Groundwork

County profile · California

Alameda County, CA market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Alameda County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
1,636,630
−2.6% since 2020
Households
598,246
Median household income
$129,367
+30.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Median home value
$1,090,100
Jobs located here
831,131
Highest market score
78
Pet grooming and boarding, #80 of 1,461 scored counties

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Alameda County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Alameda County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

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

What this means

An estimated 1,636,630 people live in Alameda County, in 598,246 households. Population estimates put the population change in Alameda County from 2020 to 2025 at −2.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in Alameda County is $129,367 a year, 60% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.1% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.

Set against the U.S., households in Alameda County spend the most on child care and other personal services (an index of 194, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on vehicle insurance (89).

The highest Groundwork market scores in Alameda County are for pet grooming and boarding businesses (78), urgent care and walk-in clinics (76) and landscaping and lawn care companies (76). Alameda County ranks #80 of 1,461 scored counties for pet grooming and boarding businesses.

Alameda County is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area. For its number of households, Alameda County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for child care centers and preschools (66% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for funeral homes (52% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Alameda County

Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares Alameda County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Alameda County, CA, highest Groundwork market score first, with its rank among counties, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeScoreRank among countiesListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Pet grooming and boarding78#80 of 1,4611312.2$6.1M23977
Urgent care and walk-in clinics76#19 of 325190.3$52.1M21228
Landscaping and lawn care76#113 of 1,4931642.7$6.2M212300
Convenience stores76#269 of 2,2612975.0$14.3M181101
Veterinarians75#168 of 1,4851582.6$5M185133
Pest control74#58 of 699581.0$17.5M17243
Home inspectors73#40 of 415230.4Index only22127
HVAC and plumbing73#149 of 1,7073175.3$7M147373
Pet businesses73#185 of 2,2004277.1$1.9M213253
Pet stores72#135 of 9741071.8$7.5M16543
Physical therapy72#181 of 1,4221873.1$5.3M220178
Lawn, cleaning and pest control72#182 of 1,7713365.6$3M180657
Barbershops69#252 of 1,3562394.0$3.3M17332
Home repair trades68#260 of 2,0575859.8$3.8M156872
Car washes and detailing67#294 of 1,4511552.6$4.1M16377
Funeral homes67#298 of 1,472571.0$1.5M22132
Roofing and gutters66#220 of 1,1771372.3$16.2M192130
Electricians66#223 of 1,1601312.2$17M141369
House cleaning64#164 of 8471141.9$8.9M140314
Gyms61#475 of 1,7924447.4$2.5M189244
Gas stations61#694 of 2,3584227.1$3.5M149291
Mortgage brokers and lenders59#262 of 8872313.9Index only148106
Tire shops59#535 of 1,5301913.2$3.3M13398
Optometrists and eye care58#461 of 1,3022574.3$3.9M123122
Primary care and pediatrics58#556 of 1,6563786.3$2.6M147885
Grocery and convenience stores58#853 of 2,4021,06217.8$4M118508
Pizza57#739 of 2,0904397.3$7.1M1401,496
Fast food and sandwich shops57#842 of 2,22263110.5$5M1621,496
Oil change and quick lube56#196 of 479370.6$17.2M12545
Chiropractors56#567 of 1,4903796.3$2.6M109182
Gyms, studios and classes56#754 of 2,0881,07017.9$1M154547
Martial arts and dance studios54#534 of 1,3344136.9$2.6M131303
Hair salons54#947 of 2,3391,46124.4$533K124410
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios53#323 of 7772133.6$5.1M126244
Child care and preschools51#788 of 1,6115779.6$1.2M117710
Spas and skin care51#837 of 1,76962210.4$1.3M143172
Clothing and shoe stores50#1,042 of 2,08790115.1$1.6M126467
Auto repair and car care49#1,258 of 2,4012,09235.0$305K114970
Property management47#488 of 9102043.4Index only118487
Salons, barbers and spas46#1,389 of 2,3852,82647.2$276K130942
Clothing, shoes and laundry45#1,301 of 2,2101,36722.9$1.1M119612
Auto repair shops44#1,468 of 2,3781,40223.4$455K102705
Dry cleaners43#322 of 507931.6$15.4M9986
Laundromats43#473 of 7851342.2$10.7M8659
Bakeries and dessert shops43#1,170 of 1,88968411.4$4.6M110681
Grocery stores43#1,250 of 2,0704978.3$8.5M92407
Nail salons42#901 of 1,3284197.0$1.9M111324
Restaurants and cafes42#1,520 of 2,4057,927132.5$394K1063,688
Doctors, dentists and clinics42#1,577 of 2,3944,97283.1$199K1312,376
Insurance agencies41#1,422 of 2,27278113.1$1.3M106411
Real estate agents and brokers41#1,513 of 2,1761,88831.6Index only129800
Real estate39#1,664 of 2,2292,34639.2Index only1311,559
Collision repair and body shops37#958 of 1,3272474.1$2.6M84197
Sit-down restaurants37#1,762 of 2,4054,76179.6$656K991,564
Coffee shops and cafes34#1,612 of 2,06399916.7$3.1M84610
Dentists and orthodontists30#1,636 of 1,8861,08018.1$917K93981

Household spending in Alameda County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Alameda County, CA by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$637.9M$1,066111
Gasoline and other fuels$1.5B$2,50096
Food away from home$3.1B$5,224128
Groceries$4.2B$7,080112
Personal care products and services$779.3M$1,303130
Child care and other personal services$675.6M$1,129194
Memberships, classes and admissions$1.1B$1,824185
Medical and dental services$990.6M$1,656129
Pets$797.4M$1,333147
Clothing, shoes and related services$1.4B$2,402117
Vehicle insurance$1B$1,74189
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$2.2B$3,717123
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$1B$1,701120
Rent and homeowner costs$13.3B$22,265134

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Alameda County

Population, 2025 estimate
1,636,630−2.6% since 2020
Households
598,246
Median age
40.1
Homes lived in by their owners
54%
Vehicles per household
1.8
Land area
738 sq. mi.
People per square mile
2,237
Median household income
$129,367+30.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Average household income
$177,147
Median home value
$1,090,100
Jobs located here
831,131
Daytime population
1,673,490Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Alameda County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Alameda County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Alameda County is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area.

Questions

How fast is Alameda County, CA growing?

Population estimates put Alameda County at 1,636,630 people in 2025, down 2.6% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 598,246 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 30.1%, before inflation.

How much do households in Alameda County, CA spend?

Households in Alameda County spend about $13.3B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $4.2B on groceries and $3.1B on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Alameda County runs highest on child care and other personal services (an index of 194, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on vehicle insurance (89).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Alameda County, CA?

Of the business types scored in Alameda County, pet grooming and boarding businesses (78), urgent care and walk-in clinics (76) and landscaping and lawn care companies (76) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For pet grooming and boarding businesses, that ranks #80 of 1,461 scored counties.

How does Alameda County, CA compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Alameda County is $129,367, 60% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 2.6% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $1,090,100, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for child care centers and preschools (66% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for funeral homes (52% 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. All 56 business types have a score in Alameda County, each ranked against other counties.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alameda County. 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.

All markets in California · Every U.S. market · How we measure

Screening a site or an acquisition in Alameda County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Alameda County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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.