Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: manufacturing / US states

US states by employer establishments: manufacturing

California had the highest employer establishments: manufacturing of 51 states in 2018, at 37,433. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 117. The median was 3,687 and the figure for the United States was 290,092. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest37,433California
Lowest117District of Columbia
Median3,68751 states
United States290,092History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 4,145 countAlaska: 537 countArizona: 4,336 countArkansas: 2,573 countCalifornia: 37,433 countColorado: 5,155 countConnecticut: 3,965 countDelaware: 573 countDistrict of Columbia: 117 countFlorida: 13,425 countGeorgia: 7,577 countHawaii: 793 countIdaho: 1,904 countIllinois: 13,051 countIndiana: 8,027 countIowa: 3,491 countKansas: 2,725 countKentucky: 3,687 countLouisiana: 3,156 countMaine: 1,670 countMaryland: 2,960 countMassachusetts: 6,360 countMichigan: 12,385 countMinnesota: 7,103 countMississippi: 2,109 countMissouri: 5,680 countMontana: 1,349 countNebraska: 1,753 countNevada: 1,872 countNew Hampshire: 1,796 countNew Jersey: 7,291 countNew Mexico: 1,321 countNew York: 15,112 countNorth Carolina: 8,726 countNorth Dakota: 697 countOhio: 13,888 countOklahoma: 3,392 countOregon: 5,518 countPennsylvania: 13,463 countRhode Island: 1,293 countSouth Carolina: 3,859 countSouth Dakota: 1,030 countTennessee: 5,745 countTexas: 20,138 countUtah: 3,422 countVermont: 1,045 countVirginia: 5,011 countWashington: 6,988 countWest Virginia: 1,115 countWisconsin: 8,749 countWyoming: 582 count
  • Under 1,200
  • 1,200 to 2,000
  • 2,000 to 3,700
  • 3,700 to 5,700
  • 5,700 to 8,700
  • 8,700 and over
count, 2018. 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, 2018

California: 37,433 countCalifornia37,433Texas: 20,138 countTexas20,138New York: 15,112 countNew York15,112Ohio: 13,888 countOhio13,888Pennsylvania: 13,463 countPennsylvania13,463Florida: 13,425 countFlorida13,425Illinois: 13,051 countIllinois13,051Michigan: 12,385 countMichigan12,385Wisconsin: 8,749 countWisconsin8,749North Carolina: 8,726 countNorth Carolina8,726Indiana: 8,027 countIndiana8,027Georgia: 7,577 countGeorgia7,577New Jersey: 7,291 countNew Jersey7,291Minnesota: 7,103 countMinnesota7,103Washington: 6,988 countWashington6,988Massachusetts: 6,360 countMassachusetts6,360Tennessee: 5,745 countTennessee5,745Missouri: 5,680 countMissouri5,680Oregon: 5,518 countOregon5,518Colorado: 5,155 countColorado5,155Virginia: 5,011 countVirginia5,011Arizona: 4,336 countArizona4,336Alabama: 4,145 countAlabama4,145Connecticut: 3,965 countConnecticut3,965South Carolina: 3,859 countSouth Carolina3,859Kentucky: 3,687 countKentucky3,687Iowa: 3,491 countIowa3,491Utah: 3,422 countUtah3,422Oklahoma: 3,392 countOklahoma3,392Louisiana: 3,156 countLouisiana3,156Maryland: 2,960 countMaryland2,960Kansas: 2,725 countKansas2,725Arkansas: 2,573 countArkansas2,573Mississippi: 2,109 countMississippi2,109Idaho: 1,904 countIdaho1,904Nevada: 1,872 countNevada1,872New Hampshire: 1,796 countNew Hampshire1,796Nebraska: 1,753 countNebraska1,753Maine: 1,670 countMaine1,670Montana: 1,349 countMontana1,349New Mexico: 1,321 countNew Mexico1,321Rhode Island: 1,293 countRhode Island1,293West Virginia: 1,115 countWest Virginia1,115Vermont: 1,045 countVermont1,045South Dakota: 1,030 countSouth Dakota1,030Hawaii: 793 countHawaii793North Dakota: 697 countNorth Dakota697Wyoming: 582 countWyoming582Delaware: 573 countDelaware573Alaska: 537 countAlaska537District of Columbia: 117 countDistrict of Columbia117California: 37,433 countCalifornia37,433Texas: 20,138 countTexas20,138New York: 15,112 countNew York15,112Ohio: 13,888 countOhio13,888Pennsylvania: 13,463 countPennsylvania13,463Florida: 13,425 countFlorida13,425Illinois: 13,051 countIllinois13,051Michigan: 12,385 countMichigan12,385Wisconsin: 8,749 countWisconsin8,749North Carolina: 8,726 countNorth Carolina8,726Indiana: 8,027 countIndiana8,027Georgia: 7,577 countGeorgia7,577New Jersey: 7,291 countNew Jersey7,291Minnesota: 7,103 countMinnesota7,103Washington: 6,988 countWashington6,988Massachusetts: 6,360 countMassachusetts6,360Tennessee: 5,745 countTennessee5,745Missouri: 5,680 countMissouri5,680Oregon: 5,518 countOregon5,518Colorado: 5,155 countColorado5,155Virginia: 5,011 countVirginia5,011Arizona: 4,336 countArizona4,336Alabama: 4,145 countAlabama4,145Connecticut: 3,965 countConnecticut3,965South Carolina: 3,859 countSouth Carolina3,859Kentucky: 3,687 countKentucky3,687Iowa: 3,491 countIowa3,491Utah: 3,422 countUtah3,422Oklahoma: 3,392 countOklahoma3,392Louisiana: 3,156 countLouisiana3,156Maryland: 2,960 countMaryland2,960Kansas: 2,725 countKansas2,725Arkansas: 2,573 countArkansas2,573Mississippi: 2,109 countMississippi2,109Idaho: 1,904 countIdaho1,904Nevada: 1,872 countNevada1,872New Hampshire: 1,796 countNew Hampshire1,796Nebraska: 1,753 countNebraska1,753Maine: 1,670 countMaine1,670Montana: 1,349 countMontana1,349New Mexico: 1,321 countNew Mexico1,321Rhode Island: 1,293 countRhode Island1,293West Virginia: 1,115 countWest Virginia1,115Vermont: 1,045 countVermont1,045South Dakota: 1,030 countSouth Dakota1,030Hawaii: 793 countHawaii793North Dakota: 697 countNorth Dakota697Wyoming: 582 countWyoming582Delaware: 573 countDelaware573Alaska: 537 countAlaska537District of Columbia: 117 countDistrict of Columbia117
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

