US States by Nonemployer Businesses per 1,000 Residents
Florida had 147.3 nonemployer businesses (businesses with no paid employees) for every 1,000 residents in 2024, the most of any state; West Virginia had 55.1. All 50 states and DC, from Census Bureau data.
Nonemployer businesses per 1,000 residents, 2024 (top 10)
Florida147.3
Wyoming119.2
Georgia110.3
Texas106.0
New York104.9
Colorado104.8
Vermont102.1
Maryland99.4
Montana98.3
Nevada97.3
Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 ÷ Vintage 2025 population, July 1, 2024 · our calculation
Chart: the 10 states with the most nonemployer businesses per 1,000 residents in 2024, from Florida (147.3) to Nevada (97.3); the US figure is 94.1.
As of · Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 (published Sep 29, 2026) and Vintage 2025 population estimates; checked 12
US States by Nonemployer Businesses per 1,000 Residents, 2024
Per 1,000 residents is our calculation: each state’s 2024 nonemployer establishments (all industries, all legal forms) from the Census Bureau’s Nonemployer Statistics state file,1 divided by its resident population estimate for July 1, 2024 (POPESTIMATE2024 in the Vintage 2025 estimates),2 times 1,000, rounded to one decimal place. Ranks follow the rounded figure, so North Carolina and Rhode Island share 23rd place. Establishments, population and receipts are shown exactly as published; Census publishes receipts in thousands of dollars,5 and every state’s receipts total carries the “low noise” flag: the noise Census adds to protect confidentiality changed it by less than 2%.45 A nonemployer business has no paid employees, is subject to federal income taxes and has annual receipts of $1,000 or more ($1 or more in construction); each distinct business income tax return counts once, so one person with two businesses counts twice.3 Census places most businesses by the business mailing address in its administrative records, which may not match where the work happens.4 All 50 states and the District of Columbia are listed; Puerto Rico and the Island Areas are outside these statistics.4 The US figure, 94.1 per 1,000, is the same calculation on the national file (31,985,874) and the US population (340,003,797).12
The top 10
Across the United States there were 31,985,874 nonemployer businesses in 2024, or 94.1 for every 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Twelve states and DC sit above that line; West Virginia has the lowest rate, 55.1 per 1,000.12
Census builds these counts mainly from the annual or quarterly business income tax returns filed with the IRS, and the industry codes are mostly self-reported by the filers.4 Nationally, 27,644,187 of the 31,985,874 were sole proprietorships, or 86.4% (our calculation).15
#1
Florida
147.3 per 1,000
Florida had 3,427,341 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 23,265,838, or 147.3 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $192,282,699 thousand.1 That rate is the highest of the 51, and Florida’s count is the second-largest after California’s.1
The count rose 9.9% from 2023 (3,117,327), the fastest growth of any state (our calculation from the 2023 and 2024 files).16 The largest sector by count is Transportation and Warehousing, with 505,811 nonemployers, and sole proprietorships make up 81.9% of the total (our calculation).17
#2
Wyoming
119.2 per 1,000
Wyoming had 69,927 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 586,722, or 119.2 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $6,028,658 thousand.1
Wyoming’s legal-form mix stands out: partnerships are 23.0% of its nonemployers, the highest share of any state, and sole proprietorships 64.3%, the lowest (our calculations).15 Its largest sector by count is Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (12,718), followed by Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (11,068).17
#3
Georgia
110.3 per 1,000
Georgia had 1,236,191 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 11,204,208, or 110.3 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $60,992,292 thousand.1
Georgia’s count rose 6.2% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Its largest sector by count is Other Services (except Public Administration), with 167,554, and 89.7% of its nonemployers are sole proprietorships (our calculation).17
#4
Texas
106.0 per 1,000
Texas had 3,318,535 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 31,318,578, or 106.0 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $190,727,603 thousand.1
The count rose 7.3% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Transportation and Warehousing leads with 472,459 nonemployers, ahead of Construction with 402,604; 90.2% are sole proprietorships (our calculation).17
#5
New York
104.9 per 1,000
New York had 2,097,883 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 20,001,419, or 104.9 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $139,510,302 thousand.1
The count rose 5.7% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Transportation and Warehousing is the largest sector (359,963), followed by Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (307,048).17 C-corporations and other corporate forms are 4.5% of New York’s nonemployers (our calculation).15
#6
Colorado
104.8 per 1,000
Colorado had 627,479 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 5,988,502, or 104.8 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $37,759,109 thousand.1
The count rose 3.3% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Its largest sector by count is Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (104,364), followed by Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (73,551).17
#7
Vermont
102.1 per 1,000
Vermont had 65,998 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 646,521, or 102.1 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $3,734,754 thousand.1 It is the highest-ranked state in the Northeast after New York.12
The count rose 1.5% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Its largest sectors by count are Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (10,154) and Construction (9,075).17
#8
Maryland
99.4 per 1,000
Maryland had 620,896 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 6,245,314, or 99.4 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $31,781,022 thousand.1
The count rose 3.6% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Its largest sector by count is Transportation and Warehousing (102,496), followed by Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (90,355).17
#9
Montana
98.3 per 1,000
Montana had 111,818 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 1,137,557, or 98.3 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $6,745,515 thousand.1
The count rose 2.0% from 2023 (our calculation).16 As in Wyoming, Real Estate and Rental and Leasing is the largest sector by count (16,561), and partnerships are 12.8% of all nonemployers (our calculation).157
#10
Nevada
97.3 per 1,000
Nevada had 316,513 nonemployer businesses in 2024 for a resident population of 3,253,543, or 97.3 per 1,000 residents (our calculation).12 Their receipts totaled $19,743,373 thousand.1
The count rose 5.6% from 2023 (our calculation).16 Its largest sector by count is Transportation and Warehousing (54,097), followed by Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (43,221).17
Sources
US Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics: 2024, state file (nonemp24st) and U.S. file (nonemp24us), published 2026-09-29, retrieved 2026-10-13.