Selling a Business in Nevada County
Nevada County has 3,323 employer businesses, and 92% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here.
LOCAL SNAPSHOT
Nevada County by the numbers
3,323
EMPLOYER BUSINESSES
92%
SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE
11,906
BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES
27,771
EMPLOYMENT
$1.6 billion
ANNUAL PAYROLL
1,169
BUSINESSES WITH 5 TO 49 EMPLOYEES
U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024. Counts are employer establishments, meaning business locations with paid employees.
How Nevada County compares
Nevada County ranks 32nd of 58 California counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 6.9% between 2018 and 2023.
Construction makes up 18% of employer businesses in Nevada County, compared with 8% in California.
1,169 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.
Industry mix
The largest industries by number of employer businesses:
Construction: 596 employer businesses
Professional and technical services: 418 employer businesses
Retail: 389 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 343 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 267 employer businesses
INDUSTRIES
What sells in Nevada County
Construction, professional and technical services, retail, health care and social assistance
Every kind of business we sell in Nevada County
We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Nevada County. Counts are employer businesses in the closest Census industry codes. Industries without a clean Census match are listed without a count, and a few industries share one Census category, so their counts match. A sale multiple is the price a business typically sells for as a multiple of its earnings. SDE means seller's discretionary earnings, which is the owner's pay plus the profit of the business. EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Construction & Engineering
666 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
General Contracting: 245 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Landscaping: 90 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Interior Finishing: 75 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 62 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 62 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 58 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Foundation & Site Prep: 47 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Civil Engineering: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 7.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Roofing & Siding: 27 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Carpentry & Framing: 15 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Masonry: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Equipment.
Restaurants & Food
235 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Full-Service Restaurants: 92 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 63 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 39 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 33 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Liquor, Wine & Beer Stores: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Bakeries: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Financial & Professional Services
223 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Real Estate Brokerages: 89 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 57 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Insurance Agencies: 31 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Wealth Management: 25 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.7x - 4.0x Recurring Revenue.
Private Lending: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Mortgage Brokerages: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Medical Practices
201 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Primary & Family Care: 62 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE.
Dental Practices: 50 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Physical Therapy & Rehab: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Veterinary Medicine: 21 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.
Mental & Behavioral Health: 19 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Specialty Medicine: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Medical Labs & Imaging: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Vision & Eye Care: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Urgent Care Clinics: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Home Health & Hospice: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Retail Stores
181 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Hardware, Garden & Building: 51 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.
Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry: 48 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Hobby, Toys & Gift Shops: 26 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE + Inventory.
Sporting Goods & Firearms: 20 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.4x SDE.
Home Decor & Furniture: 18 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Health, Beauty & Pharmacy: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.8x - 4.2x EBITDA.
Electronics & Repair: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Manufacturing
108 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 24 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.
Metal Fabrication: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.
Wood & Furniture Manufacturing: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Medical & Chemical Manufacturing: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Electronics & Tech Manufacturing: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.5x EBITDA.
Printing & Plastics: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.9x - 4.9x SDE.
Textile & Apparel Manufacturing: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Construction Materials Manufacturing: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Home Services
80 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Property Management: 47 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Residential Cleaning: 25 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.6x SDE.
Commercial Cleaning: 25 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.47x - 4.11x EBITDA.
Pest Control: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.34x - 2.90x SDE.
Automotive & Boat
74 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Auto Repair: 39 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Auto Parts: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Towing & Repo: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Car Washes: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Technology & Media
58 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Creative Agencies: 27 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 3.0x SDE.
Media, Film & Studio Production: 11 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.5x SDE.
Digital Marketing Agencies: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Real Estate Media: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.8x SDE.
Software Companies (SaaS): 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x SDE.
Hospitality & Travel
49 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Hotels: 28 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 28 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.
Travel Agencies: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.2x SDE.
Campgrounds & RV Parks: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Transportation Services: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.1x SDE.
Bed & Breakfasts / Inns: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Entertainment & Recreation
44 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Outdoor Recreation: 18 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Bars & Pubs: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Clubs & Lounges: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Golf Courses: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Gas Stations & Convenience
38 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Gas Stations: 30 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Convenience Stores: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Education & Childcare
35 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Daycare Centers: 32 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.
Tutoring Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Health & Fitness
35 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Gyms & Health Clubs: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 2.93x SDE.
Yoga Studios: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.07x - 2.50x SDE.
Pilates Studios: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.10x - 3.00x SDE.
Personal Training Studios: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.00x - 2.80x SDE.
Wellness & Recovery Centers: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.5x - 9.7x EBITDA.
Logistics & Transportation
35 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
General Freight Trucking: 21 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Last-Mile & Courier: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.76x - 3.32x SDE.
Commercial Moving: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 3.0x SDE.
Warehousing & Fulfillment: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Beauty & Personal Care
27 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Hair Salons: 11 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.25x - 2.34x SDE.
Nail Salons: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.4x - 1.88x SDE.
Day Spas: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE.
Tattoo Shops: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Massage Parlors: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Wholesale & Distribution
26 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Industrial & Construction Supply: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Consumer Goods & Apparel Distribution: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Electronics, IT & Office Equipment Distribution: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Food & Beverage Distribution: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Chemicals, Plastics & Raw Materials Distribution: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Senior Care & Living
21 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Non-Medical Home Care: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Assisted Living Facilities: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Energy & Utilities
20 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Water & Wastewater Services: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Waste Management & Recycling: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Assets.
Propane & Fuel Distribution: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Assets.
Pet Services
15 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Pet Grooming & Spas: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Boarding, Daycare & Training: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Pet Retail & Specialty Supplies: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE + Inventory.
Pharmacies & Medical Supply
15 related employer businesses in Nevada County.
Compounding Pharmacies: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Pharmacies: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Home Infusion: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Where this county sits
Working with owners in Nevada County
Business Advisors of America represents owners selling a business in Nevada County. Matan Michael is the advisor of record on every engagement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions owners in Nevada County ask
How long does it take to sell a business in Nevada County?
Our working target is about six months from engagement to closing. The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers.
How is a business valued in Nevada County?
We start with the earnings the business produces for an owner, then adjust for assets, size, industry and the terms a buyer is likely to accept. The result is a range, and the asking price is set inside it.
Is the sale confidential?
Yes. Buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement before they see the name of the business or its financial statements.
FROM OUR BLOG
Guides for owners in Nevada County
October 3, 2025
Business Owners
Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On
Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.
Read article
March 5, 2026
Business Owners
Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close
Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.
Read article
February 9, 2026
Business Owners
The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why
The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.
Read article