Saturation ranking
Where insurance agencies & brokerages is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Insurance Agency 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
- 13,919
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 2.9
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 51
- of 55 with data
- Cities ranked
- 288
- of 369 with data
Most saturated counties for insurance agency
51 of 55 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 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 1,920 | 6.1 | +108% | Densely served |
| 2 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 413 | 5.0 | +69% | Densely served |
| 3 | Placer County442,081 residents | 216 | 4.9 | +66% | Densely served |
| 4 | Marin County253,694 residents | 122 | 4.8 | +64% | Densely served |
| 5 | Glenn County28,141 residents | 12 | 4.3 | +45% | Above average |
| 6 | Shasta County181,648 residents | 74 | 4.1 | +39% | Above average |
| 7 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 3,866 | 4.0 | +36% | Above average |
| 8 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 1,293 | 3.9 | +34% | Above average |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 110 | 3.9 | +33% | Above average |
| 10 | Plumas County18,583 residents | 7 | 3.8 | +28% | Above average |
| 11 | Butte County209,211 residents | 78 | 3.7 | +27% | Above average |
| 12 | Napa County132,949 residents | 48 | 3.6 | +23% | Above average |
| 13 | Sutter County98,787 residents | 35 | 3.5 | +21% | Above average |
| 14 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 288 | 3.5 | +19% | Above average |
| 15 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 403 | 3.4 | +17% | Above average |
State median for this industry: 2.9 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for insurance agency
The same 51 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 | Yuba County88,691 residents | 9 | 1.0 | -65% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Lake County67,772 residents | 9 | 1.3 | -55% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Calaveras County46,605 residents | 8 | 1.7 | -42% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 41 | 1.8 | -38% | Below average |
| 5 | Kings County154,327 residents | 29 | 1.9 | -36% | Below average |
| 6 | Del Norte County26,410 residents | 5 | 1.9 | -36% | Below average |
| 7 | Merced County297,260 residents | 57 | 1.9 | -35% | Below average |
| 8 | Solano County455,376 residents | 95 | 2.1 | -29% | Below average |
| 9 | Lassen County28,117 residents | 6 | 2.1 | -27% | Below average |
| 10 | Madera County167,927 residents | 36 | 2.1 | -27% | Below average |
| 11 | Tehama County64,665 residents | 14 | 2.2 | -26% | Below average |
| 12 | Tuolumne County53,160 residents | 12 | 2.3 | -23% | Below average |
| 13 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 186 | 2.3 | -23% | Below average |
| 14 | Kern County927,068 residents | 217 | 2.3 | -20% | Below average |
| 15 | Monterey County433,729 residents | 102 | 2.4 | -20% | Below average |
State median for this industry: 2.9 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 insurance agency
288 of 369 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 | CalexicoImperial, 641 businesses in total | 20 | 3.12% | +136% | Densely served |
| 2 | La MesaSan Diego, 2,279 businesses in total | 71 | 3.12% | +136% | Densely served |
| 3 | Westlake VillageLos Angeles, 1,669 businesses in total | 51 | 3.06% | +131% | Densely served |
| 4 | Agoura HillsLos Angeles, 1,515 businesses in total | 46 | 3.04% | +130% | Densely served |
| 5 | Thousand OaksVentura, 3,759 businesses in total | 111 | 2.95% | +124% | Densely served |
| 6 | Rancho Santa MargaritaOrange, 1,156 businesses in total | 32 | 2.77% | +110% | Densely served |
| 7 | PlacentiaOrange, 1,304 businesses in total | 36 | 2.76% | +109% | Densely served |
| 8 | Los AlamitosOrange, 1,247 businesses in total | 33 | 2.65% | +100% | Densely served |
| 9 | LafayetteContra Costa, 1,069 businesses in total | 28 | 2.62% | +98% | Densely served |
| 10 | Laguna HillsOrange, 1,901 businesses in total | 49 | 2.58% | +95% | Densely served |
| 11 | DowneyLos Angeles, 2,532 businesses in total | 65 | 2.57% | +94% | Densely served |
