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

US states by business establishments (QCEW)

California had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 51 states in 2023, at 1.75 million. Alaska had the lowest, at 25,004. The median was 153,869 and the figure for the United States was 11.87 million. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,751,430California
Lowest25,004Alaska
Median153,86951 states
United States11,866,306History

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 156,469 countAlaska: 25,004 countArizona: 220,695 countArkansas: 102,529 countCalifornia: 1,751,430 countColorado: 258,519 countConnecticut: 147,393 countDelaware: 43,537 countDistrict of Columbia: 51,503 countFlorida: 879,046 countGeorgia: 387,003 countHawaii: 56,668 countIdaho: 93,760 countIllinois: 399,215 countIndiana: 189,259 countIowa: 111,045 countKansas: 96,521 countKentucky: 152,145 countLouisiana: 153,869 countMaine: 64,082 countMaryland: 190,185 countMassachusetts: 292,076 countMichigan: 323,687 countMinnesota: 208,347 countMississippi: 86,648 countMissouri: 246,801 countMontana: 65,848 countNebraska: 76,887 countNevada: 108,736 countNew Hampshire: 65,193 countNew Jersey: 319,347 countNew Mexico: 67,372 countNew York: 697,833 countNorth Carolina: 374,991 countNorth Dakota: 35,589 countOhio: 336,491 countOklahoma: 129,635 countOregon: 192,214 countPennsylvania: 385,940 countRhode Island: 48,204 countSouth Carolina: 177,647 countSouth Dakota: 39,657 countTennessee: 219,965 countTexas: 831,701 countUtah: 135,615 countVermont: 31,380 countVirginia: 320,770 countWashington: 229,290 countWest Virginia: 59,270 countWisconsin: 199,130 countWyoming: 30,169 count
  • Under 60K
  • 60K to 100K
  • 100K to 150K
  • 150K to 220K
  • 220K to 330K
  • 330K and over
count, 2023. 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, 2023

California: 1,751,430 countCalifornia1,751,430Florida: 879,046 countFlorida879,046Texas: 831,701 countTexas831,701New York: 697,833 countNew York697,833Illinois: 399,215 countIllinois399,215Georgia: 387,003 countGeorgia387,003Pennsylvania: 385,940 countPennsylvania385,940North Carolina: 374,991 countNorth Carolina374,991Ohio: 336,491 countOhio336,491Michigan: 323,687 countMichigan323,687Virginia: 320,770 countVirginia320,770New Jersey: 319,347 countNew Jersey319,347Massachusetts: 292,076 countMassachusetts292,076Colorado: 258,519 countColorado258,519Missouri: 246,801 countMissouri246,801Washington: 229,290 countWashington229,290Arizona: 220,695 countArizona220,695Tennessee: 219,965 countTennessee219,965Minnesota: 208,347 countMinnesota208,347Wisconsin: 199,130 countWisconsin199,130Oregon: 192,214 countOregon192,214Maryland: 190,185 countMaryland190,185Indiana: 189,259 countIndiana189,259South Carolina: 177,647 countSouth Carolina177,647Alabama: 156,469 countAlabama156,469Louisiana: 153,869 countLouisiana153,869Kentucky: 152,145 countKentucky152,145Connecticut: 147,393 countConnecticut147,393Utah: 135,615 countUtah135,615Oklahoma: 129,635 countOklahoma129,635Iowa: 111,045 countIowa111,045Nevada: 108,736 countNevada108,736Arkansas: 102,529 countArkansas102,529Kansas: 96,521 countKansas96,521Idaho: 93,760 countIdaho93,760Mississippi: 86,648 countMississippi86,648Nebraska: 76,887 countNebraska76,887New Mexico: 67,372 countNew Mexico67,372Montana: 65,848 countMontana65,848New Hampshire: 65,193 countNew Hampshire65,193Maine: 64,082 countMaine64,082West Virginia: 59,270 countWest Virginia59,270Hawaii: 56,668 countHawaii56,668District of Columbia: 51,503 countDistrict of Columbia51,503Rhode Island: 48,204 countRhode Island48,204Delaware: 43,537 countDelaware43,537South Dakota: 39,657 countSouth Dakota39,657North Dakota: 35,589 countNorth Dakota35,589Vermont: 31,380 countVermont31,380Wyoming: 30,169 countWyoming30,169Alaska: 25,004 countAlaska25,004California: 1,751,430 countCalifornia1,751,430Florida: 879,046 countFlorida879,046Texas: 831,701 countTexas831,701New York: 697,833 countNew York697,833Illinois: 399,215 countIllinois399,215Georgia: 387,003 countGeorgia387,003Pennsylvania: 385,940 countPennsylvania385,940North Carolina: 374,991 countNorth Carolina374,991Ohio: 336,491 countOhio336,491Michigan: 323,687 countMichigan323,687Virginia: 320,770 countVirginia320,770New Jersey: 319,347 countNew Jersey319,347Massachusetts: 292,076 countMassachusetts292,076Colorado: 258,519 countColorado258,519Missouri: 246,801 countMissouri246,801Washington: 229,290 countWashington229,290Arizona: 220,695 countArizona220,695Tennessee: 219,965 countTennessee219,965Minnesota: 208,347 countMinnesota208,347Wisconsin: 199,130 countWisconsin199,130Oregon: 192,214 countOregon192,214Maryland: 190,185 countMaryland190,185Indiana: 189,259 countIndiana189,259South Carolina: 177,647 countSouth Carolina177,647Alabama: 156,469 countAlabama156,469Louisiana: 153,869 countLouisiana153,869Kentucky: 152,145 countKentucky152,145Connecticut: 147,393 countConnecticut147,393Utah: 135,615 countUtah135,615Oklahoma: 129,635 countOklahoma129,635Iowa: 111,045 countIowa111,045Nevada: 108,736 countNevada108,736Arkansas: 102,529 countArkansas102,529Kansas: 96,521 countKansas96,521Idaho: 93,760 countIdaho93,760Mississippi: 86,648 countMississippi86,648Nebraska: 76,887 countNebraska76,887New Mexico: 67,372 countNew Mexico67,372Montana: 65,848 countMontana65,848New Hampshire: 65,193 countNew Hampshire65,193Maine: 64,082 countMaine64,082West Virginia: 59,270 countWest Virginia59,270Hawaii: 56,668 countHawaii56,668District of Columbia: 51,503 countDistrict of Columbia51,503Rhode Island: 48,204 countRhode Island48,204Delaware: 43,537 countDelaware43,537South Dakota: 39,657 countSouth Dakota39,657North Dakota: 35,589 countNorth Dakota35,589Vermont: 31,380 countVermont31,380Wyoming: 30,169 countWyoming30,169Alaska: 25,004 countAlaska25,004
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

