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Research · Updated October 18, 2026

Entrepreneurship statistics

How many new employer businesses start each year, who owns employer businesses and why they started, for the U.S. and each state. Startup rates and owner profiles are from the Census Bureau for 2023. The page also gives startup rates for counties and metro areas, the Kauffman Foundation's measures of new entrepreneurs (2020 and 2021 data), Census survey results on how small businesses are doing now, and SBA loan counts by state and county.

What share of businesses are startups

9.1% of U.S. employer firms in 2023 were startups, meaning firms in their first year: 508,777 of 5,593,727.

More than half of the owners of employer businesses are 55 or older, and nearly half are on the first business they have owned.

  • Startup rate, 20239.1%2019: 8.5%
  • Owners aged 55 or older51.3%
  • Owners on their first business48.7%

Employer firms only. Startup rate: Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023. Owner figures: Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey, data year 2023, as a share of owners of employer firms who answered each question.

01

Startup rate since 1978

The startup rate is the number of employer firms in their first year divided by all employer firms. It was 13.71% in 1978, when 488,103 firms started. It fell to a low of 7.56% in 2010 (379,145 startups), was 8.5% in 2019, reached 9.41% in 2022 and was 9.1% in 2023 (508,777 startups).

More firms started in 2023 than in 1978, but the rate is lower because there are more employer firms to divide by: 5,593,727 in 2023 against 3,560,318 in 1978. The most startups in one year were 541,317, in 2006.

Figure 1

Startup rate, employer firms, 1978 to 2023

Select a state to compare it with the median state.

    Source: Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023. Firms aged 0 as a share of all employer firms.

    A business that starts with no employees, such as most sole proprietorships, is not counted until it has an employee. The new business applications page counts applications to start any business.

    02

    Why owners say they started

    The Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey asked owners of employer businesses how important each of several reasons was. The reason most often rated very important was greater income (62.1%), followed by wanting to be their own boss (61.5%), balancing work and family (55.8%), having the best avenue for their ideas (52.6%) and flexible hours (52.4%). 6.8% said they could not find a job.

    Women were more likely than men to rate balancing work and family (60.1% against 53.8%) and flexible hours (56.7% against 50.4%) as very important, and less likely to rate being their own boss (53.9% against 65.1%) and greater income (56.8% against 64.6%).

    Figure 2

    The six most common reasons rated very important

    • All owners
    • Women
    • Men

    • Greater income

      All owners62.1%
      Women56.8%
      Men64.6%

    • Wanted to be my own boss

      All owners61.5%
      Women53.9%
      Men65.1%

    • Balance work and family

      All owners55.8%
      Women60.1%
      Men53.8%

    • Best avenue for ideas

      All owners52.6%
      Women47.6%
      Men54.9%

    • Flexible hours

      All owners52.4%
      Women56.7%
      Men50.4%

    • Start my own business

      All owners44.4%
      Women35.5%
      Men48.5%
    Source: Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey, data year 2023, owners of employer firms.

    Table 1

    Share of owners who rated each reason "very important"

    ReasonAll ownersWomenMen
    Greater income62.1%56.8%64.6%
    Wanted to be my own boss61.5%53.9%65.1%
    Balance work and family55.8%60.1%53.8%
    Best avenue for ideas52.6%47.6%54.9%
    Flexible hours52.4%56.7%50.4%
    Start my own business44.4%35.5%48.5%
    Work for self30.6%26.0%32.8%
    Friend or family role model27.9%26.0%28.8%
    Help my community24.8%26.6%24.0%
    Carry on family business18.3%17.4%18.8%
    Couldn't find a job6.8%6.3%7.0%
    Other2.8%3.6%2.5%
    Owners rated each reason separately, so the shares do not add to 100%. The figures are shares of owners of employer firms, not of firms. Up to four owners per firm are counted. Source: Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey, data year 2023, owner characteristics (AB2300CSCBO).
    03

    Who owns employer businesses

    The Census Bureau counted 4,208,231 owners of employer businesses who reported an age. 5.7% were under 35, 18.0% were 35 to 44, 25.0% were 45 to 54, 28.2% were 55 to 64 and 23.1% were 65 or older. The Census Bureau does not publish an average age.

