Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing / US states

US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing

California had the highest employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing of 51 states in 2017, at 56,901. Vermont had the lowest, at 778. The median was 4,915 and the figure for the United States was 406,568. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest56,901California
Lowest778Vermont
Median4,91551 states
United States406,568History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 4,334 countAlaska: 953 countArizona: 9,901 countArkansas: 3,081 countCalifornia: 56,901 countColorado: 12,003 countConnecticut: 3,384 countDelaware: 1,253 countDistrict of Columbia: 1,337 countFlorida: 37,195 countGeorgia: 12,315 countHawaii: 2,045 countIdaho: 2,631 countIllinois: 13,430 countIndiana: 6,598 countIowa: 3,110 countKansas: 3,389 countKentucky: 3,852 countLouisiana: 5,063 countMaine: 1,804 countMaryland: 6,718 countMassachusetts: 7,448 countMichigan: 8,259 countMinnesota: 7,114 countMississippi: 2,385 countMissouri: 6,537 countMontana: 2,034 countNebraska: 2,332 countNevada: 4,668 countNew Hampshire: 1,502 countNew Jersey: 9,530 countNew Mexico: 2,364 countNew York: 33,911 countNorth Carolina: 12,356 countNorth Dakota: 1,097 countOhio: 10,598 countOklahoma: 4,408 countOregon: 6,731 countPennsylvania: 10,488 countRhode Island: 1,100 countSouth Carolina: 5,843 countSouth Dakota: 1,135 countTennessee: 5,979 countTexas: 31,923 countUtah: 5,566 countVermont: 778 countVirginia: 9,948 countWashington: 11,730 countWest Virginia: 1,416 countWisconsin: 4,915 countWyoming: 1,176 count
  • Under 1,400
  • 1,400 to 2,900
  • 2,900 to 4,900
  • 4,900 to 6,900
  • 6,900 to 11K
  • 11K and over
count, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2017

California: 56,901 countCalifornia56,901Florida: 37,195 countFlorida37,195New York: 33,911 countNew York33,911Texas: 31,923 countTexas31,923Illinois: 13,430 countIllinois13,430North Carolina: 12,356 countNorth Carolina12,356Georgia: 12,315 countGeorgia12,315Colorado: 12,003 countColorado12,003Washington: 11,730 countWashington11,730Ohio: 10,598 countOhio10,598Pennsylvania: 10,488 countPennsylvania10,488Virginia: 9,948 countVirginia9,948Arizona: 9,901 countArizona9,901New Jersey: 9,530 countNew Jersey9,530Michigan: 8,259 countMichigan8,259Massachusetts: 7,448 countMassachusetts7,448Minnesota: 7,114 countMinnesota7,114Oregon: 6,731 countOregon6,731Maryland: 6,718 countMaryland6,718Indiana: 6,598 countIndiana6,598Missouri: 6,537 countMissouri6,537Tennessee: 5,979 countTennessee5,979South Carolina: 5,843 countSouth Carolina5,843Utah: 5,566 countUtah5,566Louisiana: 5,063 countLouisiana5,063Wisconsin: 4,915 countWisconsin4,915Nevada: 4,668 countNevada4,668Oklahoma: 4,408 countOklahoma4,408Alabama: 4,334 countAlabama4,334Kentucky: 3,852 countKentucky3,852Kansas: 3,389 countKansas3,389Connecticut: 3,384 countConnecticut3,384Iowa: 3,110 countIowa3,110Arkansas: 3,081 countArkansas3,081Idaho: 2,631 countIdaho2,631Mississippi: 2,385 countMississippi2,385New Mexico: 2,364 countNew Mexico2,364Nebraska: 2,332 countNebraska2,332Hawaii: 2,045 countHawaii2,045Montana: 2,034 countMontana2,034Maine: 1,804 countMaine1,804New Hampshire: 1,502 countNew Hampshire1,502West Virginia: 1,416 countWest Virginia1,416District of Columbia: 1,337 countDistrict of Columbia1,337Delaware: 1,253 countDelaware1,253Wyoming: 1,176 countWyoming1,176South Dakota: 1,135 countSouth Dakota1,135Rhode Island: 1,100 countRhode Island1,100North Dakota: 1,097 countNorth Dakota1,097Alaska: 953 countAlaska953Vermont: 778 countVermont778California: 56,901 countCalifornia56,901Florida: 37,195 countFlorida37,195New York: 33,911 countNew York33,911Texas: 31,923 countTexas31,923Illinois: 13,430 countIllinois13,430North Carolina: 12,356 countNorth Carolina12,356Georgia: 12,315 countGeorgia12,315Colorado: 12,003 countColorado12,003Washington: 11,730 countWashington11,730Ohio: 10,598 countOhio10,598Pennsylvania: 10,488 countPennsylvania10,488Virginia: 9,948 countVirginia9,948Arizona: 9,901 countArizona9,901New Jersey: 9,530 countNew Jersey9,530Michigan: 8,259 countMichigan8,259Massachusetts: 7,448 countMassachusetts7,448Minnesota: 7,114 countMinnesota7,114Oregon: 6,731 countOregon6,731Maryland: 6,718 countMaryland6,718Indiana: 6,598 countIndiana6,598Missouri: 6,537 countMissouri6,537Tennessee: 5,979 countTennessee5,979South Carolina: 5,843 countSouth Carolina5,843Utah: 5,566 countUtah5,566Louisiana: 5,063 countLouisiana5,063Wisconsin: 4,915 countWisconsin4,915Nevada: 4,668 countNevada4,668Oklahoma: 4,408 countOklahoma4,408Alabama: 4,334 countAlabama4,334Kentucky: 3,852 countKentucky3,852Kansas: 3,389 countKansas3,389Connecticut: 3,384 countConnecticut3,384Iowa: 3,110 countIowa3,110Arkansas: 3,081 countArkansas3,081Idaho: 2,631 countIdaho2,631Mississippi: 2,385 countMississippi2,385New Mexico: 2,364 countNew Mexico2,364Nebraska: 2,332 countNebraska2,332Hawaii: 2,045 countHawaii2,045Montana: 2,034 countMontana2,034Maine: 1,804 countMaine1,804New Hampshire: 1,502 countNew Hampshire1,502West Virginia: 1,416 countWest Virginia1,416District of Columbia: 1,337 countDistrict of Columbia1,337Delaware: 1,253 countDelaware1,253Wyoming: 1,176 countWyoming1,176South Dakota: 1,135 countSouth Dakota1,135Rhode Island: 1,100 countRhode Island1,100North Dakota: 1,097 countNorth Dakota1,097Alaska: 953 countAlaska953Vermont: 778 countVermont778
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2017
count		Change on 2016
1California56,901+4.8%
2Florida37,195+4%
3New York33,911+1.1%
4Texas31,923+5.2%
5Illinois13,430+3.8%
6North Carolina12,356+7.4%
7Georgia12,315+5.1%
8Colorado12,003+7.5%
9Washington11,730+6.3%
10Ohio10,598+2.3%
11Pennsylvania10,488+4%
12Virginia9,948+1.9%
13Arizona9,901+6.7%
14New Jersey9,530+4.6%
15Michigan8,259+3.9%
16Massachusetts7,448+4%
17Minnesota7,114+4.3%
18Oregon6,731+5.8%
19Maryland6,718+3.2%
20Indiana6,598+4.1%
21Missouri6,537+3.6%
22Tennessee5,979+2.3%
23South Carolina5,843+7%
24Utah5,566+5.4%
25Louisiana5,063+1.7%
26Wisconsin4,915+1.5%
27Nevada4,668+5.7%
28Oklahoma4,408+3.3%
29Alabama4,334+2.8%
30Kentucky3,852+1.6%
31Kansas3,389+2.9%
32Connecticut3,384+4.5%
33Iowa3,110+5.2%
34Arkansas3,081+2.6%
35Idaho2,631+9.4%
36Mississippi2,385-0.9%
37New Mexico2,364+1.5%
38Nebraska2,332+3.7%
39Hawaii2,045+4%
40Montana2,034+2.6%
41Maine1,804+5.1%
42New Hampshire1,502+5.1%
43West Virginia1,416+2.1%
44District of Columbia1,337+4.1%
45Delaware1,253+1.3%
46Wyoming1,1760%
47South Dakota1,135+3.7%
48Rhode Island1,100+0.5%
49North Dakota1,097+0.5%
50Alaska953+2.1%
51Vermont778+2.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), 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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), 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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-real-estate/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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 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-real-estate/us-states?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2019) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2017/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-real-estate/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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 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-real-estate/us-states?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), 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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing, 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-real-estate/us-states?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-real-estate/us-states?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), 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: real estate, rental and leasing?

California, with 56,901 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: real estate, rental and leasing?

Vermont, with 778 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), real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings