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 2020, at 105,548. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 1,670. The median was 14,817 and the figure for the United States was 1.04 million. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest105,548California
Lowest1,670District of Columbia
Median14,81751 states
United States1,036,821History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 17,565 countAlaska: 2,369 countArizona: 17,602 countArkansas: 10,606 countCalifornia: 105,548 countColorado: 18,462 countConnecticut: 11,737 countDelaware: 3,674 countDistrict of Columbia: 1,670 countFlorida: 74,226 countGeorgia: 34,637 countHawaii: 4,486 countIdaho: 6,185 countIllinois: 36,418 countIndiana: 20,784 countIowa: 11,147 countKansas: 9,591 countKentucky: 14,817 countLouisiana: 15,995 countMaine: 5,983 countMaryland: 17,082 countMassachusetts: 22,773 countMichigan: 33,088 countMinnesota: 17,921 countMississippi: 11,290 countMissouri: 19,926 countMontana: 4,602 countNebraska: 6,919 countNevada: 8,660 countNew Hampshire: 5,739 countNew Jersey: 30,165 countNew Mexico: 6,021 countNew York: 73,794 countNorth Carolina: 34,506 countNorth Dakota: 3,138 countOhio: 34,372 countOklahoma: 13,055 countOregon: 13,965 countPennsylvania: 41,045 countRhode Island: 3,620 countSouth Carolina: 17,673 countSouth Dakota: 3,725 countTennessee: 22,650 countTexas: 80,932 countUtah: 10,392 countVermont: 3,033 countVirginia: 26,064 countWashington: 20,897 countWest Virginia: 5,658 countWisconsin: 18,064 countWyoming: 2,550 count
  • Under 5,000
  • 5,000 to 9,000
  • 9,000 to 15K
  • 15K to 19K
  • 19K to 34K
  • 34K and over
count, 2020. 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, 2020

California: 105,548 countCalifornia105,548Texas: 80,932 countTexas80,932Florida: 74,226 countFlorida74,226New York: 73,794 countNew York73,794Pennsylvania: 41,045 countPennsylvania41,045Illinois: 36,418 countIllinois36,418Georgia: 34,637 countGeorgia34,637North Carolina: 34,506 countNorth Carolina34,506Ohio: 34,372 countOhio34,372Michigan: 33,088 countMichigan33,088New Jersey: 30,165 countNew Jersey30,165Virginia: 26,064 countVirginia26,064Massachusetts: 22,773 countMassachusetts22,773Tennessee: 22,650 countTennessee22,650Washington: 20,897 countWashington20,897Indiana: 20,784 countIndiana20,784Missouri: 19,926 countMissouri19,926Colorado: 18,462 countColorado18,462Wisconsin: 18,064 countWisconsin18,064Minnesota: 17,921 countMinnesota17,921South Carolina: 17,673 countSouth Carolina17,673Arizona: 17,602 countArizona17,602Alabama: 17,565 countAlabama17,565Maryland: 17,082 countMaryland17,082Louisiana: 15,995 countLouisiana15,995Kentucky: 14,817 countKentucky14,817Oregon: 13,965 countOregon13,965Oklahoma: 13,055 countOklahoma13,055Connecticut: 11,737 countConnecticut11,737Mississippi: 11,290 countMississippi11,290Iowa: 11,147 countIowa11,147Arkansas: 10,606 countArkansas10,606Utah: 10,392 countUtah10,392Kansas: 9,591 countKansas9,591Nevada: 8,660 countNevada8,660Nebraska: 6,919 countNebraska6,919Idaho: 6,185 countIdaho6,185New Mexico: 6,021 countNew Mexico6,021Maine: 5,983 countMaine5,983New Hampshire: 5,739 countNew Hampshire5,739West Virginia: 5,658 countWest Virginia5,658Montana: 4,602 countMontana4,602Hawaii: 4,486 countHawaii4,486South Dakota: 3,725 countSouth Dakota3,725Delaware: 3,674 countDelaware3,674Rhode Island: 3,620 countRhode Island3,620North Dakota: 3,138 countNorth Dakota3,138Vermont: 3,033 countVermont3,033Wyoming: 2,550 countWyoming2,550Alaska: 2,369 countAlaska2,369District of Columbia: 1,670 countDistrict of Columbia1,670California: 105,548 countCalifornia105,548Texas: 80,932 countTexas80,932Florida: 74,226 countFlorida74,226New York: 73,794 countNew York73,794Pennsylvania: 41,045 countPennsylvania41,045Illinois: 36,418 countIllinois36,418Georgia: 34,637 countGeorgia34,637North Carolina: 34,506 countNorth Carolina34,506Ohio: 34,372 countOhio34,372Michigan: 33,088 countMichigan33,088New Jersey: 30,165 countNew Jersey30,165Virginia: 26,064 countVirginia26,064Massachusetts: 22,773 countMassachusetts22,773Tennessee: 22,650 countTennessee22,650Washington: 20,897 countWashington20,897Indiana: 20,784 countIndiana20,784Missouri: 19,926 countMissouri19,926Colorado: 18,462 countColorado18,462Wisconsin: 18,064 countWisconsin18,064Minnesota: 17,921 countMinnesota17,921South Carolina: 17,673 countSouth Carolina17,673Arizona: 17,602 countArizona17,602Alabama: 17,565 countAlabama17,565Maryland: 17,082 countMaryland17,082Louisiana: 15,995 countLouisiana15,995Kentucky: 14,817 countKentucky14,817Oregon: 13,965 countOregon13,965Oklahoma: 13,055 countOklahoma13,055Connecticut: 11,737 countConnecticut11,737Mississippi: 11,290 countMississippi11,290Iowa: 11,147 countIowa11,147Arkansas: 10,606 countArkansas10,606Utah: 10,392 countUtah10,392Kansas: 9,591 countKansas9,591Nevada: 8,660 countNevada8,660Nebraska: 6,919 countNebraska6,919Idaho: 6,185 countIdaho6,185New Mexico: 6,021 countNew Mexico6,021Maine: 5,983 countMaine5,983New Hampshire: 5,739 countNew Hampshire5,739West Virginia: 5,658 countWest Virginia5,658Montana: 4,602 countMontana4,602Hawaii: 4,486 countHawaii4,486South Dakota: 3,725 countSouth Dakota3,725Delaware: 3,674 countDelaware3,674Rhode Island: 3,620 countRhode Island3,620North Dakota: 3,138 countNorth Dakota3,138Vermont: 3,033 countVermont3,033Wyoming: 2,550 countWyoming2,550Alaska: 2,369 countAlaska2,369District of Columbia: 1,670 countDistrict of Columbia1,670
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

RankStates2020
count		Change on 2019
1California105,548-0.1%
2Texas80,932+0.1%
3Florida74,226+1%
4New York73,794-2.8%
5Pennsylvania41,045-1.4%
6Illinois36,418-1.4%
7Georgia34,637+1.5%
8North Carolina34,506-0.3%
9Ohio34,372-1.1%
10Michigan33,088-1.8%
11New Jersey30,165-1.3%
12Virginia26,064-1.2%
13Massachusetts22,773-2.4%
14Tennessee22,650-0%
15Washington20,897-2%
16Indiana20,784-0.7%
17Missouri19,926-1.4%
18Colorado18,462-0.9%
19Wisconsin18,064-1.7%
20Minnesota17,921-1.8%
21South Carolina17,673-0.2%
22Arizona17,602+0.1%
23Alabama17,565-0.9%
24Maryland17,082-1.7%
25Louisiana15,995-1.6%
26Kentucky14,817-0.2%
27Oregon13,965-1.4%
28Oklahoma13,055+0.2%
29Connecticut11,737-1.6%
30Mississippi11,290-0.3%
31Iowa11,147-1.8%
32Arkansas10,606-1%
33Utah10,392+2.4%
34Kansas9,591-1.8%
35Nevada8,660+0.8%
36Nebraska6,919-1.6%
37Idaho6,185+1.4%
38New Mexico6,021-3%
39Maine5,983-1.7%
40New Hampshire5,739-1.6%
41West Virginia5,658-2.1%
42Montana4,602-0.6%
43Hawaii4,486-1.6%
44South Dakota3,725-2%
45Delaware3,674+1.8%
46Rhode Island3,620-0.7%
47North Dakota3,138-0.5%
48Vermont3,033-0.9%
49Wyoming2,550-0.4%
50Alaska2,369-3.5%
51District of Columbia1,670-1.4%

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/2020/. 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. (2022). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/

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, 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 28 Apr. 2022, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2022) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2020,
  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, 2020}},
  year = {2022},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020. 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/2020/. 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, 2020
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/04/28
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2020/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2020.
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/2020/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: retail trade?

California, with 105,548 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: retail trade?

District of Columbia, with 1,670 in 2020.

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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