Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation / US states

US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation

California had the highest employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation of 51 states in 2021, at 32,340. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 435. The median was 1,796 and the figure for the United States was 156,145. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest32,340California
Lowest435District of Columbia
Median1,79651 states
United States156,145History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 1,277 countAlaska: 596 countArizona: 2,368 countArkansas: 851 countCalifornia: 32,340 countColorado: 3,370 countConnecticut: 1,796 countDelaware: 539 countDistrict of Columbia: 435 countFlorida: 10,175 countGeorgia: 4,066 countHawaii: 538 countIdaho: 913 countIllinois: 5,461 countIndiana: 2,255 countIowa: 1,465 countKansas: 1,062 countKentucky: 1,297 countLouisiana: 1,649 countMaine: 909 countMaryland: 2,200 countMassachusetts: 3,466 countMichigan: 3,500 countMinnesota: 3,079 countMississippi: 703 countMissouri: 2,359 countMontana: 1,313 countNebraska: 969 countNevada: 1,873 countNew Hampshire: 833 countNew Jersey: 3,861 countNew Mexico: 713 countNew York: 13,456 countNorth Carolina: 4,228 countNorth Dakota: 486 countOhio: 3,976 countOklahoma: 1,244 countOregon: 2,045 countPennsylvania: 5,041 countRhode Island: 608 countSouth Carolina: 1,828 countSouth Dakota: 745 countTennessee: 2,980 countTexas: 8,797 countUtah: 1,459 countVermont: 465 countVirginia: 3,225 countWashington: 3,224 countWest Virginia: 733 countWisconsin: 2,859 countWyoming: 515 count
  • Under 700
  • 700 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,800
  • 1,800 to 2,900
  • 2,900 to 3,900
  • 3,900 and over
count, 2021. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2021

