Market rankings · California
Pet stores in California
Markets across California ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,043
- 1,130 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 1,166
- −2.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $15.6B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 2.2
- 10% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $5.1M
- 13% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #21 of 51
- Market score 55 · Upper middle
A site report maps the pet stores 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,043 pet stores in California. Chain locations make up 37% of them, against 38% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 2.2, 10% above the U.S. rate of 2.0.
At $1,149 per household (26% above the U.S. average), households in California spend about $15.6B a year on pets. Spread across 3,043 pet stores, that is $5.1M per store, 13% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. That spending covers all pets, which pet stores share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 1,166 businesses with payroll in California classed as pet and pet supplies stores, down 2.4% from 2019. That is one for every 11,619 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count fell 1.6% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 89 SBA-backed loans worth $29.5M have gone to businesses classed as pet and pet supplies stores in California.
Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #21 for pet stores, with a Groundwork market score of 55 (upper middle). Of the 23 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest (84). Of the 8 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Sonora area scores highest (67).
Every market in California for pet stores
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Stockton-Lodi, CA | 84 | 43 | 1.8 | $6.1M | +5.5% | #8 of 382 |
| 2Fresno, CA | 77 | 60 | 1.6 | $5.9M | +3.2% | #17 of 382 |
| 3San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 75 | 97 | 1.4 | $10.4M | −0.6% | #20 of 382 |
| 4Napa, CA | 75 | 6 | 1.2 | $10.2M | −3.3% | #21 of 382 |
| 5Visalia, CA | 72 | 22 | 1.5 | $5.9M | +2.4% | #42 of 382 |
| 6Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 69 | 56 | 2.0 | $4.7M | +2.3% | #63 of 382 |
| 7Modesto, CA | 68 | 34 | 1.9 | $5.2M | +0.7% | #70 of 382 |
| 8San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 65 | 327 | 1.9 | $7.3M | −2.4% | #81 of 382 |
| 9Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 65 | 185 | 2.1 | $5.3M | +3.2% | #84 of 382 |
| 10Vallejo, CA | 60 | 31 | 2.0 | $5.8M | +0.6% | #119 of 382 |
| 11Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 57 | 375 | 2.6 | $4.1M | +3.5% | #136 of 382 |
| 12Yuba City, CA | 56 | 14 | 2.3 | $4.3M | +3.3% | #149 of 382 |
| 13Salinas, CA | 55 | 24 | 1.8 | $6.1M | −1.5% | #152 of 382 |
| 14Merced, CA | 52 | 18 | 2.1 | $4.2M | +5.1% | #174 of 382 |
| 15Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 51 | 21 | 2.2 | $5.7M | −4.7% | #176 of 382 |
| 16Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 51 | 1,026 | 2.3 | $4.9M | −2.6% | #177 of 382 |
| 17Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 46 | 53 | 2.8 | $4.3M | −0.4% | #222 of 382 |
| 18San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 43 | 320 | 2.7 | $4.3M | −0.6% | #249 of 382 |
| 19Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | 38 | 2.5 | $4.5M | −1.4% | #264 of 382 |
| 20Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 36 | 91 | 3.2 | $3.7M | −1.5% | #295 of 382 |
| 21Chico, CA | 34 | 21 | 2.5 | $3.7M | −0.5% | #311 of 382 |
| 22San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 27 | 45 | 4.1 | $2.7M | 0.0% | #344 of 382 |
| 23Redding, CA | 26 | 26 | 3.7 | $2.6M | −0.3% | #350 of 382 |
