State profile · 56 business types

California market data

How California compares with the 50 states and DC for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.

Population, 2025: 39,355,309; −0.4% since 2020
Households: 13,548,091
Median household income: $99,122; +31.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Median home value: $734,700
Jobs located here: 17,855,470

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in California by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

California has an estimated 39,355,309 people and 13,548,091 households. Population estimates put the population change in California from 2020 to 2025 at −0.4%, against +3.1% for the U.S. Median household income in California is $99,122, 23% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.8%, before inflation.

Relative to the U.S., household spending in California runs highest on child care and other personal services (an index of 153, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on vehicle insurance (98).

By the Groundwork market score, California’s highest ranks among the 50 states and DC are for landscaping and lawn care companies (#4), funeral homes (#7) and physical therapy clinics (#8).

Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for mortgage brokers and lenders (49% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for funeral homes (48% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in California

Listings per 10,000 households, and the same as an index where 100 is the U.S. rate. Spending per listing is a year of household spending on the type’s whole line over its listings (for the real estate types, an index of housing costs per listing, where 100 is the U.S.). The rank puts the state’s Groundwork market score against the other 50 states and DC.

Every business type in California: listings, listings per 10,000 households against the U.S., spending per listing, official establishments, market score and rank among states
Business type	Listings	Per 10k households	Vs. U.S. (100)	Spending per listing	Official establishments	Score	Rank among states
Food and drink
Restaurants and cafes	173,915	128.4	117	$355K	79,696	33	#43 of 51
Sit-down restaurants	100,104	73.9	121	$617K	31,333	34	#44 of 51
Fast food and sandwich shops	17,525	12.9	97	$3.5M	34,527	49	#26 of 51
Pizza	9,414	6.9	86	$6.6M	34,527	55	#20 of 51
Coffee shops and cafes	19,992	14.8	135	$3.1M	13,412	32	#43 of 51
Bakeries and dessert shops	15,896	11.7	119	$3.9M	14,789	33	#44 of 51
Groceries and convenience
Grocery and convenience stores	24,469	18.1	97	$3.6M	11,156	49	#28 of 51
Grocery stores	9,786	7.2	106	$9.1M	8,044	34	#41 of 51
Convenience stores	9,019	6.7	84	$9.8M	3,112	58	#15 of 51
Auto
Auto repair and car care	52,949	39.1	110	$287K	22,083	46	#30 of 51
Auto repair shops	33,404	24.7	115	$455K	15,727	42	#37 of 51
Collision repair and body shops	5,166	3.8	123	$2.9M	4,141	37	#39 of 51
Car washes and detailing	4,444	3.3	87	$3.4M	2,231	60	#14 of 51
Tire shops	5,228	3.9	103	$2.9M	2,305	52	#25 of 51
Oil change and quick lube	759	0.6	86	$20M	812	61	#16 of 50
Gas stations	10,937	8.1	74	$3.4M	8,116	66	#12 of 51
Insurance agencies	23,237	17.2	110	$1.1M	13,919	34	#37 of 51
Beauty and personal care
Salons, barbers and spas	69,677	51.4	109	$223K	20,209	38	#45 of 51
Hair salons	32,468	24.0	103	$479K	8,733	54	#18 of 51
Barbershops	7,262	5.4	102	$2.1M	594	55	#21 of 51
Nail salons	9,390	6.9	115	$1.7M	6,750	34	#46 of 51
Spas and skin care	18,537	13.7	119	$839K	3,882	37	#43 of 51
Fitness and classes
Gyms, studios and classes	23,229	17.1	115	$837K	10,579	60	#13 of 51
Gyms	10,768	7.9	104	$1.8M	5,371	60	#11 of 51
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios	4,579	3.4	142	$4.2M	5,371	41	#37 of 51
Martial arts and dance studios	7,882	5.8	118	$2.5M	5,208	57	#13 of 51
Health care
Doctors, dentists and clinics	119,682	88.3	104	$166K	68,066	43	#30 of 51
Dentists and orthodontists	24,273	17.9	137	$817K	22,757	22	#51 of 51
Primary care and pediatrics	9,838	7.3	101	$2M	31,778	42	#34 of 51
Urgent care and walk-in clinics	833	0.6	120	$23.8M	1,223	39	#36 of 50
Chiropractors	7,604	5.6	104	$2.6M	4,182	56	#20 of 51
Physical therapy	6,019	4.4	81	$3.3M	5,369	68	#8 of 51
Optometrists and eye care	6,086	4.5	110	$3.3M	2,757	46	#32 of 51
Pets
Pet businesses	12,584	9.3	89	$1.2M	7,224	68	#11 of 51
Veterinarians	4,095	3.0	91	$3.8M	3,467	68	#10 of 51
Pet grooming and boarding	4,099	3.0	83	$3.8M	2,591	69	#9 of 51
Pet stores	3,043	2.2	110	$5.1M	1,166	55	#21 of 51
Child care
Child care and preschools	9,215	6.8	117	$1.3M	9,670	61	#15 of 51
Clothing and laundry
Clothing, shoes and laundry	37,881	28.0	120	$746K	15,334	25	#47 of 51
Clothing and shoe stores	25,253	18.6	115	$1.1M	12,086	29	#46 of 51
Laundromats	2,804	2.1	131	$10.1M	1,235	25	#48 of 51
Dry cleaners	2,202	1.6	123	$12.8M	2,013	24	#49 of 51
Home services
Home repair trades	14,201	10.5	85	$3.1M	24,774	58	#19 of 51
HVAC and plumbing	8,365	6.2	98	$5.2M	11,686	54	#24 of 51
Electricians	3,027	2.2	88	$14.5M	10,162	58	#17 of 51
Roofing and gutters	2,809	2.1	58	$15.6M	2,926	60	#15 of 51
Lawn, cleaning and pest control	9,346	6.9	82	$2.2M	19,064	68	#8 of 51
Landscaping and lawn care	4,321	3.2	67	$4.7M	9,393	72	#4 of 51
House cleaning	3,222	2.4	109	$6.3M	7,687	46	#29 of 51
Pest control	1,803	1.3	93	$11.2M	1,984	46	#28 of 51
Real estate
Real estate	66,358	49.0	127	94 (index)	46,316	32	#48 of 51
Real estate agents and brokers	51,532	38.0	124	96 (index)	22,558	37	#40 of 51
Property management	5,517	4.1	137	88 (index)	13,161	31	#47 of 51
Mortgage brokers and lenders	8,697	6.4	149	80 (index)	4,557	28	#50 of 51
Home inspectors	612	0.5	83	168 (index)	1,001	55	#18 of 50
Funeral services
Funeral homes	1,443	1.1	52	$1.4M	794	73	#7 of 51

Markets in California

Each market’s page covers every business type, with its figures against the state and the U.S.

Questions

How fast is California growing?

Population estimates put California at 39,355,309 people in 2025, down 0.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 13,548,091 households. Median household income rose 31.8% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.

How much do households in California spend?

Households in California spend about $270.6B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $88.7B on groceries and $61.8B on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in California spend the most on child care and other personal services (an index of 153, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on vehicle insurance (98).

Which business types rank highest in California?

Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks highest for landscaping and lawn care companies (#4), funeral homes (#7) and physical therapy clinics (#8) by the Groundwork market score.

How does California compare with the U.S.?

The median household income in California is $99,122 a year, 23% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 0.4% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $734,700, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, California has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for mortgage brokers and lenders (49% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for funeral homes (48% below the U.S. rate).

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. Each business type is scored on its own, so a state can rank high for one type and low for another.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in California. It maps the competitors 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.

Every state and business type · How we measure

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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.