Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: accommodation and food services / US states

US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services

California had the highest employer establishments: accommodation and food services of 51 states in 2021, at 90,848. Wyoming had the lowest, at 1,845. The median was 9,563 and the figure for the United States was 745,930. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest90,848California
Lowest1,845Wyoming
Median9,56351 states
United States745,930History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 9,563 countAlaska: 2,158 countArizona: 13,896 countArkansas: 6,208 countCalifornia: 90,848 countColorado: 14,670 countConnecticut: 8,789 countDelaware: 2,314 countDistrict of Columbia: 2,685 countFlorida: 45,827 countGeorgia: 23,148 countHawaii: 3,799 countIdaho: 4,205 countIllinois: 29,030 countIndiana: 14,025 countIowa: 7,245 countKansas: 6,409 countKentucky: 8,386 countLouisiana: 10,236 countMaine: 4,244 countMaryland: 12,244 countMassachusetts: 17,480 countMichigan: 20,766 countMinnesota: 11,963 countMississippi: 5,947 countMissouri: 13,268 countMontana: 3,715 countNebraska: 4,645 countNevada: 7,368 countNew Hampshire: 3,841 countNew Jersey: 21,659 countNew Mexico: 4,418 countNew York: 53,045 countNorth Carolina: 22,625 countNorth Dakota: 2,090 countOhio: 24,819 countOklahoma: 8,653 countOregon: 11,880 countPennsylvania: 28,570 countRhode Island: 3,167 countSouth Carolina: 11,438 countSouth Dakota: 2,556 countTennessee: 14,565 countTexas: 62,110 countUtah: 6,322 countVermont: 1,897 countVirginia: 18,671 countWashington: 18,134 countWest Virginia: 3,614 countWisconsin: 14,930 countWyoming: 1,845 count
  • Under 3,600
  • 3,600 to 6,100
  • 6,100 to 9,600
  • 9,600 to 14K
  • 14K to 22K
  • 22K and over
count, 2021. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2021

California: 90,848 countCalifornia90,848Texas: 62,110 countTexas62,110New York: 53,045 countNew York53,045Florida: 45,827 countFlorida45,827Illinois: 29,030 countIllinois29,030Pennsylvania: 28,570 countPennsylvania28,570Ohio: 24,819 countOhio24,819Georgia: 23,148 countGeorgia23,148North Carolina: 22,625 countNorth Carolina22,625New Jersey: 21,659 countNew Jersey21,659Michigan: 20,766 countMichigan20,766Virginia: 18,671 countVirginia18,671Washington: 18,134 countWashington18,134Massachusetts: 17,480 countMassachusetts17,480Wisconsin: 14,930 countWisconsin14,930Colorado: 14,670 countColorado14,670Tennessee: 14,565 countTennessee14,565Indiana: 14,025 countIndiana14,025Arizona: 13,896 countArizona13,896Missouri: 13,268 countMissouri13,268Maryland: 12,244 countMaryland12,244Minnesota: 11,963 countMinnesota11,963Oregon: 11,880 countOregon11,880South Carolina: 11,438 countSouth Carolina11,438Louisiana: 10,236 countLouisiana10,236Alabama: 9,563 countAlabama9,563Connecticut: 8,789 countConnecticut8,789Oklahoma: 8,653 countOklahoma8,653Kentucky: 8,386 countKentucky8,386Nevada: 7,368 countNevada7,368Iowa: 7,245 countIowa7,245Kansas: 6,409 countKansas6,409Utah: 6,322 countUtah6,322Arkansas: 6,208 countArkansas6,208Mississippi: 5,947 countMississippi5,947Nebraska: 4,645 countNebraska4,645New Mexico: 4,418 countNew Mexico4,418Maine: 4,244 countMaine4,244Idaho: 4,205 countIdaho4,205New Hampshire: 3,841 countNew Hampshire3,841Hawaii: 3,799 countHawaii3,799Montana: 3,715 countMontana3,715West Virginia: 3,614 countWest Virginia3,614Rhode Island: 3,167 countRhode Island3,167District of Columbia: 2,685 countDistrict of Columbia2,685South Dakota: 2,556 countSouth Dakota2,556Delaware: 2,314 countDelaware2,314Alaska: 2,158 countAlaska2,158North Dakota: 2,090 countNorth Dakota2,090Vermont: 1,897 countVermont1,897Wyoming: 1,845 countWyoming1,845California: 90,848 countCalifornia90,848Texas: 62,110 countTexas62,110New York: 53,045 countNew York53,045Florida: 45,827 countFlorida45,827Illinois: 29,030 countIllinois29,030Pennsylvania: 28,570 countPennsylvania28,570Ohio: 24,819 countOhio24,819Georgia: 23,148 countGeorgia23,148North Carolina: 22,625 countNorth Carolina22,625New Jersey: 21,659 countNew Jersey21,659Michigan: 20,766 countMichigan20,766Virginia: 18,671 countVirginia18,671Washington: 18,134 countWashington18,134Massachusetts: 17,480 countMassachusetts17,480Wisconsin: 14,930 countWisconsin14,930Colorado: 14,670 countColorado14,670Tennessee: 14,565 countTennessee14,565Indiana: 14,025 countIndiana14,025Arizona: 13,896 countArizona13,896Missouri: 13,268 countMissouri13,268Maryland: 12,244 countMaryland12,244Minnesota: 11,963 countMinnesota11,963Oregon: 11,880 countOregon11,880South Carolina: 11,438 countSouth Carolina11,438Louisiana: 10,236 countLouisiana10,236Alabama: 9,563 countAlabama9,563Connecticut: 8,789 countConnecticut8,789Oklahoma: 8,653 countOklahoma8,653Kentucky: 8,386 countKentucky8,386Nevada: 7,368 countNevada7,368Iowa: 7,245 countIowa7,245Kansas: 6,409 countKansas6,409Utah: 6,322 countUtah6,322Arkansas: 6,208 countArkansas6,208Mississippi: 5,947 countMississippi5,947Nebraska: 4,645 countNebraska4,645New Mexico: 4,418 countNew Mexico4,418Maine: 4,244 countMaine4,244Idaho: 4,205 countIdaho4,205New Hampshire: 3,841 countNew Hampshire3,841Hawaii: 3,799 countHawaii3,799Montana: 3,715 countMontana3,715West Virginia: 3,614 countWest Virginia3,614Rhode Island: 3,167 countRhode Island3,167District of Columbia: 2,685 countDistrict of Columbia2,685South Dakota: 2,556 countSouth Dakota2,556Delaware: 2,314 countDelaware2,314Alaska: 2,158 countAlaska2,158North Dakota: 2,090 countNorth Dakota2,090Vermont: 1,897 countVermont1,897Wyoming: 1,845 countWyoming1,845
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2021
count		Change on 2020
1California90,848+0.4%
2Texas62,110+3.1%
3New York53,045-0.3%
4Florida45,827+3.9%
5Illinois29,030+0.5%
6Pennsylvania28,570+0.3%
7Ohio24,819+2%
8Georgia23,148+3.6%
9North Carolina22,625+1.8%
10New Jersey21,659+0.7%
11Michigan20,766+1.3%
12Virginia18,671+1.4%
13Washington18,134+2.1%
14Massachusetts17,4800%
15Wisconsin14,930+1.1%
16Colorado14,670+2.2%
17Tennessee14,565+3%
18Indiana14,025+2.1%
19Arizona13,896+2.8%
20Missouri13,268+2.2%
21Maryland12,244+0.8%
22Minnesota11,963+1.7%
23Oregon11,880+1.5%
24South Carolina11,438+3%
25Louisiana10,236+1.3%
26Alabama9,563+2.6%
27Connecticut8,789+0.1%
28Oklahoma8,653+1.3%
29Kentucky8,386+2.3%
30Nevada7,368+4.1%
31Iowa7,245+0.8%
32Kansas6,409+3.3%
33Utah6,322+3.8%
34Arkansas6,208+2.1%
35Mississippi5,947+3.1%
36Nebraska4,645+2.4%
37New Mexico4,418-0.2%
38Maine4,244+3%
39Idaho4,205+4.6%
40New Hampshire3,841+0.7%
41Hawaii3,799-1.1%
42Montana3,715+3.9%
43West Virginia3,614+2%
44Rhode Island3,167+1.2%
45District of Columbia2,685-2.1%
46South Dakota2,556+2.7%
47Delaware2,314+2%
48Alaska2,158+2.9%
49North Dakota2,090+0.9%
50Vermont1,897+0.6%
51Wyoming1,845+4.3%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in accommodation and food services (hotels, restaurants and bars) (NAICS 72), from the U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.

County Business Patterns: establishments (single physical locations, not firms) with paid employees during the pay period including 12 March. Excludes the self-employed and businesses without employees (nonemployer_establishments_*), government employers, crop and animal production, rail transportation, the Postal Service and private households. Establishment counts are not perturbed; the noise Census adds since 2017 applies to employment and payroll, which are not served here. Published about 18 months after the reference year.

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. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. 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. Census Bureau. (2023). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2023. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2023) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021}},
  year = {2023},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: accommodation and food services, 2021
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/04/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-accommodation-food-services/us-states?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: accommodation and food services?

California, with 90,848 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: accommodation and food services?

Wyoming, with 1,845 in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), accommodation and food services (NAICS 72), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings