Market rankings · California
Bakeries and dessert shops in California
Markets across California ranked by the Groundwork market score for bakeries and dessert shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 15,896
- 5,292 chain locations (33%)
- Official establishments
- 14,789
- All snack bars and retail bakeries · +14.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $61.8B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.7
- 19% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3.9M
- 6% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #44 of 51
- Market score 33 · Lower middle
A site report maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings around any address in California by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 15,896 bakeries and dessert shops in California. Chain locations make up 33% of them, against 35% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 11.7, 19% above the U.S. rate of 9.8.
Household spending on food away from home in California comes to about $61.8B a year: $4,559 per household, 12% above the U.S. average. That works out to $3.9M per shop, 6% below the U.S. figure of $4.1M. That spending covers all food away from home, which bakeries and dessert shops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 14,789 businesses with payroll in California classed as snack bars and retail bakeries, up 14.4% from 2019. That is one for every 916 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.6% over the same years. The official count takes in all snack bars and retail bakeries, not only bakeries and dessert shops: coffee shops and cafes are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 587 SBA-backed loans worth $259.3M have gone to businesses classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in California.
Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #44 for bakeries and dessert shops, with a Groundwork market score of 33 (lower middle). Of the 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Yuba City metro area scores highest (73). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest (71).
Every market in California for bakeries and dessert shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in California, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba City, CA | 73 | 40 | 6.5 | $6M | +3.3% | #23 of 387 |
| 2Stockton-Lodi, CA | 63 | 219 | 8.9 | $4.8M | +5.5% | #91 of 387 |
| 3Vallejo, CA | 59 | 139 | 8.8 | $5.1M | +0.6% | #127 of 387 |
| 4Redding, CA | 56 | 45 | 6.3 | $6M | −0.3% | #144 of 387 |
| 5Merced, CA | 54 | 65 | 7.6 | $4.7M | +5.1% | #162 of 387 |
| 6Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 54 | 840 | 9.5 | $4.7M | +3.2% | #163 of 387 |
| 7San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 52 | 748 | 11.0 | $5.2M | −0.6% | #178 of 387 |
| 8Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 46 | 1,516 | 10.5 | $4M | +3.5% | #237 of 387 |
| 9San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 43 | 2,012 | 11.5 | $4.6M | −2.4% | #257 of 387 |
| 10Modesto, CA | 41 | 170 | 9.6 | $4.2M | +0.7% | #268 of 387 |
| 11Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 41 | 266 | 9.3 | $4M | +2.3% | #272 of 387 |
| 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 40 | 1,294 | 11.0 | $4.3M | −0.6% | #278 of 387 |
| 13Chico, CA | 38 | 65 | 7.8 | $4.8M | −0.5% | #292 of 387 |
| 14Fresno, CA | 37 | 402 | 10.9 | $3.5M | +3.2% | #296 of 387 |
| 15Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 36 | 333 | 11.9 | $4M | −1.5% | #302 of 387 |
| 16Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 32 | 45 | 10.2 | $3.6M | +1.0% | #323 of 387 |
| 17Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 32 | 261 | 13.7 | $3.4M | −0.4% | #327 of 387 |
| 18Napa, CA | 30 | 70 | 14.1 | $3.5M | −3.3% | #340 of 387 |
| 19Visalia, CA | 30 | 153 | 10.7 | $3.5M | +2.4% | #341 of 387 |
| 20Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 29 | 197 | 13.2 | $3.4M | −1.4% | #347 of 387 |
| 21Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 28 | 135 | 13.9 | $3.5M | −4.7% | #355 of 387 |
| 22San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 26 | 165 | 15.1 | $3M | 0.0% | #366 of 387 |
