Saturation ranking
Where law offices is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Law Firm 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
- 22,821
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 2.8
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 51
- of 53 with data
- Cities ranked
- 255
- of 307 with data
Most saturated counties for law firm
51 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 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 1,171 | 14.2 | +415% | Densely served |
| 2 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 2,869 | 9.1 | +231% | Densely served |
| 3 | Marin County253,694 residents | 226 | 8.9 | +224% | Densely served |
| 4 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 8,461 | 8.7 | +217% | Densely served |
| 5 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 2,536 | 7.7 | +181% | Densely served |
| 6 | Mono County12,505 residents | 8 | 6.4 | +132% | Densely served |
| 7 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 243 | 5.5 | +100% | Densely served |
| 8 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 450 | 5.4 | +97% | Densely served |
| 9 | Nevada County101,911 residents | 55 | 5.4 | +96% | Densely served |
| 10 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 869 | 5.4 | +95% | Densely served |
| 11 | Placer County442,081 residents | 223 | 5.0 | +83% | Densely served |
| 12 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 241 | 5.0 | +80% | Densely served |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 137 | 4.9 | +76% | Densely served |
| 14 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 358 | 4.8 | +75% | Densely served |
| 15 | Butte County209,211 residents | 96 | 4.6 | +67% | Densely served |
State median for this industry: 2.8 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for law firm
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 | Madera County167,927 residents | 13 | 0.8 | -72% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Calaveras County46,605 residents | 5 | 1.1 | -61% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Lake County67,772 residents | 8 | 1.2 | -57% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Tehama County64,665 residents | 8 | 1.2 | -55% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Merced County297,260 residents | 39 | 1.3 | -52% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Yuba County88,691 residents | 12 | 1.4 | -51% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Kings County154,327 residents | 21 | 1.4 | -51% | Thinly served |
| 8 | San Benito County70,082 residents | 10 | 1.4 | -48% | Thinly served |
| 9 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 26 | 1.4 | -48% | Thinly served |
| 10 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 78 | 1.6 | -42% | Thinly served |
| 11 | Solano County455,376 residents | 75 | 1.6 | -40% | Thinly served |
| 12 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 139 | 1.7 | -39% | Below average |
| 13 | Sutter County98,787 residents | 18 | 1.8 | -34% | Below average |
| 14 | Del Norte County26,410 residents | 5 | 1.9 | -31% | Below average |
| 15 | Kern County927,068 residents | 182 | 2.0 | -29% | Below average |
State median for this industry: 2.8 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 law firm
255 of 307 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 | Beverly HillsLos Angeles, 6,870 businesses in total | 539 | 7.85% | +260% | Densely served |
| 2 | Westlake VillageLos Angeles, 1,669 businesses in total | 124 | 7.43% | +240% | Densely served |
| 3 | Newport BeachOrange, 6,234 businesses in total | 398 | 6.38% | +193% | Densely served |
| 4 | CalabasasLos Angeles, 2,108 businesses in total | 132 | 6.26% | +187% | Densely served |
| 5 | Walnut CreekContra Costa, 4,012 businesses in total | 235 | 5.86% | +168% | Densely served |
| 6 | PasadenaLos Angeles, 7,697 businesses in total | 400 | 5.20% | +138% | Densely served |
| 7 | GlendaleLos Angeles, 7,130 businesses in total | 365 | 5.12% | +135% | Densely served |
| 8 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 761 | 5.09% | +133% | Densely served |
