Market rankings · California
Child care centers and preschools in California
Every metro area, small-town market and county in California, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 9,215
- 985 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 9,670
- +8.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $12B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.8
- 17% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- 30% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #15 of 51
- Market score 61 · Upper middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools 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
There are 9,215 child care centers and preschools on map listings in California as of September 2026. 985 of them (11%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. That is 6.8 per 10,000 households, 17% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Household spending on child care and other personal services in California comes to about $12B a year: $886 per household, 53% above the U.S. average. That works out to $1.3M per center, 30% above the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 9,670 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in California in 2023, up 8.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,401 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 407 SBA-backed loans worth $391.6M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in California.
Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #15 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 61 (upper middle). Of the 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area scores highest (85). Of the 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest (86).
Every market in California for child care centers and preschools
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 85 | 693 | 4.8 | $1.6M | +3.5% | #11 of 387 |
| 2Fresno, CA | 79 | 181 | 4.9 | $1.3M | +3.2% | #22 of 387 |
| 3Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 72 | 133 | 4.7 | $1.3M | +2.3% | #45 of 387 |
| 4Visalia, CA | 72 | 74 | 5.2 | $1.1M | +2.4% | #47 of 387 |
| 5Stockton-Lodi, CA | 71 | 175 | 7.1 | $1.1M | +5.5% | #54 of 387 |
| 6Merced, CA | 68 | 50 | 5.8 | $962K | +5.1% | #66 of 387 |
| 7Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 67 | 607 | 6.9 | $1.2M | +3.2% | #71 of 387 |
| 8Modesto, CA | 64 | 110 | 6.2 | $1.1M | +0.7% | #90 of 387 |
| 9Salinas, CA | 62 | 70 | 5.3 | $1.5M | −1.5% | #95 of 387 |
| 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 62 | 2,917 | 6.5 | $1.3M | −2.6% | #97 of 387 |
| 11Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 61 | 137 | 4.9 | $1.9M | −1.5% | #102 of 387 |
| 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 59 | 767 | 6.5 | $1.4M | −0.6% | #123 of 387 |
| 13Vallejo, CA | 59 | 109 | 6.9 | $1.2M | +0.6% | #125 of 387 |
| 14Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 58 | 129 | 6.8 | $1.3M | −0.4% | #132 of 387 |
| 15Redding, CA | 58 | 36 | 5.1 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #133 of 387 |
| 16Napa, CA | 56 | 31 | 6.2 | $1.6M | −3.3% | #151 of 387 |
| 17Yuba City, CA | 56 | 43 | 6.9 | $940K | +3.3% | #156 of 387 |
| 18Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 55 | 89 | 5.9 | $1.5M | −1.4% | #159 of 387 |
| 19San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 55 | 75 | 6.8 | $1.2M | 0.0% | #161 of 387 |
| 20San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 54 | 682 | 10.0 | $1.3M | −0.6% | #169 of 387 |
| 21Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 51 | 68 | 7.0 | $1.4M | −4.7% | #185 of 387 |
| 22San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 49 | 1,692 | 9.7 | $1.2M | −2.4% | #198 of 387 |
| 23Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 49 | 30 | 6.8 | $837K | +1.0% | #202 of 387 |
| 24Chico, CA | 43 | 55 | 6.6 | $945K | −0.5% | #247 of 387 |
| 25El Centro, CA | 22 | 54 | 10.9 | $467K | +1.1% | #370 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | 86 | 9 | 4.1 | $1.9M | +0.9% | #7 of 454 |
| 1Sonora, CA | 71 | 14 | 6.2 | $1.1M | −4.0% | #69 of 454 |
| 2Clearlake, CA | 59 | 16 | 5.9 | $957K | −0.6% | #156 of 454 |
| 3Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | 58 | 34 | 7.9 | $1M | −0.4% | #166 of 454 |
| 4Ukiah, CA | 52 | 23 | 6.6 | $911K | −3.5% | #212 of 454 |
| 5Eureka-Arcata, CA | 47 | 31 | 5.6 | $992K | −3.4% | #251 of 454 |
| 6Red Bluff, CA | 42 | 18 | 7.3 | $753K | −1.7% | #303 of 454 |
| Susanville, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $1.2M | −13.1% | |
| Crescent City, CA | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $1.8M | −4.4% | |
| Bishop, CA | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $1.7M | −4.4% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Riverside County, CA | 86 | 388 | 5.0 | $1.6M | +5.0% | #32 of 1,611 |
| 2San Bernardino County, CA | 82 | 305 | 4.5 | $1.6M | +1.9% | #62 of 1,611 |
| 3Amador County, CA | 79 | 8 | 5.0 | $1.4M | +3.2% | #97 of 1,611 |
| 4Fresno County, CA | 79 | 158 | 4.9 | $1.3M | +2.6% | #99 of 1,611 |
| 5Madera County, CA | 76 | 23 | 5.1 | $1.3M | +7.4% | #143 of 1,611 |
| 6Kern County, CA | 74 | 133 | 4.7 | $1.3M | +2.3% | #174 of 1,611 |
| 7Tulare County, CA | 74 | 74 | 5.2 | $1.1M | +2.4% | #179 of 1,611 |
| 8San Benito County, CA | 73 | 14 | 6.8 | $1.4M | +8.6% | #191 of 1,611 |
| 9San Joaquin County, CA | 72 | 175 | 7.1 | $1.1M | +5.5% | #219 of 1,611 |
| 10Merced County, CA | 70 | 50 | 5.8 | $962K | +5.1% | #267 of 1,611 |
| 11Orange County, CA | 69 | 666 | 6.1 | $1.6M | −1.1% | #273 of 1,611 |