    54.9% of owners have a bachelor's degree or more, and 18.1% have a high school diploma or GED as their highest level. 48.7% say the business is the first one they have owned. 36.6% have owned a previous business that they still own, and 8.4% had a previous business that is no longer operating. Among women owners, 53.7% are on their first business; among men, 46.4%.

    For 72.0% of owners the business is their main source of personal income. 19.5% of owners were born outside the U.S.

    Table 2

    Owners of employer businesses, by age and background, 2023

    CharacteristicAll ownersWomenMen
    Age
    Under 250.4%0.3%0.4%
    25 to 345.3%5.4%5.2%
    35 to 4418.0%18.9%17.6%
    45 to 5425.0%26.0%24.6%
    55 to 6428.2%28.2%28.2%
    65 or older23.1%21.1%24.0%
    Experience
    First business the owner has owned48.7%53.7%46.4%
    Previous business, still owned36.6%33.9%37.9%
    Previous business, no longer operating8.4%7.1%9.1%
    Income and background
    Business is the main source of personal income72.0%69.3%73.2%
    Born outside the U.S.19.5%20.6%19.0%
    The ABS covers owners of employer firms only. Owners of businesses without employees are not in these figures. Shares are of owners who answered each question.
    04

    Startup rates and owner profiles by state

    Showing 51 of 51

    Table 3

    Startup rates and owner profiles, by state

    United States9.1%8.5%508,7775.7%51.3%19.5%48.7%
    Alabama7.96%6.97%5,6884.7%51.7%9.3%48.5%26
    Alaska8.23%6.77%1,2224.7%47.8%9.4%44.4%22
    Arizona10.58%9.29%11,4114.4%49.7%14.0%46.2%5
    Arkansas8.08%7.19%3,8666.8%49.5%7.3%47.2%25
    California9.65%9.60%70,0556.3%50.8%36.4%49.2%10
    Colorado9.26%9.50%11,8396.1%47.4%10.7%48.2%12
    Connecticut6.87%6.43%4,3495.1%58.6%19.5%47.5%46
    Delaware10.85%8.15%2,2485.8%53.8%21.0%44.6%3
    District of Columbia6.50%7.02%1,1293.1%49.2%25.4%57.2%51
    Florida11.31%10.51%51,5185.6%52.2%29.0%46.8%1
    Georgia10.05%9.17%17,8414.6%53.2%19.7%49.3%8
    Hawaii7.49%7.12%1,7363.8%58.4%25.2%42.5%35
    Idaho9.80%9.97%4,0747.9%40.8%5.5%44.5%9
    Illinois7.22%7.12%16,0564.9%53.5%22.0%53.1%38
    Indiana7.88%6.52%8,1066.0%51.7%7.6%50.2%27
    Iowa6.59%6.09%3,7176.2%50.4%4.8%51.7%49
    Kansas7.52%6.56%3,9755.7%46.9%7.5%47.7%34
    Kentucky7.76%6.92%4,8035.2%52.1%10.0%48.4%28
    Louisiana7.28%7.00%5,4804.1%53.3%9.4%46.3%37
    Maine7.44%6.73%2,2884.2%56.6%4.9%51.1%36
    Maryland7.75%7.13%7,8114.7%55.6%22.2%55.1%29
    Massachusetts7.61%7.04%9,9855.1%57.4%20.1%54.3%30
    Michigan7.58%6.66%11,8145.9%53.2%12.6%49.9%32
    Minnesota7.03%6.48%7,2965.7%47.3%7.9%50.3%43
    Mississippi7.56%6.56%3,1324.3%55.6%6.9%44.9%33
    Missouri8.26%8.66%8,4535.6%53.2%7.7%46.1%20
