Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: manufacturing / US states

US states by employer establishments: manufacturing

California had the highest employer establishments: manufacturing of 51 states in 2017, at 37,849. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 116. The median was 3,691 and the figure for the United States was 290,936. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest37,849California
Lowest116District of Columbia
Median3,69151 states
United States290,936History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 4,137 countAlaska: 534 countArizona: 4,319 countArkansas: 2,567 countCalifornia: 37,849 countColorado: 5,108 countConnecticut: 3,979 countDelaware: 548 countDistrict of Columbia: 116 countFlorida: 13,390 countGeorgia: 7,508 countHawaii: 776 countIdaho: 1,873 countIllinois: 13,154 countIndiana: 8,045 countIowa: 3,486 countKansas: 2,760 countKentucky: 3,691 countLouisiana: 3,173 countMaine: 1,683 countMaryland: 2,956 countMassachusetts: 6,418 countMichigan: 12,400 countMinnesota: 7,177 countMississippi: 2,143 countMissouri: 5,770 countMontana: 1,330 countNebraska: 1,758 countNevada: 1,826 countNew Hampshire: 1,787 countNew Jersey: 7,328 countNew Mexico: 1,325 countNew York: 15,488 countNorth Carolina: 8,796 countNorth Dakota: 699 countOhio: 13,902 countOklahoma: 3,357 countOregon: 5,547 countPennsylvania: 13,502 countRhode Island: 1,332 countSouth Carolina: 3,822 countSouth Dakota: 1,051 countTennessee: 5,797 countTexas: 19,764 countUtah: 3,366 countVermont: 1,030 countVirginia: 5,011 countWashington: 7,021 countWest Virginia: 1,147 countWisconsin: 8,817 countWyoming: 573 count
  • Under 1,200
  • 1,200 to 2,100
  • 2,100 to 3,700
  • 3,700 to 5,800
  • 5,800 to 8,800
  • 8,800 and over
count, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2017

California: 37,849 countCalifornia37,849Texas: 19,764 countTexas19,764New York: 15,488 countNew York15,488Ohio: 13,902 countOhio13,902Pennsylvania: 13,502 countPennsylvania13,502Florida: 13,390 countFlorida13,390Illinois: 13,154 countIllinois13,154Michigan: 12,400 countMichigan12,400Wisconsin: 8,817 countWisconsin8,817North Carolina: 8,796 countNorth Carolina8,796Indiana: 8,045 countIndiana8,045Georgia: 7,508 countGeorgia7,508New Jersey: 7,328 countNew Jersey7,328Minnesota: 7,177 countMinnesota7,177Washington: 7,021 countWashington7,021Massachusetts: 6,418 countMassachusetts6,418Tennessee: 5,797 countTennessee5,797Missouri: 5,770 countMissouri5,770Oregon: 5,547 countOregon5,547Colorado: 5,108 countColorado5,108Virginia: 5,011 countVirginia5,011Arizona: 4,319 countArizona4,319Alabama: 4,137 countAlabama4,137Connecticut: 3,979 countConnecticut3,979South Carolina: 3,822 countSouth Carolina3,822Kentucky: 3,691 countKentucky3,691Iowa: 3,486 countIowa3,486Utah: 3,366 countUtah3,366Oklahoma: 3,357 countOklahoma3,357Louisiana: 3,173 countLouisiana3,173Maryland: 2,956 countMaryland2,956Kansas: 2,760 countKansas2,760Arkansas: 2,567 countArkansas2,567Mississippi: 2,143 countMississippi2,143Idaho: 1,873 countIdaho1,873Nevada: 1,826 countNevada1,826New Hampshire: 1,787 countNew Hampshire1,787Nebraska: 1,758 countNebraska1,758Maine: 1,683 countMaine1,683Rhode Island: 1,332 countRhode Island1,332Montana: 1,330 countMontana1,330New Mexico: 1,325 countNew Mexico1,325West Virginia: 1,147 countWest Virginia1,147South Dakota: 1,051 countSouth Dakota1,051Vermont: 1,030 countVermont1,030Hawaii: 776 countHawaii776North Dakota: 699 countNorth Dakota699Wyoming: 573 countWyoming573Delaware: 548 countDelaware548Alaska: 534 countAlaska534District of Columbia: 116 countDistrict of Columbia116California: 37,849 countCalifornia37,849Texas: 19,764 countTexas19,764New York: 15,488 countNew York15,488Ohio: 13,902 countOhio13,902Pennsylvania: 13,502 countPennsylvania13,502Florida: 13,390 countFlorida13,390Illinois: 13,154 countIllinois13,154Michigan: 12,400 countMichigan12,400Wisconsin: 8,817 countWisconsin8,817North Carolina: 8,796 countNorth Carolina8,796Indiana: 8,045 countIndiana8,045Georgia: 7,508 countGeorgia7,508New Jersey: 7,328 countNew Jersey7,328Minnesota: 7,177 countMinnesota7,177Washington: 7,021 countWashington7,021Massachusetts: 6,418 countMassachusetts6,418Tennessee: 5,797 countTennessee5,797Missouri: 5,770 countMissouri5,770Oregon: 5,547 countOregon5,547Colorado: 5,108 countColorado5,108Virginia: 5,011 countVirginia5,011Arizona: 4,319 countArizona4,319Alabama: 4,137 countAlabama4,137Connecticut: 3,979 countConnecticut3,979South Carolina: 3,822 countSouth Carolina3,822Kentucky: 3,691 countKentucky3,691Iowa: 3,486 countIowa3,486Utah: 3,366 countUtah3,366Oklahoma: 3,357 countOklahoma3,357Louisiana: 3,173 countLouisiana3,173Maryland: 2,956 countMaryland2,956Kansas: 2,760 countKansas2,760Arkansas: 2,567 countArkansas2,567Mississippi: 2,143 countMississippi2,143Idaho: 1,873 countIdaho1,873Nevada: 1,826 countNevada1,826New Hampshire: 1,787 countNew Hampshire1,787Nebraska: 1,758 countNebraska1,758Maine: 1,683 countMaine1,683Rhode Island: 1,332 countRhode Island1,332Montana: 1,330 countMontana1,330New Mexico: 1,325 countNew Mexico1,325West Virginia: 1,147 countWest Virginia1,147South Dakota: 1,051 countSouth Dakota1,051Vermont: 1,030 countVermont1,030Hawaii: 776 countHawaii776North Dakota: 699 countNorth Dakota699Wyoming: 573 countWyoming573Delaware: 548 countDelaware548Alaska: 534 countAlaska534District of Columbia: 116 countDistrict of Columbia116
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2017
count		Change on 2016
1California37,849-0.7%
2Texas19,764+0.6%
3New York15,488-1.5%
4Ohio13,902-0.7%
5Pennsylvania13,502-0.6%
6Florida13,390+0.5%
7Illinois13,154-1.7%
8Michigan12,400+0.4%
9Wisconsin8,817+0.3%
10North Carolina8,796+0.7%
11Indiana8,045+0.3%
12Georgia7,508+0.4%
13New Jersey7,328-0.2%
14Minnesota7,177-1%
15Washington7,021+0.3%
16Massachusetts6,418-1.7%
17Tennessee5,797+1.3%
18Missouri5,770-1.1%
19Oregon5,547+1%
20Colorado5,108+1.6%
21Virginia5,011+0.2%
22Arizona4,319+0.7%
23Alabama4,137+0.7%
24Connecticut3,979-2.2%
25South Carolina3,822+1%
26Kentucky3,691-0.1%
27Iowa3,4860%
28Utah3,366+0.8%
29Oklahoma3,357-1.7%
30Louisiana3,173-1.1%
31Maryland2,956+0.3%
32Kansas2,760-1.1%
33Arkansas2,567+0.2%
34Mississippi2,143+0.1%
35Idaho1,873+4.4%
36Nevada1,826-0.7%
37New Hampshire1,787-0.7%
38Nebraska1,758-0.8%
39Maine1,683+1.4%
40Rhode Island1,332-2.8%
41Montana1,330+3%
42New Mexico1,325-2%
43West Virginia1,147-1.4%
44South Dakota1,051+1.5%
45Vermont1,030+1.5%
46Hawaii776-0.4%
47North Dakota699-3.9%
48Wyoming573+2.1%
49Delaware548-2.8%
50Alaska534+0.4%
51District of Columbia116+2.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), 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), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. 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. (2019). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2019) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017}},
  year = {2019},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2017
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/11/26
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: manufacturing?

California, with 37,849 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: manufacturing?

District of Columbia, with 116 in 2017.

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), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings