Pets · County · California
Pet businesses in Sonoma County, CA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Sonoma County, CA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 54 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #892 of 2,200 scored counties
#40 of 54 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 257
- 47 chain locations (18%)
- Official establishments
- 178
- +13.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $225.6M
- On pets · $1,181 a household
- Spending per listing
- $878K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.5
- 30% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 486,444
- −0.4% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Sonoma County
The site report maps the pet businesses 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 Sonoma County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
At $1,181 per household (30% above the U.S. average), households in Sonoma County spend about $225.6M a year on pets. That works out to $878K per business, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 257 pet businesses on map listings in Sonoma County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 18% of them, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 13.5 for every 10,000 households, 30% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Sonoma County was 178 in 2023, up 13.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,073 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Official counts also show 387 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $4.4M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Sonoma County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Sonoma County declined 0.4%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for pet businesses in Sonoma County is 54 (upper middle), #892 of 2,200 scored counties and #40 of 54 scored counties in California.
How Sonoma County compares
The same measures for California and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all pets by the pet businesses counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Sonoma County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 13.5 | 9.3 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $878K | $1.2M | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,073 | 1,875 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +13.4% | +11.6% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.4% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,181 | $1,149 | $909 |
| Median household income | $104,674 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 54 | 68 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 157 → 178+13.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,791
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $93.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 387Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 25747 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 257The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $4.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Sonoma 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 Sonoma County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 486,444−0.4% since 2020
- Households
- 190,998
- Median age
- 44.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 63%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 1,575 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 308
- Median household income
- $104,674+29.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $142,354
- Median home value
- $815,500
- Jobs located here
- 200,159
- Daytime population
- 465,573Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Sonoma 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 pet businesses on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Sonoma County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardPet businesses across California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for pet businesses, numbered among those based in California, with Sonoma County marked.
Top counties in California
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1San Benito County, CA | 90 | 22 | 10.7 | $1.2M | +8.6% | #6 of 2,200 |
| 2Yuba County, CA | 87 | 29 | 10.1 | $927K | +8.2% | #17 of 2,200 |
| 3San Joaquin County, CA | 86 | 187 | 7.6 | $1.4M | +5.5% | #19 of 2,200 |
| 4Merced County, CA | 84 | 68 | 7.9 | $1.1M | +5.1% | #39 of 2,200 |
| 5Fresno County, CA | 82 | 212 | 6.5 | $1.5M | +2.6% | #45 of 2,200 |
| 6Tulare County, CA | 81 | 106 | 7.4 | $1.2M | +2.4% | #57 of 2,200 |
| 7Kern County, CA | 81 | 228 | 8.0 | $1.1M | +2.3% | #59 of 2,200 |
| 8Sacramento County, CA | 80 | 452 | 7.9 | $1.4M | +2.0% | #68 of 2,200 |
| 9Riverside County, CA | 80 | 782 | 10.1 | $1.1M | +5.0% | #71 of 2,200 |
| 10Madera County, CA | 80 | 47 | 10.4 | $919K | +7.4% | #75 of 2,200 |
| 40Sonoma County, CA | 54 | 257 | 13.5 | $878K | −0.4% | #892 of 2,200 |
Other business types in Sonoma County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Pets
- Pet businesses54
- Veterinarians49
- Pet grooming and boarding54
- Pet stores56
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Sonoma County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 257 pet businesses in Sonoma County. 47 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 178 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 13.4% from 2019. Another 387 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Sonoma County, CA spend on pets?
About $225.6M a year, or $1,181 per household. That is 30% above the U.S. average (an index of 130, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 257 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $878K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 190,998 households in Sonoma County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Sonoma County, CA compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Sonoma County has 13.5 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 30% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $878K, in line with the U.S. figure of $878K. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,073 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Sonoma County, CA growing?
Population estimates put Sonoma County at 486,444 people in 2025, down 0.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 190,998 households. Median household income in Sonoma County is $104,674, 30% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.2%, 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. Sonoma County scores 54 for pet businesses (upper middle), #892 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Sonoma County. It maps the pet businesses 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 pet businesses · All 56 business types in Sonoma County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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.