Data / Rankings / Business establishments (QCEW) / US states

US states by business establishments (QCEW)

California had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 51 states in 2016, at 1.47 million. Alaska had the lowest, at 22,045. The median was 123,556 and the figure for the United States was 9.72 million. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,471,110California
Lowest22,045Alaska
Median123,55651 states
United States9,716,618History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 122,310 countAlaska: 22,045 countArizona: 152,210 countArkansas: 88,435 countCalifornia: 1,471,110 countColorado: 191,895 countConnecticut: 116,805 countDelaware: 31,715 countDistrict of Columbia: 38,866 countFlorida: 658,095 countGeorgia: 298,477 countHawaii: 39,740 countIdaho: 58,858 countIllinois: 396,865 countIndiana: 162,216 countIowa: 101,159 countKansas: 90,065 countKentucky: 123,556 countLouisiana: 127,995 countMaine: 52,931 countMaryland: 170,931 countMassachusetts: 246,651 countMichigan: 241,084 countMinnesota: 161,015 countMississippi: 73,173 countMissouri: 194,161 countMontana: 46,017 countNebraska: 72,080 countNevada: 81,479 countNew Hampshire: 51,393 countNew Jersey: 262,798 countNew Mexico: 58,215 countNew York: 632,559 countNorth Carolina: 268,897 countNorth Dakota: 32,086 countOhio: 293,074 countOklahoma: 109,138 countOregon: 145,178 countPennsylvania: 352,589 countRhode Island: 36,862 countSouth Carolina: 124,928 countSouth Dakota: 32,980 countTennessee: 153,158 countTexas: 658,759 countUtah: 95,901 countVermont: 25,043 countVirginia: 264,329 countWashington: 241,736 countWest Virginia: 50,017 countWisconsin: 169,000 countWyoming: 26,047 count
  • Under 40K
  • 40K to 80K
  • 80K to 120K
  • 120K to 170K
  • 170K to 270K
  • 270K and over
count, 2016. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2016

