California · RAL Market Report

Best places to open an assisted living home in California

Name: California assisted living market data
Creator: RAL Market Scout

The top markets for residential assisted living in California, ranked by demand versus supply — plus the cities where the homes are.

Updated July 2026

The top markets for assisted living in California right now are Humboldt, Mendocino, Santa Cruz counties — ranked by RAL Market Scout's opportunity score, which weighs 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply. Statewide there are 7,962 licensed assisted living homes serving 2,547,679 residents aged 75+, at a median cost of about $7,000/mo.

Licensed homes

7,962

state roster

Population 75+

2,547,679

ACS

Median AL cost

$7,000/mo

above the national median

Bed supply

49.8/1k

saturated supply

Top 10 markets for assisted living in California

RAL Market Scout's opportunity score blends 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply — a saturated market is scored down even when demand is high. Higher means more room for a new small home.

Humboldt County — opportunity 7.6/10 (Strong); 9,907 seniors 75+, growing 13.6%, with 13 licensed homes.
Mendocino County — opportunity 7.5/10 (Strong); 8,724 seniors 75+, growing 33.4%, with 17 licensed homes.
Santa Cruz County — opportunity 7.3/10 (Strong); 19,191 seniors 75+, growing 21.5%, with 26 licensed homes.
El Dorado County — opportunity 7.2/10 (Strong); 17,613 seniors 75+, growing 19.6%, with 34 licensed homes.
Lake County — opportunity 7.1/10 (Strong); 6,531 seniors 75+, growing 20.3%, with 4 licensed homes.
Sonoma County — opportunity 7.1/10 (Strong); 42,016 seniors 75+, growing 14.0%, with 160 licensed homes.
Butte County — opportunity 7.0/10 (Strong); 15,379 seniors 75+, growing -9.4%, with 28 licensed homes.
San Bernardino County — opportunity 7.0/10 (Moderate); 104,304 seniors 75+, growing 10.8%, with 278 licensed homes.
Calaveras County — opportunity 7.0/10 (Moderate); 5,499 seniors 75+, growing 10.6%, with 2 licensed homes.
Tulare County — opportunity 7.0/10 (Moderate); 22,500 seniors 75+, growing 6.3%, with 48 licensed homes.

All California counties by market opportunity

County	Pop 75+	Demand	Homes	Market	Band
Humboldt	9,907	4.8	13	7.6	Strong
Mendocino	8,724	6.6	17	7.5	Strong
Santa Cruz	19,191	6.1	26	7.3	Strong
El Dorado	17,613	6.4	34	7.2	Strong
Lake	6,531	6.1	4	7.1	Strong
Sonoma	42,016	6.0	160	7.1	Strong
Butte	15,379	3.8	28	7.0	Strong
San Bernardino	104,304	5.4	278	7.0	Moderate
Calaveras	5,499	5.0	2	7.0	Moderate
Tulare	22,500	4.1	48	7.0	Moderate
Solano	30,955	6.1	157	7.0	Moderate
Madera	8,814	3.4	6	6.9	Moderate
Tuolumne	6,355	5.9	2	6.9	Moderate
Nevada	12,369	6.9	8	6.9	Moderate
Kern	41,306	4.9	133	6.9	Moderate
Shasta	16,135	4.8	44	6.9	Moderate
Yolo	11,987	4.6	21	6.9	Moderate
Siskiyou	4,809	5.9	1	6.9	Moderate
San Joaquin	43,329	5.3	112	6.8	Moderate
San Luis Obispo	25,366	6.1	98	6.8	Moderate
Alameda	105,041	5.8	230	6.8	Moderate
Merced	13,460	3.4	21	6.7	Moderate
Sacramento	97,827	5.8	634	6.7	Moderate
Contra Costa	83,559	7.0	438	6.7	Moderate
Stanislaus	30,696	4.8	102	6.7	Moderate
Fresno	52,953	5.0	264	6.7	Moderate
Yuba	4,105	4.5	4	6.7	Moderate
San Diego	209,754	5.0	587	6.7	Moderate
Monterey	26,778	5.4	42	6.7	Moderate
Kings	6,603	2.7	6	6.7	Moderate
Amador	4,617	5.6	6	6.6	Moderate
Napa	12,766	5.8	34	6.6	Moderate
Riverside	162,214	6.2	532	6.6	Moderate
Ventura	60,647	6.0	255	6.6	Moderate
Marin	27,577	6.8	49	6.6	Moderate
Placer	37,793	7.0	231	6.6	Moderate
Orange	219,098	6.5	1,050	6.5	Moderate
Imperial	10,290	4.3	7	6.5	Moderate
Tehama	5,533	4.2	9	6.5	Moderate
Santa Barbara	32,456	5.2	102	6.5	Moderate
Los Angeles	616,913	5.5	1,638	6.5	Moderate
San Francisco	64,131	5.5	51	6.4	Moderate
San Mateo	57,623	5.4	213	6.4	Moderate
Plumas	2,337	6.3	0	6.3	Moderate
Santa Clara	123,367	5.2	248	6.2	Moderate
Sutter	6,970	4.6	8	6.1	Moderate
Trinity	1,850	5.5	0	6.1	Moderate
San Benito	3,595	4.6	3	6.0	Moderate
Modoc	1,080	4.9	0	5.9	Moderate
Del Norte	2,102	4.6	1	5.7	Moderate
Glenn	1,997	3.2	3	5.3	Moderate
Mariposa	2,236	5.0	0	5.3	Moderate
Lassen	1,903	4.3	1	5.1	Moderate
Inyo	2,065	5.6	0	4.5	Moderate
Colusa	1,331	3.1	0	4.3	Thin
Alpine	77	1.1	0	—	—
Sierra	419	5.1	0	—	—
Mono	827	4.3	0	—	—

