Data / Rankings / Nonemployer businesses: utilities / US states

US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities

Texas had the highest nonemployer businesses: utilities of 51 states in 2018, at 1,850. Alaska had the lowest, at 32. The median was 162 and the figure for the United States was 14,099. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest1,850Texas
Lowest32Alaska
Median16251 states
United States14,099History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 159 countAlaska: 32 countArizona: 281 countArkansas: 132 countCalifornia: 1,207 countColorado: 308 countConnecticut: 158 countDelaware: 43 countDistrict of Columbia: 45 countFlorida: 983 countGeorgia: 502 countHawaii: 206 countIdaho: 114 countIllinois: 343 countIndiana: 198 countIowa: 161 countKansas: 116 countKentucky: 162 countLouisiana: 200 countMaine: 55 countMaryland: 356 countMassachusetts: 467 countMichigan: 230 countMinnesota: 237 countMississippi: 241 countMissouri: 184 countMontana: 85 countNebraska: 37 countNevada: 90 countNew Hampshire: 77 countNew Jersey: 396 countNew Mexico: 122 countNew York: 822 countNorth Carolina: 436 countNorth Dakota: 43 countOhio: 391 countOklahoma: 152 countOregon: 145 countPennsylvania: 565 countRhode Island: 149 countSouth Carolina: 171 countSouth Dakota: 56 countTennessee: 239 countTexas: 1,850 countUtah: 159 countVermont: 141 countVirginia: 254 countWashington: 321 countWest Virginia: 80 countWisconsin: 148 countWyoming: 50 count
  • Under 80
  • 80 to 140
  • 140 to 160
  • 160 to 240
  • 240 to 390
  • 390 and over
count, 2018. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2018

Texas: 1,850 countTexas1,850California: 1,207 countCalifornia1,207Florida: 983 countFlorida983New York: 822 countNew York822Pennsylvania: 565 countPennsylvania565Georgia: 502 countGeorgia502Massachusetts: 467 countMassachusetts467North Carolina: 436 countNorth Carolina436New Jersey: 396 countNew Jersey396Ohio: 391 countOhio391Maryland: 356 countMaryland356Illinois: 343 countIllinois343Washington: 321 countWashington321Colorado: 308 countColorado308Arizona: 281 countArizona281Virginia: 254 countVirginia254Mississippi: 241 countMississippi241Tennessee: 239 countTennessee239Minnesota: 237 countMinnesota237Michigan: 230 countMichigan230Hawaii: 206 countHawaii206Louisiana: 200 countLouisiana200Indiana: 198 countIndiana198Missouri: 184 countMissouri184South Carolina: 171 countSouth Carolina171Kentucky: 162 countKentucky162Iowa: 161 countIowa161Alabama: 159 countAlabama159Utah: 159 countUtah159Connecticut: 158 countConnecticut158Oklahoma: 152 countOklahoma152Rhode Island: 149 countRhode Island149Wisconsin: 148 countWisconsin148Oregon: 145 countOregon145Vermont: 141 countVermont141Arkansas: 132 countArkansas132New Mexico: 122 countNew Mexico122Kansas: 116 countKansas116Idaho: 114 countIdaho114Nevada: 90 countNevada90Montana: 85 countMontana85West Virginia: 80 countWest Virginia80New Hampshire: 77 countNew Hampshire77South Dakota: 56 countSouth Dakota56Maine: 55 countMaine55Wyoming: 50 countWyoming50District of Columbia: 45 countDistrict of Columbia45Delaware: 43 countDelaware43North Dakota: 43 countNorth Dakota43Nebraska: 37 countNebraska37Alaska: 32 countAlaska32Texas: 1,850 countTexas1,850California: 1,207 countCalifornia1,207Florida: 983 countFlorida983New York: 822 countNew York822Pennsylvania: 565 countPennsylvania565Georgia: 502 countGeorgia502Massachusetts: 467 countMassachusetts467North Carolina: 436 countNorth Carolina436New Jersey: 396 countNew Jersey396Ohio: 391 countOhio391Maryland: 356 countMaryland356Illinois: 343 countIllinois343Washington: 321 countWashington321Colorado: 308 countColorado308Arizona: 281 countArizona281Virginia: 254 countVirginia254Mississippi: 241 countMississippi241Tennessee: 239 countTennessee239Minnesota: 237 countMinnesota237Michigan: 230 countMichigan230Hawaii: 206 countHawaii206Louisiana: 200 countLouisiana200Indiana: 198 countIndiana198Missouri: 184 countMissouri184South Carolina: 171 countSouth Carolina171Kentucky: 162 countKentucky162Iowa: 161 countIowa161Alabama: 159 countAlabama159Utah: 159 countUtah159Connecticut: 158 countConnecticut158Oklahoma: 152 countOklahoma152Rhode Island: 149 countRhode Island149Wisconsin: 148 countWisconsin148Oregon: 145 countOregon145Vermont: 141 countVermont141Arkansas: 132 countArkansas132New Mexico: 122 countNew Mexico122Kansas: 116 countKansas116Idaho: 114 countIdaho114Nevada: 90 countNevada90Montana: 85 countMontana85West Virginia: 80 countWest Virginia80New Hampshire: 77 countNew Hampshire77South Dakota: 56 countSouth Dakota56Maine: 55 countMaine55Wyoming: 50 countWyoming50District of Columbia: 45 countDistrict of Columbia45Delaware: 43 countDelaware43North Dakota: 43 countNorth Dakota43Nebraska: 37 countNebraska37Alaska: 32 countAlaska32
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2018
count		Change on 2017
1Texas Series break1,850-0.8%
2California Series break1,207+2.1%
3Florida Series break983+4%
4New York Series break822-6.5%
5Pennsylvania Series break565+0.9%
6Georgia Series break502+7.7%
7Massachusetts Series break467+13.1%
8North Carolina Series break436+10.4%
9New Jersey Series break396-6.2%
10Ohio Series break391+10.8%
11Maryland Series break356+4.4%
12Illinois Series break343-1.7%
13Washington Series break321-2.7%
14Colorado Series break308+2.7%
15Arizona Series break281-5.4%
16Virginia Series break254+10%
17Mississippi Series break241+5.2%
18Tennessee Series break239+16.6%
19Minnesota Series break237+15%
20Michigan Series break230+0.9%
21Hawaii Series break206+8.4%
22Louisiana Series break200-3.4%
23Indiana Series break198-7.5%
24Missouri Series break184-1.1%
25South Carolina Series break171+1.2%
26Kentucky Series break162+12.5%
27Iowa Series break161-1.2%
28Alabama Series break159-7%
28Utah Series break159-8.1%
30Connecticut Series break158+4.6%
31Oklahoma Series break152+7.8%
32Rhode Island Series break149+58.5%
33Wisconsin Series break148+5%
34Oregon Series break145-7.1%
35Vermont Series break141+18.5%
36Arkansas Series break132+5.6%
37New Mexico Series break122+0.8%
38Kansas Series break116+10.5%
39Idaho Series break114+6.5%
40Nevada Series break90+9.8%
41Montana Series break85+7.6%
42West Virginia Series break80-4.8%
43New Hampshire Series break77-4.9%
44South Dakota Series break56-1.8%
45Maine Series break55-11.3%
46Wyoming Series break50-2%
47District of Columbia Series break45+7.1%
48Delaware Series break43-6.5%
48North Dakota Series break43+26.5%
50Nebraska Series break37-7.5%
51Alaska Series break32+6.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of businesses without paid employees in utilities (NAICS 22), from the U.S. Census Bureau Nonemployer Statistics.

Nonemployer Statistics: businesses with no paid employees that are subject to federal income tax, mostly the self-employed, counted from tax records, with receipts above small minimum amounts. Census says some years are not comparable with earlier ones, and they are marked as series breaks: 2018 in every sector (businesses were reclassified from their descriptions, which moved many out of other services), 2022 in every sector (new receipts cutoffs) and 2017 in utilities (the same reclassification). Most nonemployers are sole proprietors whose business may be a side activity. 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. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/. 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. (2020). Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms (US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/

MLA 9

Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms, US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 21 May 2020, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2020) Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms, US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_nonemployer_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms: US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018}},
  year = {2020},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms: US states by nonemployer businesses: utilities, 2018
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/05/21
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-utilities/us-states?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2018/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest nonemployer businesses: utilities?

Texas, with 1,850 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest nonemployer businesses: utilities?

Alaska, with 32 in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), utilities (NAICS 22), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings