Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: construction / US states

US states by employer establishments: construction

California had the highest employer establishments: construction of 51 states in 2012, at 65,735. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 426. The median was 8,197 and the figure for the United States was 652,902. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest65,735California
Lowest426District of Columbia
Median8,19751 states
United States652,902History

Map of states, 2012

Alabama: 7,481 countAlaska: 2,413 countArizona: 11,119 countArkansas: 5,248 countCalifornia: 65,735 countColorado: 15,673 countConnecticut: 7,860 countDelaware: 2,143 countDistrict of Columbia: 426 countFlorida: 43,792 countGeorgia: 15,939 countHawaii: 2,635 countIdaho: 5,653 countIllinois: 28,087 countIndiana: 13,064 countIowa: 8,496 countKansas: 6,741 countKentucky: 7,242 countLouisiana: 7,926 countMaine: 4,749 countMaryland: 13,777 countMassachusetts: 16,688 countMichigan: 18,129 countMinnesota: 15,974 countMississippi: 3,932 countMissouri: 13,093 countMontana: 4,855 countNebraska: 5,850 countNevada: 4,541 countNew Hampshire: 3,828 countNew Jersey: 20,115 countNew Mexico: 4,352 countNew York: 45,024 countNorth Carolina: 21,010 countNorth Dakota: 2,922 countOhio: 19,726 countOklahoma: 7,906 countOregon: 11,000 countPennsylvania: 26,139 countRhode Island: 2,934 countSouth Carolina: 8,671 countSouth Dakota: 3,142 countTennessee: 9,315 countTexas: 38,544 countUtah: 8,197 countVermont: 2,689 countVirginia: 19,222 countWashington: 19,391 countWest Virginia: 3,353 countWisconsin: 13,504 countWyoming: 2,657 count
  • Under 3,200
  • 3,200 to 5,500
  • 5,500 to 8,200
  • 8,200 to 14K
  • 14K to 20K
  • 20K and over
count, 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2012

