Market rankings · California

Hair salons in California

Every metro area, small-town market and county in California, ranked by the Groundwork market score for hair salons, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings: 32,468; 3,929 chain locations (12%)
Official establishments: 8,733; +8.3% since 2019
Household spending a year: $15.6B; On personal care products and services
Listings per 10k households: 24.0; 3% above the U.S.
Spending per listing: $479K; 11% above the U.S.
Rank among states: #18 of 51; Market score 54 · Upper middle

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

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

California has 32,468 hair salons on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 12% of them, against 14% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 24.0, 3% above the U.S. rate of 23.4.

Household spending on personal care products and services in California comes to about $15.6B a year: $1,149 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. Spread across 32,468 hair salons, that is $479K per salon, 11% above the U.S. figure of $430K. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only hair salons.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as beauty salons in California was 8,733 in 2023, up 8.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,551 households, against one for every 1,535 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 357 SBA-backed loans worth $92.5M have gone to businesses classed as beauty salons in California.

Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #18 for hair salons, with a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle). Of the 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest (82). Of the 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Bishop area scores highest (69).

Every market in California for hair salons

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

Metro areas reaching California, ranked for hair salons by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Spending per listing	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Stockton-Lodi, CA	82	484	19.7	$551K	+5.5%	#3 of 387
2Yuba City, CA	81	116	18.7	$532K	+3.3%	#5 of 387
3Merced, CA	80	142	16.5	$553K	+5.1%	#6 of 387
4Bakersfield-Delano, CA	77	444	15.6	$609K	+2.3%	#8 of 387
5Visalia, CA	76	235	16.4	$580K	+2.4%	#12 of 387
6Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	75	2,985	20.6	$519K	+3.5%	#14 of 387
7Hanford-Corcoran, CA	74	74	16.8	$560K	+1.0%	#15 of 387
8Fresno, CA	72	741	20.0	$490K	+3.2%	#22 of 387
9El Centro, CA	71	75	15.1	$573K	+1.1%	#26 of 387
10Vallejo, CA	71	364	23.1	$492K	+0.6%	#29 of 387
11Napa, CA	69	113	22.7	$537K	−3.3%	#36 of 387
12Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	66	2,035	23.1	$487K	+3.2%	#52 of 387
13San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	65	267	24.4	$460K	0.0%	#60 of 387
14Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	64	317	21.2	$539K	−1.4%	#63 of 387
15Salinas, CA	61	308	23.2	$482K	−1.5%	#88 of 387
16Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	60	237	24.5	$497K	−4.7%	#101 of 387
17San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	59	4,274	24.5	$542K	−2.4%	#106 of 387
18San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	58	1,725	25.4	$563K	−0.6%	#115 of 387
19Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	58	699	24.9	$482K	−1.5%	#119 of 387
20Modesto, CA	55	426	23.9	$426K	+0.7%	#139 of 387
21Chico, CA	50	199	23.9	$399K	−0.5%	#185 of 387
22San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	49	3,023	25.8	$457K	−0.6%	#190 of 387
23Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	48	525	27.5	$428K	−0.4%	#203 of 387
24Redding, CA	47	181	25.4	$382K	−0.3%	#219 of 387
25Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	41	11,818	26.3	$429K	−2.6%	#276 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching California, ranked for hair salons by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Spending per listing	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Bishop, CA	69	12	14.9	$653K	−4.4%	#59 of 538
2Red Bluff, CA	65	38	15.3	$592K	−1.7%	#91 of 538
3Truckee-Grass Valley, CA	65	110	25.7	$425K	−0.4%	#97 of 538
4Sonora, CA	64	47	20.7	$484K	−4.0%	#109 of 538
Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA	61	57	26.2	$417K	+0.9%	#146 of 538
5Ukiah, CA	58	77	22.1	$426K	−3.5%	#179 of 538
6Susanville, CA	54	16	17.3	$522K	−13.1%	#222 of 538
7Eureka-Arcata, CA	54	117	21.3	$424K	−3.4%	#230 of 538
8Clearlake, CA	49	58	21.5	$420K	−0.6%	#285 of 538
9Crescent City, CA	42	21	22.1	$417K	−4.4%	#354 of 538

Counties

Counties in California, ranked for hair salons by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Spending per listing	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Yuba County, CA	90	21	7.3	$1.3M	+8.2%	#9 of 2,339
2Madera County, CA	89	65	14.3	$687K	+7.4%	#17 of 2,339
3Calaveras County, CA	82	27	14.6	$703K	+2.8%	#62 of 2,339
4Yolo County, CA	80	122	15.9	$688K	+3.1%	#77 of 2,339
5Kern County, CA	77	444	15.6	$609K	+2.3%	#121 of 2,339
6Merced County, CA	77	142	16.5	$553K	+5.1%	#125 of 2,339
7Tulare County, CA	75	235	16.4	$580K	+2.4%	#158 of 2,339
8San Joaquin County, CA	75	484	19.7	$551K	+5.5%	#161 of 2,339
9El Dorado County, CA	72	126	16.5	$727K	+0.6%	#229 of 2,339
10Kings County, CA	72	74	16.8	$560K	+1.0%	#242 of 2,339
11Mono County, CA	71	7	12.2	$927K	−5.4%	#249 of 2,339
12San Benito County, CA	71	50	24.3	$505K	+8.6%	#266 of 2,339
13Amador County, CA	71	33	20.5	$503K	+3.2%	#267 of 2,339
14Mariposa County, CA	70	6	8.0	$1.2M	−1.2%	#271 of 2,339
15Riverside County, CA	70	1,599	20.6	$530K	+5.0%	#293 of 2,339
16Colusa County, CA	69	11	14.6	$658K	−0.1%	#312 of 2,339
17Imperial County, CA	69	75	15.1	$573K	+1.1%	#325 of 2,339
18San Bernardino County, CA	67	1,386	20.5	$507K	+1.9%	#398 of 2,339
19Solano County, CA	65	364	23.1	$492K	+0.6%	#460 of 2,339
20Fresno County, CA	65	676	20.8	$471K	+2.6%	#463 of 2,339
21Contra Costa County, CA	64	969	23.4	$553K	+0.3%	#491 of 2,339
22Napa County, CA	63	113	22.7	$537K	−3.3%	#536 of 2,339
23Inyo County, CA	62	12	14.9	$653K	−4.4%	#569 of 2,339
24San Luis Obispo County, CA	62	267	24.4	$460K	0.0%	#607 of 2,339
25Nevada County, CA	61	110	25.7	$425K	−0.4%	#655 of 2,339

