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

US states by business establishments (QCEW)

California had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 51 states in 2022, at 1.71 million. Alaska had the lowest, at 24,304. The median was 148,968 and the figure for the United States was 11.52 million. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,706,672California
Lowest24,304Alaska
Median148,96851 states
United States11,519,312History

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 148,979 countAlaska: 24,304 countArizona: 206,036 countArkansas: 99,083 countCalifornia: 1,706,672 countColorado: 245,462 countConnecticut: 139,569 countDelaware: 40,783 countDistrict of Columbia: 48,564 countFlorida: 851,834 countGeorgia: 379,261 countHawaii: 52,277 countIdaho: 86,960 countIllinois: 396,328 countIndiana: 186,186 countIowa: 110,664 countKansas: 93,245 countKentucky: 142,835 countLouisiana: 148,968 countMaine: 62,073 countMaryland: 189,482 countMassachusetts: 290,030 countMichigan: 295,486 countMinnesota: 199,953 countMississippi: 81,283 countMissouri: 233,707 countMontana: 60,113 countNebraska: 77,289 countNevada: 104,801 countNew Hampshire: 62,481 countNew Jersey: 312,976 countNew Mexico: 67,746 countNew York: 685,875 countNorth Carolina: 347,032 countNorth Dakota: 34,205 countOhio: 328,186 countOklahoma: 123,132 countOregon: 183,124 countPennsylvania: 384,170 countRhode Island: 46,162 countSouth Carolina: 166,335 countSouth Dakota: 38,716 countTennessee: 202,240 countTexas: 805,090 countUtah: 132,187 countVermont: 29,980 countVirginia: 327,821 countWashington: 257,122 countWest Virginia: 55,711 countWisconsin: 197,207 countWyoming: 29,595 count
  • Under 50K
  • 50K to 90K
  • 90K to 150K
  • 150K to 200K
  • 200K to 330K
  • 330K and over
count, 2022. 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, 2022

California: 1,706,672 countCalifornia1,706,672Florida: 851,834 countFlorida851,834Texas: 805,090 countTexas805,090New York: 685,875 countNew York685,875Illinois: 396,328 countIllinois396,328Pennsylvania: 384,170 countPennsylvania384,170Georgia: 379,261 countGeorgia379,261North Carolina: 347,032 countNorth Carolina347,032Ohio: 328,186 countOhio328,186Virginia: 327,821 countVirginia327,821New Jersey: 312,976 countNew Jersey312,976Michigan: 295,486 countMichigan295,486Massachusetts: 290,030 countMassachusetts290,030Washington: 257,122 countWashington257,122Colorado: 245,462 countColorado245,462Missouri: 233,707 countMissouri233,707Arizona: 206,036 countArizona206,036Tennessee: 202,240 countTennessee202,240Minnesota: 199,953 countMinnesota199,953Wisconsin: 197,207 countWisconsin197,207Maryland: 189,482 countMaryland189,482Indiana: 186,186 countIndiana186,186Oregon: 183,124 countOregon183,124South Carolina: 166,335 countSouth Carolina166,335Alabama: 148,979 countAlabama148,979Louisiana: 148,968 countLouisiana148,968Kentucky: 142,835 countKentucky142,835Connecticut: 139,569 countConnecticut139,569Utah: 132,187 countUtah132,187Oklahoma: 123,132 countOklahoma123,132Iowa: 110,664 countIowa110,664Nevada: 104,801 countNevada104,801Arkansas: 99,083 countArkansas99,083Kansas: 93,245 countKansas93,245Idaho: 86,960 countIdaho86,960Mississippi: 81,283 countMississippi81,283Nebraska: 77,289 countNebraska77,289New Mexico: 67,746 countNew Mexico67,746New Hampshire: 62,481 countNew Hampshire62,481Maine: 62,073 countMaine62,073Montana: 60,113 countMontana60,113West Virginia: 55,711 countWest Virginia55,711Hawaii: 52,277 countHawaii52,277District of Columbia: 48,564 countDistrict of Columbia48,564Rhode Island: 46,162 countRhode Island46,162Delaware: 40,783 countDelaware40,783South Dakota: 38,716 countSouth Dakota38,716North Dakota: 34,205 countNorth Dakota34,205Vermont: 29,980 countVermont29,980Wyoming: 29,595 countWyoming29,595Alaska: 24,304 countAlaska24,304California: 1,706,672 countCalifornia1,706,672Florida: 851,834 countFlorida851,834Texas: 805,090 countTexas805,090New York: 685,875 countNew York685,875Illinois: 396,328 countIllinois396,328Pennsylvania: 384,170 countPennsylvania384,170Georgia: 379,261 countGeorgia379,261North Carolina: 347,032 countNorth Carolina347,032Ohio: 328,186 countOhio328,186Virginia: 327,821 countVirginia327,821New Jersey: 312,976 countNew Jersey312,976Michigan: 295,486 countMichigan295,486Massachusetts: 290,030 countMassachusetts290,030Washington: 257,122 countWashington257,122Colorado: 245,462 countColorado245,462Missouri: 233,707 countMissouri233,707Arizona: 206,036 countArizona206,036Tennessee: 202,240 countTennessee202,240Minnesota: 199,953 countMinnesota199,953Wisconsin: 197,207 countWisconsin197,207Maryland: 189,482 countMaryland189,482Indiana: 186,186 countIndiana186,186Oregon: 183,124 countOregon183,124South Carolina: 166,335 countSouth Carolina166,335Alabama: 148,979 countAlabama148,979Louisiana: 148,968 countLouisiana148,968Kentucky: 142,835 countKentucky142,835Connecticut: 139,569 countConnecticut139,569Utah: 132,187 countUtah132,187Oklahoma: 123,132 countOklahoma123,132Iowa: 110,664 countIowa110,664Nevada: 104,801 countNevada104,801Arkansas: 99,083 countArkansas99,083Kansas: 93,245 countKansas93,245Idaho: 86,960 countIdaho86,960Mississippi: 81,283 countMississippi81,283Nebraska: 77,289 countNebraska77,289New Mexico: 67,746 countNew Mexico67,746New Hampshire: 62,481 countNew Hampshire62,481Maine: 62,073 countMaine62,073Montana: 60,113 countMontana60,113West Virginia: 55,711 countWest Virginia55,711Hawaii: 52,277 countHawaii52,277District of Columbia: 48,564 countDistrict of Columbia48,564Rhode Island: 46,162 countRhode Island46,162Delaware: 40,783 countDelaware40,783South Dakota: 38,716 countSouth Dakota38,716North Dakota: 34,205 countNorth Dakota34,205Vermont: 29,980 countVermont29,980Wyoming: 29,595 countWyoming29,595Alaska: 24,304 countAlaska24,304
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

