Data / Rankings / Nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade / US states

US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024

California had the highest nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade of 51 states in 2024, at 67,226. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 367. The median was 4,946 and the figure for the United States was 472,266. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest67,226California
Lowest367District of Columbia
Median4,94651 states
United States472,266History

Map of states, 2024

Alabama: 5,460 countAlaska: 538 countArizona: 8,750 countArkansas: 3,257 countCalifornia: 67,226 countColorado: 7,532 countConnecticut: 4,523 countDelaware: 2,036 countDistrict of Columbia: 367 countFlorida: 54,661 countGeorgia: 15,092 countHawaii: 2,363 countIdaho: 2,572 countIllinois: 15,986 countIndiana: 6,860 countIowa: 3,695 countKansas: 3,258 countKentucky: 4,528 countLouisiana: 4,825 countMaine: 1,748 countMaryland: 7,133 countMassachusetts: 8,377 countMichigan: 12,664 countMinnesota: 6,837 countMississippi: 3,347 countMissouri: 7,324 countMontana: 1,594 countNebraska: 2,027 countNevada: 4,946 countNew Hampshire: 1,798 countNew Jersey: 17,019 countNew Mexico: 2,283 countNew York: 36,811 countNorth Carolina: 12,763 countNorth Dakota: 919 countOhio: 13,286 countOklahoma: 4,354 countOregon: 4,876 countPennsylvania: 15,482 countRhode Island: 1,236 countSouth Carolina: 6,533 countSouth Dakota: 1,152 countTennessee: 7,889 countTexas: 44,948 countUtah: 5,110 countVermont: 825 countVirginia: 8,633 countWashington: 7,143 countWest Virginia: 1,429 countWisconsin: 6,927 countWyoming: 1,324 count
  • Under 1,600
  • 1,600 to 3,300
  • 3,300 to 4,900
  • 4,900 to 7,200
  • 7,200 to 13K
  • 13K and over
count, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2024

