Market rankings · California
Nail salons in California
Every metro area, small-town market and county in California, ranked by the Groundwork market score for nail salons, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 9,390
- 2,359 chain locations (25%)
- Official establishments
- 6,750
- +27.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $15.6B
- On personal care products and services
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.9
- 15% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.7M
- In line with the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #46 of 51
- Market score 34 · Lower middle
A site report maps the nail salons 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
California has 9,390 nail salons on map listings as of September 2026. 2,359 of them (25%) are chain locations, against 27% across the U.S. That comes to 6.9 for every 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 6.0.
Households in California spend about $15.6B a year on personal care products and services, or $1,149 per household, 14% above the U.S. average. That works out to $1.7M per salon, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.7M. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only nail salons.
In 2023, official counts showed 6,750 businesses with payroll in California classed as nail salons, up 27.0% from 2019. That is one for every 2,007 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 23.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 102 SBA-backed loans worth $18.3M have gone to businesses classed as nail salons in California.
Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #46 for nail salons, with a Groundwork market score of 34 (lower middle). Of the 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Merced metro area scores highest (67). Of the 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest (75).
Every market in California for nail 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
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Merced, CA | 67 | 33 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +5.1% | #58 of 387 |
| 2Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 61 | 35 | 3.6 | $3.4M | −4.7% | #87 of 387 |
| 3El Centro, CA | 59 | 19 | 3.8 | $2.3M | +1.1% | #106 of 387 |
| 4Visalia, CA | 58 | 57 | 4.0 | $2.4M | +2.4% | #115 of 387 |
| 5Yuba City, CA | 57 | 28 | 4.5 | $2.2M | +3.3% | #127 of 387 |
| 6San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 50 | 435 | 6.4 | $2.2M | −0.6% | #190 of 387 |
| 7San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 48 | 63 | 5.8 | $1.9M | 0.0% | #205 of 387 |
| 8Stockton-Lodi, CA | 48 | 168 | 6.9 | $1.6M | +5.5% | #209 of 387 |
| 9Fresno, CA | 45 | 200 | 5.4 | $1.8M | +3.2% | #238 of 387 |
| 10Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 44 | 142 | 5.0 | $1.9M | +2.3% | #244 of 387 |
| 11Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 44 | 629 | 7.1 | $1.6M | +3.2% | #246 of 387 |
| 12Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 43 | 93 | 6.2 | $1.8M | −1.4% | #256 of 387 |
| 13San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 41 | 1,197 | 6.9 | $1.9M | −2.4% | #274 of 387 |
| 14Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 41 | 183 | 6.5 | $1.8M | −1.5% | #276 of 387 |
| 15Vallejo, CA | 41 | 105 | 6.7 | $1.7M | +0.6% | #277 of 387 |
| 16Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 41 | 1,053 | 7.3 | $1.5M | +3.5% | #279 of 387 |
| 17San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 40 | 796 | 6.8 | $1.7M | −0.6% | #291 of 387 |
| 18Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 40 | 130 | 6.8 | $1.7M | −0.4% | #292 of 387 |
| 19Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 40 | 24 | 5.4 | $1.7M | +1.0% | #293 of 387 |
