Saturation ranking
Where machine shops & precision machining is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Machine Shops 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
- 2,221
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.4
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 33
- of 40 with data
- Cities ranked
- 93
- of 144 with data
Most saturated counties for machine shops
33 of 40 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 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 297 | 1.6 | +273% | Densely served |
| 2 | Tuolumne County53,160 residents | 7 | 1.3 | +217% | Densely served |
| 3 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 354 | 1.1 | +170% | Densely served |
| 4 | Calaveras County46,605 residents | 5 | 1.1 | +158% | Densely served |
| 5 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 65 | 0.8 | +88% | Densely served |
| 6 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 126 | 0.8 | +85% | Densely served |
| 7 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 140 | 0.6 | +51% | Densely served |
| 8 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 12 | 0.6 | +50% | Densely served |
| 9 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 16 | 0.6 | +49% | Above average |
| 10 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 27 | 0.6 | +47% | Above average |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 17 | 0.6 | +45% | Above average |
| 12 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 33 | 0.6 | +42% | Above average |
| 13 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 545 | 0.6 | +35% | Above average |
| 14 | Butte County209,211 residents | 11 | 0.5 | +26% | Above average |
| 15 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 169 | 0.5 | +24% | Above average |
State median for this industry: 0.4 establishments per 10,000 residents. A high figure means more provision per resident, not more demand.
Least saturated counties for machine shops
The same 33 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 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 19 | 0.2 | -61% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Merced County297,260 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -60% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 30 | 0.2 | -55% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 20 | 0.2 | -54% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Marin County253,694 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -53% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -50% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Solano County455,376 residents | 11 | 0.2 | -42% | Thinly served |
| 8 | Kern County927,068 residents | 23 | 0.2 | -40% | Thinly served |
| 9 | Madera County167,927 residents | 5 | 0.3 | -28% | Below average |
| 10 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 28 | 0.3 | -18% | Below average |
| 11 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 18 | 0.4 | -11% | Typical |
| 12 | Napa County132,949 residents | 5 | 0.4 | -10% | Typical |
| 13 | Placer County442,081 residents | 17 | 0.4 | -8% | Typical |
| 14 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 105 | 0.4 | -1% | Typical |
| 15 | Monterey County433,729 residents | 18 | 0.4 | -0% | Typical |
State median for this industry: 0.4 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 machine shops
93 of 144 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 | Santa Fe SpringsLos Angeles, 2,171 businesses in total | 48 | 2.21% | +1150% | Densely served |
| 2 | Santa ClaraSanta Clara, 4,587 businesses in total | 88 | 1.92% | +984% | Densely served |
| 3 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 23 | 1.24% | +602% | Densely served |
| 4 | StantonOrange, 584 businesses in total | 7 | 1.20% | +578% | Densely served |
| 5 | SanteeSan Diego, 1,273 businesses in total | 14 | 1.10% | +522% | Densely served |
| 6 | Garden GroveOrange, 3,714 businesses in total | 40 | 1.08% | +509% | Densely served |
| 7 | ParamountLos Angeles, 1,146 businesses in total | 12 | 1.05% | +492% | Densely served |
| 8 | GardenaLos Angeles, 3,007 businesses in total | 31 | 1.03% | +483% | Densely served |
| 9 | Morgan HillSanta Clara, 1,399 businesses in total | 14 | 1.00% | +466% | Densely served |
| 10 | San FernandoLos Angeles, 848 businesses in total | 8 | 0.94% | +433% | Densely served |
| 11 | Santa AnaOrange, 8,181 businesses in total | 72 | 0.88% | +397% | Densely served |
| 12 | FremontAlameda, 5,575 businesses in total | 46 | 0.83% | +366% | Densely served |
| 13 | Signal HillLos Angeles, 745 businesses in total | 6 | 0.81% | +355% | Densely served |
| 14 | OntarioSan Bernardino, 5,487 businesses in total | 43 | 0.78% | +343% | Densely served |
| 15 | La VerneLos Angeles, 812 businesses in total | 6 | 0.74% | +318% | Densely served |
| 16 | South GateLos Angeles, 1,109 businesses in total | 8 | 0.72% | +308% | Densely served |
| 17 | OakdaleStanislaus, 702 businesses in total | 5 | 0.71% | +303% | Densely served |
| 18 | GilroySanta Clara, 1,551 businesses in total | 11 | 0.71% | +301% | Densely served |
| 19 | PlacentiaOrange, 1,304 businesses in total | 9 | 0.69% | +290% | Densely served |
| 20 | Lake ElsinoreRiverside, 1,327 businesses in total | 9 | 0.68% | +283% | Densely served |
| 21 | GoletaSanta Barbara, 1,183 businesses in total | 8 | 0.68% | +282% | Densely served |
| 22 | Baldwin ParkLos Angeles, 1,638 businesses in total | 11 | 0.67% | +280% | Densely served |
| 23 | San CarlosSan Mateo, 1,357 businesses in total | 9 | 0.66% | +275% | Densely served |
| 24 | AnaheimOrange, 9,049 businesses in total | 59 | 0.65% | +269% | Densely served |
| 25 | San MarcosSan Diego, 2,711 businesses in total | 17 | 0.63% | +254% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.18% 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 machine shops
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least machine shops 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 | 14 | 0.02% | -90% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Long BeachLos Angeles, 9,885 businesses in total | 5 | 0.05% | -71% | Thinly served |
| 3 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 34 | 0.08% | -54% | Thinly served |
| 4 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 9 | 0.09% | -51% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Chula VistaSan Diego, 4,885 businesses in total | 5 | 0.10% | -42% | Thinly served |
| 6 | EscondidoSan Diego, 4,331 businesses in total | 5 | 0.12% | -35% | Below average |
| 7 | BakersfieldKern, 10,791 businesses in total | 13 | 0.12% | -32% | Below average |
| 8 | BurbankLos Angeles, 5,899 businesses in total | 8 | 0.14% | -23% | Below average |
| 9 | GlendaleLos Angeles, 7,130 businesses in total | 10 | 0.14% | -21% | Below average |
| 10 | ModestoStanislaus, 5,412 businesses in total | 8 | 0.15% | -16% | Below average |
| 11 | PleasantonAlameda, 3,345 businesses in total | 5 | 0.15% | -16% | Below average |
| 12 | MurrietaRiverside, 3,203 businesses in total | 5 | 0.16% | -12% | Typical |
| 13 | Costa MesaOrange, 5,397 businesses in total | 9 | 0.17% | -6% | Typical |
| 14 | FontanaSan Bernardino, 3,587 businesses in total | 6 | 0.17% | -5% | Typical |
| 15 | Santa MariaSanta Barbara, 2,804 businesses in total | 5 | 0.18% | +1% | Typical |
| 16 | San ClementeOrange, 2,771 businesses in total | 5 | 0.18% | +2% | Typical |
| 17 | TorranceLos Angeles, 7,600 businesses in total | 14 | 0.18% | +4% | Typical |
| 18 | LancasterLos Angeles, 2,565 businesses in total | 5 | 0.19% | +10% | Typical |
| 19 | TemeculaRiverside, 4,281 businesses in total | 9 | 0.21% | +19% | Above average |
| 20 | CoronaRiverside, 5,711 businesses in total | 13 | 0.23% | +29% | Above average |
| 21 | OrangeOrange, 5,761 businesses in total | 14 | 0.24% | +37% | Above average |
| 22 | TracySan Joaquin, 2,464 businesses in total | 6 | 0.24% | +38% | Above average |
| 23 | ChicoButte, 3,159 businesses in total | 8 | 0.25% | +43% | Above average |
| 24 | San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, 2,659 businesses in total | 7 | 0.26% | +49% | Above average |
| 25 | Redwood CitySan Mateo, 3,279 businesses in total | 9 | 0.27% | +55% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.18% 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 machine shops 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.