Nonemployer businesses: retail trade in United States
Nonemployer businesses: retail trade in the United States was 2.18 million in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is up 4.6% from 2023.
Nonemployer businesses: retail trade in United States, 2012 to 2024
All 13 values
| Period | count |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,178,016 |
| 2023 | 2,081,566 |
| 2022 | 2,170,322 Series break |
| 2021 | 2,369,980 |
| 2020 | 2,256,913 |
| 2019 | 2,100,019 |
| 2018 | 2,103,399 Series break |
| 2017 | 2,093,459 |
| 2016 | 2,003,669 |
| 2015 | 1,985,553 |
| 2014 | 1,960,682 |
| 2013 | 1,906,597 |
| 2012 | 1,905,147 |
Rankings
Definition
Number of businesses without paid employees in retail trade (NAICS 44-45), from the U.S. Census Bureau Nonemployer Statistics.
Nonemployer Statistics: businesses with no paid employees that are subject to federal income tax, mostly the self-employed, counted from tax records, with receipts above small minimum amounts. Census says some years are not comparable with earlier ones, and they are marked as series breaks: 2018 in every sector (businesses were reclassified from their descriptions, which moved many out of other services), 2022 in every sector (new receipts cutoffs) and 2017 in utilities (the same reclassification). Most nonemployers are sole proprietors whose business may be a side activity. Published about 18 months after the reference year.
How to cite
U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms (Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/
MLA 9
Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Sept. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_nonemployer_businesses_retail_trade_2024,
author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
title = {{Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms: Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - U.S. Census Bureau
TI - Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms: Nonemployer businesses: retail trade, United States, 2012 to 2024
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/
L2 - https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/nonemployer-businesses-retail-trade/united-states.
N1 - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
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What is the latest nonemployer businesses: retail trade in United States? Cite the source.
get_value {"indicator":"nonemployer_establishments_retail_trade","place":"us"}
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What is the nonemployer businesses: retail trade in United States?
Nonemployer businesses: retail trade in the United States was 2.18 million in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is up 4.6% from 2023.
Where does this figure come from?
U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.
What was the highest nonemployer businesses: retail trade in United States?
2.37 million in 2021, the highest value since 2012 in this series.