RankStates2018
count		Change on 2017
1California37,433-1.1%
2Texas20,138+1.9%
3New York15,112-2.4%
4Ohio13,888-0.1%
5Pennsylvania13,463-0.3%
6Florida13,425+0.3%
7Illinois13,051-0.8%
8Michigan12,385-0.1%
9Wisconsin8,749-0.8%
10North Carolina8,726-0.8%
11Indiana8,027-0.2%
12Georgia7,577+0.9%
13New Jersey7,291-0.5%
14Minnesota7,103-1%
15Washington6,988-0.5%
16Massachusetts6,360-0.9%
17Tennessee5,745-0.9%
18Missouri5,680-1.6%
19Oregon5,518-0.5%
20Colorado5,155+0.9%
21Virginia5,0110%
22Arizona4,336+0.4%
23Alabama4,145+0.2%
24Connecticut3,965-0.4%
25South Carolina3,859+1%
26Kentucky3,687-0.1%
27Iowa3,491+0.1%
28Utah3,422+1.7%
29Oklahoma3,392+1%
30Louisiana3,156-0.5%
31Maryland2,960+0.1%
32Kansas2,725-1.3%
33Arkansas2,573+0.2%
34Mississippi2,109-1.6%
35Idaho1,904+1.7%
36Nevada1,872+2.5%
37New Hampshire1,796+0.5%
38Nebraska1,753-0.3%
39Maine1,670-0.8%
40Montana1,349+1.4%
41New Mexico1,321-0.3%
42Rhode Island1,293-2.9%
43West Virginia1,115-2.8%
44Vermont1,045+1.5%
45South Dakota1,030-2%
46Hawaii793+2.2%
47North Dakota697-0.3%
48Wyoming582+1.6%
49Delaware573+4.6%
50Alaska537+0.6%
51District of Columbia117+0.9%

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/2018/. 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. (2020). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2020, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2020) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: manufacturing, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2018,
  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, 2018}},
  year = {2020},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018. 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/2018/. 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, 2018
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2018/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-manufacturing/us-states?period=2018.
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/2018/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: manufacturing?

California, with 37,433 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: manufacturing?

District of Columbia, with 117 in 2018.

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