Saturation ranking
Where commercial printing is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Printing 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
- 1,884
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.4
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 33
- of 35 with data
- Cities ranked
- 89
- of 149 with data
Most saturated counties for printing
33 of 35 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 | 293 | 0.9 | +143% | Densely served |
| 2 | Napa County132,949 residents | 11 | 0.8 | +116% | Densely served |
| 3 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 596 | 0.6 | +60% | Densely served |
| 4 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 49 | 0.6 | +55% | Densely served |
| 5 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 93 | 0.6 | +48% | Above average |
| 6 | Mendocino County88,122 residents | 5 | 0.6 | +48% | Above average |
| 7 | Shasta County181,648 residents | 10 | 0.6 | +44% | Above average |
| 8 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 25 | 0.5 | +34% | Above average |
| 9 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 168 | 0.5 | +34% | Above average |
| 10 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 38 | 0.5 | +33% | Above average |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 14 | 0.5 | +29% | Above average |
| 12 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 9 | 0.5 | +22% | Above average |
| 13 | Yolo County224,410 residents | 10 | 0.4 | +16% | Above average |
| 14 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 11 | 0.4 | +11% | Typical |
| 15 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 34 | 0.4 | +7% | Typical |
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 printing
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 | Merced County297,260 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -56% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -53% | Thinly served |
| 3 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 17 | 0.2 | -46% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Kern County927,068 residents | 20 | 0.2 | -44% | Thinly served |
| 5 | Solano County455,376 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -43% | Thinly served |
| 6 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 11 | 0.2 | -41% | Thinly served |
| 7 | Monterey County433,729 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -40% | Below average |
| 8 | Butte County209,211 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -38% | Below average |
| 9 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 5 | 0.3 | -28% | Below average |
| 10 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 29 | 0.3 | -27% | Below average |
| 11 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 33 | 0.3 | -26% | Below average |
| 12 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 85 | 0.3 | -13% | Typical |
| 13 | Placer County442,081 residents | 15 | 0.3 | -11% | Typical |
| 14 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 15 | 0.3 | -11% | Typical |
| 15 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 78 | 0.4 | -8% | 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 printing
89 of 149 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 | 22 | 1.01% | +670% | Densely served |
| 2 | Signal HillLos Angeles, 745 businesses in total | 7 | 0.94% | +614% | Densely served |
| 3 | South El MonteLos Angeles, 1,852 businesses in total | 17 | 0.92% | +597% | Densely served |
| 4 | GardenaLos Angeles, 3,007 businesses in total | 22 | 0.73% | +456% | Densely served |
| 5 | ColtonSan Bernardino, 874 businesses in total | 5 | 0.57% | +335% | Densely served |
| 6 | South San FranciscoSan Mateo, 2,283 businesses in total | 13 | 0.57% | +333% | Densely served |
| 7 | West SacramentoYolo, 1,439 businesses in total | 8 | 0.56% | +322% | Densely served |
| 8 | Buena ParkOrange, 2,195 businesses in total | 12 | 0.55% | +315% | Densely served |
| 9 | BreaOrange, 2,531 businesses in total | 13 | 0.51% | +290% | Densely served |