| 20Chico, CA | 39 | 42 | 5.0 | $1.9M | −0.5% | #302 of 387 |
| 21Salinas, CA | 38 | 86 | 6.5 | $1.7M | −1.5% | #311 of 387 |
| 22Modesto, CA | 38 | 106 | 6.0 | $1.7M | +0.7% | #312 of 387 |
| 23Redding, CA | 36 | 41 | 5.8 | $1.7M | −0.3% | #332 of 387 |
| 24Napa, CA | 32 | 41 | 8.2 | $1.5M | −3.3% | #348 of 387 |
| 25Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 29 | 3,575 | 7.9 | $1.4M | −2.6% | #360 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | 75 | 9 | 4.1 | $2.6M | +0.9% | #28 of 387 |
| 1Sonora, CA | 66 | 5 | 2.2 | $4.5M | −4.0% | #83 of 387 |
| 2Eureka-Arcata, CA | 66 | 15 | 2.7 | $3.3M | −3.4% | #86 of 387 |
| 3Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | 63 | 15 | 3.5 | $3.1M | −0.4% | #105 of 387 |
| 4Red Bluff, CA | 60 | 10 | 4.0 | $2.3M | −1.7% | #128 of 387 |
| 5Ukiah, CA | 50 | 12 | 3.4 | $2.7M | −3.5% | #205 of 387 |
| 6Clearlake, CA | 41 | 14 | 5.2 | $1.7M | −0.6% | #259 of 387 |
| Susanville, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $4.2M | −13.1% | |
| Crescent City, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $4.4M | −4.4% | |
| Bishop, CA | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $2M | −4.4% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba County, CA | 86 | 6 | 2.1 | $4.6M | +8.2% | #15 of 1,328 |
| 2Merced County, CA | 69 | 33 | 3.8 | $2.4M | +5.1% | #174 of 1,328 |
| 3San Benito County, CA | 67 | 10 | 4.9 | $2.5M | +8.6% | #209 of 1,328 |
| 4Calaveras County, CA | 67 | 9 | 4.9 | $2.1M | +2.8% | #218 of 1,328 |
| 5Tuolumne County, CA | 65 | 5 | 2.2 | $4.5M | −4.0% | #256 of 1,328 |
| 6Nevada County, CA | 64 | 15 | 3.5 | $3.1M | −0.4% | #284 of 1,328 |
| 7Madera County, CA | 64 | 21 | 4.6 | $2.1M | +7.4% | #301 of 1,328 |
| 8Humboldt County, CA | 63 | 15 | 2.7 | $3.3M | −3.4% | #313 of 1,328 |
| 9Imperial County, CA | 62 | 19 | 3.8 | $2.3M | +1.1% | #343 of 1,328 |
| 10Santa Cruz County, CA | 61 | 35 | 3.6 | $3.4M | −4.7% | #358 of 1,328 |
| 11Tulare County, CA | 61 | 57 | 4.0 | $2.4M | +2.4% | #369 of 1,328 |
| 12Tehama County, CA | 57 | 10 | 4.0 | $2.3M | −1.7% | #481 of 1,328 |
| 13Siskiyou County, CA | 54 | 5 | 2.6 | $3.3M | −4.5% | #546 of 1,328 |
| 14El Dorado County, CA | 54 | 44 | 5.8 | $2.1M | +0.6% | #555 of 1,328 |
| 15Mendocino County, CA | 52 | 12 | 3.4 | $2.7M | −3.5% | #609 of 1,328 |
| 16Santa Clara County, CA | 51 | 425 | 6.4 | $2.2M | −0.9% | #652 of 1,328 |
| 17San Luis Obispo County, CA | 51 | 63 | 5.8 | $1.9M | 0.0% | #659 of 1,328 |
| 18Yolo County, CA | 51 | 46 | 6.0 | $1.8M | +3.1% | #666 of 1,328 |
| 19San Mateo County, CA | 50 | 161 | 6.1 | $2.3M | −2.5% | #690 of 1,328 |
| 20Kern County, CA | 49 | 142 | 5.0 | $1.9M | +2.3% | #730 of 1,328 |
| 21Amador County, CA | 49 | 11 | 6.8 | $1.5M | +3.2% | #739 of 1,328 |
| 22Placer County, CA | 49 | 136 | 8.6 | $1.4M | +8.9% | #740 of 1,328 |
| 23San Joaquin County, CA | 48 | 168 | 6.9 | $1.6M | +5.5% | #760 of 1,328 |
| 24Fresno County, CA | 47 | 179 | 5.5 | $1.8M | +2.6% | #778 of 1,328 |
| 25Riverside County, CA | 47 | 541 | 7.0 | $1.6M | +5.0% | #785 of 1,328 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Santa Barbara County, CA | 46 | 93 | 6.2 | $1.8M | −1.4% | #801 of 1,328 |
| 27Kings County, CA | 46 | 24 | 5.4 | $1.7M | +1.0% | #808 of 1,328 |
| 28San Francisco County, CA | 45 | 229 | 6.3 | $2.1M | −5.6% | #824 of 1,328 |
| 29Butte County, CA | 44 | 42 | 5.0 | $1.9M | −0.5% | #859 of 1,328 |
| 30Ventura County, CA | 44 | 183 | 6.5 | $1.8M | −1.5% | #861 of 1,328 |
| 31Sonoma County, CA | 43 | 130 | 6.8 | $1.7M | −0.4% | #884 of 1,328 |
| 32Contra Costa County, CA | 43 | 311 | 7.5 | $1.7M | +0.3% | #885 of 1,328 |
| 33Solano County, CA | 43 | 105 | 6.7 | $1.7M | +0.6% | #886 of 1,328 |
| 34Alameda County, CA | 42 | 419 | 7.0 | $1.9M | −2.6% | #901 of 1,328 |
| 35Marin County, CA | 42 | 77 | 7.5 | $1.9M | −2.9% | #902 of 1,328 |
