Counties in Florida by employer firm births

Miami-Dade County had the highest employer firm births of 67 counties in 2017, at 6,916. Liberty County had the lowest, at 6. The median was 188 and the figure for Florida was 40,587. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest6,916Miami-Dade County
Median18867 counties
Florida40,587History

Map of counties, 2017

Alachua County: 358 countBaker County: 18 countBay County: 273 countBradford County: 22 countBrevard County: 907 countBroward County: 4,547 countCalhoun County: 7 countCharlotte County: 276 countCitrus County: 151 countClay County: 266 countCollier County: 909 countColumbia County: 63 countDeSoto County: 39 countDixie County: 16 countDuval County: 1,631 countEscambia County: 390 countFlagler County: 174 countFranklin County: 13 countGadsden County: 37 countGilchrist County: 18 countGlades County: 7 countGulf County: 22 countHamilton County: 8 countHardee County: 24 countHendry County: 33 countHernando County: 226 countHighlands County: 111 countHillsborough County: 2,605 countHolmes County: 20 countIndian River County: 298 countJackson County: 42 countJefferson County: 20 countLafayette County: 9 countLake County: 548 countLee County: 1,522 countLeon County: 444 countLevy County: 57 countLiberty County: 6 countMadison County: 12 countManatee County: 696 countMarion County: 463 countMartin County: 365 countMiami-Dade County: 6,916 countMonroe County: 246 countNassau County: 161 countOkaloosa County: 331 countOkeechobee County: 55 countOrange County: 2,945 countOsceola County: 624 countPalm Beach County: 3,765 countPasco County: 726 countPinellas County: 1,929 countPolk County: 830 countPutnam County: 74 countSt. Johns County: 545 countSt. Lucie County: 491 countSanta Rosa County: 190 countSarasota County: 1,000 countSeminole County: 960 countSumter County: 118 countSuwannee County: 29 countTaylor County: 19 countUnion County: 8 countVolusia County: 864 countWakulla County: 25 countWalton County: 188 countWashington County: 23 count
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 40
  • 40 to 190
  • 190 to 390
  • 390 to 910
  • 910 and over
count, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2017

