Saturation ranking
Where landscaping & tree care services is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Landscaping 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
- 9,393
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 2.7
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 50
- of 53 with data
- Cities ranked
- 262
- of 356 with data
Most saturated counties for landscaping
50 of 53 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 | Plumas County18,583 residents | 18 | 9.7 | +259% | Densely served |
| 2 | Nevada County101,911 residents | 90 | 8.8 | +228% | Densely served |
| 3 | Napa County132,949 residents | 100 | 7.5 | +179% | Densely served |
| 4 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 301 | 6.2 | +130% | Densely served |
| 5 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 114 | 5.9 | +120% | Densely served |
| 6 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 167 | 5.9 | +119% | Densely served |
| 7 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 261 | 5.9 | +119% | Densely served |
| 8 | Marin County253,694 residents | 149 | 5.9 | +118% | Densely served |
| 9 | Mono County12,505 residents | 7 | 5.6 | +108% | Densely served |
| 10 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 140 | 5.4 | +101% | Densely served |
| 11 | Siskiyou County42,013 residents | 21 | 5.0 | +85% | Densely served |
| 12 | Calaveras County46,605 residents | 23 | 4.9 | +83% | Densely served |
| 13 | Placer County442,081 residents | 201 | 4.5 | +69% | Densely served |
| 14 | Tuolumne County53,160 residents | 24 | 4.5 | +67% | Densely served |
| 15 | Butte County209,211 residents | 93 | 4.4 | +65% | Densely served |
State median for this industry: 2.7 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for landscaping
The same 50 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 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 16 | 0.9 | -67% | Thinly served |
| 2 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 79 | 1.0 | -65% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Kings County154,327 residents | 20 | 1.3 | -52% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 1,300 | 1.3 | -50% | Thinly served |
| 5 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 324 | 1.5 | -46% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Kern County927,068 residents | 140 | 1.5 | -44% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Merced County297,260 residents | 46 | 1.5 | -43% | Thinly served |
| 8 | Yuba County88,691 residents | 14 | 1.6 | -41% | Thinly served |
| 9 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 300 | 1.8 | -32% | Below average |
| 10 | Madera County167,927 residents | 31 | 1.8 | -32% | Below average |
| 11 | Lake County67,772 residents | 13 | 1.9 | -29% | Below average |
| 12 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 207 | 2.0 | -26% | Below average |
| 13 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 114 | 2.0 | -24% | Below average |
| 14 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 104 | 2.1 | -20% | Below average |
| 15 | Tehama County64,665 residents | 14 | 2.2 | -20% | Below average |
State median for this industry: 2.7 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 landscaping
262 of 356 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 | Cathedral CityRiverside, 914 businesses in total | 49 | 5.36% | +522% | Densely served |
| 2 | CarpinteriaSanta Barbara, 540 businesses in total | 24 | 4.44% | +416% | Densely served |
| 3 | SeasideMonterey, 674 businesses in total | 28 | 4.15% | +382% | Densely served |
| 4 | IndioRiverside, 1,728 businesses in total | 69 | 3.99% | +364% | Densely served |
| 5 | MartinezContra Costa, 1,141 businesses in total | 42 | 3.68% | +327% | Densely served |
| 6 | WindsorSonoma, 660 businesses in total | 22 | 3.33% | +287% | Densely served |
| 7 | SonomaSonoma, 1,218 businesses in total | 37 | 3.04% | +253% | Densely served |
| 8 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 126 | 2.91% | +238% | Densely served |
| 9 | Nevada CityNevada, 522 businesses in total | 15 | 2.87% | +234% | Densely served |
| 10 | VistaSan Diego, 3,017 businesses in total | 84 | 2.78% | +223% | Densely served |