California: 1,471,110 countCalifornia1,471,110Texas: 658,759 countTexas658,759Florida: 658,095 countFlorida658,095New York: 632,559 countNew York632,559Illinois: 396,865 countIllinois396,865Pennsylvania: 352,589 countPennsylvania352,589Georgia: 298,477 countGeorgia298,477Ohio: 293,074 countOhio293,074North Carolina: 268,897 countNorth Carolina268,897Virginia: 264,329 countVirginia264,329New Jersey: 262,798 countNew Jersey262,798Massachusetts: 246,651 countMassachusetts246,651Washington: 241,736 countWashington241,736Michigan: 241,084 countMichigan241,084Missouri: 194,161 countMissouri194,161Colorado: 191,895 countColorado191,895Maryland: 170,931 countMaryland170,931Wisconsin: 169,000 countWisconsin169,000Indiana: 162,216 countIndiana162,216Minnesota: 161,015 countMinnesota161,015Tennessee: 153,158 countTennessee153,158Arizona: 152,210 countArizona152,210Oregon: 145,178 countOregon145,178Louisiana: 127,995 countLouisiana127,995South Carolina: 124,928 countSouth Carolina124,928Kentucky: 123,556 countKentucky123,556Alabama: 122,310 countAlabama122,310Connecticut: 116,805 countConnecticut116,805Oklahoma: 109,138 countOklahoma109,138Iowa: 101,159 countIowa101,159Utah: 95,901 countUtah95,901Kansas: 90,065 countKansas90,065Arkansas: 88,435 countArkansas88,435Nevada: 81,479 countNevada81,479Mississippi: 73,173 countMississippi73,173Nebraska: 72,080 countNebraska72,080Idaho: 58,858 countIdaho58,858New Mexico: 58,215 countNew Mexico58,215Maine: 52,931 countMaine52,931New Hampshire: 51,393 countNew Hampshire51,393West Virginia: 50,017 countWest Virginia50,017Montana: 46,017 countMontana46,017Hawaii: 39,740 countHawaii39,740District of Columbia: 38,866 countDistrict of Columbia38,866Rhode Island: 36,862 countRhode Island36,862South Dakota: 32,980 countSouth Dakota32,980North Dakota: 32,086 countNorth Dakota32,086Delaware: 31,715 countDelaware31,715Wyoming: 26,047 countWyoming26,047Vermont: 25,043 countVermont25,043Alaska: 22,045 countAlaska22,045California: 1,471,110 countCalifornia1,471,110Texas: 658,759 countTexas658,759Florida: 658,095 countFlorida658,095New York: 632,559 countNew York632,559Illinois: 396,865 countIllinois396,865Pennsylvania: 352,589 countPennsylvania352,589Georgia: 298,477 countGeorgia298,477Ohio: 293,074 countOhio293,074North Carolina: 268,897 countNorth Carolina268,897Virginia: 264,329 countVirginia264,329New Jersey: 262,798 countNew Jersey262,798Massachusetts: 246,651 countMassachusetts246,651Washington: 241,736 countWashington241,736Michigan: 241,084 countMichigan241,084Missouri: 194,161 countMissouri194,161Colorado: 191,895 countColorado191,895Maryland: 170,931 countMaryland170,931Wisconsin: 169,000 countWisconsin169,000Indiana: 162,216 countIndiana162,216Minnesota: 161,015 countMinnesota161,015Tennessee: 153,158 countTennessee153,158Arizona: 152,210 countArizona152,210Oregon: 145,178 countOregon145,178Louisiana: 127,995 countLouisiana127,995South Carolina: 124,928 countSouth Carolina124,928Kentucky: 123,556 countKentucky123,556Alabama: 122,310 countAlabama122,310Connecticut: 116,805 countConnecticut116,805Oklahoma: 109,138 countOklahoma109,138Iowa: 101,159 countIowa101,159Utah: 95,901 countUtah95,901Kansas: 90,065 countKansas90,065Arkansas: 88,435 countArkansas88,435Nevada: 81,479 countNevada81,479Mississippi: 73,173 countMississippi73,173Nebraska: 72,080 countNebraska72,080Idaho: 58,858 countIdaho58,858New Mexico: 58,215 countNew Mexico58,215Maine: 52,931 countMaine52,931New Hampshire: 51,393 countNew Hampshire51,393West Virginia: 50,017 countWest Virginia50,017Montana: 46,017 countMontana46,017Hawaii: 39,740 countHawaii39,740District of Columbia: 38,866 countDistrict of Columbia38,866Rhode Island: 36,862 countRhode Island36,862South Dakota: 32,980 countSouth Dakota32,980North Dakota: 32,086 countNorth Dakota32,086Delaware: 31,715 countDelaware31,715Wyoming: 26,047 countWyoming26,047Vermont: 25,043 countVermont25,043Alaska: 22,045 countAlaska22,045
count. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2016
count		Change on 2015
1California1,471,110+3.9%
2Texas658,759+3%
3Florida658,095+2.4%
4New York632,559+0.8%
5Illinois396,865-1.6%
6Pennsylvania352,589+0.8%
7Georgia298,477+3.4%
8Ohio293,074+0.8%
9North Carolina268,897+0.9%
10Virginia264,329+4%
11New Jersey262,798+1.4%
12Massachusetts246,651+3.7%
13Washington241,736+1.1%
14Michigan241,084+0.9%
15Missouri194,161+1.3%
16Colorado191,895+3.1%
17Maryland170,931+1.3%
18Wisconsin169,000+1.2%
19Indiana162,216+1.8%
20Minnesota161,015+0.2%
21Tennessee153,158+1.9%
22Arizona152,210+2.4%
23Oregon145,178+2.7%
24Louisiana127,995+2.2%
25South Carolina124,928+2.1%
26Kentucky123,556+1%
27Alabama122,310+2.6%
28Connecticut116,805+1%
29Oklahoma109,138+0.5%
30Iowa101,159+0.9%
31Utah95,901+2.9%
32Kansas90,065+3.8%
33Arkansas88,435+0.6%
34Nevada81,479+3.3%
35Mississippi73,173+2%
36Nebraska72,080+1.8%
37Idaho58,858+5%
38New Mexico58,215+2.3%
39Maine52,931+4.3%
40New Hampshire51,393+1.4%
41West Virginia50,017-0.3%
42Montana46,017+2.2%
43Hawaii39,740+1.7%
44District of Columbia38,866+2.3%
45Rhode Island36,862+1.4%
46South Dakota32,980+1.5%
47North Dakota32,086-0.2%
48Delaware31,715+2.7%
49Wyoming26,047-0.2%
50Vermont25,043+1.7%
51Alaska22,045-0.8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of establishments with jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An establishment is a single place of business, such as a factory, store or office; a company with several locations has several.

Counts places of business, not firms: for firms use employer_firms. Changes in how large employers report their locations can move the count without any change in activity.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_business_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: US states by business establishments (QCEW), 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

California, with 1.47 million in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Alaska, with 22,045 in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Business establishments (QCEW): other rankings

US states: more rankings