 0.8 | +26% | Above average |
| 11 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 19 | 0.7 | +23% | Above average |
| 12 | San Benito County70,082 residents | 5 | 0.7 | +20% | Above average |
| 13 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 73 | 0.7 | +18% | Above average |
| 14 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 31 | 0.7 | +18% | Above average |
| 15 | Nevada County101,911 residents | 7 | 0.7 | +15% | Above average |
State median for this industry: 0.6 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for flooring
The same 35 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 | Kern County927,068 residents | 19 | 0.2 | -66% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Butte County209,211 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -60% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Merced County297,260 residents | 9 | 0.3 | -49% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 8 | 0.4 | -40% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 19 | 0.4 | -34% | Below average |
| 6 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 34 | 0.4 | -31% | Below average |
| 7 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 410 | 0.4 | -29% | Below average |
| 8 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 102 | 0.5 | -23% | Below average |
| 9 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 92 | 0.5 | -19% | Below average |
| 10 | Solano County455,376 residents | 22 | 0.5 | -19% | Below average |
| 11 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 43 | 0.5 | -13% | Typical |
| 12 | Humboldt County131,647 residents | 7 | 0.5 | -11% | Typical |
| 13 | Madera County167,927 residents | 9 | 0.5 | -10% | Typical |
| 14 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 88 | 0.5 | -10% | Typical |
| 15 | Placer County442,081 residents | 25 | 0.6 | -5% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.6 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 flooring
98 of 164 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 | SanteeSan Diego, 1,273 businesses in total | 12 | 0.94% | +530% | Densely served |
| 2 | Citrus HeightsSacramento, 1,423 businesses in total | 13 | 0.91% | +510% | Densely served |
| 3 | AntiochContra Costa, 1,538 businesses in total | 14 | 0.91% | +508% | Densely served |
| 4 | Arroyo GrandeSan Luis Obispo, 896 businesses in total | 8 | 0.89% | +497% | Densely served |
| 5 | PittsburgContra Costa, 1,059 businesses in total | 9 | 0.85% | +468% | Densely served |
| 6 | Rancho CordovaSacramento, 2,357 businesses in total | 18 | 0.76% | +410% | Densely served |
| 7 | Lake ElsinoreRiverside, 1,327 businesses in total | 10 | 0.75% | +404% | Densely served |
| 8 | CeresStanislaus, 676 businesses in total | 5 | 0.74% | +394% | Densely served |
| 9 | PerrisRiverside, 1,263 businesses in total | 9 | 0.71% | +376% | Densely served |
| 10 | BeniciaSolano, 890 businesses in total | 6 | 0.67% | +350% | Densely served |
| 11 | San CarlosSan Mateo, 1,357 businesses in total | 9 | 0.66% | +343% | Densely served |
| 12 | NewarkAlameda, 1,224 businesses in total | 8 | 0.65% | +337% | Densely served |
| 13 | Chula VistaSan Diego, 4,885 businesses in total | 30 | 0.61% | +310% | Densely served |
| 14 | NorwalkLos Angeles, 1,312 businesses in total | 8 | 0.61% | +307% | Densely served |
| 15 | ClovisFresno, 2,785 businesses in total | 15 | 0.54% | +260% | Densely served |
| 16 | MartinezContra Costa, 1,141 businesses in total | 6 | 0.53% | +251% | Densely served |
| 17 | PlacervilleEl Dorado, 974 businesses in total | 5 | 0.51% | +243% | Densely served |
| 18 | ConcordContra Costa, 3,539 businesses in total | 18 | 0.51% | +240% | Densely served |
| 19 | Moreno ValleyRiverside, 2,220 businesses in total | 11 | 0.50% | +231% | Densely served |
| 20 | BrentwoodContra Costa, 1,414 businesses in total | 7 | 0.50% | +231% | Densely served |
| 21 | HaywardAlameda, 4,289 businesses in total | 21 | 0.49% | +227% | Densely served |
| 22 | Baldwin ParkLos Angeles, 1,638 businesses in total | 8 | 0.49% | +226% | Densely served |
| 23 | HollisterSan Benito, 1,025 businesses in total | 5 | 0.49% | +226% | Densely served |
| 24 | Jurupa Valley1,066 businesses in total | 5 | 0.47% | +213% | Densely served |
| 25 | WatsonvilleSanta Cruz, 1,538 businesses in total | 7 | 0.46% | +204% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.15% 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 flooring
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least flooring provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 34 | 0.04% | -71% | Thinly served |
| 2 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 9 | 0.06% | -60% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Long BeachLos Angeles, 9,885 businesses in total | 6 | 0.06% | -59% | Thinly served |
| 4 | BakersfieldKern, 10,791 businesses in total | 9 | 0.08% | -44% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Huntington BeachOrange, 6,263 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | -36% | Below average |
| 6 | BurbankLos Angeles, 5,899 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | -32% | Below average |
| 7 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 36 | 0.11% | -28% | Below average |
| 8 | StocktonSan Joaquin, 6,022 businesses in total | 7 | 0.12% | -22% | Below average |
| 9 | Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, 5,868 businesses in total | 7 | 0.12% | -20% | Below average |
| 10 | FremontAlameda, 5,575 businesses in total | 7 | 0.13% | -16% | Below average |
| 11 | Palo AltoSanta Clara, 3,843 businesses in total | 5 | 0.13% | -13% | Typical |
| 12 | FontanaSan Bernardino, 3,587 businesses in total | 5 | 0.14% | -7% | Typical |
| 13 | ModestoStanislaus, 5,412 businesses in total | 8 | 0.15% | -1% | Typical |
| 14 | San JoseSanta Clara, 21,501 businesses in total | 32 | 0.15% | -1% | Typical |
| 15 | San MateoSan Mateo, 4,307 businesses in total | 7 | 0.16% | +9% | Typical |
| 16 | Costa MesaOrange, 5,397 businesses in total | 9 | 0.17% | +11% | Typical |
| 17 | Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino, 5,340 businesses in total | 9 | 0.17% | +13% | Typical |
| 18 | ReddingShasta, 3,471 businesses in total | 6 | 0.17% | +16% | Above average |
| 19 | RosevillePlacer, 5,038 businesses in total | 9 | 0.18% | +19% | Above average |
| 20 | OntarioSan Bernardino, 5,487 businesses in total | 10 | 0.18% | +22% | Above average |
| 21 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 8 | 0.18% | +23% | Above average |
| 22 | Palm DesertRiverside, 2,689 businesses in total | 5 | 0.19% | +24% | Above average |
| 23 | SacramentoSacramento, 19,687 businesses in total | 37 | 0.19% | +26% | Above average |
| 24 | LivermoreAlameda, 2,640 businesses in total | 5 | 0.19% | +27% | Above average |
| 25 | UplandSan Bernardino, 2,607 businesses in total | 5 | 0.19% | +28% | Above average |
Statewide, 0.15% 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 flooring 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.