| El Centro, CA | Not scored | 3 | 0.6 | $13.6M | +1.1% | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | Not scored | 3 | 0.7 | $13.2M | +1.0% |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sonora, CA | 67 | 5 | 2.2 | $4.4M | −4.0% | #42 of 220 |
| 2Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | 60 | 13 | 3.0 | $3.6M | −0.4% | #58 of 220 |
| 3Clearlake, CA | 58 | 7 | 2.6 | $3.3M | −0.6% | #68 of 220 |
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | 48 | 8 | 3.7 | $2.9M | +0.9% | #112 of 220 |
| 4Ukiah, CA | 45 | 11 | 3.2 | $2.9M | −3.5% | #126 of 220 |
| 5Eureka-Arcata, CA | 43 | 19 | 3.5 | $2.5M | −3.4% | #145 of 220 |
| 6Red Bluff, CA | 36 | 10 | 4.0 | $2.1M | −1.7% | #171 of 220 |
| 7Bishop, CA | 26 | 5 | 6.2 | $1.5M | −4.4% | #193 of 220 |
| Susanville, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $2M | −13.1% | |
| Crescent City, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $8.4M | −4.4% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1San Joaquin County, CA | 84 | 43 | 1.8 | $6.1M | +5.5% | #26 of 974 |
| 2Yuba County, CA | 80 | 5 | 1.7 | $5.4M | +8.2% | #57 of 974 |
| 3Fresno County, CA | 79 | 49 | 1.5 | $6.3M | +2.6% | #60 of 974 |
| 4Yolo County, CA | 78 | 12 | 1.6 | $7M | +3.1% | #67 of 974 |
| 5Santa Clara County, CA | 77 | 94 | 1.4 | $10.4M | −0.9% | #74 of 974 |
| 6Napa County, CA | 76 | 6 | 1.2 | $10.2M | −3.3% | #84 of 974 |
| 7Sacramento County, CA | 75 | 99 | 1.7 | $6.2M | +2.0% | #98 of 974 |
| 8San Mateo County, CA | 74 | 38 | 1.4 | $10.2M | −2.5% | #109 of 974 |
| 9Tulare County, CA | 73 | 22 | 1.5 | $5.9M | +2.4% | #129 of 974 |
| 10Alameda County, CA | 72 | 107 | 1.8 | $7.5M | −2.6% | #135 of 974 |
| 11Contra Costa County, CA | 72 | 74 | 1.8 | $7.4M | +0.3% | #136 of 974 |
| 12Kern County, CA | 72 | 56 | 2.0 | $4.7M | +2.3% | #145 of 974 |
| 13Stanislaus County, CA | 70 | 34 | 1.9 | $5.2M | +0.7% | #168 of 974 |
| 14San Francisco County, CA | 69 | 74 | 2.0 | $6.8M | −5.6% | #180 of 974 |
| 15Madera County, CA | 69 | 11 | 2.4 | $3.9M | +7.4% | #188 of 974 |
| 16Riverside County, CA | 67 | 211 | 2.7 | $4M | +5.0% | #217 of 974 |
| 17Solano County, CA | 66 | 31 | 2.0 | $5.8M | +0.6% | #224 of 974 |
| 18San Bernardino County, CA | 62 | 164 | 2.4 | $4.2M | +1.9% | #292 of 974 |
| 19Merced County, CA | 61 | 18 | 2.1 | $4.2M | +5.1% | #304 of 974 |
| 20Monterey County, CA | 60 | 24 | 1.8 | $6.1M | −1.5% | #308 of 974 |
| 21Los Angeles County, CA | 60 | 740 | 2.2 | $5M | −3.0% | #313 of 974 |
| 22Placer County, CA | 58 | 49 | 3.1 | $4M | +8.9% | #357 of 974 |
| 23El Dorado County, CA | 57 | 25 | 3.3 | $3.7M | +0.6% | #372 of 974 |
| 24Santa Cruz County, CA | 56 | 21 | 2.2 | $5.7M | −4.7% | #375 of 974 |
| 25Orange County, CA | 56 | 286 | 2.6 | $4.7M | −1.1% | #380 of 974 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sonoma County, CA | 56 | 53 | 2.8 | $4.3M | −0.4% | #385 of 974 |
| 27San Diego County, CA | 52 | 320 | 2.7 | $4.3M | −0.6% | #439 of 974 |
| 28Tuolumne County, CA | 51 | 5 | 2.2 | $4.4M | −4.0% | #457 of 974 |
| 29Calaveras County, CA | 50 | 6 | 3.3 | $3.1M | +2.8% | #488 of 974 |
| 30Ventura County, CA | 48 | 91 | 3.2 | $3.7M | −1.5% | #523 of 974 |
| 31Sutter County, CA | 47 | 9 | 2.7 | $3.7M | −0.7% | #536 of 974 |
| 32Santa Barbara County, CA | 46 | 38 | 2.5 | $4.5M | −1.4% | #549 of 974 |
| 33Marin County, CA | 45 | 34 | 3.3 | $4.3M | −2.9% | #565 of 974 |
| 34Butte County, CA | 44 | 21 | 2.5 | $3.7M | −0.5% | #588 of 974 |
| 35Nevada County, CA | 40 | 13 | 3.0 | $3.6M | −0.4% | #648 of 974 |
| 36Shasta County, CA | 35 | 26 | 3.7 | $2.6M | −0.3% | #713 of 974 |
| 37Lake County, CA | 34 | 7 | 2.6 | $3.3M | −0.6% | #725 of 974 |
| 38San Luis Obispo County, CA | 32 | 45 | 4.1 | $2.7M | 0.0% | #756 of 974 |
| 39Siskiyou County, CA | 26 | 5 | 2.6 | $3.1M | −4.5% | #833 of 974 |
