Market rankings · California
Oil change and quick-lube shops in California
Every metro area, small-town market and county in California, ranked by the Groundwork market score for oil change and quick-lube shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 759
- 569 chain locations (75%)
- Official establishments
- 812
- +17.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $15.2B
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Listings per 10k households
- 0.6
- 14% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $20M
- 46% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #16 of 50
- Market score 61 · Upper middle
A site report maps the oil change and quick-lube shops 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 759 oil change and quick-lube shops on map listings as of September 2026. 569 of them (75%) are chain locations, against 73% across the U.S. That comes to 0.6 for every 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 0.7.
At $1,122 per household (17% above the U.S. average), households in California spend about $15.2B a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Spread across 759 oil change and quick-lube shops, that is $20M per shop, 46% above the U.S. figure of $13.7M. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only oil change and quick-lube shops.
In 2023, official counts showed 812 businesses with payroll in California classed as oil change and lubrication shops, up 17.0% from 2019. That is one for every 16,685 households, against one for every 14,222 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 12.1% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 32 SBA-backed loans worth $24.5M have gone to businesses classed as oil change and lubrication shops in California.
Among 50 states, California ranks #16 for oil change and quick-lube shops, with a Groundwork market score of 61 (upper middle). Of the 22 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Merced metro area scores highest (80). Among 31 scored counties, Placer County scores highest (91).
Every market in California for oil change and quick-lube shops
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 | 80 | 5 | 0.6 | $19.1M | +5.1% | #9 of 290 |
| 2Stockton-Lodi, CA | 78 | 16 | 0.7 | $18.7M | +5.5% | #15 of 290 |
| 3Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 77 | 5 | 0.3 | $34.4M | −1.4% | #17 of 290 |
| 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 76 | 29 | 0.4 | $28.5M | −0.6% | #21 of 290 |
| 5Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 76 | 56 | 0.6 | $17.7M | +3.2% | #23 of 290 |
| 6Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 74 | 97 | 0.7 | $18.4M | +3.5% | #30 of 290 |
| 7Fresno, CA | 73 | 24 | 0.6 | $16.9M | +3.2% | #34 of 290 |
| 8Salinas, CA | 72 | 6 | 0.5 | $26.8M | −1.5% | #35 of 290 |
| 9Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 72 | 10 | 0.5 | $22.6M | −0.4% | #37 of 290 |
| 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 71 | 210 | 0.5 | $23.1M | −2.6% | #41 of 290 |
| 11Vallejo, CA | 69 | 9 | 0.6 | $21.6M | +0.6% | #49 of 290 |
| 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 67 | 70 | 0.6 | $18.9M | −0.6% | #58 of 290 |
| 13San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 64 | 85 | 0.5 | $21.4M | −2.4% | #67 of 290 |
| 14Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 59 | 21 | 0.7 | $16.7M | −1.5% | #96 of 290 |
| 15Yuba City, CA | 56 | 6 | 1.0 | $12M | +3.3% | #119 of 290 |
| 16Visalia, CA | 55 | 12 | 0.8 | $13.8M | +2.4% | #127 of 290 |
| 17San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 55 | 10 | 0.9 | $13.1M | 0.0% | #128 of 290 |
| 18Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 55 | 27 | 0.9 | $11.3M | +2.3% | #130 of 290 |
| 19Modesto, CA | 51 | 15 | 0.8 | $14M | +0.7% | #149 of 290 |
| 20El Centro, CA | 45 | 5 | 1.0 | $10.3M | +1.1% | #177 of 290 |
| 21Chico, CA | 43 | 8 | 1.0 | $10.8M | −0.5% | #184 of 290 |
| 22Redding, CA | 36 | 9 | 1.3 | $8.6M | −0.3% | #220 of 290 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Not scored | 4 | 0.4 | $29.8M | −4.7% | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.5 | $23.9M | +1.0% | |
| Napa, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.3% |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka-Arcata, CA | Not scored | 5 | 0.9 | $10.9M | −3.4% | |
| Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.5 | $25.5M | −0.4% | |
| Ukiah, CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.3 | $36.5M | −3.5% | |
| Clearlake, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.7 | $15.2M | −0.6% | |
| Red Bluff, CA | Not scored | 3 | 1.2 | $8.9M | −1.7% | |
| Sonora, CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.4 | $25.9M | −4.0% | |
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.5 | $27.3M | +0.9% | |
| Susanville, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $10.1M | −13.1% | |
| Crescent City, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.4% | |
| Bishop, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.4% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Placer County, CA | 91 | 9 | 0.6 | $21.2M | +8.9% | #1 of 479 |
| 2Merced County, CA | 78 | 5 | 0.6 | $19.1M | +5.1% | #18 of 479 |
| 3San Joaquin County, CA | 78 | 16 | 0.7 | $18.7M | +5.5% | #19 of 479 |
| 4Riverside County, CA | 76 | 52 | 0.7 | $18.5M | +5.0% | #28 of 479 |
| 5Santa Barbara County, CA | 75 | 5 | 0.3 | $34.4M | −1.4% | #31 of 479 |
| 6Santa Clara County, CA | 75 | 28 | 0.4 | $28.4M | −0.9% | #32 of 479 |
| 7Monterey County, CA | 72 | 6 | 0.5 | $26.8M | −1.5% | #45 of 479 |
| 8El Dorado County, CA | 72 | 6 | 0.8 | $16.3M | +0.6% | #50 of 479 |
| 9San Mateo County, CA | 71 | 14 | 0.5 | $22.7M | −2.5% | #54 of 479 |
| 10Sonoma County, CA | 71 | 10 | 0.5 | $22.6M | −0.4% | #55 of 479 |
| 11San Bernardino County, CA | 71 | 45 | 0.7 | $18.4M | +1.9% | #60 of 479 |
