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 2021, at 105,805. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 1,664. The median was 14,773 and the figure for the United States was 1.04 million. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest105,805California
Lowest1,664District of Columbia
Median14,77351 states
United States1,036,879History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 17,661 countAlaska: 2,397 countArizona: 17,541 countArkansas: 10,469 countCalifornia: 105,805 countColorado: 18,590 countConnecticut: 11,612 countDelaware: 3,732 countDistrict of Columbia: 1,664 countFlorida: 75,295 countGeorgia: 35,518 countHawaii: 4,384 countIdaho: 6,176 countIllinois: 36,105 countIndiana: 20,821 countIowa: 11,062 countKansas: 9,547 countKentucky: 14,773 countLouisiana: 15,835 countMaine: 6,006 countMaryland: 16,885 countMassachusetts: 22,474 countMichigan: 32,865 countMinnesota: 17,768 countMississippi: 11,160 countMissouri: 19,815 countMontana: 4,576 countNebraska: 6,878 countNevada: 8,839 countNew Hampshire: 5,718 countNew Jersey: 29,885 countNew Mexico: 6,012 countNew York: 72,828 countNorth Carolina: 34,963 countNorth Dakota: 3,123 countOhio: 34,090 countOklahoma: 13,277 countOregon: 13,914 countPennsylvania: 40,439 countRhode Island: 3,566 countSouth Carolina: 18,025 countSouth Dakota: 3,742 countTennessee: 22,874 countTexas: 82,077 countUtah: 10,332 countVermont: 3,014 countVirginia: 25,776 countWashington: 20,755 countWest Virginia: 5,616 countWisconsin: 17,988 countWyoming: 2,612 count
  • Under 4,000
  • 4,000 to 9,000
  • 9,000 to 15K
  • 15K to 19K
  • 19K to 34K
  • 34K and over
count, 2021. 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, 2021

California: 105,805 countCalifornia105,805Texas: 82,077 countTexas82,077Florida: 75,295 countFlorida75,295New York: 72,828 countNew York72,828Pennsylvania: 40,439 countPennsylvania40,439Illinois: 36,105 countIllinois36,105Georgia: 35,518 countGeorgia35,518North Carolina: 34,963 countNorth Carolina34,963Ohio: 34,090 countOhio34,090Michigan: 32,865 countMichigan32,865New Jersey: 29,885 countNew Jersey29,885Virginia: 25,776 countVirginia25,776Tennessee: 22,874 countTennessee22,874Massachusetts: 22,474 countMassachusetts22,474Indiana: 20,821 countIndiana20,821Washington: 20,755 countWashington20,755Missouri: 19,815 countMissouri19,815Colorado: 18,590 countColorado18,590South Carolina: 18,025 countSouth Carolina18,025Wisconsin: 17,988 countWisconsin17,988Minnesota: 17,768 countMinnesota17,768Alabama: 17,661 countAlabama17,661Arizona: 17,541 countArizona17,541Maryland: 16,885 countMaryland16,885Louisiana: 15,835 countLouisiana15,835Kentucky: 14,773 countKentucky14,773Oregon: 13,914 countOregon13,914Oklahoma: 13,277 countOklahoma13,277Connecticut: 11,612 countConnecticut11,612Mississippi: 11,160 countMississippi11,160Iowa: 11,062 countIowa11,062Arkansas: 10,469 countArkansas10,469Utah: 10,332 countUtah10,332Kansas: 9,547 countKansas9,547Nevada: 8,839 countNevada8,839Nebraska: 6,878 countNebraska6,878Idaho: 6,176 countIdaho6,176New Mexico: 6,012 countNew Mexico6,012Maine: 6,006 countMaine6,006New Hampshire: 5,718 countNew Hampshire5,718West Virginia: 5,616 countWest Virginia5,616Montana: 4,576 countMontana4,576Hawaii: 4,384 countHawaii4,384South Dakota: 3,742 countSouth Dakota3,742Delaware: 3,732 countDelaware3,732Rhode Island: 3,566 countRhode Island3,566North Dakota: 3,123 countNorth Dakota3,123Vermont: 3,014 countVermont3,014Wyoming: 2,612 countWyoming2,612Alaska: 2,397 countAlaska2,397District of Columbia: 1,664 countDistrict of Columbia1,664California: 105,805 countCalifornia105,805Texas: 82,077 countTexas82,077Florida: 75,295 countFlorida75,295New York: 72,828 countNew York72,828Pennsylvania: 40,439 countPennsylvania40,439Illinois: 36,105 countIllinois36,105Georgia: 35,518 countGeorgia35,518North Carolina: 34,963 countNorth Carolina34,963Ohio: 34,090 countOhio34,090Michigan: 32,865 countMichigan32,865New Jersey: 29,885 countNew Jersey29,885Virginia: 25,776 countVirginia25,776Tennessee: 22,874 countTennessee22,874Massachusetts: 22,474 countMassachusetts22,474Indiana: 20,821 countIndiana20,821Washington: 20,755 countWashington20,755Missouri: 19,815 countMissouri19,815Colorado: 18,590 countColorado18,590South Carolina: 18,025 countSouth Carolina18,025Wisconsin: 17,988 countWisconsin17,988Minnesota: 17,768 countMinnesota17,768Alabama: 17,661 countAlabama17,661Arizona: 17,541 countArizona17,541Maryland: 16,885 countMaryland16,885Louisiana: 15,835 countLouisiana15,835Kentucky: 14,773 countKentucky14,773Oregon: 13,914 countOregon13,914Oklahoma: 13,277 countOklahoma13,277Connecticut: 11,612 countConnecticut11,612Mississippi: 11,160 countMississippi11,160Iowa: 11,062 countIowa11,062Arkansas: 10,469 countArkansas10,469Utah: 10,332 countUtah10,332Kansas: 9,547 countKansas9,547Nevada: 8,839 countNevada8,839Nebraska: 6,878 countNebraska6,878Idaho: 6,176 countIdaho6,176New Mexico: 6,012 countNew Mexico6,012Maine: 6,006 countMaine6,006New Hampshire: 5,718 countNew Hampshire5,718West Virginia: 5,616 countWest Virginia5,616Montana: 4,576 countMontana4,576Hawaii: 4,384 countHawaii4,384South Dakota: 3,742 countSouth Dakota3,742Delaware: 3,732 countDelaware3,732Rhode Island: 3,566 countRhode Island3,566North Dakota: 3,123 countNorth Dakota3,123Vermont: 3,014 countVermont3,014Wyoming: 2,612 countWyoming2,612Alaska: 2,397 countAlaska2,397District of Columbia: 1,664 countDistrict of Columbia1,664
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

RankStates2021
count		Change on 2020
1California105,805+0.2%
2Texas82,077+1.4%
3Florida75,295+1.4%
4New York72,828-1.3%
5Pennsylvania40,439-1.5%
6Illinois36,105-0.9%
7Georgia35,518+2.5%
8North Carolina34,963+1.3%
9Ohio34,090-0.8%
10Michigan32,865-0.7%
11New Jersey29,885-0.9%
12Virginia25,776-1.1%
13Tennessee22,874+1%
14Massachusetts22,474-1.3%
15Indiana20,821+0.2%
16Washington20,755-0.7%
17Missouri19,815-0.6%
18Colorado18,590+0.7%
19South Carolina18,025+2%
20Wisconsin17,988-0.4%
21Minnesota17,768-0.9%
22Alabama17,661+0.5%
23Arizona17,541-0.3%
24Maryland16,885-1.2%
25Louisiana15,835-1%
26Kentucky14,773-0.3%
27Oregon13,914-0.4%
28Oklahoma13,277+1.7%
29Connecticut11,612-1.1%
30Mississippi11,160-1.2%
31Iowa11,062-0.8%
32Arkansas10,469-1.3%
33Utah10,332-0.6%
34Kansas9,547-0.5%
35Nevada8,839+2.1%
36Nebraska6,878-0.6%
37Idaho6,176-0.1%
38New Mexico6,012-0.1%
39Maine6,006+0.4%
40New Hampshire5,718-0.4%
41West Virginia5,616-0.7%
42Montana4,576-0.6%
43Hawaii4,384-2.3%
44South Dakota3,742+0.5%
45Delaware3,732+1.6%
46Rhode Island3,566-1.5%
47North Dakota3,123-0.5%
48Vermont3,014-0.6%
49Wyoming2,612+2.4%
50Alaska2,397+1.2%
51District of Columbia1,664-0.4%

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/2021/. 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. (2023). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/

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, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2023. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2023) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), retail trade (NAICS 44-45), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: retail trade, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  year = {2023},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021. 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/2021/. 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, 2021
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/04/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2021/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-retail-trade/us-states?period=2021.
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/2021/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: retail trade?

California, with 105,805 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: retail trade?

District of Columbia, with 1,664 in 2021.

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.

US states: more rankings