| 40Mendocino County, CA | 25 | 11 | 3.2 | $2.9M | −3.5% | #850 of 974 |
| 41Humboldt County, CA | 24 | 19 | 3.5 | $2.5M | −3.4% | #869 of 974 |
| 42Tehama County, CA | 22 | 10 | 4.0 | $2.1M | −1.7% | #889 of 974 |
| 43Inyo County, CA | 21 | 5 | 6.2 | $1.5M | −4.4% | #897 of 974 |
| Imperial County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 0.6 | $13.6M | +1.1% | |
| Kings County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 0.7 | $13.2M | +1.0% | |
| San Benito County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 1.5 | $8.5M | +8.6% | |
| Amador County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 2.5 | $4.1M | +3.2% | |
| Lassen County, CA | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $2M | −13.1% | |
| Glenn County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 3.1 | $2.8M | −2.6% | |
| Del Norte County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $8.4M | −4.4% | |
| Colusa County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 4.0 | $2.3M | −0.1% | |
| Plumas County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $3.6M | −5.9% | |
| Mariposa County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 4.0 | $2.3M | −1.2% | |
| Trinity County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.3% | |
| Mono County, CA | Not scored | 2 | 3.5 | $3.2M | −5.4% | |
| Modoc County, CA | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $2.6M | −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 pet stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many pet stores are in California?
There are 3,043 pet stores on map listings in California as of September 2026. 1,130 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count pet stores. Official counts show 1,166 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in 2023, down 2.4% from 2019.
How much do households in California spend on pets?
About $15.6B a year, or $1,149 per household. That is 26% above the U.S. average (an index of 126, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,043 pet stores on map listings, it comes to $5.1M per store. The spending figure covers all pets, not only pet stores. 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 pet stores?
California has 2.2 pet stores per 10,000 households, 10% above the U.S. rate of 2.0. Spending per store is $5.1M, 13% above the U.S. figure of $4.5M. At the national ratio of pet stores to household spending, California would have about 3,441, against 3,043 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 11,619 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.4% from 2019 to 2023, against −1.6% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for pet stores?
Among 23 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest, at 84 (high). Among 8 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Sonora area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 43 scored counties in California, San Joaquin County scores highest, at 84 (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 55 for pet stores (upper middle), #21 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 pet 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.
Pet stores in other states
All 51 states
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- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
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- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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Top markets for pet stores across the U.S. · All business types in California
Related business types in California
- Pet businesses12,584 listings
- Veterinarians4,095 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding4,099 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.