    Montana8.80%7.56%2,7086.1%49.5%4.7%45.0%15
    Nebraska7.15%6.11%2,8715.3%49.5%3.9%50.2%41
    Nevada10.87%10.52%5,8296.7%47.9%21.6%40.8%2
    New Hampshire7.13%6.67%2,0406.7%55.3%10.9%53.0%42
    New Jersey8.30%7.77%14,5474.8%56.2%30.4%48.9%18
    New Mexico8.29%6.99%2,6174.2%54.5%10.6%46.2%19
    New York8.26%8.16%33,2085.8%54.3%30.0%50.7%20
    North Carolina9.27%8.30%16,3224.9%52.4%13.2%48.6%11
    North Dakota7.17%6.26%1,2875.3%43.4%2.1%44.5%39
    Ohio7.16%6.34%11,9945.6%55.5%8.5%50.1%40
    Oklahoma8.16%7.59%5,4635.3%52.9%8.4%43.5%24
    Oregon8.38%8.26%7,3995.9%48.3%12.9%48.6%17
    Pennsylvania6.77%6.48%14,2885.6%54.2%12.6%52.0%47
    Rhode Island7.03%6.60%1,5634.2%62.2%14.6%52.6%43
    South Carolina9.12%8.23%7,6415.8%49.3%11.8%46.8%13
    South Dakota7.60%6.44%1,6056.8%46.4%3.1%39.7%31
    Tennessee8.92%7.70%8,7406.1%51.0%10.7%46.2%14
    Texas10.51%9.84%47,1085.3%48.8%22.9%45.2%6
    Utah10.63%10.15%7,1997.5%37.3%8.9%43.9%4
    Vermont6.73%5.51%1,0685.7%52.9%8.6%49.0%48
    Virginia8.19%7.68%11,8354.1%52.3%23.7%50.5%23
    Washington8.61%8.68%12,2806.5%47.2%19.4%49.0%16
    West Virginia6.52%5.79%1,5323.7%55.8%6.4%49.6%50
    Wisconsin6.97%6.16%6,8565.5%50.5%6.9%51.7%45
    Wyoming10.44%8.02%1,8088.8%43.8%7.3%45.1%7

    A firm that has employees in several states is counted in each, so state firm counts add up to more than the U.S. total; the national rate comes from a file that counts each firm once, so state rates run lower and are compared here with the median state, not with the U.S. Ranks are out of 51 (50 states and D.C.); ties share a rank. Owner shares are of owners of employer firms who answered each question, 2023.

    05

    Highest and lowest startup rates

    Florida had the highest startup rate in 2023 (11.31%), followed by Nevada (10.87%), Delaware (10.85%), Utah (10.63%) and Arizona (10.58%). The lowest were the District of Columbia (6.50%), West Virginia (6.52%), Iowa (6.59%), Vermont (6.73%) and Pennsylvania (6.77%).

    46 of the 51 jurisdictions had a higher startup rate in 2023 than in 2019. Delaware (up 2.70 points) and Wyoming (up 2.42) rose the most. Five fell, the largest drops being the District of Columbia (down 0.52 points), Missouri (0.40) and Colorado (0.24).

    Owners are youngest in Wyoming (8.8% under 35), Idaho (7.9%) and Utah (7.5%) and oldest in Rhode Island (62.2% aged 55 or older), Connecticut (58.6%) and Hawaii (58.4%). The share of owners born outside the U.S. is highest in California (36.4%), New Jersey (30.4%) and New York (30.0%) and lowest in North Dakota (2.1%), South Dakota (3.1%) and Nebraska (3.9%).

    Figure 3

    Startup rate by state, 2023

    Select a state on the map.

    ALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWYSMALL STATESVT6.7NH7.1MA7.6RI7.0CT6.9NJ8.3DE10.8MD7.8DC6.5
    • Under 7.5%
    • 7.5% to 8.5%
    • 8.5% to 9.5%
    • 9.5% to 10.5%
    • 10.5% or more

    United States

    9.1%

    startup rate, 2023 · 508,777 startup firms

    Source: Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023. Median state 7.96%. State rates are not comparable with the U.S. rate (see the note under Table 3).
    06

    Startup rates by county and metro area

    The Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics also counts employer firms by age for every county and metro area. A county's startup rate here is firms aged 0 divided by all employer firms in the county in 2023. Los Angeles County, California had the most new firms (21,714, a rate of 9.9%), followed by Miami-Dade County, Florida (8,449; 11.1%), Maricopa County, Arizona (8,152; 11.1%), Harris County, Texas (7,533; 9.6%) and Orange County, California (7,387; 9.2%).

    Rates in small counties move a lot because a few firms change the percentage. Among counties with at least 1,000 employer firms, Sheridan County, Wyoming had the highest rate, 23.4% (432 of 1,848 firms).

    Table 4

    Startup rates by county, 2023 (the 25 counties with the most new firms)

    Select a state in the box at the top of the page to see all of its counties.

    Los Angeles County, CA220,10521,7149.9%31,13712.2%
    Miami-Dade County, FL75,7818,44911.1%11,76514.0%
    Maricopa County, AZ73,6408,15211.1%12,30613.1%
    Harris County, TX78,8177,5339.6%11,57411.6%
    Orange County, CA80,6287,3879.2%10,46411.2%
    Cook County, IL96,9877,2697.5%11,96710.1%
    San Diego County, CA68,8866,4619.4%9,30111.4%
    Broward County, FL51,5635,26210.2%7,51412.9%
    New York County, NY69,9935,2427.5%8,1809.9%
    Kings County, NY51,2515,0109.8%7,01912.9%
    Palm Beach County, FL42,0844,47610.6%6,33013.4%
    Dallas County, TX50,9834,4708.8%7,04910.9%
    Clark County, NV37,5794,28011.4%6,14213.1%
    King County, WA50,9564,0798.0%6,47210.4%
    Queens County, NY41,6064,0519.7%5,77212.9%
    Orange County, FL32,7153,94512.1%5,64214.3%
    Riverside County, CA34,0833,68110.8%5,13112.6%
    Travis County, TX31,8033,62411.4%5,21513.8%
    Hillsborough County, FL31,3063,40610.9%4,98213.2%
    San Bernardino County, CA31,3883,40310.8%4,76312.6%
    Tarrant County, TX33,4313,3149.9%5,06011.9%
    Nassau County, NY38,3103,1698.3%4,79811.4%
    Santa Clara County, CA36,6083,0328.3%4,52610.4%
    Suffolk County, NY39,1472,9587.6%4,69510.6%
    Fulton County, GA28,0122,86310.2%4,46512.9%

    A firm with employees in several counties is counted in each, so county firm counts add up to more than the state's. The opening rate is the Census Bureau's own figure for new establishments (locations), which includes new locations of older firms, so it is not a startup rate. Counts the Census Bureau withholds show "n/a". Metro and micro areas that cross a state line are listed under each state they touch.

    07

    Kauffman Foundation measures of new entrepreneurs

    The Kauffman Foundation measures new business creation from household and employer data. The state files used here are for 2021 (early-stage entrepreneurship) and 2020 (entrepreneurial jobs), the newest it offers for download; Kauffman has published national reports for later years. Every figure below carries its year.

    Kauffman's rate of new entrepreneurs was 0.35% in 2021: about 350 in every 100,000 adults started a business in a given month. Florida (0.61%), New Mexico (0.55%) and Georgia (0.47%) were highest, and West Virginia and Pennsylvania (both 0.17%) and Rhode Island (0.19%) lowest. 79.2% of new entrepreneurs started a business by choice rather than out of necessity (Kauffman's opportunity share). That share was highest in Arkansas (93.1%), Utah (91.4%) and North Dakota (91.3%) and lowest in Michigan (65.1%), Rhode Island (66.9%) and Massachusetts (68.7%).

