Bars and taverns in California: 3,127 locations, -0.5% jobs
Official counts for bars and taverns in California, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how California compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
California against the country · 2026 Q1
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Bars and taverns with employees | 3,127 | 41,912 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 7.9 | 12.3 |
| Jobs | 32,621 | 395,676 |
| Jobs, year over year | -0.5% | -2.0% |
| Locations, year over year | +2.0% | -0.6% |
| Average weekly wage | $588 | $515 |
| Rank among states, density | 38 of 49 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 12 of 49 |
What the numbers say
California has 3,127 bars and taverns with payroll, employing 32,621 people. At 7.9 per 100,000 residents the market is thinner than the country as a whole, number 38 among the 49 states with published data. Jobs fell 0.5% over the year, against -2.0% nationally. Locations grew faster than jobs, which usually means more and smaller operators entering: the kind of market where the cheapest service gets crowded first.
Average pay at bars and taverns in California is $588 a week, 14% above the national figure of $515. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of bars and taverns in California moved +10.4%, from 2,815 to 3,107.
Bars and taverns in California, annual average
- 20212,815
- 20222,845
- 20232,932
- 20243,025
- 20253,107
Jobs at bars and taverns in California
- 202123,261
- 202233,062
- 202334,420
- 202433,508
- 202532,893
What counts as "bars and taverns" here
Drinking places that serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption: bars, taverns, pubs, nightclubs and cocktail lounges. Food may be served but drinks are the main line. The code is NAICS 722410. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in California
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the bars and taverns within reach of one address in California, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many bars and taverns are there in California?
BLS counted 3,127 bars and taverns with employees in California in 2026 Q1, employing 32,621 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 7.9 per 100,000 residents, against 12.3 nationally.
Are bars and taverns growing in California?
Not at the moment. Jobs at bars and taverns in California changed -0.5% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +2.0%. That ranks California 12 of 49 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +10.4%.
Is California a crowded market for bars and taverns?
California has 7.9 bars and taverns per 100,000 residents, thinner than the country as a whole, ranking 38 of 49 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Bars and taverns in every state
Densest first. The number is bars and taverns per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in California
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 722410, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in California · Growth ranking for California · Bars and taverns by state