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

US states by employer establishments: wholesale trade

California had the highest employer establishments: wholesale trade of 51 states in 2012, at 59,372. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 436. The median was 5,051 and the figure for the United States was 420,501. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest59,372California
Lowest436District of Columbia
Median5,05151 states
United States420,501History

Map of states, 2012

Alabama: 5,422 countAlaska: 746 countArizona: 6,669 countArkansas: 3,483 countCalifornia: 59,372 countColorado: 7,257 countConnecticut: 4,374 countDelaware: 1,034 countDistrict of Columbia: 436 countFlorida: 31,730 countGeorgia: 13,163 countHawaii: 1,743 countIdaho: 2,033 countIllinois: 19,293 countIndiana: 7,814 countIowa: 4,954 countKansas: 4,563 countKentucky: 4,352 countLouisiana: 5,637 countMaine: 1,552 countMaryland: 5,759 countMassachusetts: 8,050 countMichigan: 11,523 countMinnesota: 8,276 countMississippi: 2,850 countMissouri: 8,044 countMontana: 1,540 countNebraska: 3,180 countNevada: 2,977 countNew Hampshire: 1,875 countNew Jersey: 14,713 countNew Mexico: 1,954 countNew York: 32,764 countNorth Carolina: 11,878 countNorth Dakota: 1,624 countOhio: 14,275 countOklahoma: 4,666 countOregon: 5,415 countPennsylvania: 15,097 countRhode Island: 1,382 countSouth Carolina: 5,051 countSouth Dakota: 1,489 countTennessee: 6,926 countTexas: 32,722 countUtah: 3,656 countVermont: 826 countVirginia: 7,412 countWashington: 9,384 countWest Virginia: 1,570 countWisconsin: 7,163 countWyoming: 833 count
  • Under 1,600
  • 1,600 to 3,100
  • 3,100 to 5,100
  • 5,100 to 7,300
  • 7,300 to 13K
  • 13K and over
count, 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2012

California: 59,372 countCalifornia59,372New York: 32,764 countNew York32,764Texas: 32,722 countTexas32,722Florida: 31,730 countFlorida31,730Illinois: 19,293 countIllinois19,293Pennsylvania: 15,097 countPennsylvania15,097New Jersey: 14,713 countNew Jersey14,713Ohio: 14,275 countOhio14,275Georgia: 13,163 countGeorgia13,163North Carolina: 11,878 countNorth Carolina11,878Michigan: 11,523 countMichigan11,523Washington: 9,384 countWashington9,384Minnesota: 8,276 countMinnesota8,276Massachusetts: 8,050 countMassachusetts8,050Missouri: 8,044 countMissouri8,044Indiana: 7,814 countIndiana7,814Virginia: 7,412 countVirginia7,412Colorado: 7,257 countColorado7,257Wisconsin: 7,163 countWisconsin7,163Tennessee: 6,926 countTennessee6,926Arizona: 6,669 countArizona6,669Maryland: 5,759 countMaryland5,759Louisiana: 5,637 countLouisiana5,637Alabama: 5,422 countAlabama5,422Oregon: 5,415 countOregon5,415South Carolina: 5,051 countSouth Carolina5,051Iowa: 4,954 countIowa4,954Oklahoma: 4,666 countOklahoma4,666Kansas: 4,563 countKansas4,563Connecticut: 4,374 countConnecticut4,374Kentucky: 4,352 countKentucky4,352Utah: 3,656 countUtah3,656Arkansas: 3,483 countArkansas3,483Nebraska: 3,180 countNebraska3,180Nevada: 2,977 countNevada2,977Mississippi: 2,850 countMississippi2,850Idaho: 2,033 countIdaho2,033New Mexico: 1,954 countNew Mexico1,954New Hampshire: 1,875 countNew Hampshire1,875Hawaii: 1,743 countHawaii1,743North Dakota: 1,624 countNorth Dakota1,624West Virginia: 1,570 countWest Virginia1,570Maine: 1,552 countMaine1,552Montana: 1,540 countMontana1,540South Dakota: 1,489 countSouth Dakota1,489Rhode Island: 1,382 countRhode Island1,382Delaware: 1,034 countDelaware1,034Wyoming: 833 countWyoming833Vermont: 826 countVermont826Alaska: 746 countAlaska746District of Columbia: 436 countDistrict of Columbia436California: 59,372 countCalifornia59,372New York: 32,764 countNew York32,764Texas: 32,722 countTexas32,722Florida: 31,730 countFlorida31,730Illinois: 19,293 countIllinois19,293Pennsylvania: 15,097 countPennsylvania15,097New Jersey: 14,713 countNew Jersey14,713Ohio: 14,275 countOhio14,275Georgia: 13,163 countGeorgia13,163North Carolina: 11,878 countNorth Carolina11,878Michigan: 11,523 countMichigan11,523Washington: 9,384 countWashington9,384Minnesota: 8,276 countMinnesota8,276Massachusetts: 8,050 countMassachusetts8,050Missouri: 8,044 countMissouri8,044Indiana: 7,814 countIndiana7,814Virginia: 7,412 countVirginia7,412Colorado: 7,257 countColorado7,257Wisconsin: 7,163 countWisconsin7,163Tennessee: 6,926 countTennessee6,926Arizona: 6,669 countArizona6,669Maryland: 5,759 countMaryland5,759Louisiana: 5,637 countLouisiana5,637Alabama: 5,422 countAlabama5,422Oregon: 5,415 countOregon5,415South Carolina: 5,051 countSouth Carolina5,051Iowa: 4,954 countIowa4,954Oklahoma: 4,666 countOklahoma4,666Kansas: 4,563 countKansas4,563Connecticut: 4,374 countConnecticut4,374Kentucky: 4,352 countKentucky4,352Utah: 3,656 countUtah3,656Arkansas: 3,483 countArkansas3,483Nebraska: 3,180 countNebraska3,180Nevada: 2,977 countNevada2,977Mississippi: 2,850 countMississippi2,850Idaho: 2,033 countIdaho2,033New Mexico: 1,954 countNew Mexico1,954New Hampshire: 1,875 countNew Hampshire1,875Hawaii: 1,743 countHawaii1,743North Dakota: 1,624 countNorth Dakota1,624West Virginia: 1,570 countWest Virginia1,570Maine: 1,552 countMaine1,552Montana: 1,540 countMontana1,540South Dakota: 1,489 countSouth Dakota1,489Rhode Island: 1,382 countRhode Island1,382Delaware: 1,034 countDelaware1,034Wyoming: 833 countWyoming833Vermont: 826 countVermont826Alaska: 746 countAlaska746District of Columbia: 436 countDistrict of Columbia436
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2012
count
1California59,372
2New York32,764
3Texas32,722
4Florida31,730
5Illinois19,293
6Pennsylvania15,097
7New Jersey14,713
8Ohio14,275
9Georgia13,163
10North Carolina11,878
11Michigan11,523
12Washington9,384
13Minnesota8,276
14Massachusetts8,050
15Missouri8,044
16Indiana7,814
17Virginia7,412
18Colorado7,257
19Wisconsin7,163
20Tennessee6,926
21Arizona6,669
22Maryland5,759
23Louisiana5,637
24Alabama5,422
25Oregon5,415
26South Carolina5,051
27Iowa4,954
28Oklahoma4,666
29Kansas4,563
30Connecticut4,374
31Kentucky4,352
32Utah3,656
33Arkansas3,483
34Nebraska3,180
35Nevada2,977
36Mississippi2,850
37Idaho2,033
38New Mexico1,954
39New Hampshire1,875
40Hawaii1,743
41North Dakota1,624
42West Virginia1,570
43Maine1,552
44Montana1,540
45South Dakota1,489
46Rhode Island1,382
47Delaware1,034
48Wyoming833
49Vermont826
50Alaska746
51District of Columbia436

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in wholesale trade (NAICS 42), 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: wholesale 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: wholesale 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-wholesale-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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: wholesale 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-wholesale-trade/us-states?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: wholesale trade, 2012 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2012/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-wholesale-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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: wholesale 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-wholesale-trade/us-states?period=2012. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: wholesale 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-wholesale-trade/us-states?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-wholesale-trade/us-states?period=2012.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), 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: wholesale trade?

California, with 59,372 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: wholesale trade?

District of Columbia, with 436 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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