What does this business survival ranking show?

It orders states by Existing establishments remaining open, annual. 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 Dynamics Statistics (2023) 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.

Highest business survival by state

Existing establishments remaining open, annual.

100 minus the Census BDS annual establishment exit rate: the share of establishments that did not close during the year. It is an economy-wide one-year measure, not a cohort survival rate and not limited to tiny firms.

How to read this ranking

North Dakota has the highest published business survival in this comparison, at 92.1%. The next states shown are Arkansas (91.9%) and Louisiana (91.9%).

The table orders 51 states by existing establishments remaining open, annual. 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. 100 minus the Census BDS annual establishment exit rate: the share of establishments that did not close during the year. It is an economy-wide one-year measure, not a cohort survival rate and not limited to tiny firms.

1North Dakota92.1%
2Arkansas91.9%
3Louisiana91.9%
4Ohio91.9%
5Wisconsin91.9%
6Alabama91.8%
7Kentucky91.8%
8Pennsylvania91.8%
9Kansas91.7%
10Nebraska91.7%
11West Virginia91.7%
12Connecticut91.6%
13Indiana91.6%
14Massachusetts91.6%
15Michigan91.6%
16South Dakota91.6%
17Iowa91.5%
18Maine91.4%
19Minnesota91.4%
20Mississippi91.4%
21New Hampshire91.4%
22South Carolina91.4%
23Vermont91.4%
24Tennessee91.3%
25Hawaii91.2%
26Rhode Island91.2%
27District of Columbia91.1%
28Alaska91.0%
29North Carolina91.0%
30Oklahoma91.0%
31Virginia91.0%
32Illinois90.9%
33Maryland90.9%
34New Mexico90.7%
35Texas90.6%
36Missouri90.4%
37New Jersey90.4%
38New York90.4%
39Montana90.3%
40Oregon90.2%
41Delaware90.0%
42Wyoming90.0%
43Georgia89.9%
44Arizona89.8%
45California89.8%
46Washington89.7%
47Idaho89.5%
48Utah89.5%
49Nevada89.2%
50Florida89.1%
51Colorado88.9%

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Existing establishments remaining open, annual. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics (2023). 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-survival" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Existing establishments remaining open, annual by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics (2023). · How this is built

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