| 9 | Manhattan BeachLos Angeles, 2,055 businesses in total | 103 | 5.01% | +130% | Densely served |
| 10 | Santa AnaOrange, 8,181 businesses in total | 376 | 4.60% | +111% | Densely served |
| 11 | ClaremontLos Angeles, 1,094 businesses in total | 50 | 4.57% | +109% | Densely served |
| 12 | El SegundoLos Angeles, 2,288 businesses in total | 98 | 4.28% | +96% | Densely served |
| 13 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 1,752 | 4.16% | +91% | Densely served |
| 14 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 3,051 | 3.92% | +80% | Densely served |
| 15 | Solana BeachSan Diego, 1,032 businesses in total | 38 | 3.68% | +69% | Densely served |
| 16 | San RafaelMarin, 3,160 businesses in total | 116 | 3.67% | +68% | Densely served |
| 17 | Seal BeachOrange, 766 businesses in total | 28 | 3.66% | +67% | Densely served |
| 18 | SacramentoSacramento, 19,687 businesses in total | 690 | 3.50% | +61% | Densely served |
| 19 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 1,170 | 3.48% | +60% | Densely served |
| 20 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 115 | 3.42% | +57% | Densely served |
| 21 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 353 | 3.42% | +57% | Densely served |
| 22 | Santa MonicaLos Angeles, 7,320 businesses in total | 245 | 3.35% | +53% | Densely served |
| 23 | Del MarSan Diego, 840 businesses in total | 28 | 3.33% | +53% | Densely served |
| 24 | Laguna HillsOrange, 1,901 businesses in total | 63 | 3.31% | +52% | Densely served |
| 25 | South PasadenaLos Angeles, 1,030 businesses in total | 34 | 3.30% | +51% | Densely served |
Statewide, 2.18% 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 law firm
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least law firm provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La PuenteLos Angeles, 2,119 businesses in total | 5 | 0.24% | -89% | Thinly served |
| 2 | MilpitasSanta Clara, 2,220 businesses in total | 6 | 0.27% | -88% | Thinly served |
| 3 | LivermoreAlameda, 2,640 businesses in total | 8 | 0.30% | -86% | Thinly served |
| 4 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 6 | 0.32% | -85% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Baldwin ParkLos Angeles, 1,638 businesses in total | 6 | 0.37% | -83% | Thinly served |
| 6 | GilroySanta Clara, 1,551 businesses in total | 6 | 0.39% | -82% | Thinly served |
| 7 | RichmondContra Costa, 1,549 businesses in total | 6 | 0.39% | -82% | Thinly served |
| 8 | TracySan Joaquin, 2,464 businesses in total | 10 | 0.41% | -81% | Thinly served |
| 9 | CarsonLos Angeles, 1,696 businesses in total | 7 | 0.41% | -81% | Thinly served |
| 10 | Apple ValleySan Bernardino, 1,125 businesses in total | 5 | 0.44% | -80% | Thinly served |
| 11 | VacavilleSolano, 2,017 businesses in total | 9 | 0.45% | -80% | Thinly served |
| 12 | MaderaMadera, 1,525 businesses in total | 7 | 0.46% | -79% | Thinly served |
| 13 | El CajonSan Diego, 4,089 businesses in total | 19 | 0.46% | -79% | Thinly served |
| 14 | WalnutLos Angeles, 2,341 businesses in total | 11 | 0.47% | -78% | Thinly served |
| 15 | West SacramentoYolo, 1,439 businesses in total | 7 | 0.49% | -78% | Thinly served |
| 16 | HaywardAlameda, 4,289 businesses in total | 21 | 0.49% | -78% | Thinly served |
| 17 | HawthorneLos Angeles, 1,403 businesses in total | 7 | 0.50% | -77% | Thinly served |
| 18 | TurlockStanislaus, 1,800 businesses in total | 9 | 0.50% | -77% | Thinly served |
| 19 | InglewoodLos Angeles, 2,000 businesses in total | 10 | 0.50% | -77% | Thinly served |
| 20 | SebastopolSonoma, 987 businesses in total | 5 | 0.51% | -77% | Thinly served |
| 21 | Santa Fe SpringsLos Angeles, 2,171 businesses in total | 12 | 0.55% | -75% | Thinly served |
| 22 | PittsburgContra Costa, 1,059 businesses in total | 6 | 0.57% | -74% | Thinly served |
| 23 | ChinoSan Bernardino, 3,295 businesses in total | 19 | 0.58% | -74% | Thinly served |
| 24 | VallejoSolano, 1,732 businesses in total | 10 | 0.58% | -74% | Thinly served |
| 25 | WoodlandYolo, 1,353 businesses in total | 8 | 0.59% | -73% | Thinly served |
Statewide, 2.18% 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 law firm 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.