    Firms 5 years old or younger accounted for 10.4% of U.S. jobs in 2020, using Kauffman's entrepreneurial jobs data. Kauffman does not publish every age group for every state, so four states show "n/a" for that column: Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas and Mississippi.

    Showing 51 of 51

    Table 6

    Kauffman Indicators by state, 2020 and 2021

    United States0.35%79.2%4.781.7%10.4%
    Alabama0.26%77.2%3.577.9%9.2%39
    Alaska0.42%77.6%3.680.3%n/a8
    Arizona0.39%78.4%4.781.7%10.5%11
    Arkansas0.35%93.1%3.980.5%n/a19
    California0.43%77.6%5.782.6%13.6%5
    Colorado0.42%72.6%6.181.9%12.7%7
    Connecticut0.31%69.4%4.081.3%8.0%26
    Delaware0.26%80.0%4.782.3%9.4%40
    District of Columbia0.22%76.6%6.575.1%8.4%45
    Florida0.61%86.1%6.580.5%12.3%1
    Georgia0.47%81.6%5.779.8%10.4%3
    Hawaii0.35%79.8%3.073.4%8.0%20
    Idaho0.33%89.3%6.180.8%13.2%25
    Illinois0.28%73.7%4.384.8%8.3%37
    Indiana0.23%76.3%3.883.6%7.8%44
    Iowa0.22%86.9%2.883.8%7.3%46
    Kansas0.28%86.3%3.976.8%n/a35
    Kentucky0.30%72.3%3.280.1%8.8%27
    Louisiana0.37%82.5%4.180.0%9.4%17
    Maine0.42%79.1%4.382.9%9.2%9
    Maryland0.29%80.7%2.781.2%8.7%30
    Massachusetts0.27%68.7%4.582.1%9.4%38
    Michigan0.29%65.1%3.678.9%8.7%29
    Minnesota0.20%76.3%3.482.0%8.5%48
    Mississippi0.37%81.9%3.482.4%n/a15
    Missouri0.37%81.7%4.777.1%9.0%14
    Montana0.36%75.8%6.181.0%12.1%18
    Nebraska0.28%77.5%4.876.4%9.5%34
    Nevada0.34%76.4%6.183.2%12.5%22
    New Hampshire0.29%72.3%3.777.0%8.1%33
    New Jersey0.37%72.3%5.979.9%9.7%13
    New Mexico0.55%83.1%3.377.6%11.4%2
    New York0.38%81.9%4.179.2%10.3%12
    North Carolina0.34%76.5%5.882.7%9.4%22
    North Dakota0.29%91.3%4.278.3%13.3%32
    Ohio0.28%73.8%3.781.4%8.2%36
    Oklahoma0.44%84.6%5.782.3%11.0%4
    Oregon0.34%76.6%4.978.4%10.9%24
    Pennsylvania0.17%77.9%3.483.3%8.7%50
    Rhode Island0.19%66.9%3.577.1%8.7%49
    South Carolina0.29%84.0%3.982.3%10.5%30
    South Dakota0.24%84.7%3.981.0%12.2%43
    Tennessee0.35%81.1%4.680.7%9.2%21
    Texas0.37%79.6%5.281.9%11.9%15
    Utah0.25%91.4%6.081.8%12.6%42
    Vermont0.42%75.2%2.578.5%8.5%6
    Virginia0.26%79.9%4.679.5%9.4%41
    Washington0.30%75.7%4.589.2%12.0%27
    West Virginia0.17%82.3%3.481.1%8.2%51
    Wisconsin0.22%85.2%3.782.4%8.1%47
    Wyoming0.41%85.2%3.976.6%12.8%10

    Definitions are Kauffman's; see its methodology page. Kauffman's survival measure counts new establishments, which can be locations of existing firms, and is not comparable with the BLS survival rates on the survival pages. Jobs at firms 0 to 5 years old is the sum of Kauffman's "contribution" for firm ages 0 to 1, 2 to 3 and 4 to 5.