| 12Fresno County, CA | 71 | 21 | 0.6 | $16.8M | +2.6% | #63 of 479 |
| 13Orange County, CA | 70 | 59 | 0.5 | $22M | −1.1% | #67 of 479 |
| 14Sacramento County, CA | 70 | 34 | 0.6 | $18.2M | +2.0% | #71 of 479 |
| 15Los Angeles County, CA | 69 | 151 | 0.4 | $23.5M | −3.0% | #75 of 479 |
| 16Solano County, CA | 69 | 9 | 0.6 | $21.6M | +0.6% | #76 of 479 |
| 17Contra Costa County, CA | 69 | 24 | 0.6 | $21.1M | +0.3% | #77 of 479 |
| 18Marin County, CA | 66 | 5 | 0.5 | $23.4M | −2.9% | #99 of 479 |
| 19San Diego County, CA | 66 | 70 | 0.6 | $18.9M | −0.6% | #102 of 479 |
| 20Ventura County, CA | 61 | 21 | 0.7 | $16.7M | −1.5% | #147 of 479 |
| 21San Francisco County, CA | 60 | 5 | 0.1 | $47.7M | −5.6% | #150 of 479 |
| 22Yolo County, CA | 58 | 7 | 0.9 | $12M | +3.1% | #179 of 479 |
| 23Alameda County, CA | 56 | 37 | 0.6 | $17.2M | −2.6% | #196 of 479 |
| 24Tulare County, CA | 56 | 12 | 0.8 | $13.8M | +2.4% | #198 of 479 |
| 25San Luis Obispo County, CA | 56 | 10 | 0.9 | $13.1M | 0.0% | #201 of 479 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Kern County, CA | 56 | 27 | 0.9 | $11.3M | +2.3% | #203 of 479 |
| 27Stanislaus County, CA | 53 | 15 | 0.8 | $14M | +0.7% | #225 of 479 |
| 28Imperial County, CA | 46 | 5 | 1.0 | $10.3M | +1.1% | #290 of 479 |
| 29Butte County, CA | 44 | 8 | 1.0 | $10.8M | −0.5% | #307 of 479 |
| 30Shasta County, CA | 39 | 9 | 1.3 | $8.6M | −0.3% | #345 of 479 |
| 31Humboldt County, CA | 37 | 5 | 0.9 | $10.9M | −3.4% | #355 of 479 |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 0.4 | $29.8M | −4.7% | |
| Madera County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 0.7 | $18.2M | +7.4% | |
| Kings County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.5 | $23.9M | +1.0% | |
| Napa County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.3% | |
| Nevada County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.5 | $25.5M | −0.4% | |
| Sutter County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 1.2 | $9.9M | −0.7% | |
| Mendocino County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.3 | $36.5M | −3.5% | |
| Yuba County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.7 | $16.3M | +8.2% | |
| Lake County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 0.7 | $15.2M | −0.6% | |
| San Benito County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.5 | $29.8M | +8.6% | |
| Tehama County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 1.2 | $8.9M | −1.7% | |
| Tuolumne County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 0.4 | $25.9M | −4.0% | |
| Calaveras County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Siskiyou County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 1.0 | $10.1M | −4.5% | |
| Amador County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.2% | |
| Lassen County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $10.1M | −13.1% | |
| Glenn County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.6% | |
| Del Norte County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.4% | |
| Colusa County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Plumas County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.9% | |
| Inyo County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −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 | 1 | 3.1 | $3.6M | −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 oil change and quick-lube shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many oil change and quick-lube shops are in California?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 759 oil change and quick-lube shops in California. 569 of them (75%) are chain locations. The listings count oil change and quick-lube shops. Official counts show 812 businesses with payroll classed as oil change and lubrication shops in 2023, up 17.0% from 2019.
How much do households in California spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $15.2B a year, or $1,122 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 759 oil change and quick-lube shops on map listings, it comes to $20M per shop. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which oil change and quick-lube shops 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 oil change and quick-lube shops?
California has 0.6 oil change and quick-lube shops per 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 0.7. Spending per shop is $20M, 46% above the U.S. figure of $13.7M. At the U.S. ratio of oil change and quick-lube shops to household spending, California would have about 1,106, against 759 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 16,685 households, against one for every 14,222 across the U.S. The official count rose 17.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +12.1% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for oil change and quick-lube shops?
Among 22 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Merced metro area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 31 scored counties in California, Placer County scores highest, at 91 (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 61 for oil change and quick-lube shops (upper middle), #16 of 50 scored states.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in California. It maps the oil change and quick-lube shops 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.
Oil change and quick lube in other states
All 51 states
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Top markets for oil change and quick-lube shops across the U.S. · All business types in California
Related business types in California
- Auto repair and car care52,949 listings
- Auto repair shops33,404 listings
- Collision repair and body shops5,166 listings
- Car washes and detailing4,444 listings
- Tire shops5,228 listings
- Gas stations10,937 listings
- Insurance agencies23,237 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.