Data / Rankings / Business applications / US states

US states by business applications

Florida had the highest business applications of 51 states in February 2026, at 57,632. Vermont had the lowest, at 673. The median was 6,054 and the figure for the United States was 496,121. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest57,632Florida
Lowest673Vermont
Median6,05451 states
United States496,121History

All states, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

FloridaFlorida: 57,632 count57,632CaliforniaCalifornia: 49,777 count49,777TexasTexas: 46,125 count46,125New YorkNew York: 26,756 count26,756GeorgiaGeorgia: 22,695 count22,695IllinoisIllinois: 15,004 count15,004North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 14,865 count14,865OhioOhio: 14,058 count14,058New JerseyNew Jersey: 13,901 count13,901PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 13,613 count13,613MichiganMichigan: 13,005 count13,005ColoradoColorado: 12,793 count12,793ArizonaArizona: 12,396 count12,396VirginiaVirginia: 12,015 count12,015OklahomaOklahoma: 10,340 count10,340WashingtonWashington: 9,428 count9,428MarylandMaryland: 9,334 count9,334MissouriMissouri: 8,895 count8,895TennesseeTennessee: 8,820 count8,820IndianaIndiana: 8,127 count8,127South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 7,942 count7,942WyomingWyoming: 7,255 count7,255MassachusettsMassachusetts: 7,011 count7,011UtahUtah: 7,007 count7,007MinnesotaMinnesota: 6,217 count6,217WisconsinWisconsin: 6,054 count6,054LouisianaLouisiana: 5,785 count5,785NevadaNevada: 5,771 count5,771KentuckyKentucky: 5,714 count5,714AlabamaAlabama: 5,555 count5,555DelawareDelaware: 5,125 count5,125OregonOregon: 5,113 count5,113ConnecticutConnecticut: 4,412 count4,412MississippiMississippi: 4,390 count4,390New MexicoNew Mexico: 3,671 count3,671ArkansasArkansas: 3,482 count3,482IowaIowa: 3,148 count3,148KansasKansas: 3,140 count3,140IdahoIdaho: 3,063 count3,063MontanaMontana: 2,724 count2,724NebraskaNebraska: 1,963 count1,963HawaiiHawaii: 1,616 count1,616New HampshireNew Hampshire: 1,545 count1,545West VirginiaWest Virginia: 1,530 count1,530MaineMaine: 1,303 count1,303District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 1,198 count1,198AlaskaAlaska: 1,149 count1,149South DakotaSouth Dakota: 1,113 count1,113Rhode IslandRhode Island: 1,029 count1,029North DakotaNorth Dakota: 844 count844VermontVermont: 673 count673
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStatesFebruary 2026
count		Change on February 2025
1Florida57,632+12.7%
2California49,777+15.8%
3Texas46,125+13.2%
4New York26,756+12.3%
5Georgia22,695+17.9%
6Illinois15,004+6.9%
7North Carolina14,865+18.6%
8Ohio14,058+14.3%
9New Jersey13,901+8.7%
10Pennsylvania13,613+13%
11Michigan13,005+11.6%
12Colorado12,793+14.5%
13Arizona12,396+21.3%
14Virginia12,015+22.8%
15Oklahoma10,340+135.6%
16Washington9,428-39%
17Maryland9,334+17.4%
18Missouri8,895+31.8%
19Tennessee8,820+22.8%
20Indiana8,127+15.4%
21South Carolina7,942+10.4%
22Wyoming7,255+17.4%
23Massachusetts7,011+12.9%
24Utah7,007+29.5%
25Minnesota6,217+11.1%
26Wisconsin6,054+19.1%
27Louisiana5,785+5.9%
28Nevada5,771+15%
29Kentucky5,714+42.2%
30Alabama5,555+20.2%
31Delaware5,125+6.8%
32Oregon5,113+16.1%
33Connecticut4,412+11.9%
34Mississippi4,390+18.2%
35New Mexico3,671+20.2%
36Arkansas3,482+21.6%
37Iowa3,148+22.3%
38Kansas3,140+20.6%
39Idaho3,063+10.7%
40Montana2,724+28.4%
41Nebraska1,963+17.1%
42Hawaii1,616+10.7%
43New Hampshire1,545+17.6%
44West Virginia1,530+27.1%
45Maine1,303+17.7%
46District of Columbia1,198-0.1%
47Alaska1,149+53.6%
48South Dakota1,113+15%
49Rhode Island1,029+9.4%
50North Dakota844+17.7%
51Vermont673+15.4%

Other periods

About this ranking

Applications for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) that indicate a new business, per month, seasonally adjusted. United States: Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics, from July 2004.

Applications are not business formations: many applicants never hire anyone or start operating. Not comparable with companies_created, which counts companies registered in Spain.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Business Formation Statistics: business applications (BA_BA), all sectors, seasonally adjusted, United States and states. https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/csv/bfs_monthly.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which state has the highest business applications?

Florida, with 57,632 in February 2026, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest business applications?

Vermont, with 673 in February 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics: business applications (BA_BA), all sectors, seasonally adjusted, United States and states. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

US states: more rankings