RankStates2022
count		Change on 2021
1California1,706,672+3%
2Florida851,834+6.7%
3Texas805,090+4.6%
4New York685,875+3.6%
5Illinois396,328+2.4%
6Pennsylvania384,170+4%
7Georgia379,261+12.6%
8North Carolina347,032+10.1%
9Ohio328,186+4.2%
10Virginia327,821+10.3%
11New Jersey312,976+5.4%
12Michigan295,486+8.4%
13Massachusetts290,030+4.8%
14Washington257,122-5.7%
15Colorado245,462+7%
16Missouri233,707+6.2%
17Arizona206,036+11.9%
18Tennessee202,240+9.1%
19Minnesota199,953+7.6%
20Wisconsin197,207+6.1%
21Maryland189,482+7.3%
22Indiana186,186+4.2%
23Oregon183,124+6.9%
24South Carolina166,335+9.2%
25Alabama148,979+6.7%
26Louisiana148,968+4.1%
27Kentucky142,835+6.6%
28Connecticut139,569+6.5%
29Utah132,187+8.8%
30Oklahoma123,132+6.2%
31Iowa110,664+3.7%
32Nevada104,801+11.4%
33Arkansas99,083+3.4%
34Kansas93,245+3.4%
35Idaho86,960+10.7%
36Mississippi81,283+6.4%
37Nebraska77,289+2.8%
38New Mexico67,746+4.8%
39New Hampshire62,481+6.5%
40Maine62,073+6.8%
41Montana60,113+8.9%
42West Virginia55,711+4.1%
43Hawaii52,277+8.8%
44District of Columbia48,564+9.4%
45Rhode Island46,162+7.5%
46Delaware40,783+11.1%
47South Dakota38,716+5.7%
48North Dakota34,205+4.2%
49Vermont29,980+7.4%
50Wyoming29,595+4.7%
51Alaska24,304+3.5%

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/2022/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), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/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), 2022. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022. 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), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022.

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), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_business_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022. 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/2022/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), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2022.
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/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

California, with 1.71 million in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Alaska, with 24,304 in 2022.

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