| 12Placer County, CA | 69 | 132 | 8.4 | $1.2M | +8.9% | #284 of 1,611 |
| 13Sacramento County, CA | 69 | 377 | 6.6 | $1.2M | +2.0% | #285 of 1,611 |
| 14El Dorado County, CA | 68 | 46 | 6.0 | $1.6M | +0.6% | #304 of 1,611 |
| 15Tuolumne County, CA | 68 | 14 | 6.2 | $1.1M | −4.0% | #315 of 1,611 |
| 16Yolo County, CA | 66 | 52 | 6.8 | $1.2M | +3.1% | #358 of 1,611 |
| 17Stanislaus County, CA | 66 | 110 | 6.2 | $1.1M | +0.7% | #365 of 1,611 |
| 18Yuba County, CA | 66 | 21 | 7.3 | $837K | +8.2% | #377 of 1,611 |
| 19Monterey County, CA | 65 | 70 | 5.3 | $1.5M | −1.5% | #382 of 1,611 |
| 20Ventura County, CA | 63 | 137 | 4.9 | $1.9M | −1.5% | #443 of 1,611 |
| 21San Diego County, CA | 62 | 767 | 6.5 | $1.4M | −0.6% | #473 of 1,611 |
| 22Solano County, CA | 62 | 109 | 6.9 | $1.2M | +0.6% | #477 of 1,611 |
| 23Sonoma County, CA | 61 | 129 | 6.8 | $1.3M | −0.4% | #500 of 1,611 |
| 24Shasta County, CA | 61 | 36 | 5.1 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #503 of 1,611 |
| 25Los Angeles County, CA | 61 | 2,251 | 6.6 | $1.2M | −3.0% | #505 of 1,611 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Napa County, CA | 58 | 31 | 6.2 | $1.6M | −3.3% | #586 of 1,611 |
| 27Contra Costa County, CA | 58 | 377 | 9.1 | $1.2M | +0.3% | #591 of 1,611 |
| 28Santa Barbara County, CA | 57 | 89 | 5.9 | $1.5M | −1.4% | #619 of 1,611 |
| 29San Luis Obispo County, CA | 57 | 75 | 6.8 | $1.2M | 0.0% | #621 of 1,611 |
| 30Siskiyou County, CA | 56 | 7 | 3.7 | $1.4M | −4.5% | #645 of 1,611 |
| 31Santa Clara County, CA | 56 | 668 | 10.1 | $1.3M | −0.9% | #647 of 1,611 |
| 32Lake County, CA | 55 | 16 | 5.9 | $957K | −0.6% | #684 of 1,611 |
| 33Kings County, CA | 55 | 30 | 6.8 | $837K | +1.0% | #693 of 1,611 |
| 34Sutter County, CA | 54 | 22 | 6.6 | $1M | −0.7% | #707 of 1,611 |
| 35Nevada County, CA | 54 | 34 | 7.9 | $1M | −0.4% | #708 of 1,611 |
| 36Calaveras County, CA | 54 | 16 | 8.7 | $817K | +2.8% | #732 of 1,611 |
| 37Santa Cruz County, CA | 53 | 68 | 7.0 | $1.4M | −4.7% | #735 of 1,611 |
| 38San Francisco County, CA | 52 | 329 | 9.0 | $1.3M | −5.6% | #762 of 1,611 |
| 39San Mateo County, CA | 51 | 287 | 10.9 | $1.2M | −2.5% | #787 of 1,611 |
| 40Alameda County, CA | 51 | 577 | 9.6 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #788 of 1,611 |
| 41Butte County, CA | 49 | 55 | 6.6 | $945K | −0.5% | #840 of 1,611 |
| 42Marin County, CA | 47 | 122 | 11.8 | $1.1M | −2.9% | #887 of 1,611 |
| 43Mendocino County, CA | 47 | 23 | 6.6 | $911K | −3.5% | #897 of 1,611 |
| 44Humboldt County, CA | 42 | 31 | 5.6 | $992K | −3.4% | #1,028 of 1,611 |
| 45Mariposa County, CA | 41 | 7 | 9.3 | $653K | −1.2% | #1,074 of 1,611 |
| 46Tehama County, CA | 35 | 18 | 7.3 | $753K | −1.7% | #1,209 of 1,611 |
| 47Glenn County, CA | 33 | 7 | 7.1 | $740K | −2.6% | #1,264 of 1,611 |
| 48Plumas County, CA | 30 | 7 | 8.7 | $695K | −5.9% | #1,327 of 1,611 |
| 49Imperial County, CA | 28 | 54 | 10.9 | $467K | +1.1% | #1,380 of 1,611 |
| Lassen County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $1.2M | −13.1% | |
| Del Norte County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $1.8M | −4.4% | |
| Colusa County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $2.4M | −0.1% | |
| Inyo County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $1.7M | −4.4% | |
| Trinity County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 3.6 | $1.4M | −2.3% | |
| Mono County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 3.5 | $2.4M | −5.4% | |
| Modoc County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 12.2 | $384K | −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 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in California?
As of September 2026, map listings count 9,215 child care centers and preschools in California. 985 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 9,670 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 8.1% from 2019. Official counts also show 89,455 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in California spend on child care and other personal services?
About $12B a year, or $886 per household. That is 53% above the U.S. average (an index of 153, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 9,215 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $1.3M per center. 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 child care centers and preschools?
California has 6.8 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 17% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $1.3M, 30% above the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, California would have about 11,984, against 9,215 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,401 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area scores highest, at 85 (high). Among 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest, at 86 (high). Among 49 scored counties in California, Riverside County scores highest, at 86 (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 61 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #15 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 child care centers and preschools 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.
Child care and preschools in other states
All 51 states
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- South Carolina
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in California
Screening a site or an acquisition in California?
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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.