    08

    How small businesses are doing now

    The Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) asks a sample of businesses every two weeks how they are doing. The latest results used here were collected September 21 to October 4, 2026 and published October 8, 2026. Each measure is an index from 0 to 100 as the Census Bureau publishes it. For revenue, employees, demand and prices, the index is the share of businesses reporting an increase plus half the share reporting no change, so 50 means as many reported increases as decreases. For current performance, the answers from poor to excellent are weighted from 0 to 100.

    On current performance, Mississippi (63.7), Kentucky (62.6) and Montana (62.5) had the highest index and Colorado (53.3), Nevada (53.1) and Delaware (50.7) the lowest. The median state was 58.0. The revenue index was below 50 in all 51 jurisdictions, meaning more businesses reported lower revenue than higher revenue over the previous two weeks: it ran from 49.0 in the District of Columbia to 31.1 in Wyoming. The index for the prices businesses pay was above 50 everywhere, from 66.7 in Mississippi to 82.2 in Vermont.

    Figure 4

    Current performance index, 23 survey periods

    Select a state to compare it with the median state. Each point is a two-week collection period.

      Source: Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, state estimates, published October 8, 2026. The survey collected no data from October 6 to November 16, 2025 (collection cycles 202521 to 202523), so those periods are missing.
      Showing 51 of 51

      Table 7

      Small business conditions by state, latest survey period (collected September 21 to October 4, 2026)

      Median state58.041.648.044.373.755.423.0%
      Alabama61.444.048.248.873.757.420.9%
      Alaska60.739.844.646.478.056.223.1%
      Arizona56.543.248.245.771.956.429.5%
      Arkansas61.841.347.143.575.558.523.0%
      California53.440.247.441.971.651.625.7%
      Colorado53.339.345.240.572.451.125.7%
      Connecticut58.939.248.142.377.856.222.1%
      Delaware50.736.146.740.573.751.727.7%
      District of Columbia57.649.052.346.970.954.043.9%
      Florida53.837.846.740.371.853.227.8%
      Georgia56.040.648.445.772.053.925.1%
      Hawaii60.341.348.741.772.455.924.5%
      Idaho57.444.849.643.478.254.817.9%
      Illinois58.241.648.144.873.754.123.4%
      Indiana60.645.248.949.171.358.120.5%
      Iowa58.743.547.844.072.255.317.4%
      Kansas60.444.448.247.775.956.624.3%
      Kentucky62.644.448.948.171.659.625.0%
      Louisiana59.345.248.547.871.056.417.9%
      Maine58.935.644.740.576.551.824.3%
      Maryland57.040.649.041.872.555.421.0%
      Massachusetts57.941.347.344.376.056.426.0%
      Michigan59.242.748.545.175.357.222.1%
      Minnesota57.641.848.446.275.754.425.1%
      Mississippi63.747.351.748.066.759.812.9%
      Missouri58.842.847.743.172.754.822.9%
      Montana62.540.747.547.978.459.520.4%
      Nebraska55.137.747.944.174.252.625.5%
      Nevada53.140.646.342.868.153.729.1%
      New Hampshire58.042.146.046.876.956.423.3%
      New Jersey56.240.246.742.670.054.422.4%
      New Mexico55.743.644.949.772.055.627.7%
      New York55.041.447.843.970.452.018.1%
      North Carolina56.038.948.342.874.855.223.6%
      North Dakota61.143.348.545.371.657.415.0%
      Ohio59.743.448.247.075.157.320.5%
      Oklahoma61.540.848.945.871.760.321.4%
      Oregon54.639.947.741.376.152.121.4%
      Pennsylvania59.643.147.345.675.457.121.6%
      Rhode Island60.739.746.142.675.453.919.0%
      South Carolina61.146.149.246.374.960.820.4%
      South Dakota54.044.851.144.273.954.320.7%
      Tennessee58.241.748.245.773.358.122.7%
      Texas55.942.348.043.072.154.925.7%
      Utah56.139.947.542.275.253.534.8%
      Vermont56.847.246.853.182.256.122.3%
      Virginia56.241.147.944.273.954.024.3%
      Washington53.738.246.640.473.051.426.0%
      West Virginia61.547.047.552.774.359.2n/a
      Wisconsin60.547.148.848.075.457.119.7%
      Wyoming55.931.149.639.079.253.6n/a