California: 65,735 countCalifornia65,735New York: 45,024 countNew York45,024Florida: 43,792 countFlorida43,792Texas: 38,544 countTexas38,544Illinois: 28,087 countIllinois28,087Pennsylvania: 26,139 countPennsylvania26,139North Carolina: 21,010 countNorth Carolina21,010New Jersey: 20,115 countNew Jersey20,115Ohio: 19,726 countOhio19,726Washington: 19,391 countWashington19,391Virginia: 19,222 countVirginia19,222Michigan: 18,129 countMichigan18,129Massachusetts: 16,688 countMassachusetts16,688Minnesota: 15,974 countMinnesota15,974Georgia: 15,939 countGeorgia15,939Colorado: 15,673 countColorado15,673Maryland: 13,777 countMaryland13,777Wisconsin: 13,504 countWisconsin13,504Missouri: 13,093 countMissouri13,093Indiana: 13,064 countIndiana13,064Arizona: 11,119 countArizona11,119Oregon: 11,000 countOregon11,000Tennessee: 9,315 countTennessee9,315South Carolina: 8,671 countSouth Carolina8,671Iowa: 8,496 countIowa8,496Utah: 8,197 countUtah8,197Louisiana: 7,926 countLouisiana7,926Oklahoma: 7,906 countOklahoma7,906Connecticut: 7,860 countConnecticut7,860Alabama: 7,481 countAlabama7,481Kentucky: 7,242 countKentucky7,242Kansas: 6,741 countKansas6,741Nebraska: 5,850 countNebraska5,850Idaho: 5,653 countIdaho5,653Arkansas: 5,248 countArkansas5,248Montana: 4,855 countMontana4,855Maine: 4,749 countMaine4,749Nevada: 4,541 countNevada4,541New Mexico: 4,352 countNew Mexico4,352Mississippi: 3,932 countMississippi3,932New Hampshire: 3,828 countNew Hampshire3,828West Virginia: 3,353 countWest Virginia3,353South Dakota: 3,142 countSouth Dakota3,142Rhode Island: 2,934 countRhode Island2,934North Dakota: 2,922 countNorth Dakota2,922Vermont: 2,689 countVermont2,689Wyoming: 2,657 countWyoming2,657Hawaii: 2,635 countHawaii2,635Alaska: 2,413 countAlaska2,413Delaware: 2,143 countDelaware2,143District of Columbia: 426 countDistrict of Columbia426California: 65,735 countCalifornia65,735New York: 45,024 countNew York45,024Florida: 43,792 countFlorida43,792Texas: 38,544 countTexas38,544Illinois: 28,087 countIllinois28,087Pennsylvania: 26,139 countPennsylvania26,139North Carolina: 21,010 countNorth Carolina21,010New Jersey: 20,115 countNew Jersey20,115Ohio: 19,726 countOhio19,726Washington: 19,391 countWashington19,391Virginia: 19,222 countVirginia19,222Michigan: 18,129 countMichigan18,129Massachusetts: 16,688 countMassachusetts16,688Minnesota: 15,974 countMinnesota15,974Georgia: 15,939 countGeorgia15,939Colorado: 15,673 countColorado15,673Maryland: 13,777 countMaryland13,777Wisconsin: 13,504 countWisconsin13,504Missouri: 13,093 countMissouri13,093Indiana: 13,064 countIndiana13,064Arizona: 11,119 countArizona11,119Oregon: 11,000 countOregon11,000Tennessee: 9,315 countTennessee9,315South Carolina: 8,671 countSouth Carolina8,671Iowa: 8,496 countIowa8,496Utah: 8,197 countUtah8,197Louisiana: 7,926 countLouisiana7,926Oklahoma: 7,906 countOklahoma7,906Connecticut: 7,860 countConnecticut7,860Alabama: 7,481 countAlabama7,481Kentucky: 7,242 countKentucky7,242Kansas: 6,741 countKansas6,741Nebraska: 5,850 countNebraska5,850Idaho: 5,653 countIdaho5,653Arkansas: 5,248 countArkansas5,248Montana: 4,855 countMontana4,855Maine: 4,749 countMaine4,749Nevada: 4,541 countNevada4,541New Mexico: 4,352 countNew Mexico4,352Mississippi: 3,932 countMississippi3,932New Hampshire: 3,828 countNew Hampshire3,828West Virginia: 3,353 countWest Virginia3,353South Dakota: 3,142 countSouth Dakota3,142Rhode Island: 2,934 countRhode Island2,934North Dakota: 2,922 countNorth Dakota2,922Vermont: 2,689 countVermont2,689Wyoming: 2,657 countWyoming2,657Hawaii: 2,635 countHawaii2,635Alaska: 2,413 countAlaska2,413Delaware: 2,143 countDelaware2,143District of Columbia: 426 countDistrict of Columbia426
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2012
count
1California65,735
2New York45,024
3Florida43,792
4Texas38,544
5Illinois28,087
6Pennsylvania26,139
7North Carolina21,010
8New Jersey20,115
9Ohio19,726
10Washington19,391
11Virginia19,222
12Michigan18,129
13Massachusetts16,688
14Minnesota15,974
15Georgia15,939
16Colorado15,673
17Maryland13,777
18Wisconsin13,504
19Missouri13,093
20Indiana13,064
21Arizona11,119
22Oregon11,000
23Tennessee9,315
24South Carolina8,671
25Iowa8,496
26Utah8,197
27Louisiana7,926
28Oklahoma7,906
29Connecticut7,860
30Alabama7,481
31Kentucky7,242
32Kansas6,741
33Nebraska5,850
34Idaho5,653
35Arkansas5,248
36Montana4,855
37Maine4,749
38Nevada4,541
39New Mexico4,352
40Mississippi3,932
41New Hampshire3,828
42West Virginia3,353
43South Dakota3,142
44Rhode Island2,934
45North Dakota2,922
46Vermont2,689
47Wyoming2,657
48Hawaii2,635
49Alaska2,413
50Delaware2,143
51District of Columbia426

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in construction (NAICS 23), 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), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. 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. (2018). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012. U.S. Census Bureau, 12 Sept. 2018, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: construction, 2012
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/09/12
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-construction/us-states?period=2012.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: construction?

California, with 65,735 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: construction?

District of Columbia, with 426 in 2012.

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), construction (NAICS 23), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings