Groundwork

Groceries and convenience · County · California

Convenience stores in Alameda County, CA

The convenience stores in Alameda County, CA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.

Groundwork market score · out of 100

Score 76 out of 100: High

Ranked #269 of 2,261 scored counties
#11 of 54 scored counties in California

Listings
297
195 chain locations (66%)
Official establishments
101
−1.9% since 2019
Household spending a year
$4.2B
On groceries · $7,080 a household
Spending per listing
$14.3M
81% above the U.S.
Listings per 10k households
5.0
37% below the U.S.
Population, 2025
1,636,630
−2.6% since 2020

See the convenience stores around any address in Alameda County

The site report maps the convenience stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. 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.

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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

Households in Alameda County spend about $4.2B a year on groceries, or $7,080 per household, 12% above the U.S. average. That works out to $14.3M per store, 81% above the U.S. figure of $7.9M. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only convenience stores.

There are 297 convenience stores on map listings in Alameda County as of September 2026. Of those, 195 are chain locations, or 66%, against 60% across the U.S. That is 5.0 per 10,000 households, 37% below the U.S. rate of 8.0.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in Alameda County was 101 in 2023, down 1.9% from 2019. That is one for every 5,923 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 5 SBA-backed loans worth $1.3M have gone to businesses classed as convenience stores in Alameda County.

Population estimates put the population change in Alameda County from 2020 to 2025 at −2.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S. Alameda County scores 76 (high) on the Groundwork market score for convenience stores, ranking #269 of 2,261 scored counties and #11 of 54 scored counties in California. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.

How Alameda County compares

The same measures for California and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all groceries by the convenience stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.

Convenience stores in Alameda County, CA compared with California and the U.S.
MeasureAlameda CountyCaliforniaU.S.
Listings per 10k households5.06.78.0
Spending per listing$14.3M$9.8M$7.9M
Households per official establishment5,9234,3533,493
Official establishment growth, 2019–2023−1.9%+8.6%+22.0%
Population growth, 2020–2025−2.6%−0.4%+3.1%
Spending per household on groceries$7,080$6,548$6,319
Median household income$129,367$99,122$80,734
Groundwork market score7658

Official counts and lending

Businesses

Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
103 → 101−1.9% over the period
Employees, 2023
430
Annual payroll, 2023
$13M
One-person businesses, 2023
Not publishedNot published for this business type
Map listings, September 2026
297195 chain locations
Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
538The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here

SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022

Loans
5
Amount
$1.3M

SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as convenience stores in Alameda County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.

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 convenience stores on map listings by name and distance.

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.

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Convenience stores across California

Every California market ranked →

The highest-scoring counties in California for convenience stores, numbered among those based in California, with Alameda County marked.

Top counties in California

Counties in California ranked for convenience stores by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1San Benito County, CA9594.4$15.7M+8.6%#8 of 2,261
2Placer County, CA891026.5$10.6M+8.9%#45 of 2,261
3Amador County, CA8195.6$11M+3.2%#141 of 2,261
4Contra Costa County, CA802105.1$14M+0.3%#160 of 2,261
5Riverside County, CA805747.4$8.6M+5.0%#173 of 2,261
6Santa Clara County, CA793044.6$16.4M−0.9%#181 of 2,261
7El Dorado County, CA79466.0$11.2M+0.6%#188 of 2,261
8San Mateo County, CA781003.8$19.8M−2.5%#209 of 2,261
9San Joaquin County, CA782078.4$7.5M+5.5%#235 of 2,261
10San Luis Obispo County, CA77605.5$11.8M0.0%#243 of 2,261
11Alameda County, CA762975.0$14.3M−2.6%#269 of 2,261

Other business types in Alameda County

Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.

Questions

How many convenience stores are in Alameda County, CA?

As of September 2026, map listings count 297 convenience stores in Alameda County. 195 of them (66%) are chain locations. The listings count convenience stores without fuel. Official counts show 101 businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in 2023, down 1.9% from 2019.

How much do households in Alameda County, CA spend on groceries?

About $4.2B a year, or $7,080 per household. That is 12% above the U.S. average (an index of 112, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 297 convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $14.3M per store. That spending covers all groceries, which convenience stores share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 598,246 households in Alameda County and national spending patterns by income.

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

Alameda County has 5.0 convenience stores per 10,000 households, 37% below the U.S. rate of 8.0. Spending per store is $14.3M, 81% above the U.S. figure of $7.9M. At the U.S. ratio of convenience stores to household spending, Alameda County would have about 538, against 297 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 5,923 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. The official count fell 1.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +22.0% for the U.S.

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. 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.

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. Alameda County scores 76 for convenience stores (high), #269 of 2,261 scored 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 convenience stores 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.

How the score works · Top markets for convenience stores · All 56 business types in Alameda County

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.