| 11 | PlacervilleEl Dorado, 974 businesses in total | 27 | 2.77% | +222% | Densely served |
| 12 | PittsburgContra Costa, 1,059 businesses in total | 29 | 2.74% | +218% | Densely served |
| 13 | NovatoMarin, 1,888 businesses in total | 51 | 2.70% | +214% | Densely served |
| 14 | GoletaSanta Barbara, 1,183 businesses in total | 31 | 2.62% | +204% | Densely served |
| 15 | Half Moon BaySan Mateo, 509 businesses in total | 13 | 2.55% | +197% | Densely served |
| 16 | Grass ValleyNevada, 1,381 businesses in total | 35 | 2.53% | +194% | Densely served |
| 17 | Redwood CitySan Mateo, 3,279 businesses in total | 80 | 2.44% | +183% | Densely served |
| 18 | TruckeeNevada, 1,148 businesses in total | 28 | 2.44% | +183% | Densely served |
| 19 | SebastopolSonoma, 987 businesses in total | 24 | 2.43% | +182% | Densely served |
| 20 | PetalumaSonoma, 2,420 businesses in total | 58 | 2.40% | +178% | Densely served |
| 21 | OjaiVentura, 757 businesses in total | 18 | 2.38% | +176% | Densely served |
| 22 | PerrisRiverside, 1,263 businesses in total | 30 | 2.38% | +176% | Densely served |
| 23 | Morgan HillSanta Clara, 1,399 businesses in total | 33 | 2.36% | +174% | Densely served |
| 24 | WatsonvilleSanta Cruz, 1,538 businesses in total | 36 | 2.34% | +172% | Densely served |
| 25 | NapaNapa, 3,089 businesses in total | 69 | 2.23% | +159% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.86% 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 landscaping
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least landscaping provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BurbankLos Angeles, 5,899 businesses in total | 7 | 0.12% | -86% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Santa MonicaLos Angeles, 7,320 businesses in total | 9 | 0.12% | -86% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 127 | 0.16% | -81% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Newport BeachOrange, 6,234 businesses in total | 11 | 0.18% | -80% | Thinly served |
| 5 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 61 | 0.18% | -79% | Thinly served |
| 6 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 7 | 0.21% | -76% | Thinly served |
| 7 | WalnutLos Angeles, 2,341 businesses in total | 6 | 0.26% | -70% | Thinly served |
| 8 | VictorvilleSan Bernardino, 1,929 businesses in total | 5 | 0.26% | -70% | Thinly served |
| 9 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 5 | 0.27% | -69% | Thinly served |
| 10 | PasadenaLos Angeles, 7,697 businesses in total | 21 | 0.27% | -68% | Thinly served |
| 11 | DowneyLos Angeles, 2,532 businesses in total | 7 | 0.28% | -68% | Thinly served |
| 12 | WestminsterOrange, 2,112 businesses in total | 6 | 0.28% | -67% | Thinly served |
| 13 | Redondo BeachLos Angeles, 2,814 businesses in total | 8 | 0.28% | -67% | Thinly served |
| 14 | TorranceLos Angeles, 7,600 businesses in total | 23 | 0.30% | -65% | Thinly served |
| 15 | RedlandsSan Bernardino, 2,509 businesses in total | 8 | 0.32% | -63% | Thinly served |
| 16 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 48 | 0.32% | -63% | Thinly served |
| 17 | RosemeadLos Angeles, 1,514 businesses in total | 5 | 0.33% | -62% | Thinly served |
| 18 | Diamond BarLos Angeles, 1,793 businesses in total | 6 | 0.33% | -61% | Thinly served |
| 19 | Union CityAlameda, 1,362 businesses in total | 5 | 0.37% | -57% | Thinly served |
| 20 | CupertinoSanta Clara, 1,627 businesses in total | 6 | 0.37% | -57% | Thinly served |
| 21 | Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino, 5,340 businesses in total | 21 | 0.39% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 22 | Long BeachLos Angeles, 9,885 businesses in total | 40 | 0.40% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 23 | MilpitasSanta Clara, 2,220 businesses in total | 9 | 0.41% | -53% | Thinly served |
| 24 | Culver CityLos Angeles, 2,919 businesses in total | 12 | 0.41% | -52% | Thinly served |
| 25 | CarlsbadSan Diego, 5,494 businesses in total | 23 | 0.42% | -51% | Thinly served |
Statewide, 0.86% 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 landscaping 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.