| 36Lake County, CA | 42 | 14 | 5.2 | $1.7M | −0.6% | #904 of 1,328 |
| 37San Diego County, CA | 42 | 796 | 6.8 | $1.7M | −0.6% | #905 of 1,328 |
| 38Monterey County, CA | 42 | 86 | 6.5 | $1.7M | −1.5% | #906 of 1,328 |
| 39Stanislaus County, CA | 42 | 106 | 6.0 | $1.7M | +0.7% | #907 of 1,328 |
| 40Shasta County, CA | 41 | 41 | 5.8 | $1.7M | −0.3% | #928 of 1,328 |
| 41Sacramento County, CA | 41 | 403 | 7.1 | $1.5M | +2.0% | #930 of 1,328 |
| 42Sutter County, CA | 36 | 22 | 6.6 | $1.5M | −0.7% | #1,024 of 1,328 |
| 43San Bernardino County, CA | 36 | 512 | 7.6 | $1.4M | +1.9% | #1,028 of 1,328 |
| 44Napa County, CA | 34 | 41 | 8.2 | $1.5M | −3.3% | #1,063 of 1,328 |
| 45Orange County, CA | 32 | 1,007 | 9.3 | $1.3M | −1.1% | #1,105 of 1,328 |
| 46Los Angeles County, CA | 31 | 2,568 | 7.5 | $1.5M | −3.0% | #1,123 of 1,328 |
| Lassen County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $4.2M | −13.1% | |
| Glenn County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.6% | |
| Del Norte County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $4.4M | −4.4% | |
| Colusa County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $7.2M | −0.1% | |
| Plumas County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $7.6M | −5.9% | |
| Inyo County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $2M | −4.4% | |
| Mariposa County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Trinity County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.3% | |
| Mono County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.4% | |
| Modoc County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 9.2 | $937K | −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 nail salons on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many nail salons are in California?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 9,390 nail salons in California. 2,359 of them (25%) are chain locations. The listings count nail salons. Official counts show 6,750 businesses with payroll classed as nail salons in 2023, up 27.0% from 2019. Another 17,492 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 9,390 nail salons on map listings, it comes to $1.7M per salon. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which nail 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 nail salons?
California has 6.9 nail salons per 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 6.0. Spending per salon is $1.7M, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.7M. At the U.S. ratio of nail salons to household spending, California would have about 9,314, against 9,390 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,007 households, against one for every 3,754 across the U.S. The official count rose 27.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +23.2% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for nail salons?
Among 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Merced metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 7 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Gardnerville Ranchos area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 46 scored counties in California, Yuba 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 34 for nail salons (lower middle), #46 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 nail 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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Top markets for nail salons across the U.S. · All business types in California
Related business types in California
- Salons, barbers and spas69,677 listings
- Hair salons32,468 listings
- Barbershops7,262 listings
- Spas and skin care18,537 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in California?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.