California: 67,226 countCalifornia67,226Florida: 54,661 countFlorida54,661Texas: 44,948 countTexas44,948New York: 36,811 countNew York36,811New Jersey: 17,019 countNew Jersey17,019Illinois: 15,986 countIllinois15,986Pennsylvania: 15,482 countPennsylvania15,482Georgia: 15,092 countGeorgia15,092Ohio: 13,286 countOhio13,286North Carolina: 12,763 countNorth Carolina12,763Michigan: 12,664 countMichigan12,664Arizona: 8,750 countArizona8,750Virginia: 8,633 countVirginia8,633Massachusetts: 8,377 countMassachusetts8,377Tennessee: 7,889 countTennessee7,889Colorado: 7,532 countColorado7,532Missouri: 7,324 countMissouri7,324Washington: 7,143 countWashington7,143Maryland: 7,133 countMaryland7,133Wisconsin: 6,927 countWisconsin6,927Indiana: 6,860 countIndiana6,860Minnesota: 6,837 countMinnesota6,837South Carolina: 6,533 countSouth Carolina6,533Alabama: 5,460 countAlabama5,460Utah: 5,110 countUtah5,110Nevada: 4,946 countNevada4,946Oregon: 4,876 countOregon4,876Louisiana: 4,825 countLouisiana4,825Kentucky: 4,528 countKentucky4,528Connecticut: 4,523 countConnecticut4,523Oklahoma: 4,354 countOklahoma4,354Iowa: 3,695 countIowa3,695Mississippi: 3,347 countMississippi3,347Kansas: 3,258 countKansas3,258Arkansas: 3,257 countArkansas3,257Idaho: 2,572 countIdaho2,572Hawaii: 2,363 countHawaii2,363New Mexico: 2,283 countNew Mexico2,283Delaware: 2,036 countDelaware2,036Nebraska: 2,027 countNebraska2,027New Hampshire: 1,798 countNew Hampshire1,798Maine: 1,748 countMaine1,748Montana: 1,594 countMontana1,594West Virginia: 1,429 countWest Virginia1,429Wyoming: 1,324 countWyoming1,324Rhode Island: 1,236 countRhode Island1,236South Dakota: 1,152 countSouth Dakota1,152North Dakota: 919 countNorth Dakota919Vermont: 825 countVermont825Alaska: 538 countAlaska538District of Columbia: 367 countDistrict of Columbia367California: 67,226 countCalifornia67,226Florida: 54,661 countFlorida54,661Texas: 44,948 countTexas44,948New York: 36,811 countNew York36,811New Jersey: 17,019 countNew Jersey17,019Illinois: 15,986 countIllinois15,986Pennsylvania: 15,482 countPennsylvania15,482Georgia: 15,092 countGeorgia15,092Ohio: 13,286 countOhio13,286North Carolina: 12,763 countNorth Carolina12,763Michigan: 12,664 countMichigan12,664Arizona: 8,750 countArizona8,750Virginia: 8,633 countVirginia8,633Massachusetts: 8,377 countMassachusetts8,377Tennessee: 7,889 countTennessee7,889Colorado: 7,532 countColorado7,532Missouri: 7,324 countMissouri7,324Washington: 7,143 countWashington7,143Maryland: 7,133 countMaryland7,133Wisconsin: 6,927 countWisconsin6,927Indiana: 6,860 countIndiana6,860Minnesota: 6,837 countMinnesota6,837South Carolina: 6,533 countSouth Carolina6,533Alabama: 5,460 countAlabama5,460Utah: 5,110 countUtah5,110Nevada: 4,946 countNevada4,946Oregon: 4,876 countOregon4,876Louisiana: 4,825 countLouisiana4,825Kentucky: 4,528 countKentucky4,528Connecticut: 4,523 countConnecticut4,523Oklahoma: 4,354 countOklahoma4,354Iowa: 3,695 countIowa3,695Mississippi: 3,347 countMississippi3,347Kansas: 3,258 countKansas3,258Arkansas: 3,257 countArkansas3,257Idaho: 2,572 countIdaho2,572Hawaii: 2,363 countHawaii2,363New Mexico: 2,283 countNew Mexico2,283Delaware: 2,036 countDelaware2,036Nebraska: 2,027 countNebraska2,027New Hampshire: 1,798 countNew Hampshire1,798Maine: 1,748 countMaine1,748Montana: 1,594 countMontana1,594West Virginia: 1,429 countWest Virginia1,429Wyoming: 1,324 countWyoming1,324Rhode Island: 1,236 countRhode Island1,236South Dakota: 1,152 countSouth Dakota1,152North Dakota: 919 countNorth Dakota919Vermont: 825 countVermont825Alaska: 538 countAlaska538District of Columbia: 367 countDistrict of Columbia367
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2024
count		Change on 2023
1California67,226+2.9%
2Florida54,661+7.5%
3Texas44,948+6.5%
4New York36,811+2.7%
5New Jersey17,019-0.2%
6Illinois15,986-1.9%
7Pennsylvania15,482+3.1%
8Georgia15,092+3.5%
9Ohio13,286+2%
10North Carolina12,763+5.2%
11Michigan12,664+3.4%
12Arizona8,750+3.6%
13Virginia8,633+0.7%
14Massachusetts8,377-5.5%
15Tennessee7,889+0.4%
16Colorado7,532+1.3%
17Missouri7,324-1.6%
18Washington7,143+2.3%
19Maryland7,133-0.3%
20Wisconsin6,927+0.8%
21Indiana6,860+4.8%
22Minnesota6,837+1.2%
23South Carolina6,533+8.8%
24Alabama5,460+1.9%
25Utah5,110+5.2%
26Nevada4,946+5.9%
27Oregon4,876+1.6%
28Louisiana4,825+4%
29Kentucky4,528+2.5%
30Connecticut4,523+0.8%
31Oklahoma4,354+1.8%
32Iowa3,695+1.1%
33Mississippi3,347-1.2%
34Kansas3,258+0.6%
35Arkansas3,257-3%
36Idaho2,572+3.6%
37Hawaii2,363+0.1%
38New Mexico2,283-1.8%
39Delaware2,036+9.2%
40Nebraska2,027+1.1%
41New Hampshire1,798+0.4%
42Maine1,748-0.7%
43Montana1,594-1.1%
44West Virginia1,429+2.1%
45Wyoming1,324+7.7%
46Rhode Island1,236+3.6%
47South Dakota1,152+1.6%
48North Dakota919+4.1%
49Vermont825-3.8%
50Alaska538-5.8%
51District of Columbia367-9.2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of businesses without paid employees in wholesale trade (NAICS 42), 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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/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. (2026). Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms (US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/

MLA 9

Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms, US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Sept. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms, US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_nonemployer_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms: US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms: US states by nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade, 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/nonemployer-businesses-wholesale-trade/us-states.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Nonemployer Statistics, state and US files: establishments (ESTAB), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/datasets/2024/historical-datasets/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade?

California, with 67,226 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest nonemployer businesses: wholesale trade?

District of Columbia, with 367 in 2024.

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), wholesale trade (NAICS 42), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings