Saturation ranking
Where laundromats & coin laundry is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Laundromats 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
- 1,235
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.3
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 28
- of 31 with data
- Cities ranked
- 36
- of 82 with data
Most saturated counties for laundromats
28 of 31 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 | Mendocino County88,122 residents | 6 | 0.7 | +121% | Densely served |
| 2 | Monterey County433,729 residents | 27 | 0.6 | +102% | Densely served |
| 3 | Humboldt County131,647 residents | 8 | 0.6 | +98% | Densely served |
| 4 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 15 | 0.6 | +88% | Densely served |
| 5 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 451 | 0.5 | +51% | Densely served |
| 6 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 36 | 0.4 | +42% | Above average |
| 7 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 32 | 0.4 | +40% | Above average |
| 8 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 33 | 0.4 | +29% | Above average |
| 9 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 16 | 0.4 | +18% | Above average |
| 10 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 59 | 0.4 | +17% | Above average |
| 11 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 8 | 0.4 | +16% | Above average |
| 12 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 117 | 0.4 | +16% | Above average |
| 13 | Marin County253,694 residents | 9 | 0.4 | +15% | Above average |
| 14 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 61 | 0.3 | +4% | Typical |
| 15 | Solano County455,376 residents | 14 | 0.3 | 0% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.3 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for laundromats
The same 28 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 | 12 | 0.1 | -58% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 7 | 0.1 | -53% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 16 | 0.2 | -50% | Thinly served |
| 4 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 36 | 0.2 | -47% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 42 | 0.2 | -46% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -33% | Below average |
| 7 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 17 | 0.2 | -33% | Below average |
| 8 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 6 | 0.2 | -31% | Below average |
| 9 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 25 | 0.2 | -31% | Below average |
| 10 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 12 | 0.2 | -30% | Below average |
| 11 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 40 | 0.2 | -20% | Below average |
| 12 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 5 | 0.3 | -15% | Below average |
| 13 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 91 | 0.3 | -6% | Typical |
| 14 | Solano County455,376 residents | 14 | 0.3 | 0% | Typical |
| 15 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 61 | 0.3 | +4% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.3 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 laundromats
36 of 82 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 | Huntington ParkLos Angeles, 1,004 businesses in total | 9 | 0.90% | +1313% | Densely served |
| 2 | LynwoodLos Angeles, 762 businesses in total | 6 | 0.79% | +1141% | Densely served |
| 3 | South GateLos Angeles, 1,109 businesses in total | 7 | 0.63% | +895% | Densely served |
| 4 | ComptonLos Angeles, 1,736 businesses in total | 10 | 0.58% | +808% | Densely served |
| 5 | Bell GardensLos Angeles, 1,012 businesses in total | 5 | 0.49% | +679% | Densely served |
| 6 | ClaremontLos Angeles, 1,094 businesses in total | 5 | 0.46% | +620% | Densely served |
| 7 | Daly CitySan Mateo, 1,538 businesses in total | 7 | 0.46% | +617% | Densely served |
| 8 | WatsonvilleSanta Cruz, 1,538 businesses in total | 7 | 0.46% | +617% | Densely served |
| 9 | BellflowerLos Angeles, 1,195 businesses in total | 5 | 0.42% | +559% | Densely served |
| 10 | SalinasMonterey, 3,451 businesses in total | 13 | 0.38% | +494% | Densely served |
| 11 | RichmondContra Costa, 1,549 businesses in total | 5 | 0.32% | +409% | Densely served |
| 12 | GilroySanta Clara, 1,551 businesses in total | 5 | 0.32% | +408% | Densely served |
| 13 | InglewoodLos Angeles, 2,000 businesses in total | 6 | 0.30% | +373% | Densely served |
| 14 | DowneyLos Angeles, 2,532 businesses in total | 7 | 0.28% | +336% | Densely served |
| 15 | OxnardVentura, 3,760 businesses in total | 9 | 0.24% | +277% | Densely served |
| 16 | HaywardAlameda, 4,289 businesses in total | 10 | 0.23% | +267% | Densely served |
| 17 | OceansideSan Diego, 3,630 businesses in total | 7 | 0.19% | +204% | Densely served |
| 18 | Chula VistaSan Diego, 4,885 businesses in total | 9 | 0.18% | +190% | Densely served |
| 19 | Santa MariaSanta Barbara, 2,804 businesses in total | 5 | 0.18% | +181% | Densely served |
| 20 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 136 | 0.17% | +175% | Densely served |
| 21 | VistaSan Diego, 3,017 businesses in total | 5 | 0.17% | +161% | Densely served |
| 22 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 7 | 0.16% | +155% | Densely served |
| 23 | San MateoSan Mateo, 4,307 businesses in total | 6 | 0.14% | +120% | Densely served |
| 24 | San JoseSanta Clara, 21,501 businesses in total | 25 | 0.12% | +83% | Densely served |
| 25 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 12 | 0.12% | +83% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.06% 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 laundromats
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least laundromats provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SacramentoSacramento, 19,687 businesses in total | 7 | 0.04% | -44% | Thinly served |
| 2 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 24 | 0.06% | -10% | Typical |
| 3 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 25 | 0.07% | +17% | Above average |
| 4 | RiversideRiverside, 7,958 businesses in total | 7 | 0.09% | +39% | Above average |
| 5 | ModestoStanislaus, 5,412 businesses in total | 5 | 0.09% | +46% | Above average |
| 6 | Newport BeachOrange, 6,234 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | +52% | Densely served |
| 7 | Santa RosaSonoma, 6,121 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | +55% | Densely served |
| 8 | AnaheimOrange, 9,049 businesses in total | 9 | 0.10% | +57% | Densely served |
| 9 | StocktonSan Joaquin, 6,022 businesses in total | 6 | 0.10% | +57% | Densely served |
| 10 | Long BeachLos Angeles, 9,885 businesses in total | 10 | 0.10% | +59% | Densely served |
| 11 | Santa AnaOrange, 8,181 businesses in total | 9 | 0.11% | +73% | Densely served |
| 12 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 12 | 0.12% | +83% | Densely served |
| 13 | San JoseSanta Clara, 21,501 businesses in total | 25 | 0.12% | +83% | Densely served |
| 14 | San MateoSan Mateo, 4,307 businesses in total | 6 | 0.14% | +120% | Densely served |
| 15 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 7 | 0.16% | +155% | Densely served |
| 16 | VistaSan Diego, 3,017 businesses in total | 5 | 0.17% | +161% | Densely served |
| 17 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 136 | 0.17% | +175% | Densely served |
| 18 | Santa MariaSanta Barbara, 2,804 businesses in total | 5 | 0.18% | +181% | Densely served |
| 19 | Chula VistaSan Diego, 4,885 businesses in total | 9 | 0.18% | +190% | Densely served |
| 20 | OceansideSan Diego, 3,630 businesses in total | 7 | 0.19% | +204% | Densely served |
| 21 | HaywardAlameda, 4,289 businesses in total | 10 | 0.23% | +267% | Densely served |
| 22 | OxnardVentura, 3,760 businesses in total | 9 | 0.24% | +277% | Densely served |
| 23 | DowneyLos Angeles, 2,532 businesses in total | 7 | 0.28% | +336% | Densely served |
| 24 | InglewoodLos Angeles, 2,000 businesses in total | 6 | 0.30% | +373% | Densely served |
| 25 | GilroySanta Clara, 1,551 businesses in total | 5 | 0.32% | +408% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.06% 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 laundromats 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.