| 10 | EmeryvilleAlameda, 1,232 businesses in total | 6 | 0.49% | +270% | Densely served |
| 11 | San DimasLos Angeles, 1,274 businesses in total | 6 | 0.47% | +258% | Densely served |
| 12 | Santa AnaOrange, 8,181 businesses in total | 38 | 0.46% | +253% | Densely served |
| 13 | PlacentiaOrange, 1,304 businesses in total | 6 | 0.46% | +249% | Densely served |
| 14 | AnaheimOrange, 9,049 businesses in total | 41 | 0.45% | +244% | Densely served |
| 15 | San CarlosSan Mateo, 1,357 businesses in total | 6 | 0.44% | +236% | Densely served |
| 16 | Fountain ValleyOrange, 2,040 businesses in total | 9 | 0.44% | +235% | Densely served |
| 17 | MontebelloLos Angeles, 1,370 businesses in total | 6 | 0.44% | +233% | Densely served |
| 18 | La PuenteLos Angeles, 2,119 businesses in total | 9 | 0.42% | +223% | Densely served |
| 19 | Laguna HillsOrange, 1,901 businesses in total | 8 | 0.42% | +220% | Densely served |
| 20 | NewarkAlameda, 1,224 businesses in total | 5 | 0.41% | +210% | Densely served |
| 21 | Lake ForestOrange, 2,230 businesses in total | 9 | 0.40% | +207% | Densely served |
| 22 | Los AlamitosOrange, 1,247 businesses in total | 5 | 0.40% | +205% | Densely served |
| 23 | CovinaLos Angeles, 2,014 businesses in total | 8 | 0.40% | +202% | Densely served |
| 24 | RosemeadLos Angeles, 1,514 businesses in total | 6 | 0.40% | +201% | Densely served |
| 25 | MonroviaLos Angeles, 1,318 businesses in total | 5 | 0.38% | +188% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.13% 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 printing
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least printing provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OaklandAlameda, 10,328 businesses in total | 7 | 0.07% | -49% | Thinly served |
| 2 | San JoseSanta Clara, 21,501 businesses in total | 16 | 0.07% | -43% | Thinly served |
| 3 | PasadenaLos Angeles, 7,697 businesses in total | 6 | 0.08% | -41% | Thinly served |
| 4 | BakersfieldKern, 10,791 businesses in total | 9 | 0.08% | -37% | Below average |
| 5 | CoronaRiverside, 5,711 businesses in total | 5 | 0.09% | -34% | Below average |
| 6 | FresnoFresno, 13,153 businesses in total | 12 | 0.09% | -31% | Below average |
| 7 | SacramentoSacramento, 19,687 businesses in total | 21 | 0.11% | -19% | Below average |
| 8 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 37 | 0.11% | -16% | Below average |
| 9 | FremontAlameda, 5,575 businesses in total | 7 | 0.13% | -5% | Typical |
| 10 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 103 | 0.13% | +1% | Typical |
| 11 | ConcordContra Costa, 3,539 businesses in total | 5 | 0.14% | +7% | Typical |
| 12 | Huntington BeachOrange, 6,263 businesses in total | 9 | 0.14% | +9% | Typical |
| 13 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 5 | 0.15% | +13% | Typical |
| 14 | RiversideRiverside, 7,958 businesses in total | 12 | 0.15% | +15% | Typical |
| 15 | Redwood CitySan Mateo, 3,279 businesses in total | 5 | 0.15% | +16% | Above average |
| 16 | San RafaelMarin, 3,160 businesses in total | 5 | 0.16% | +20% | Above average |
| 17 | OxnardVentura, 3,760 businesses in total | 6 | 0.16% | +21% | Above average |
| 18 | ArcadiaLos Angeles, 3,093 businesses in total | 5 | 0.16% | +23% | Above average |
| 19 | BerkeleyAlameda, 4,279 businesses in total | 7 | 0.16% | +24% | Above average |
| 20 | VistaSan Diego, 3,017 businesses in total | 5 | 0.17% | +26% | Above average |
| 21 | San BernardinoSan Bernardino, 3,569 businesses in total | 6 | 0.17% | +28% | Above average |
| 22 | FullertonOrange, 4,049 businesses in total | 7 | 0.17% | +31% | Above average |
| 23 | Redondo BeachLos Angeles, 2,814 businesses in total | 5 | 0.18% | +35% | Above average |
| 24 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 75 | 0.18% | +35% | Above average |
| 25 | CarlsbadSan Diego, 5,494 businesses in total | 10 | 0.18% | +38% | Above average |
Statewide, 0.13% 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 printing 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.