Miami-Dade County: 6,916 countMiami-Dade County6,916Broward County: 4,547 countBroward County4,547Palm Beach County: 3,765 countPalm Beach County3,765Orange County: 2,945 countOrange County2,945Hillsborough County: 2,605 countHillsborough County2,605Pinellas County: 1,929 countPinellas County1,929Duval County: 1,631 countDuval County1,631Lee County: 1,522 countLee County1,522Sarasota County: 1,000 countSarasota County1,000Seminole County: 960 countSeminole County960Collier County: 909 countCollier County909Brevard County: 907 countBrevard County907Volusia County: 864 countVolusia County864Polk County: 830 countPolk County830Pasco County: 726 countPasco County726Manatee County: 696 countManatee County696Osceola County: 624 countOsceola County624Lake County: 548 countLake County548St. Johns County: 545 countSt. Johns County545St. Lucie County: 491 countSt. Lucie County491Marion County: 463 countMarion County463Leon County: 444 countLeon County444Escambia County: 390 countEscambia County390Martin County: 365 countMartin County365Alachua County: 358 countAlachua County358Okaloosa County: 331 countOkaloosa County331Indian River County: 298 countIndian River County298Charlotte County: 276 countCharlotte County276Bay County: 273 countBay County273Clay County: 266 countClay County266Monroe County: 246 countMonroe County246Hernando County: 226 countHernando County226Santa Rosa County: 190 countSanta Rosa County190Walton County: 188 countWalton County188Flagler County: 174 countFlagler County174Nassau County: 161 countNassau County161Citrus County: 151 countCitrus County151Sumter County: 118 countSumter County118Highlands County: 111 countHighlands County111Putnam County: 74 countPutnam County74Miami-Dade County: 6,916 countMiami-Dade County6,916Broward County: 4,547 countBroward County4,547Palm Beach County: 3,765 countPalm Beach County3,765Orange County: 2,945 countOrange County2,945Hillsborough County: 2,605 countHillsborough County2,605Pinellas County: 1,929 countPinellas County1,929Duval County: 1,631 countDuval County1,631Lee County: 1,522 countLee County1,522Sarasota County: 1,000 countSarasota County1,000Seminole County: 960 countSeminole County960Collier County: 909 countCollier County909Brevard County: 907 countBrevard County907Volusia County: 864 countVolusia County864Polk County: 830 countPolk County830Pasco County: 726 countPasco County726Manatee County: 696 countManatee County696Osceola County: 624 countOsceola County624Lake County: 548 countLake County548St. Johns County: 545 countSt. Johns County545St. Lucie County: 491 countSt. Lucie County491Marion County: 463 countMarion County463Leon County: 444 countLeon County444Escambia County: 390 countEscambia County390Martin County: 365 countMartin County365Alachua County: 358 countAlachua County358Okaloosa County: 331 countOkaloosa County331Indian River County: 298 countIndian River County298Charlotte County: 276 countCharlotte County276Bay County: 273 countBay County273Clay County: 266 countClay County266Monroe County: 246 countMonroe County246Hernando County: 226 countHernando County226Santa Rosa County: 190 countSanta Rosa County190Walton County: 188 countWalton County188Flagler County: 174 countFlagler County174Nassau County: 161 countNassau County161Citrus County: 151 countCitrus County151Sumter County: 118 countSumter County118Highlands County: 111 countHighlands County111Putnam County: 74 countPutnam County74
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017
count
Change on 2016
1Miami-Dade County6,916-3%
2Broward County4,547-2.3%
3Palm Beach County3,765+1.7%
4Orange County2,945-0.5%
5Hillsborough County2,605+2.2%
6Pinellas County1,929+1.2%
7Duval County1,631-2.9%
8Lee County1,522+7.7%
9Sarasota County1,000+3%
10Seminole County960+0.6%
11Collier County909+5%
12Brevard County907-10.1%
13Volusia County864+1.8%
14Polk County830+14%
15Pasco County726-0.5%
16Manatee County696+4.5%
17Osceola County624+2.5%
18Lake County548-8.5%
19St. Johns County545+3.6%
20St. Lucie County491+11.6%
21Marion County463+8.9%
22Leon County444+25.1%
23Escambia County390-2.7%
24Martin County365-12%
25Alachua County358-1.1%
26Okaloosa County3310%
27Indian River County2980%
28Charlotte County276+8.2%
29Bay County273+11.4%
30Clay County266-5.7%
31Monroe County246-4.7%
32Hernando County226-3%
33Santa Rosa County190-13.6%
34Walton County188-1.6%
35Flagler County174+2.4%
36Nassau County161+8.8%
37Citrus County151-22.6%
38Sumter County118+16.8%
39Highlands County111+13.3%
40Putnam County740%
41Columbia County63-18.2%
42Levy County57+14%
43Okeechobee County55+7.8%
44Jackson County420%
45DeSoto County390%
46Gadsden County37-15.9%
47Hendry County33+6.5%
48Suwannee County29-31%
49Wakulla County25-19.4%
50Hardee County24+41.2%
51Washington County23+27.8%
52Bradford County22-24.1%
52Gulf County22+69.2%
54Holmes County20+81.8%
54Jefferson County20+53.8%
56Taylor County19-29.6%
57Baker County18-41.9%
57Gilchrist County18-10%
59Dixie County16+100%
60Franklin County13-23.5%
61Madison County12-25%
62Lafayette County9+50%
63Hamilton County8+60%
63Union County8+100%
65Calhoun County7-36.4%
65Glades County7-50%
67Liberty County6-33.3%

Other periods

About this ranking

New employer firms: firms of age zero in March of the year, meaning that every establishment of the firm had its first employees during the previous twelve months. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics, which calls these firms startups.

A firm counts only when it has employees, so a business without staff is not a birth, and a new branch, merger or change of ownership of an existing firm is not a birth either. Not the same as business_applications (requests for an employer number) or enterprise_births (European business demography). The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

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. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978 (Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978, Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978, Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_florida_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978: Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-22},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty\_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978: Counties in Florida by employer firm births, 2017
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/florida-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Florida by employer firm births using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firm births?

Miami-Dade County, with 6,916 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Liberty County, with 6 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, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Florida: more rankings