Local business data · San Diego

Where San Diego's local businesses are most crowded

We counted 16 kinds of storefront and office businesses per 1,000 households in 79 residential ZIP codes across the San Diego metro (1,174,243 households). Here's where competition is densest, how the metro compares with California and the U.S., and the big ZIPs where fewer than 3 of a business type are recorded.

Key findings

Carlsbad (92008) ranks among the 10 most crowded ZIPs in the metro for 11 of 16 business types, including dentists, chiropractors, veterinarians.
San Diego has 2.1 times the U.S. rate of nail salons per household: 0.48 per 1,000 households, against 0.23 nationally.
San Diego (92108) has 31 chiropractic offices for 13,119 households, about 7 times the metro rate.
San Diego (92130), with 21,546 households, has fewer than 3 general auto repair shops recorded. Counts under 3 aren't published, so it could be one or two.

The metro at a glance

Businesses per 1,000 households across the metro, next to California and the U.S.

Business type	Recorded	Metro	CA	U.S.
Dentists	1,927	1.64	1.67	1.00
Chiropractors	420	0.36	0.28	0.25
Veterinarians	350	0.30	0.21	0.18
Gyms & fitness centers	559	0.48	0.36	0.26
Beauty salons	838	0.71	0.63	0.61
Nail salons	567	0.48	0.48	0.23
Full-service restaurants	2,682	2.28	2.30	1.93
Fast-food & counter-service restaurants	3,055	2.60	2.53	2.04
General auto repair shops	858	0.73	0.70	0.57
Dry cleaners & laundry services	116	0.10	0.10	0.07
Child care centers	879	0.75	0.69	0.56
Pet care (grooming, boarding, training)	268	0.23	0.14	0.13
Law offices	2,528	2.15	1.64	1.22
Insurance agencies	1,299	1.11	1.01	0.97
CPA offices	636	0.54	0.52	0.37
Investment advisers	362	0.31	0.19	0.14

Dentists

1,927 recorded across the metro, 1.64 per 1,000 households (1.6 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
91914	Chula Vista	4,869	26	5.34
92037	La Jolla	16,519	75	4.54
92025	Escondido	16,612	69	4.15
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	21	4.12
92064	Poway	16,421	67	4.08
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	46	3.89
92103	San Diego	19,557	72	3.68
92014	Del Mar	5,753	21	3.65
91942	La Mesa	17,575	64	3.64
92117	San Diego	20,773	74	3.56

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92102) – 14,608 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Chiropractors

420 recorded across the metro, 0.36 per 1,000 households (1.4 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92108	San Diego	13,119	31	2.36
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	10	1.96
92024	Encinitas	19,740	27	1.37
92118	Coronado	6,989	8	1.14
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	2,971	3	1.01
92123	San Diego	12,364	12	0.97
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	11	0.93
92110	San Diego	12,377	11	0.89
92014	Del Mar	5,753	5	0.87
92054	Oceanside	15,064	13	0.86

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, San Diego (92105) – 22,657 households, Spring Valley (91977) – 19,420 households, Oceanside (92057) – 18,762 households, San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households, Chula Vista (91913) – 17,086 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Veterinarians

350 recorded across the metro, 0.30 per 1,000 households (1.7 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	6	1.18
91935	Jamul	2,953	3	1.02
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	2,971	3	1.01
92110	San Diego	12,377	12	0.97
92024	Encinitas	19,740	19	0.96
92082	Valley Center	6,388	5	0.78
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	9	0.76
92111	San Diego	17,041	12	0.70
92007	Cardiff By The Sea	4,392	3	0.68
91942	La Mesa	17,575	12	0.68

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, San Diego (92105) – 22,657 households, San Diego (92115) – 21,728 households, San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households, National City (91950) – 17,951 households, Chula Vista (91913) – 17,086 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Gyms & fitness centers

559 recorded across the metro, 0.48 per 1,000 households (1.8 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	15	2.94
92110	San Diego	12,377	16	1.29
92024	Encinitas	19,740	25	1.27
92103	San Diego	19,557	22	1.12
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	13	1.10
92037	La Jolla	16,519	18	1.09
92009	Carlsbad	16,223	17	1.05
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	2,971	3	1.01
92118	Coronado	6,989	7	1.00
92127	San Diego	16,026	16	1.00

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: Spring Valley (91977) – 19,420 households, San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households, Chula Vista (91913) – 17,086 households, Escondido (92027) – 17,038 households, San Diego (92116) – 16,583 households, San Diego (92102) – 14,608 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Independent personal trainers without employees aren't counted.

