NAICS 561730

Landscaping & Tree Care Services in Vista, CA

The 3 ZIP codes assigned to Vista contained 84 Landscaping establishments in 2023, of which 14 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
84
3 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
14
Practical financing floor
Share of county
9%
San Diego County
City population
98,274
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Vista (92081, 92083, 92084). 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 Vista'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
1-45261.9%
5-91113.1%
10-1989.5%
20-4933.6%
100-24933.6%

How this market compares

Vista 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.

Densely served2.78% of local businesses, against 0.86% statewide

This industry takes up a far larger slice of the local business base than it does statewide. A crowded market: expect established competitors and price pressure, but also a deeper pool of businesses to buy.

Vs state share
+223%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#11
of 356 cities
Rank by share
#10
of 287 ranked
Since 2020
+9%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Vista’s business base is landscaping & tree care services, against the California figure. Base: 3,017 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

Vista tracks the California size distribution closely.

Share of establishmentsVistaCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer61.9%58.5%+3.4%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target26.2%18.4%+7.8%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing16.7%8.9%+7.8%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Vista that also have Landscaping 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
Oceanside38+22%
Carlsbad23-51%
San Marcos47+101%
Encinitas32+34%
Escondido126+238%

The wider San Diego County market

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

County establishments (2023)
943
San Diego County
County employees
11,099
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$556M
All establishments
Full Landscaping data for San Diego County

What acquirers look at

Commercial recurring contracts are the prize; residential mow-and-blow routes trade at much lower multiples, and route density drives margin more than revenue does. Tree care is the equipment-heavy end of the category, with real collateral value for SBA lending and durable utility line-clearance contracts.

Other industries in Vista

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.