Saturation ranking
Where security guard & patrol services is most and least saturated in California
Every California market with sourced Security Services 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
- 2,173
- 2023 County Business Patterns
- State median density
- 0.4
- Per 10,000 residents, counties
- Counties ranked
- 31
- of 35 with data
- Cities ranked
- 74
- of 128 with data
Most saturated counties for security services
31 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 | Los Angeles County9,694,934 residents | 796 | 0.8 | +85% | Densely served |
| 2 | San Francisco County826,079 residents | 58 | 0.7 | +59% | Densely served |
| 3 | San Joaquin County823,815 residents | 55 | 0.7 | +51% | Densely served |
| 4 | Ventura County830,851 residents | 51 | 0.6 | +39% | Above average |
| 5 | Napa County132,949 residents | 8 | 0.6 | +36% | Above average |
| 6 | Orange County3,149,507 residents | 189 | 0.6 | +36% | Above average |
| 7 | Sacramento County1,618,460 residents | 94 | 0.6 | +31% | Above average |
| 8 | San Bernardino County2,224,091 residents | 121 | 0.5 | +23% | Above average |
| 9 | Riverside County2,544,916 residents | 135 | 0.5 | +20% | Above average |
| 10 | Alameda County1,636,630 residents | 86 | 0.5 | +19% | Above average |
| 11 | Sutter County98,787 residents | 5 | 0.5 | +14% | Typical |
| 12 | Imperial County181,411 residents | 9 | 0.5 | +12% | Typical |
| 13 | Contra Costa County1,170,070 residents | 58 | 0.5 | +12% | Typical |
| 14 | Solano County455,376 residents | 22 | 0.5 | +9% | Typical |
| 15 | Santa Clara County1,914,391 residents | 89 | 0.5 | +5% | 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 security services
The same 31 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 | San Luis Obispo County282,367 residents | 5 | 0.2 | -60% | Thinly served |
| 2 | Tulare County485,146 residents | 10 | 0.2 | -53% | Thinly served |
| 3 | Marin County253,694 residents | 6 | 0.2 | -47% | Thinly served |
| 4 | Santa Barbara County442,065 residents | 12 | 0.3 | -39% | Below average |
| 5 | Kern County927,068 residents | 27 | 0.3 | -34% | Below average |
| 6 | Placer County442,081 residents | 13 | 0.3 | -34% | Below average |
| 7 | Merced County297,260 residents | 9 | 0.3 | -32% | Below average |
| 8 | El Dorado County192,323 residents | 6 | 0.3 | -30% | Below average |
| 9 | Sonoma County486,444 residents | 17 | 0.3 | -21% | Below average |
| 10 | Stanislaus County557,719 residents | 20 | 0.4 | -19% | Below average |
| 11 | San Mateo County743,568 residents | 28 | 0.4 | -15% | Typical |
| 12 | Shasta County181,648 residents | 7 | 0.4 | -13% | Typical |
| 13 | Santa Cruz County258,852 residents | 10 | 0.4 | -13% | Typical |
| 14 | San Diego County3,282,248 residents | 134 | 0.4 | -8% | Typical |
| 15 | Fresno County1,035,456 residents | 47 | 0.5 | +3% | 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 security services
74 of 128 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 | InglewoodLos Angeles, 2,000 businesses in total | 17 | 0.85% | +465% | Densely served |
| 2 | HawthorneLos Angeles, 1,403 businesses in total | 11 | 0.78% | +422% | Densely served |
| 3 | BellflowerLos Angeles, 1,195 businesses in total | 7 | 0.59% | +290% | Densely served |
| 4 | OntarioSan Bernardino, 5,487 businesses in total | 31 | 0.56% | +276% | Densely served |
| 5 | CovinaLos Angeles, 2,014 businesses in total | 11 | 0.55% | +263% | Densely served |
| 6 | La MiradaLos Angeles, 1,112 businesses in total | 6 | 0.54% | +259% | Densely served |
| 7 | PlacentiaOrange, 1,304 businesses in total | 7 | 0.54% | +257% | Densely served |
| 8 | Union CityAlameda, 1,362 businesses in total | 7 | 0.51% | +242% | Densely served |
| 9 | Culver CityLos Angeles, 2,919 businesses in total | 15 | 0.51% | +242% | Densely served |
| 10 | West CovinaLos Angeles, 2,345 businesses in total | 12 | 0.51% | +240% | Densely served |
| 11 | ConcordContra Costa, 3,539 businesses in total | 17 | 0.48% | +220% | Densely served |
| 12 | VallejoSolano, 1,732 businesses in total | 8 | 0.46% | +207% | Densely served |
| 13 | MontebelloLos Angeles, 1,370 businesses in total | 6 | 0.44% | +191% | Densely served |
| 14 | ParamountLos Angeles, 1,146 businesses in total | 5 | 0.44% | +190% | Densely served |
| 15 | Laguna HillsOrange, 1,901 businesses in total | 8 | 0.42% | +180% | Densely served |
| 16 | CoronaRiverside, 5,711 businesses in total | 24 | 0.42% | +180% | Densely served |
| 17 | StocktonSan Joaquin, 6,022 businesses in total | 25 | 0.42% | +176% | Densely served |
| 18 | NewarkAlameda, 1,224 businesses in total | 5 | 0.41% | +172% | Densely served |
| 19 | Los AlamitosOrange, 1,247 businesses in total | 5 | 0.40% | +167% | Densely served |
| 20 | Monterey ParkLos Angeles, 2,109 businesses in total | 8 | 0.38% | +152% | Densely served |
| 21 | RiversideRiverside, 7,958 businesses in total | 30 | 0.38% | +151% | Densely served |
| 22 | AnaheimOrange, 9,049 businesses in total | 34 | 0.38% | +150% | Densely served |
| 23 | BurlingameSan Mateo, 2,194 businesses in total | 8 | 0.36% | +143% | Densely served |
| 24 | VictorvilleSan Bernardino, 1,929 businesses in total | 7 | 0.36% | +141% | Densely served |
| 25 | Simi ValleyVentura, 3,329 businesses in total | 12 | 0.36% | +140% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.15% 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 security services
The bottom of the same ordering. These are the California cities carrying the least security services provision per resident among those that clear both floors.
| # | City | Establishments | Share of local | Vs state share | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IrvineOrange, 14,947 businesses in total | 8 | 0.05% | -64% | Thinly served |
| 2 | PasadenaLos Angeles, 7,697 businesses in total | 7 | 0.09% | -40% | Below average |
| 3 | Santa MonicaLos Angeles, 7,320 businesses in total | 7 | 0.10% | -36% | Below average |
| 4 | San DiegoSan Diego, 42,106 businesses in total | 45 | 0.11% | -29% | Below average |
| 5 | Santa ClaraSanta Clara, 4,587 businesses in total | 5 | 0.11% | -27% | Below average |
| 6 | BakersfieldKern, 10,791 businesses in total | 14 | 0.13% | -14% | Typical |
| 7 | San FranciscoSan Francisco, 33,575 businesses in total | 46 | 0.14% | -9% | Typical |
| 8 | TemeculaRiverside, 4,281 businesses in total | 6 | 0.14% | -7% | Typical |
| 9 | ChinoSan Bernardino, 3,295 businesses in total | 5 | 0.15% | +1% | Typical |
| 10 | OxnardVentura, 3,760 businesses in total | 6 | 0.16% | +6% | Typical |
| 11 | Thousand OaksVentura, 3,759 businesses in total | 6 | 0.16% | +6% | Typical |
| 12 | FremontAlameda, 5,575 businesses in total | 9 | 0.16% | +7% | Typical |
| 13 | FresnoFresno, 13,153 businesses in total | 23 | 0.17% | +16% | Above average |
| 14 | TorranceLos Angeles, 7,600 businesses in total | 14 | 0.18% | +23% | Above average |
| 15 | BreaOrange, 2,531 businesses in total | 5 | 0.20% | +31% | Above average |
| 16 | TracySan Joaquin, 2,464 businesses in total | 5 | 0.20% | +35% | Above average |
| 17 | Los AngelesLos Angeles, 77,828 businesses in total | 162 | 0.21% | +38% | Above average |
| 18 | TustinOrange, 3,361 businesses in total | 7 | 0.21% | +39% | Above average |
| 19 | BurbankLos Angeles, 5,899 businesses in total | 13 | 0.22% | +47% | Above average |
| 20 | OceansideSan Diego, 3,630 businesses in total | 8 | 0.22% | +47% | Above average |
| 21 | ModestoStanislaus, 5,412 businesses in total | 12 | 0.22% | +47% | Above average |
| 22 | Costa MesaOrange, 5,397 businesses in total | 12 | 0.22% | +48% | Above average |
| 23 | San LeandroAlameda, 2,673 businesses in total | 6 | 0.22% | +49% | Above average |
| 24 | Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino, 5,340 businesses in total | 12 | 0.22% | +49% | Above average |
| 25 | UplandSan Bernardino, 2,607 businesses in total | 6 | 0.23% | +53% | Densely served |
Statewide, 0.15% 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 security services 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.