Beauty salons

838 recorded across the metro, 0.71 per 1,000 households (1.2 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	21	4.12
92014	Del Mar	5,753	19	3.30
92037	La Jolla	16,519	36	2.18
92024	Encinitas	19,740	39	1.98
92103	San Diego	19,557	37	1.89
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	20	1.69
92108	San Diego	13,119	21	1.60
92007	Cardiff By The Sea	4,392	7	1.59
91942	La Mesa	17,575	28	1.59
92101	San Diego	28,670	38	1.33

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: Spring Valley (91977) – 19,420 households, San Diego (92113) – 13,575 households, San Diego (92139) – 10,031 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Booth renters and self-employed stylists aren't counted, so the real number of stylists is much higher than the number of salons.

Nail salons

567 recorded across the metro, 0.48 per 1,000 households (2.1 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
91945	Lemon Grove	9,420	10	1.06
92128	San Diego	20,306	21	1.03
92025	Escondido	16,612	17	1.02
91950	National City	17,951	18	1.00
92078	San Marcos	18,327	17	0.93
92071	Santee	21,036	19	0.90
92110	San Diego	12,377	11	0.89
91942	La Mesa	17,575	15	0.85
92108	San Diego	13,119	11	0.84
92109	San Diego	22,218	18	0.81

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: Lakeside (92040) – 15,438 households, San Diego (92102) – 14,608 households, Oceanside (92058) – 14,274 households, San Diego (92107) – 13,688 households, San Diego (92139) – 10,031 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Self-employed nail technicians aren't counted.

Full-service restaurants

2,682 recorded across the metro, 2.28 per 1,000 households (1.2 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92101	San Diego	28,670	225	7.85
92111	San Diego	17,041	133	7.80
92110	San Diego	12,377	77	6.22
92014	Del Mar	5,753	34	5.91
92106	San Diego	7,552	44	5.83
92054	Oceanside	15,064	84	5.58
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	64	5.42
92037	La Jolla	16,519	78	4.72
92118	Coronado	6,989	31	4.44
92103	San Diego	19,557	85	4.35

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Fast-food & counter-service restaurants

3,055 recorded across the metro, 2.60 per 1,000 households (1.3 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92111	San Diego	17,041	93	5.46
92054	Oceanside	15,064	82	5.44
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	63	5.33
92110	San Diego	12,377	65	5.25
91950	National City	17,951	93	5.18
92106	San Diego	7,552	37	4.90
92025	Escondido	16,612	79	4.76
92108	San Diego	13,119	60	4.57
92024	Encinitas	19,740	86	4.36
92123	San Diego	12,364	51	4.12

General auto repair shops

858 recorded across the metro, 0.73 per 1,000 households (1.3 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92029	Escondido	7,704	36	4.67
92111	San Diego	17,041	44	2.58
92083	Vista	11,486	29	2.52
92020	El Cajon	19,507	49	2.51
92110	San Diego	12,377	23	1.86
92126	San Diego	25,230	37	1.47
92065	Ramona	12,371	18	1.46
92025	Escondido	16,612	24	1.44
92021	El Cajon	22,573	30	1.33
91942	La Mesa	17,575	23	1.31

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92130) – 21,546 households, San Diego (92122) – 19,706 households, Escondido (92026) – 19,153 households, Oceanside (92057) – 18,762 households, San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households, Chula Vista (91913) – 17,086 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Specialty shops (body, transmission, oil change) and car washes are counted separately and aren't included; solo mechanics without employees aren't counted.

Dry cleaners & laundry services

116 recorded across the metro, 0.10 per 1,000 households (1.4 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92024	Encinitas	19,740	11	0.56
92011	Carlsbad	9,149	5	0.55
92110	San Diego	12,377	6	0.48
92029	Escondido	7,704	3	0.39
92037	La Jolla	16,519	6	0.36
92009	Carlsbad	16,223	5	0.31
92103	San Diego	19,557	6	0.31
92111	San Diego	17,041	5	0.29
92078	San Marcos	18,327	5	0.27
92019	El Cajon	14,988	4	0.27

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: Chula Vista (91910) – 26,383 households, San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, San Diego (92105) – 22,657 households, San Diego (92115) – 21,728 households, Santee (92071) – 21,036 households, San Diego (92122) – 19,706 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Coin-operated laundromats are a separate category and aren't included.

Child care centers

879 recorded across the metro, 0.75 per 1,000 households (1.3 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92113	San Diego	13,575	21	1.55
92069	San Marcos	15,042	21	1.40
92124	San Diego	11,475	16	1.39
92102	San Diego	14,608	20	1.37
91910	Chula Vista	26,383	35	1.33
92139	San Diego	10,031	13	1.30
92123	San Diego	12,364	16	1.29
92111	San Diego	17,041	20	1.17
91901	Alpine	6,386	7	1.10
92025	Escondido	16,612	18	1.08

Note: Home-based child care run without employees isn't counted.

