Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: information / US states

US states by employer establishments: information

California had the highest employer establishments: information of 51 states in 2020, at 27,894. North Dakota had the lowest, at 347. The median was 1,818 and the figure for the United States was 160,930. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27,894California
Lowest347North Dakota
Median1,81851 states
United States160,930History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 1,829 countAlaska: 415 countArizona: 2,662 countArkansas: 1,178 countCalifornia: 27,894 countColorado: 3,952 countConnecticut: 1,818 countDelaware: 718 countDistrict of Columbia: 853 countFlorida: 10,058 countGeorgia: 5,167 countHawaii: 602 countIdaho: 873 countIllinois: 5,917 countIndiana: 2,483 countIowa: 1,610 countKansas: 1,424 countKentucky: 1,809 countLouisiana: 1,558 countMaine: 805 countMaryland: 2,475 countMassachusetts: 3,806 countMichigan: 4,207 countMinnesota: 2,717 countMississippi: 1,043 countMissouri: 2,732 countMontana: 695 countNebraska: 956 countNevada: 1,571 countNew Hampshire: 784 countNew Jersey: 3,854 countNew Mexico: 850 countNew York: 12,352 countNorth Carolina: 4,114 countNorth Dakota: 347 countOhio: 4,285 countOklahoma: 1,515 countOregon: 2,412 countPennsylvania: 5,674 countRhode Island: 443 countSouth Carolina: 1,762 countSouth Dakota: 449 countTennessee: 2,951 countTexas: 11,165 countUtah: 1,880 countVermont: 491 countVirginia: 3,964 countWashington: 4,186 countWest Virginia: 654 countWisconsin: 2,527 countWyoming: 444 count
  • Under 700
  • 700 to 1,100
  • 1,100 to 1,800
  • 1,800 to 2,700
  • 2,700 to 4,200
  • 4,200 and over
count, 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2020

California: 27,894 countCalifornia27,894New York: 12,352 countNew York12,352Texas: 11,165 countTexas11,165Florida: 10,058 countFlorida10,058Illinois: 5,917 countIllinois5,917Pennsylvania: 5,674 countPennsylvania5,674Georgia: 5,167 countGeorgia5,167Ohio: 4,285 countOhio4,285Michigan: 4,207 countMichigan4,207Washington: 4,186 countWashington4,186North Carolina: 4,114 countNorth Carolina4,114Virginia: 3,964 countVirginia3,964Colorado: 3,952 countColorado3,952New Jersey: 3,854 countNew Jersey3,854Massachusetts: 3,806 countMassachusetts3,806Tennessee: 2,951 countTennessee2,951Missouri: 2,732 countMissouri2,732Minnesota: 2,717 countMinnesota2,717Arizona: 2,662 countArizona2,662Wisconsin: 2,527 countWisconsin2,527Indiana: 2,483 countIndiana2,483Maryland: 2,475 countMaryland2,475Oregon: 2,412 countOregon2,412Utah: 1,880 countUtah1,880Alabama: 1,829 countAlabama1,829Connecticut: 1,818 countConnecticut1,818Kentucky: 1,809 countKentucky1,809South Carolina: 1,762 countSouth Carolina1,762Iowa: 1,610 countIowa1,610Nevada: 1,571 countNevada1,571Louisiana: 1,558 countLouisiana1,558Oklahoma: 1,515 countOklahoma1,515Kansas: 1,424 countKansas1,424Arkansas: 1,178 countArkansas1,178Mississippi: 1,043 countMississippi1,043Nebraska: 956 countNebraska956Idaho: 873 countIdaho873District of Columbia: 853 countDistrict of Columbia853New Mexico: 850 countNew Mexico850Maine: 805 countMaine805New Hampshire: 784 countNew Hampshire784Delaware: 718 countDelaware718Montana: 695 countMontana695West Virginia: 654 countWest Virginia654Hawaii: 602 countHawaii602Vermont: 491 countVermont491South Dakota: 449 countSouth Dakota449Wyoming: 444 countWyoming444Rhode Island: 443 countRhode Island443Alaska: 415 countAlaska415North Dakota: 347 countNorth Dakota347California: 27,894 countCalifornia27,894New York: 12,352 countNew York12,352Texas: 11,165 countTexas11,165Florida: 10,058 countFlorida10,058Illinois: 5,917 countIllinois5,917Pennsylvania: 5,674 countPennsylvania5,674Georgia: 5,167 countGeorgia5,167Ohio: 4,285 countOhio4,285Michigan: 4,207 countMichigan4,207Washington: 4,186 countWashington4,186North Carolina: 4,114 countNorth Carolina4,114Virginia: 3,964 countVirginia3,964Colorado: 3,952 countColorado3,952New Jersey: 3,854 countNew Jersey3,854Massachusetts: 3,806 countMassachusetts3,806Tennessee: 2,951 countTennessee2,951Missouri: 2,732 countMissouri2,732Minnesota: 2,717 countMinnesota2,717Arizona: 2,662 countArizona2,662Wisconsin: 2,527 countWisconsin2,527Indiana: 2,483 countIndiana2,483Maryland: 2,475 countMaryland2,475Oregon: 2,412 countOregon2,412Utah: 1,880 countUtah1,880Alabama: 1,829 countAlabama1,829Connecticut: 1,818 countConnecticut1,818Kentucky: 1,809 countKentucky1,809South Carolina: 1,762 countSouth Carolina1,762Iowa: 1,610 countIowa1,610Nevada: 1,571 countNevada1,571Louisiana: 1,558 countLouisiana1,558Oklahoma: 1,515 countOklahoma1,515Kansas: 1,424 countKansas1,424Arkansas: 1,178 countArkansas1,178Mississippi: 1,043 countMississippi1,043Nebraska: 956 countNebraska956Idaho: 873 countIdaho873District of Columbia: 853 countDistrict of Columbia853New Mexico: 850 countNew Mexico850Maine: 805 countMaine805New Hampshire: 784 countNew Hampshire784Delaware: 718 countDelaware718Montana: 695 countMontana695West Virginia: 654 countWest Virginia654Hawaii: 602 countHawaii602Vermont: 491 countVermont491South Dakota: 449 countSouth Dakota449Wyoming: 444 countWyoming444Rhode Island: 443 countRhode Island443Alaska: 415 countAlaska415North Dakota: 347 countNorth Dakota347
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2020
count		Change on 2019
1California27,894+2.6%
2New York12,352+0.3%
3Texas11,165+1.8%
4Florida10,058+2.6%
5Illinois5,917-2.9%
6Pennsylvania5,674+0.5%
7Georgia5,167+3.5%
8Ohio4,285-1.1%
9Michigan4,207+0.9%
10Washington4,186+4.2%
11North Carolina4,114+1.7%
12Virginia3,964-2.1%
13Colorado3,952+2.3%
14New Jersey3,854-0.1%
15Massachusetts3,806-1.1%
16Tennessee2,951+1.3%
17Missouri2,732+0.3%
18Minnesota2,717+0.2%
19Arizona2,662+1.1%
20Wisconsin2,527-0.4%
21Indiana2,483+0.2%
22Maryland2,475-0.5%
23Oregon2,412+1.8%
24Utah1,880+2.6%
25Alabama1,829-1.2%
26Connecticut1,818-0.4%
27Kentucky1,809-0.8%
28South Carolina1,762+2.6%
29Iowa1,610-0.4%
30Nevada1,571+5.6%
31Louisiana1,558-0.6%
32Oklahoma1,515-3.3%
33Kansas1,424+0.1%
34Arkansas1,178-0.7%
35Mississippi1,043-0.5%
36Nebraska956-0.9%
37Idaho873+3.7%
38District of Columbia853-1.3%
39New Mexico850-0.4%
40Maine805-0.1%
41New Hampshire784+0.9%
42Delaware718+9.8%
43Montana695+0.1%
44West Virginia654-2.1%
45Hawaii602+6.4%
46Vermont491+0.6%
47South Dakota449-5.3%
48Wyoming444+5.5%
49Rhode Island443+1.8%
50Alaska4150%
51North Dakota347-0.9%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in information (publishing, media, telecommunications and data processing) (NAICS 51), 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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. 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. (2022). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: information, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: information, 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 28 Apr. 2022, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: information, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2022) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: information, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: information, 2020}},
  year = {2022},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: information, 2020
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/04/28
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: information?

California, with 27,894 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: information?

North Dakota, with 347 in 2020.

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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings