Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: information / US states

US states by employer establishments: information

California had the highest employer establishments: information of 51 states in 2021, at 28,343. North Dakota had the lowest, at 362. The median was 1,862 and the figure for the United States was 162,006. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest28,343California
Lowest362North Dakota
Median1,86251 states
United States162,006History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 1,909 countAlaska: 413 countArizona: 2,695 countArkansas: 1,198 countCalifornia: 28,343 countColorado: 3,910 countConnecticut: 1,776 countDelaware: 861 countDistrict of Columbia: 870 countFlorida: 10,255 countGeorgia: 5,182 countHawaii: 582 countIdaho: 871 countIllinois: 5,776 countIndiana: 2,370 countIowa: 1,592 countKansas: 1,459 countKentucky: 1,862 countLouisiana: 1,576 countMaine: 828 countMaryland: 2,527 countMassachusetts: 3,709 countMichigan: 4,071 countMinnesota: 2,693 countMississippi: 1,058 countMissouri: 2,754 countMontana: 718 countNebraska: 957 countNevada: 1,633 countNew Hampshire: 766 countNew Jersey: 3,829 countNew Mexico: 835 countNew York: 12,428 countNorth Carolina: 4,131 countNorth Dakota: 362 countOhio: 4,252 countOklahoma: 1,566 countOregon: 2,415 countPennsylvania: 5,616 countRhode Island: 459 countSouth Carolina: 1,760 countSouth Dakota: 468 countTennessee: 3,011 countTexas: 11,354 countUtah: 2,008 countVermont: 484 countVirginia: 3,996 countWashington: 4,194 countWest Virginia: 650 countWisconsin: 2,503 countWyoming: 471 count
  • Under 700
  • 700 to 1,200
  • 1,200 to 1,900
  • 1,900 to 2,700
  • 2,700 to 4,200
  • 4,200 and over
count, 2021. 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, 2021

California: 28,343 countCalifornia28,343New York: 12,428 countNew York12,428Texas: 11,354 countTexas11,354Florida: 10,255 countFlorida10,255Illinois: 5,776 countIllinois5,776Pennsylvania: 5,616 countPennsylvania5,616Georgia: 5,182 countGeorgia5,182Ohio: 4,252 countOhio4,252Washington: 4,194 countWashington4,194North Carolina: 4,131 countNorth Carolina4,131Michigan: 4,071 countMichigan4,071Virginia: 3,996 countVirginia3,996Colorado: 3,910 countColorado3,910New Jersey: 3,829 countNew Jersey3,829Massachusetts: 3,709 countMassachusetts3,709Tennessee: 3,011 countTennessee3,011Missouri: 2,754 countMissouri2,754Arizona: 2,695 countArizona2,695Minnesota: 2,693 countMinnesota2,693Maryland: 2,527 countMaryland2,527Wisconsin: 2,503 countWisconsin2,503Oregon: 2,415 countOregon2,415Indiana: 2,370 countIndiana2,370Utah: 2,008 countUtah2,008Alabama: 1,909 countAlabama1,909Kentucky: 1,862 countKentucky1,862Connecticut: 1,776 countConnecticut1,776South Carolina: 1,760 countSouth Carolina1,760Nevada: 1,633 countNevada1,633Iowa: 1,592 countIowa1,592Louisiana: 1,576 countLouisiana1,576Oklahoma: 1,566 countOklahoma1,566Kansas: 1,459 countKansas1,459Arkansas: 1,198 countArkansas1,198Mississippi: 1,058 countMississippi1,058Nebraska: 957 countNebraska957Idaho: 871 countIdaho871District of Columbia: 870 countDistrict of Columbia870Delaware: 861 countDelaware861New Mexico: 835 countNew Mexico835Maine: 828 countMaine828New Hampshire: 766 countNew Hampshire766Montana: 718 countMontana718West Virginia: 650 countWest Virginia650Hawaii: 582 countHawaii582Vermont: 484 countVermont484Wyoming: 471 countWyoming471South Dakota: 468 countSouth Dakota468Rhode Island: 459 countRhode Island459Alaska: 413 countAlaska413North Dakota: 362 countNorth Dakota362California: 28,343 countCalifornia28,343New York: 12,428 countNew York12,428Texas: 11,354 countTexas11,354Florida: 10,255 countFlorida10,255Illinois: 5,776 countIllinois5,776Pennsylvania: 5,616 countPennsylvania5,616Georgia: 5,182 countGeorgia5,182Ohio: 4,252 countOhio4,252Washington: 4,194 countWashington4,194North Carolina: 4,131 countNorth Carolina4,131Michigan: 4,071 countMichigan4,071Virginia: 3,996 countVirginia3,996Colorado: 3,910 countColorado3,910New Jersey: 3,829 countNew Jersey3,829Massachusetts: 3,709 countMassachusetts3,709Tennessee: 3,011 countTennessee3,011Missouri: 2,754 countMissouri2,754Arizona: 2,695 countArizona2,695Minnesota: 2,693 countMinnesota2,693Maryland: 2,527 countMaryland2,527Wisconsin: 2,503 countWisconsin2,503Oregon: 2,415 countOregon2,415Indiana: 2,370 countIndiana2,370Utah: 2,008 countUtah2,008Alabama: 1,909 countAlabama1,909Kentucky: 1,862 countKentucky1,862Connecticut: 1,776 countConnecticut1,776South Carolina: 1,760 countSouth Carolina1,760Nevada: 1,633 countNevada1,633Iowa: 1,592 countIowa1,592Louisiana: 1,576 countLouisiana1,576Oklahoma: 1,566 countOklahoma1,566Kansas: 1,459 countKansas1,459Arkansas: 1,198 countArkansas1,198Mississippi: 1,058 countMississippi1,058Nebraska: 957 countNebraska957Idaho: 871 countIdaho871District of Columbia: 870 countDistrict of Columbia870Delaware: 861 countDelaware861New Mexico: 835 countNew Mexico835Maine: 828 countMaine828New Hampshire: 766 countNew Hampshire766Montana: 718 countMontana718West Virginia: 650 countWest Virginia650Hawaii: 582 countHawaii582Vermont: 484 countVermont484Wyoming: 471 countWyoming471South Dakota: 468 countSouth Dakota468Rhode Island: 459 countRhode Island459Alaska: 413 countAlaska413North Dakota: 362 countNorth Dakota362
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