Pet care (grooming, boarding, training)

268 recorded across the metro, 0.23 per 1,000 households (1.8 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92110	San Diego	12,377	18	1.45
91902	Bonita	6,106	5	0.82
92082	Valley Center	6,388	5	0.78
92064	Poway	16,421	12	0.73
92065	Ramona	12,371	9	0.73
92081	Vista	10,645	7	0.66
91901	Alpine	6,386	4	0.63
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	3	0.59
92037	La Jolla	16,519	9	0.54
91932	Imperial Beach	9,308	5	0.54

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, El Cajon (92021) – 22,573 households, Spring Valley (91977) – 19,420 households, Oceanside (92057) – 18,762 households, San Diego (92129) – 18,425 households, San Marcos (92078) – 18,327 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Note: Veterinarians are a separate category; mobile and solo groomers without employees aren't counted.

Law offices

2,528 recorded across the metro, 2.15 per 1,000 households (1.8 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92101	San Diego	28,670	742	25.9
92108	San Diego	13,119	227	17.3
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	38	7.45
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	86	7.28
92130	San Diego	21,546	138	6.40
92037	La Jolla	16,519	98	5.93
92103	San Diego	19,557	99	5.06
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	2,971	15	5.05
92014	Del Mar	5,753	28	4.87
92106	San Diego	7,552	33	4.37

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, El Cajon (92021) – 22,573 households, National City (91950) – 17,951 households, Lakeside (92040) – 15,438 households, Oceanside (92058) – 14,274 households, San Diego (92113) – 13,575 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

Insurance agencies

1,299 recorded across the metro, 1.11 per 1,000 households (1.1 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92108	San Diego	13,119	80	6.10
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	44	3.72
92123	San Diego	12,364	34	2.75
92014	Del Mar	5,753	15	2.61
91942	La Mesa	17,575	44	2.50
91914	Chula Vista	4,869	11	2.26
91941	La Mesa	12,689	27	2.13
92037	La Jolla	16,519	35	2.12
92011	Carlsbad	9,149	19	2.08
92025	Escondido	16,612	34	2.05

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: San Diego (92114) – 18,210 households, San Diego (92113) – 13,575 households, San Diego (92139) – 10,031 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

CPA offices

636 recorded across the metro, 0.54 per 1,000 households (1.5 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92108	San Diego	13,119	61	4.65
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	14	2.75
92037	La Jolla	16,519	39	2.36
92123	San Diego	12,364	21	1.70
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	19	1.61
92127	San Diego	16,026	24	1.50
92131	San Diego	12,873	18	1.40
92130	San Diego	21,546	27	1.25
91914	Chula Vista	4,869	6	1.23
91941	La Mesa	12,689	15	1.18

Note: Tax-prep-only offices are a separate category and aren't included.

Investment advisers

362 recorded across the metro, 0.31 per 1,000 households (2.2 times the U.S. rate). The most crowded ZIPs:

ZIP	Place	Households	Recorded	Per 1,000
92108	San Diego	13,119	28	2.13
92037	La Jolla	16,519	33	2.00
92075	Solana Beach	5,100	10	1.96
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	2,971	5	1.68
92130	San Diego	21,546	36	1.67
92008	Carlsbad	11,814	17	1.44
92122	San Diego	19,706	24	1.22
92007	Cardiff By The Sea	4,392	5	1.14
92131	San Diego	12,873	12	0.93
92101	San Diego	28,670	26	0.91

Large ZIPs with fewer than 3 recorded: Chula Vista (91911) – 25,375 households, San Diego (92104) – 23,142 households, San Diego (92154) – 22,987 households, San Diego (92105) – 22,657 households, El Cajon (92021) – 22,573 households, San Diego (92115) – 21,728 households. Counts under 3 aren't published, so each could have one or two.

How to read the numbers

Counts cover business locations with paid employees, in 2023. Self-employed owners aren't included, so every count is a minimum.
Counts under 3 aren't published for a ZIP and business type, so "fewer than 3 recorded" can mean one, two, or none.
"Most crowded" ranks ZIPs with at least 2,000 households by businesses per 1,000 households. Downtowns and shopping districts rank high because they serve workers and visitors as well as residents.
The metro is the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area. A ZIP counts toward it when most of its land is in one of the metro's counties.
Free to quote or chart with credit to Good Mail Co and a link to this page.

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