While San Mateo County lost the most number of gas stations, Alameda County gained more than other counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The number of gas stations in San Mateo fell by 22 to 131 between 2010 and 2016. Alameda County added 14 during the same period.
The Bay Area as a whole only lost six stations over the six-year period.
In San Francisco, the number of gas stations dropped just slightly to 77 from 83. In Alameda County, the number of stations increased to 289 from 275. Per capita, though, the number of stations has fallen because the population has grown.
Here’s how the counties rank by number of gas stations in 2016.1. Santa Clara – 3202. Alameda – 2893. Contra Costa – 2034. San Mateo – 1315. Sonoma – 1066. Solano – 1007. San Francisco – 778. Marin – 389. Napa – 32“Nationwide, the number of gas stations have generally decreased,” said Rob Underwood, president of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America. “Consolidation is one of the major reasons driven by company mergers and consolidating volume from multiple sites into a single site.
“Population growth in suburban areas may drive the need for new sites, while population reduction in other areas drives the closing of sites,” he said.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, Petroleum Marketers Association of America
