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Child Care Businesses in California
Counts by county from the U.S. Census Bureau. No provider names or addresses.
- Centers with employees (2023)
- 9,670
- Child care workers
- 89,288
- Average yearly pay
- $37,320
- Self-employed providers (2024)
- 96,203
- 26.9 businesses per 10,000 residents
Child care by county
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| County | Centers | Workers | Self-employed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 710 | 5,859 | 3,229 | 23.9 |
| Amador County | 8 | 20 | 59 | 16.2 |
| Butte County | 63 | 495 | 356 | 20.2 |
| Calaveras County | 13 | 68 | 72 | 18.4 |
| Colusa County | 5 | 10 | 60 | 29.6 |
| Contra Costa County | 385 | 3,282 | 2,452 | 24.4 |
| Del Norte County | 5 | 25 | 70 | 27.7 |
| El Dorado County | 52 | 403 | 159 | 11.0 |
| Fresno County | 139 | 1,939 | 3,280 | 33.6 |
| Glenn County | 9 | 15 | 152 | 56.5 |
| Humboldt County | 52 | 398 | 256 | 22.9 |
| Imperial County | 48 | 173 | 901 | 52.7 |
| Inyo County | None reported | Not reported | 57 | 30.4 |
| Kern County | 139 | 1,247 | 3,791 | 42.9 |
| Kings County | 23 | 78 | 667 | 45.0 |
| Lake County | 15 | 94 | 183 | 29.1 |
| Lassen County | 10 | 64 | 56 | 21.7 |
| Los Angeles County | 2,007 | 22,038 | 29,895 | 32.5 |
| Madera County | 26 | 150 | 383 | 25.4 |
| Marin County | 130 | 1,266 | 435 | 21.9 |
| Mariposa County | None reported | Not reported | 27 | 15.8 |
| Mendocino County | 22 | 128 | 197 | 24.3 |
| Merced County | 40 | 304 | 969 | 34.8 |
| Modoc County | None reported | Not reported | 27 | 31.4 |
| Mono County | None reported | Not reported | 24 | 18.3 |
| Monterey County | 83 | 466 | 804 | 20.3 |
| Napa County | 43 | 277 | 208 | 18.6 |
| Nevada County | 32 | 144 | 135 | 16.3 |
| Orange County | 632 | 7,307 | 4,339 | 15.7 |
| Placer County | 142 | 1,090 | 485 | 15.0 |
| Plumas County | 9 | 21 | 35 | 22.7 |
| Riverside County | 336 | 4,100 | 5,970 | 25.4 |
| Sacramento County | 335 | 3,671 | 3,681 | 25.2 |
| San Benito County | 18 | 67 | 168 | 27.6 |
| San Bernardino County | 258 | 4,069 | 7,431 | 35.0 |
| San Diego County | 883 | 8,611 | 7,083 | 24.2 |
| San Francisco County | 489 | 4,014 | 1,896 | 28.7 |
| San Joaquin County | 140 | 1,212 | 2,090 | 28.0 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 102 | 768 | 382 | 17.2 |
| San Mateo County | 357 | 2,689 | 1,285 | 22.1 |
| Santa Barbara County | 147 | 938 | 1,060 | 27.2 |
| Santa Clara County | 803 | 5,812 | 3,330 | 21.7 |
| Santa Cruz County | 131 | 621 | 362 | 18.6 |
| Shasta County | 47 | 208 | 264 | 17.1 |
| Sierra County | 3 | 17 | 10 | 47.3 |
| Siskiyou County | 12 | 42 | 75 | 20.0 |
| Solano County | 116 | 593 | 1,224 | 29.7 |
| Sonoma County | 152 | 895 | 793 | 19.5 |
| Stanislaus County | 94 | 678 | 1,131 | 22.1 |
| Sutter County | 24 | 180 | 193 | 22.0 |
| Tehama County | 23 | 132 | 124 | 22.6 |
| Trinity County | 4 | 8 | 26 | 18.9 |
| Tulare County | 60 | 349 | 1,690 | 36.6 |
| Tuolumne County | 6 | 46 | 71 | 14.1 |
| Ventura County | 206 | 1,598 | 1,464 | 19.9 |
| Yolo County | 61 | 485 | 364 | 19.3 |
| Yuba County | 15 | 87 | 272 | 34.0 |
The Census Bureau adds noise to worker counts in small counties to protect business privacy, and leaves out counts it cannot publish. Counties with no centers that have employees show "None reported".
Frequently asked questions
- How many child care centers are in California?
- California had 9,670 child day care businesses with paid employees in 2023, employing 89,288 people. Another 96,203 providers worked on their own in 2024.
- Which California counties have the most child care centers?
- Los Angeles County (2,007), San Diego County (883), Santa Clara County (803) have the most centers with paid employees.
- How do I find a licensed child care provider in California?
- California licenses child care providers. Use the state's official provider search, which you can reach from childcare.gov.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns and Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 624410) · 2023 and 2024 data