RankStates2021
count		Change on 2020
1California28,343+1.6%
2New York12,428+0.6%
3Texas11,354+1.7%
4Florida10,255+2%
5Illinois5,776-2.4%
6Pennsylvania5,616-1%
7Georgia5,182+0.3%
8Ohio4,252-0.8%
9Washington4,194+0.2%
10North Carolina4,131+0.4%
11Michigan4,071-3.2%
12Virginia3,996+0.8%
13Colorado3,910-1.1%
14New Jersey3,829-0.6%
15Massachusetts3,709-2.5%
16Tennessee3,011+2%
17Missouri2,754+0.8%
18Arizona2,695+1.2%
19Minnesota2,693-0.9%
20Maryland2,527+2.1%
21Wisconsin2,503-0.9%
22Oregon2,415+0.1%
23Indiana2,370-4.6%
24Utah2,008+6.8%
25Alabama1,909+4.4%
26Kentucky1,862+2.9%
27Connecticut1,776-2.3%
28South Carolina1,760-0.1%
29Nevada1,633+3.9%
30Iowa1,592-1.1%
31Louisiana1,576+1.2%
32Oklahoma1,566+3.4%
33Kansas1,459+2.5%
34Arkansas1,198+1.7%
35Mississippi1,058+1.4%
36Nebraska957+0.1%
37Idaho871-0.2%
38District of Columbia870+2%
39Delaware861+19.9%
40New Mexico835-1.8%
41Maine828+2.9%
42New Hampshire766-2.3%
43Montana718+3.3%
44West Virginia650-0.6%
45Hawaii582-3.3%
46Vermont484-1.4%
47Wyoming471+6.1%
48South Dakota468+4.2%
49Rhode Island459+3.6%
50Alaska413-0.5%
51North Dakota362+4.3%

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/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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: information, 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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: information, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: information, 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-information/us-states?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2023) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: information, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: information, 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-information/us-states?period=2021. 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/2021/. 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, 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-information/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-information/us-states?period=2021.
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/2021/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: information?

California, with 28,343 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: information?

North Dakota, with 362 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), information (NAICS 51), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings