Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: retail trade / US states

US states by employer establishments: retail trade

California had the highest employer establishments: retail trade of 51 states in 2012, at 106,425. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 1,744. The median was 15,251 and the figure for the United States was 1.06 million. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest106,425California
Lowest1,744District of Columbia
Median15,25151 states
United States1,063,842History

Map of states, 2012

Alabama: 18,230 countAlaska: 2,503 countArizona: 17,554 countArkansas: 10,940 countCalifornia: 106,425 countColorado: 18,488 countConnecticut: 12,623 countDelaware: 3,620 countDistrict of Columbia: 1,744 countFlorida: 71,292 countGeorgia: 33,473 countHawaii: 4,631 countIdaho: 5,823 countIllinois: 40,031 countIndiana: 21,679 countIowa: 12,109 countKansas: 10,585 countKentucky: 15,251 countLouisiana: 16,774 countMaine: 6,359 countMaryland: 18,186 countMassachusetts: 24,434 countMichigan: 34,901 countMinnesota: 19,252 countMississippi: 11,586 countMissouri: 21,396 countMontana: 4,825 countNebraska: 7,295 countNevada: 8,145 countNew Hampshire: 6,160 countNew Jersey: 31,774 countNew Mexico: 6,595 countNew York: 77,611 countNorth Carolina: 34,270 countNorth Dakota: 3,191 countOhio: 36,664 countOklahoma: 13,059 countOregon: 13,940 countPennsylvania: 44,046 countRhode Island: 3,788 countSouth Carolina: 17,594 countSouth Dakota: 3,881 countTennessee: 22,595 countTexas: 78,433 countUtah: 9,053 countVermont: 3,535 countVirginia: 27,469 countWashington: 21,590 countWest Virginia: 6,400 countWisconsin: 19,357 countWyoming: 2,683 count
  • Under 5,000
  • 5,000 to 9,000
  • 9,000 to 15K
  • 15K to 20K
  • 20K to 34K
  • 34K and over
count, 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2012

California: 106,425 countCalifornia106,425Texas: 78,433 countTexas78,433New York: 77,611 countNew York77,611Florida: 71,292 countFlorida71,292Pennsylvania: 44,046 countPennsylvania44,046Illinois: 40,031 countIllinois40,031Ohio: 36,664 countOhio36,664Michigan: 34,901 countMichigan34,901North Carolina: 34,270 countNorth Carolina34,270Georgia: 33,473 countGeorgia33,473New Jersey: 31,774 countNew Jersey31,774Virginia: 27,469 countVirginia27,469Massachusetts: 24,434 countMassachusetts24,434Tennessee: 22,595 countTennessee22,595Indiana: 21,679 countIndiana21,679Washington: 21,590 countWashington21,590Missouri: 21,396 countMissouri21,396Wisconsin: 19,357 countWisconsin19,357Minnesota: 19,252 countMinnesota19,252Colorado: 18,488 countColorado18,488Alabama: 18,230 countAlabama18,230Maryland: 18,186 countMaryland18,186South Carolina: 17,594 countSouth Carolina17,594Arizona: 17,554 countArizona17,554Louisiana: 16,774 countLouisiana16,774Kentucky: 15,251 countKentucky15,251Oregon: 13,940 countOregon13,940Oklahoma: 13,059 countOklahoma13,059Connecticut: 12,623 countConnecticut12,623Iowa: 12,109 countIowa12,109Mississippi: 11,586 countMississippi11,586Arkansas: 10,940 countArkansas10,940Kansas: 10,585 countKansas10,585Utah: 9,053 countUtah9,053Nevada: 8,145 countNevada8,145Nebraska: 7,295 countNebraska7,295New Mexico: 6,595 countNew Mexico6,595West Virginia: 6,400 countWest Virginia6,400Maine: 6,359 countMaine6,359New Hampshire: 6,160 countNew Hampshire6,160Idaho: 5,823 countIdaho5,823Montana: 4,825 countMontana4,825Hawaii: 4,631 countHawaii4,631South Dakota: 3,881 countSouth Dakota3,881Rhode Island: 3,788 countRhode Island3,788Delaware: 3,620 countDelaware3,620Vermont: 3,535 countVermont3,535North Dakota: 3,191 countNorth Dakota3,191Wyoming: 2,683 countWyoming2,683Alaska: 2,503 countAlaska2,503District of Columbia: 1,744 countDistrict of Columbia1,744California: 106,425 countCalifornia106,425Texas: 78,433 countTexas78,433New York: 77,611 countNew York77,611Florida: 71,292 countFlorida71,292Pennsylvania: 44,046 countPennsylvania44,046Illinois: 40,031 countIllinois40,031Ohio: 36,664 countOhio36,664Michigan: 34,901 countMichigan34,901North Carolina: 34,270 countNorth Carolina34,270Georgia: 33,473 countGeorgia33,473New Jersey: 31,774 countNew Jersey31,774Virginia: 27,469 countVirginia27,469Massachusetts: 24,434 countMassachusetts24,434Tennessee: 22,595 countTennessee22,595Indiana: 21,679 countIndiana21,679Washington: 21,590 countWashington21,590Missouri: 21,396 countMissouri21,396Wisconsin: 19,357 countWisconsin19,357Minnesota: 19,252 countMinnesota19,252Colorado: 18,488 countColorado18,488Alabama: 18,230 countAlabama18,230Maryland: 18,186 countMaryland18,186South Carolina: 17,594 countSouth Carolina17,594Arizona: 17,554 countArizona17,554Louisiana: 16,774 countLouisiana16,774Kentucky: 15,251 countKentucky15,251Oregon: 13,940 countOregon13,940Oklahoma: 13,059 countOklahoma13,059Connecticut: 12,623 countConnecticut12,623Iowa: 12,109 countIowa12,109Mississippi: 11,586 countMississippi11,586Arkansas: 10,940 countArkansas10,940Kansas: 10,585 countKansas10,585Utah: 9,053 countUtah9,053Nevada: 8,145 countNevada8,145Nebraska: 7,295 countNebraska7,295New Mexico: 6,595 countNew Mexico6,595West Virginia: 6,400 countWest Virginia6,400Maine: 6,359 countMaine6,359New Hampshire: 6,160 countNew Hampshire6,160Idaho: 5,823 countIdaho5,823Montana: 4,825 countMontana4,825Hawaii: 4,631 countHawaii4,631South Dakota: 3,881 countSouth Dakota3,881Rhode Island: 3,788 countRhode Island3,788Delaware: 3,620 countDelaware3,620Vermont: 3,535 countVermont3,535North Dakota: 3,191 countNorth Dakota3,191Wyoming: 2,683 countWyoming2,683Alaska: 2,503 countAlaska2,503District of Columbia: 1,744 countDistrict of Columbia1,744
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2012
count
1California106,425
2Texas78,433
3New York77,611
4Florida71,292
5Pennsylvania44,046
6Illinois40,031
7Ohio36,664
8Michigan34,901
9North Carolina34,270
10Georgia33,473
11New Jersey31,774
12Virginia27,469
13Massachusetts24,434
14Tennessee22,595
15Indiana21,679
16Washington21,590
17Missouri21,396
18Wisconsin19,357
19Minnesota19,252
20Colorado18,488
21Alabama18,230
22Maryland18,186
23South Carolina17,594
24Arizona17,554
25Louisiana16,774
26Kentucky15,251
27Oregon13,940
28Oklahoma13,059
29Connecticut12,623
30Iowa12,109
31Mississippi11,586
32Arkansas10,940
33Kansas10,585
34Utah9,053
35Nevada8,145
36Nebraska7,295
37New Mexico6,595
38West Virginia6,400
39Maine6,359
40New Hampshire6,160
41Idaho5,823
42Montana4,825
43Hawaii4,631
44South Dakota3,881
45Rhode Island3,788
46Delaware3,620
47Vermont3,535
48North Dakota3,191
49Wyoming2,683
50Alaska2,503
51District of Columbia1,744

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in retail trade (NAICS 44-45), 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), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. 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. (2018). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012. U.S. Census Bureau, 12 Sept. 2018, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2012
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/09/12
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2012.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: retail trade?

California, with 106,425 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: retail trade?

District of Columbia, with 1,744 in 2012.

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), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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