What does this business applications ranking show?

It orders states by New business applications. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Jobs

Highest business applications by state

New business applications.

Applications for a new Employer Identification Number in the latest year. This is early business-starting activity, not proof that every applicant opened a business or hired anyone. Census excludes estates, trusts, tax liens, applications without a county code and some industries.

How to read this ranking

Florida has the highest published business applications in this comparison, at 647,732. The next states shown are California (553,933) and Texas (544,133).

The table orders 51 states by new business applications. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Applications for a new Employer Identification Number in the latest year. This is early business-starting activity, not proof that every applicant opened a business or hired anyone. Census excludes estates, trusts, tax liens, applications without a county code and some industries.

1Florida647,732
2California553,933
3Texas544,133
4New York301,054
5Georgia254,575
6Illinois189,887
7North Carolina182,664
8Ohio168,214
9Pennsylvania161,280
10New Jersey161,136
11Michigan152,052
12Colorado143,811
13Washington142,194
14Virginia138,774
15Arizona135,681
16Tennessee103,215
17Missouri101,402
18Maryland101,252
19South Carolina94,103
20Indiana89,778
21Massachusetts79,138
22Wyoming79,024
23Louisiana75,626
24Minnesota73,820
25Utah72,789
26Wisconsin71,482
27Alabama70,459
28Nevada64,780
29Kentucky64,057
30Oregon62,656
31Delaware60,132
32Oklahoma56,847
33Mississippi52,477
34Connecticut49,835
35New Mexico40,763
36Arkansas39,522
37Kansas37,526
38Iowa35,029
39Idaho33,268
40Montana29,889
41Nebraska22,873
42Hawaii19,558
43New Hampshire17,046
44West Virginia16,388
45District of Columbia14,945
46Maine14,187
47South Dakota12,098
48Rhode Island11,800
49Alaska10,532
50North Dakota8,908
51Vermont7,574

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by New business applications. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/business-applications" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="New business applications by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics. · How this is built

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