NAICS 524210

Insurance Agencies & Brokerages in South Lake Tahoe, CA

The 1 ZIP codes assigned to South Lake Tahoe contained 5 Insurance Agency establishments in 2023.

Establishments (2023)
5
1 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
n/a
Practical financing floor
Share of county
10%
El Dorado County
City population
21,115
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to South Lake Tahoe (96150). 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 South Lake Tahoe's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

Establishments by size

Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShareDistribution
1-4480.0%

How this market compares

South Lake Tahoe 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 served0.46% of local businesses, against 1.32% 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
-65%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#324
of 369 cities
Rank by share
#290
of 298 ranked
Since 2020
-29%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of South Lake Tahoe’s business base is insurance agencies & brokerages, against the California figure. Base: 1,082 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

South Lake Tahoe is more fragmented than California as a whole: a larger share of very small operators. Fragmented markets are where roll-ups are assembled, and where an owner nearing retirement has no obvious internal buyer.

Share of establishmentsSouth Lake TahoeCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer80.0%73.5%+6.5%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target0.0%14.7%-14.7%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing0.0%3.7%-3.7%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to South Lake Tahoe that also have Insurance Agency 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
Truckee6-60%
Placerville8-38%
Jackson8n/a
Auburn17-21%
Nevada City4-42%

The wider El Dorado County market

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

County establishments (2023)
48
El Dorado County
County employees
176
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$12M
All establishments
Full Insurance Agency data for El Dorado County

What acquirers look at

Renewal commission streams behave like an annuity, which is why these command the highest multiples in small business. Carrier appointment transfer is the gating diligence item.

Other industries in South Lake Tahoe

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.