NAICS 541330

Engineering Services in Sonora, CA

The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Sonora contained 3 Engineering establishments in 2023.

Establishments (2023)
3
1 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
n/a
Practical financing floor
Share of county
43%
Tuolumne County
City population
4,866
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Sonora (95370). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in Sonora's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

How this market compares

Sonora against every other city in California on the same measure. City figures cover the ZIP codes assigned to the place rather than its municipal boundary, so they are compared as a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than per resident. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are left unranked.

Thinly served0.37% of local businesses, against 0.81% statewide

A far smaller slice of the local business base than the statewide share. Either a genuine gap in provision or a market served from somewhere nearby. Worth checking the neighbouring places below before drawing a conclusion.

Vs state share
-55%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#293
of 294 cities
Rank by share
#230
of 262 ranked
Since 2020
-40%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Sonora’s business base is engineering services, against the California figure. Base: 818 establishments across all industries in the same ZIP codes, 2023. It does not measure revenue, profitability or whether a market is worth entering.

Business size mix

Sonora is more consolidated than California as a whole: fewer micro-operators and a larger share of businesses with real headcount. Fewer targets, but the ones that exist are more likely to be financeable.

Share of establishmentsSonoraCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer0.0%52.8%-52.8%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target0.0%23.9%-23.9%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing0.0%16.5%-16.5%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Sonora that also have Engineering establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.

MarketEstablishmentsVs state share
Oakdale11+93%
Jackson3n/a
Modesto30-32%
Ceres4-27%
Turlock6-59%

The wider Tuolumne County market

Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Sonora sits in.

County establishments (2023)
7
Tuolumne County
County employees
55
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$4.3M
All establishments
Full Engineering data for Tuolumne County

What acquirers look at

Value sits in licensed professional engineers and public-agency prequalification, both of which are people-dependent. Retention packages are mandatory.

Other industries in Sonora

Nearby cities

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. 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.