| 23Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 25 | 6,185 | 13.7 | $3.3M | −2.6% | #367 of 387 |
| 24Salinas, CA | 25 | 182 | 13.7 | $3.2M | −1.5% | #368 of 387 |
| 25El Centro, CA | 18 | 53 | 10.7 | $3.1M | +1.1% | #381 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | 71 | 13 | 6.0 | $7.2M | +0.9% | #49 of 507 |
| 1Clearlake, CA | 59 | 12 | 4.5 | $7.9M | −0.6% | #154 of 507 |
| 2Red Bluff, CA | 56 | 10 | 4.0 | $8.7M | −1.7% | #181 of 507 |
| 3Crescent City, CA | 56 | 5 | 5.3 | $6.8M | −4.4% | #182 of 507 |
| 4Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | 51 | 39 | 9.1 | $4.7M | −0.4% | #244 of 507 |
| 5Bishop, CA | 32 | 8 | 10.0 | $3.8M | −4.4% | #432 of 507 |
| 6Ukiah, CA | 30 | 36 | 10.3 | $3.6M | −3.5% | #445 of 507 |
| 7Sonora, CA | 30 | 26 | 11.5 | $3.4M | −4.0% | #447 of 507 |
| 8Eureka-Arcata, CA | 28 | 51 | 9.3 | $3.8M | −3.4% | #460 of 507 |
| Susanville, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $8.1M | −13.1% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba County, CA | 88 | 9 | 3.1 | $12.1M | +8.2% | #25 of 1,889 |
| 2Colusa County, CA | 63 | 5 | 6.7 | $5.6M | −0.1% | #446 of 1,889 |
| 3Placer County, CA | 63 | 156 | 9.9 | $5M | +8.9% | #452 of 1,889 |
| 4San Benito County, CA | 62 | 20 | 9.7 | $5M | +8.6% | #471 of 1,889 |
| 5Contra Costa County, CA | 61 | 336 | 8.1 | $6.4M | +0.3% | #493 of 1,889 |
| 6San Joaquin County, CA | 61 | 219 | 8.9 | $4.8M | +5.5% | #511 of 1,889 |
| 7Solano County, CA | 57 | 139 | 8.8 | $5.1M | +0.6% | #648 of 1,889 |
| 8Lake County, CA | 56 | 12 | 4.5 | $7.9M | −0.6% | #676 of 1,889 |
| 9Merced County, CA | 56 | 65 | 7.6 | $4.7M | +5.1% | #699 of 1,889 |
| 10Del Norte County, CA | 55 | 5 | 5.3 | $6.8M | −4.4% | #720 of 1,889 |
| 11Shasta County, CA | 55 | 45 | 6.3 | $6M | −0.3% | #722 of 1,889 |
| 12El Dorado County, CA | 54 | 71 | 9.3 | $5.1M | +0.6% | #776 of 1,889 |
| 13Amador County, CA | 54 | 14 | 8.7 | $4.7M | +3.2% | #782 of 1,889 |
| 14Riverside County, CA | 54 | 788 | 10.2 | $4.2M | +5.0% | #786 of 1,889 |
| 15Tehama County, CA | 53 | 10 | 4.0 | $8.7M | −1.7% | #803 of 1,889 |
| 16Yolo County, CA | 53 | 77 | 10.0 | $4.3M | +3.1% | #823 of 1,889 |
| 17Santa Clara County, CA | 51 | 728 | 11.0 | $5.2M | −0.9% | #880 of 1,889 |
| 18Sacramento County, CA | 51 | 536 | 9.4 | $4.6M | +2.0% | #889 of 1,889 |
| 19Madera County, CA | 51 | 42 | 9.3 | $4.1M | +7.4% | #901 of 1,889 |
| 20Calaveras County, CA | 49 | 18 | 9.8 | $4.1M | +2.8% | #965 of 1,889 |
| 21Marin County, CA | 48 | 112 | 10.9 | $5.1M | −2.9% | #983 of 1,889 |
| 22Nevada County, CA | 47 | 39 | 9.1 | $4.7M | −0.4% | #1,023 of 1,889 |
| 23Kern County, CA | 46 | 266 | 9.3 | $4M | +2.3% | #1,078 of 1,889 |
| 24Stanislaus County, CA | 45 | 170 | 9.6 | $4.2M | +0.7% | #1,115 of 1,889 |
| 25San Mateo County, CA | 44 | 323 | 12.2 | $4.7M | −2.5% | #1,137 of 1,889 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sutter County, CA | 44 | 31 | 9.3 | $4.3M | −0.7% | #1,143 of 1,889 |
| 27Alameda County, CA | 43 | 684 | 11.4 | $4.6M | −2.6% | #1,170 of 1,889 |
| 28San Diego County, CA | 43 | 1,294 | 11.0 | $4.3M | −0.6% | #1,174 of 1,889 |
| 29Butte County, CA | 42 | 65 | 7.8 | $4.8M | −0.5% | #1,209 of 1,889 |
| 30San Bernardino County, CA | 42 | 728 | 10.8 | $3.8M | +1.9% | #1,220 of 1,889 |
| 31Ventura County, CA | 40 | 333 | 11.9 | $4M | −1.5% | #1,289 of 1,889 |
| 32Fresno County, CA | 39 | 360 | 11.1 | $3.5M | +2.6% | #1,328 of 1,889 |
| 33Kings County, CA | 37 | 45 | 10.2 | $3.6M | +1.0% | #1,403 of 1,889 |
| 34Tulare County, CA | 36 | 153 | 10.7 | $3.5M | +2.4% | #1,441 of 1,889 |
| 35Sonoma County, CA | 36 | 261 | 13.7 | $3.4M | −0.4% | #1,442 of 1,889 |
| 36Siskiyou County, CA | 35 | 13 | 6.8 | $4.9M | −4.5% | #1,457 of 1,889 |
| 37Santa Barbara County, CA | 33 | 197 | 13.2 | $3.4M | −1.4% | #1,533 of 1,889 |
| 38Napa County, CA | 32 | 70 | 14.1 | $3.5M | −3.3% | #1,563 of 1,889 |
| 39Orange County, CA | 32 | 1,587 | 14.7 | $3.4M | −1.1% | #1,565 of 1,889 |
| 40San Francisco County, CA | 30 | 557 | 15.3 | $3.5M | −5.6% | #1,614 of 1,889 |
| 41Santa Cruz County, CA | 30 | 135 | 13.9 | $3.5M | −4.7% | #1,615 of 1,889 |
| 42Monterey County, CA | 30 | 182 | 13.7 | $3.2M | −1.5% | #1,616 of 1,889 |