| 12 | Aliso ViejoOrange, 1,444 businesses in total | 36 | 2.49% | +89% | Densely served |
| 13 | WestminsterOrange, 2,112 businesses in total | 51 | 2.41% | +83% | Densely served |
| 14 | Laguna NiguelOrange, 1,969 businesses in total | 47 | 2.39% | +81% | Densely served |
| 15 | El CentroImperial, 1,100 businesses in total | 26 | 2.36% | +79% | Densely served |
| 16 | San DimasLos Angeles, 1,274 businesses in total | 30 | 2.35% | +78% | Densely served |
| 17 | RosevillePlacer, 5,038 businesses in total | 117 | 2.32% | +76% | Densely served |
| 18 | FolsomSacramento, 2,559 businesses in total | 59 | 2.31% | +75% | Densely served |
| 19 | Walnut CreekContra Costa, 4,012 businesses in total | 92 | 2.29% | +74% | Densely served |
| 20 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 77 | 2.29% | +74% | Densely served |
| 21 | Fountain ValleyOrange, 2,040 businesses in total | 46 | 2.25% | +71% | Densely served |
| 22 | San FernandoLos Angeles, 848 businesses in total | 19 | 2.24% | +70% | Densely served |
| 23 | CypressOrange, 1,278 businesses in total | 28 | 2.19% | +66% | Densely served |
| 24 | CovinaLos Angeles, 2,014 businesses in total | 44 | 2.18% | +66% | Densely served |
| 25 | HanfordKings, 1,151 businesses in total | 25 | 2.17% | +65% | Densely served |
Statewide, 1.32% 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 insurance agency
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least insurance agency provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West HollywoodLos Angeles, 2,749 businesses in total | 6 | 0.22% | -83% | Thinly served |
| 2 | West SacramentoYolo, 1,439 businesses in total | 5 | 0.35% | -74% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Santa Fe SpringsLos Angeles, 2,171 businesses in total | 8 | 0.37% | -72% | Thinly served |
| 4 | BerkeleyAlameda, 4,279 businesses in total | 17 | 0.40% | -70% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Palo AltoSanta Clara, 3,843 businesses in total | 16 | 0.42% | -68% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Mountain ViewSanta Clara, 2,974 businesses in total | 13 | 0.44% | -67% | Thinly served |
| 7 | South Lake TahoeEl Dorado, 1,082 businesses in total | 5 | 0.46% | -65% | Thinly served |
| 8 | TruckeeNevada, 1,148 businesses in total | 6 | 0.52% | -60% | Thinly served |
| 9 | Beverly HillsLos Angeles, 6,870 businesses in total | 40 | 0.58% | -56% | Thinly served |
| 10 | MalibuLos Angeles, 1,013 businesses in total | 6 | 0.59% | -55% | Thinly served |
| 11 | SebastopolSonoma, 987 businesses in total | 6 | 0.61% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 12 | South San FranciscoSan Mateo, 2,283 businesses in total | 14 | 0.61% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 13 | Menlo ParkSan Mateo, 1,765 businesses in total | 11 | 0.62% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 14 | HaywardAlameda, 4,289 businesses in total | 27 | 0.63% | -52% | Thinly served |
| 15 | Santa MonicaLos Angeles, 7,320 businesses in total | 47 | 0.64% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 16 | GilroySanta Clara, 1,551 businesses in total | 10 | 0.64% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 17 | Santa CruzSanta Cruz, 2,943 businesses in total | 19 | 0.65% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 18 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 12 | 0.65% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 19 | EmeryvilleAlameda, 1,232 businesses in total | 8 | 0.65% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 20 | NewarkAlameda, 1,224 businesses in total | 8 | 0.65% | -50% | Thinly served |
| 21 | SunnyvaleSanta Clara, 3,376 businesses in total | 23 | 0.68% | -48% | Thinly served |
| 22 | SausalitoMarin, 718 businesses in total | 5 | 0.70% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 23 | InglewoodLos Angeles, 2,000 businesses in total | 14 | 0.70% | -47% | Thinly served |
| 24 | PerrisRiverside, 1,263 businesses in total | 9 | 0.71% | -46% | Thinly served |
| 25 | GardenaLos Angeles, 3,007 businesses in total | 22 | 0.73% | -45% | Thinly served |
Statewide, 1.32% 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 insurance agency 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.