Top cities for assisted living in California

Where the homes actually are. Each linked city has its own page with local supply and market context.

City	County	Homes	Beds	Avg size
Sacramento	Sacramento	206	3,722	18.1
San Diego	San Diego	173	6,551	37.9
Fresno	Fresno	172	4,181	24.3
Mission Viejo	Orange	155	1,693	10.9
Los Angeles	Los Angeles	143	5,651	39.5
San Jose	Santa Clara	139	3,220	23.2
Roseville	Sacramento	130	2,141	16.5
Bakersfield	Kern	124	2,509	20.2
Anaheim	Orange	97	2,241	23.1
Elk Grove	Sacramento	96	1,526	15.9
Concord	Contra Costa	93	1,198	12.9
Santa Rosa	Sonoma	91	2,706	29.7
Torrance	Los Angeles	90	1,322	14.7
Riverside	Riverside	87	1,949	22.4
Escondido	San Diego	86	2,439	28.4
Clovis	Fresno	84	902	10.7
Carmichael	Sacramento	80	1,863	23.3
Citrus Heights	Sacramento	76	731	9.6
Thousand Oaks	Ventura	75	2,091	27.9
Northridge	Los Angeles	74	1,172	15.8

Frequently asked questions

What are the top markets for assisted living in California?

The strongest California markets on RAL Market Scout's opportunity scoring are Humboldt, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, El Dorado, Lake counties — based on 75+ demand and projected senior growth versus current bed supply.

Which California city has the most assisted living homes?

Sacramento has the most, with 206 licensed assisted living homes (about 3,722 beds).

How much does assisted living cost in California?

The median assisted living cost in California is about $7,000 per month — above the national median.

How many assisted living homes are in California?

California has approximately 7,962 licensed assisted living homes serving 2,547,679 residents aged 75 and older.

See the full California picture

RAL Market Scout scores every county and ZIP in California on demand, supply gaps, and referral capacity — and builds a site-level report for any address you're evaluating.

Run a Market Report Site Intelligence report

Sources: Licensed-home and city counts from California state licensing rosters (RAL Market Scout data pipeline). 75+ population and growth from U.S. Census ACS. Bed supply from NIC MAP / state surveys. Cost figures are market medians. Data snapshot: 2026-07. Informational only — not legal, financial, or investment advice.