| 43Mariposa County, CA | 30 | 9 | 12.0 | $3.1M | −1.2% | #1,618 of 1,889 |
| 44San Luis Obispo County, CA | 30 | 165 | 15.1 | $3M | 0.0% | #1,621 of 1,889 |
| 45Inyo County, CA | 28 | 8 | 10.0 | $3.8M | −4.4% | #1,667 of 1,889 |
| 46Los Angeles County, CA | 28 | 4,598 | 13.5 | $3.2M | −3.0% | #1,674 of 1,889 |
| 47Tuolumne County, CA | 27 | 26 | 11.5 | $3.4M | −4.0% | #1,689 of 1,889 |
| 48Glenn County, CA | 27 | 13 | 13.3 | $2.7M | −2.6% | #1,696 of 1,889 |
| 49Mendocino County, CA | 26 | 36 | 10.3 | $3.6M | −3.5% | #1,708 of 1,889 |
| 50Humboldt County, CA | 25 | 51 | 9.3 | $3.8M | −3.4% | #1,732 of 1,889 |
| 51Imperial County, CA | 24 | 53 | 10.7 | $3.1M | +1.1% | #1,755 of 1,889 |
| 52Mono County, CA | 20 | 13 | 22.6 | $2M | −5.4% | #1,815 of 1,889 |
| 53Plumas County, CA | 17 | 14 | 17.4 | $2.1M | −5.9% | #1,846 of 1,889 |
| Lassen County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $8.1M | −13.1% | |
| Trinity County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 7.2 | $4.5M | −2.3% | |
| Modoc County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 6.1 | $5.4M | −2.9% | |
| Sierra County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Alpine County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −11.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many bakeries and dessert shops are in California?
California has 15,896 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings as of September 2026. 5,292 of them (33%) are chain locations. The listings count bakeries, ice cream, donut and dessert shops, candy stores. Official counts show 14,789 businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in 2023, up 14.4% from 2019. That count covers all snack bars and retail bakeries (coffee shops and cafes included), not only bakeries and dessert shops. Another 2,270 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in California spend on food away from home?
About $61.8B a year, or $4,559 per household. That is 12% above the U.S. average (an index of 112, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 15,896 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, it comes to $3.9M per shop. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only bakeries and dessert shops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 13,548,091 households in California and national spending patterns by income.
How does California compare with the U.S. for bakeries and dessert shops?
California has 11.7 bakeries and dessert shops per 10,000 households, 19% above the U.S. rate of 9.8. Spending per shop is $3.9M, 6% below the U.S. figure of $4.1M. At the national ratio of bakeries and dessert shops to household spending, California would have about 14,907, against 15,896 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 916 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.6% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for bakeries and dessert shops?
Among 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Yuba City metro area scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 53 scored counties in California, Yuba County scores highest, at 88 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. California scores 33 for bakeries and dessert shops (lower middle), #44 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in California. It maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Bakeries and dessert shops in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
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- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
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- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for bakeries and dessert shops across the U.S. · All business types in California
Related business types in California
- Restaurants and cafes173,915 listings
- Sit-down restaurants100,104 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops17,525 listings
- Pizza9,414 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes19,992 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in California?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.