RankStates2023
count		Change on 2022
1California1,751,430+2.6%
2Florida879,046+3.2%
3Texas831,701+3.3%
4New York697,833+1.7%
5Illinois399,215+0.7%
6Georgia387,003+2%
7Pennsylvania385,940+0.5%
8North Carolina374,991+8.1%
9Ohio336,491+2.5%
10Michigan323,687+9.5%
11Virginia320,770-2.2%
12New Jersey319,347+2%
13Massachusetts292,076+0.7%
14Colorado258,519+5.3%
15Missouri246,801+5.6%
16Washington229,290-10.8%
17Arizona220,695+7.1%
18Tennessee219,965+8.8%
19Minnesota208,347+4.2%
20Wisconsin199,130+1%
21Oregon192,214+5%
22Maryland190,185+0.4%
23Indiana189,259+1.7%
24South Carolina177,647+6.8%
25Alabama156,469+5%
26Louisiana153,869+3.3%
27Kentucky152,145+6.5%
28Connecticut147,393+5.6%
29Utah135,615+2.6%
30Oklahoma129,635+5.3%
31Iowa111,045+0.3%
32Nevada108,736+3.8%
33Arkansas102,529+3.5%
34Kansas96,521+3.5%
35Idaho93,760+7.8%
36Mississippi86,648+6.6%
37Nebraska76,887-0.5%
38New Mexico67,372-0.6%
39Montana65,848+9.5%
40New Hampshire65,193+4.3%
41Maine64,082+3.2%
42West Virginia59,270+6.4%
43Hawaii56,668+8.4%
44District of Columbia51,503+6.1%
45Rhode Island48,204+4.4%
46Delaware43,537+6.8%
47South Dakota39,657+2.4%
48North Dakota35,589+4%
49Vermont31,380+4.7%
50Wyoming30,169+1.9%
51Alaska25,004+2.9%

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/2023/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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/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), 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_business_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023. 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/2023/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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/us-states?period=2023.
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/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

California, with 1.75 million in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Alaska, with 25,004 in 2023.

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