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Welcome to our series of internet service provider comparisons by location.

Today we're diving deep into the data behind California ISPs. One of the most technologically savvy states in the country, it's no wonder California has huge demand for internet.

First, let's have a little fun and break down each major city by total population and compare that with average internet speed in the city (2019 numbers).

CityPopulationAverage Internet Speed
Los Angeles3,990,00036.9 Mbps
San Diego1,425,00046.1 Mbps
San Jose1,030,00057.8 Mbps
San Francisco885,00096.5 Mbps
Fresno530,00050 Mbps
Sacramento508,00060.5 Mbps
Long Beach468,00050.1 Mbps
Oakland430,00088.9 Mbps
Bakersfield385,00077.7 Mbps

Nationally, California seems to outpace the average internet speed found in most major metros, but it is interesting to see Los Angeles at such a low rate. This could be for a number of factors, population density being a large possibility.

With California being home to Silicon Valley, advanced technology routinely is born out of the state's focus on entrepreneurship. But it is also important to mention that outside of some of the major citiies in the state, access to high speed internet shouldn't be taken for granted. While most people think of California for Hollywood, Tech companies, and its beaches, the state is one of the country's largest producers of agriculture. The last mile problem is largely visible in a state like California, where internet service quality can drastically drop off just outside the major cities.

Financially, many of the major ISPs don't offer services in more rural areas, where the government often has to step in and subsidize internet delivery to more rural communities.

One other thing of note in California internet industry: Most cities have multiple providers to choose from. It's not quite as difficult as it can be in some other cities to find competition when it comes to choosing an ISP. This puts consumers in the state at a huge advantage when it comes to pricing and service. While some major cities have deals with specific cable internet providers, it's possible to do a bit of shopping in most large California cities.

Most of the major internet providers operate in major California cities, including AT&T, Comcast XFINITY, Frontier, Spectrum, among others.

Have any questions about any of the above regions? Ask us below in the comments and we'll get back to you as soon as we can with the information you need!

Taylor is a homeschooling mother of three kids and a freelance writer with years of experience in market data collection and interpretation. In her non-existent spare time, she likes to write fiction and work on DIY projects.