Show all 58 counties

Counties in California, ranked for hair salons by Groundwork market score, continued
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Spending per listing	Population growth	U.S. rank
26Tuolumne County, CA	60	47	20.7	$484K	−4.0%	#687 of 2,339
27Santa Barbara County, CA	59	317	21.2	$539K	−1.4%	#726 of 2,339
28Siskiyou County, CA	59	31	16.2	$534K	−4.5%	#728 of 2,339
29Sacramento County, CA	58	1,301	22.8	$477K	+2.0%	#779 of 2,339
30Trinity County, CA	57	6	10.7	$787K	−2.3%	#798 of 2,339
31Tehama County, CA	57	38	15.3	$592K	−1.7%	#802 of 2,339
32Monterey County, CA	57	308	23.2	$482K	−1.5%	#826 of 2,339
33San Mateo County, CA	56	627	23.7	$598K	−2.5%	#851 of 2,339
34Stanislaus County, CA	55	426	23.9	$426K	+0.7%	#928 of 2,339
35Placer County, CA	55	486	30.8	$400K	+8.9%	#935 of 2,339
36Santa Clara County, CA	54	1,675	25.4	$565K	−0.9%	#943 of 2,339
37Alameda County, CA	54	1,461	24.4	$533K	−2.6%	#947 of 2,339
38Santa Cruz County, CA	54	237	24.5	$497K	−4.7%	#957 of 2,339
39Ventura County, CA	54	699	24.9	$482K	−1.5%	#961 of 2,339
40Butte County, CA	54	199	23.9	$399K	−0.5%	#983 of 2,339
41Marin County, CA	53	258	25.0	$553K	−2.9%	#999 of 2,339
42Mendocino County, CA	53	77	22.1	$426K	−3.5%	#1,022 of 2,339
43Humboldt County, CA	50	117	21.3	$424K	−3.4%	#1,191 of 2,339
44Shasta County, CA	50	181	25.4	$382K	−0.3%	#1,202 of 2,339
45San Francisco County, CA	49	959	26.3	$505K	−5.6%	#1,222 of 2,339
46San Diego County, CA	49	3,023	25.8	$457K	−0.6%	#1,233 of 2,339
47Sutter County, CA	49	95	28.5	$357K	−0.7%	#1,261 of 2,339
48Sonoma County, CA	48	525	27.5	$428K	−0.4%	#1,285 of 2,339
49Lassen County, CA	46	16	17.3	$522K	−13.1%	#1,360 of 2,339
50Plumas County, CA	46	16	19.9	$478K	−5.9%	#1,364 of 2,339
51Los Angeles County, CA	41	8,666	25.4	$431K	−3.0%	#1,583 of 2,339
52Orange County, CA	41	3,152	29.1	$425K	−1.1%	#1,584 of 2,339
53Lake County, CA	41	58	21.5	$420K	−0.6%	#1,587 of 2,339
54Glenn County, CA	38	21	21.4	$424K	−2.6%	#1,724 of 2,339
55Del Norte County, CA	36	21	22.1	$417K	−4.4%	#1,822 of 2,339
Modoc County, CA	Not scored	6	18.4	$468K	−2.9%
Sierra County, CA	Not scored	1	8.2	$1.1M	−4.0%
Alpine County, CA	Not scored	0	0.0	n/a	−11.6%

Markets with fewer than 5 hair salons on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many hair salons are in California?

Map listings as of September 2026 show 32,468 hair salons in California. 3,929 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count hair and beauty salons. Official counts show 8,733 businesses with payroll classed as beauty salons in 2023, up 8.3% from 2019. Another 91,168 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.

How much do households in California spend on personal care products and services?

About $15.6B a year, or $1,149 per household. That is 14% above the U.S. average (an index of 114, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 32,468 hair salons on map listings, it comes to $479K per salon. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which hair salons share with other businesses in the trade. 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 hair salons?

California has 24.0 hair salons per 10,000 households, 3% above the U.S. rate of 23.4. Spending per salon is $479K, 11% above the U.S. figure of $430K. At the U.S. ratio of hair salons to household spending, California would have about 36,162, against 32,468 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,551 households, against one for every 1,535 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.

Which market in California has the highest market score for hair salons?

Among 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest, at 82 (high). Among 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Bishop area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 55 scored counties in California, Yuba County scores highest, at 90 (very 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 54 for hair salons (upper middle), #18 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 hair salons 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.

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