California: 32,340 countCalifornia32,340New York: 13,456 countNew York13,456Florida: 10,175 countFlorida10,175Texas: 8,797 countTexas8,797Illinois: 5,461 countIllinois5,461Pennsylvania: 5,041 countPennsylvania5,041North Carolina: 4,228 countNorth Carolina4,228Georgia: 4,066 countGeorgia4,066Ohio: 3,976 countOhio3,976New Jersey: 3,861 countNew Jersey3,861Michigan: 3,500 countMichigan3,500Massachusetts: 3,466 countMassachusetts3,466Colorado: 3,370 countColorado3,370Virginia: 3,225 countVirginia3,225Washington: 3,224 countWashington3,224Minnesota: 3,079 countMinnesota3,079Tennessee: 2,980 countTennessee2,980Wisconsin: 2,859 countWisconsin2,859Arizona: 2,368 countArizona2,368Missouri: 2,359 countMissouri2,359Indiana: 2,255 countIndiana2,255Maryland: 2,200 countMaryland2,200Oregon: 2,045 countOregon2,045Nevada: 1,873 countNevada1,873South Carolina: 1,828 countSouth Carolina1,828Connecticut: 1,796 countConnecticut1,796Louisiana: 1,649 countLouisiana1,649Iowa: 1,465 countIowa1,465Utah: 1,459 countUtah1,459Montana: 1,313 countMontana1,313Kentucky: 1,297 countKentucky1,297Alabama: 1,277 countAlabama1,277Oklahoma: 1,244 countOklahoma1,244Kansas: 1,062 countKansas1,062Nebraska: 969 countNebraska969Idaho: 913 countIdaho913Maine: 909 countMaine909Arkansas: 851 countArkansas851New Hampshire: 833 countNew Hampshire833South Dakota: 745 countSouth Dakota745West Virginia: 733 countWest Virginia733New Mexico: 713 countNew Mexico713Mississippi: 703 countMississippi703Rhode Island: 608 countRhode Island608Alaska: 596 countAlaska596Delaware: 539 countDelaware539Hawaii: 538 countHawaii538Wyoming: 515 countWyoming515North Dakota: 486 countNorth Dakota486Vermont: 465 countVermont465District of Columbia: 435 countDistrict of Columbia435California: 32,340 countCalifornia32,340New York: 13,456 countNew York13,456Florida: 10,175 countFlorida10,175Texas: 8,797 countTexas8,797Illinois: 5,461 countIllinois5,461Pennsylvania: 5,041 countPennsylvania5,041North Carolina: 4,228 countNorth Carolina4,228Georgia: 4,066 countGeorgia4,066Ohio: 3,976 countOhio3,976New Jersey: 3,861 countNew Jersey3,861Michigan: 3,500 countMichigan3,500Massachusetts: 3,466 countMassachusetts3,466Colorado: 3,370 countColorado3,370Virginia: 3,225 countVirginia3,225Washington: 3,224 countWashington3,224Minnesota: 3,079 countMinnesota3,079Tennessee: 2,980 countTennessee2,980Wisconsin: 2,859 countWisconsin2,859Arizona: 2,368 countArizona2,368Missouri: 2,359 countMissouri2,359Indiana: 2,255 countIndiana2,255Maryland: 2,200 countMaryland2,200Oregon: 2,045 countOregon2,045Nevada: 1,873 countNevada1,873South Carolina: 1,828 countSouth Carolina1,828Connecticut: 1,796 countConnecticut1,796Louisiana: 1,649 countLouisiana1,649Iowa: 1,465 countIowa1,465Utah: 1,459 countUtah1,459Montana: 1,313 countMontana1,313Kentucky: 1,297 countKentucky1,297Alabama: 1,277 countAlabama1,277Oklahoma: 1,244 countOklahoma1,244Kansas: 1,062 countKansas1,062Nebraska: 969 countNebraska969Idaho: 913 countIdaho913Maine: 909 countMaine909Arkansas: 851 countArkansas851New Hampshire: 833 countNew Hampshire833South Dakota: 745 countSouth Dakota745West Virginia: 733 countWest Virginia733New Mexico: 713 countNew Mexico713Mississippi: 703 countMississippi703Rhode Island: 608 countRhode Island608Alaska: 596 countAlaska596Delaware: 539 countDelaware539Hawaii: 538 countHawaii538Wyoming: 515 countWyoming515North Dakota: 486 countNorth Dakota486Vermont: 465 countVermont465District of Columbia: 435 countDistrict of Columbia435
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2021
count		Change on 2020
1California32,340+4.1%
2New York13,456+1.3%
3Florida10,175+3.6%
4Texas8,797+4.3%
5Illinois5,461+3.8%
6Pennsylvania5,041+2%
7North Carolina4,228+3.6%
8Georgia4,066+5.7%
9Ohio3,976+1.1%
10New Jersey3,861-0.7%
11Michigan3,500+2.9%
12Massachusetts3,466+0.6%
13Colorado3,370+4.9%
14Virginia3,225+2.7%
15Washington3,224+0.2%
16Minnesota3,079+1.5%
17Tennessee2,980+3%
18Wisconsin2,859+0.8%
19Arizona2,368+0.8%
20Missouri2,359+2%
21Indiana2,255+0.4%
22Maryland2,200+3.7%
23Oregon2,045-0.5%
24Nevada1,873+5.5%
25South Carolina1,828+0.8%
26Connecticut1,796+1.6%
27Louisiana1,649+2.4%
28Iowa1,465+3.1%
29Utah1,459+5.5%
30Montana1,313+3.5%
31Kentucky1,297+1.6%
32Alabama1,277+3.6%
33Oklahoma1,244+3.1%
34Kansas1,062-0.2%
35Nebraska969+3.4%
36Idaho913+5.3%
37Maine909+2.7%
38Arkansas851+1.3%
39New Hampshire833+1.2%
40South Dakota745+5.7%
41West Virginia733+2.7%
42New Mexico713+0.6%
43Mississippi703+1.2%
44Rhode Island608+2%
45Alaska596+4.7%
46Delaware539+4.3%
47Hawaii538-0.7%
48Wyoming515+7.1%
49North Dakota486+3.2%
50Vermont465+5.7%
51District of Columbia435-2.9%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), 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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), 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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-arts-entertainment/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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 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-arts-entertainment/us-states?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2023) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-arts-entertainment/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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 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-arts-entertainment/us-states?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), 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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation, 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-arts-entertainment/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-arts-entertainment/us-states?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), 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: arts, entertainment and recreation?

California, with 32,340 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: arts, entertainment and recreation?

District of Columbia, with 435 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), arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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