      These are survey estimates from samples that are small in small states. Census withholds some answer shares (shown as "n/a") and publishes standard errors in its workbook, which this page does not reproduce. The Census file also has a row labeled XX, which covers multi-unit companies that operate in multiple sectors or multiple states, not a national total; it is not shown here, and the state estimates do not include those companies. "Median state" is the middle of the 51 values.

      09

      SBA-backed loans by state and county

      The Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 programs back loans made by lenders. The SBA publishes data on each approved loan, which this page totals by the state and county of the project and by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30). The data are as of June 30, 2026.

      In fiscal 2025 the SBA approved 63,561 7(a) loans, with gross approvals of $31.96 billion, and 6,466 504 loans, for which the SBA's debenture portion was $7.53 billion, for projects in the 50 states and D.C. From October 2025 through June 30, 2026 it approved 35,232 7(a) and 4,379 504 loans. California (7,779), Texas (5,123), Florida (4,907), New York (4,257) and Ohio (2,845) had the most 7(a) loans in fiscal 2025. Among counties, Los Angeles County, California (2,277), Cook County, Illinois (1,137), Maricopa County, Arizona (991), Miami-Dade County, Florida (926) and Harris County, Texas (895) had the most.

      These are approvals. They do not show how much was lent or repaid, which loans went into default, or how much lending a place needs.

      Showing 51 of 51

      Table 8

      SBA 7(a) and 504 loans by state, fiscal 2025

      United States63,56131,961.56,4667,528.639,611
      Alabama476298.25666.8281
      Alaska8660.2126.371
      Arizona1,367748.5218271.8890
      Arkansas333216.12015.5210
      California7,7794,068.51,3351,768.55,358
      Colorado1,8811,075.5161156.61,044
      Connecticut805308.98690.9660
      Delaware22375.264.2139
      District of Columbia14766.467.387
      Florida4,9072,717.1667724.43,171
      Georgia1,8651,310.7178258.61,117
      Hawaii18542.42327.676
      Idaho738267.18668.7505
      Illinois2,3091,114.8286310.21,299
      Indiana1,042490.2126128.8684
      Iowa383157.45945.1250
      Kansas414211.52424.6264
      Kentucky486236.41822.1309
      Louisiana475286.21828.0261
      Maine33989.55142.3211
      Maryland1,201446.03242.4804
      Massachusetts1,718507.9233180.81,096
      Michigan2,117872.2140123.91,095
      Minnesota1,399613.0228241.9856
      Mississippi277174.6814.4196
      Missouri1,016618.18190.6616
      Montana217117.25234.6144
      Nebraska287140.32729.0198
      Nevada720343.598122.5457
      New Hampshire519167.66852.7371
      New Jersey2,2611,024.779133.51,310
      New Mexico271167.03229.5168
      New York4,2571,480.8203237.72,407
      North Carolina1,5611,056.382127.5947
      North Dakota10984.95545.196
      Ohio2,8451,098.2123113.01,417
      Oklahoma423259.93537.4293
      Oregon1,075453.07193.5708
      Pennsylvania2,2371,050.8127159.41,270
      Rhode Island28492.64232.6151
      South Carolina767468.14170.5429
      South Dakota14473.78975.0135
      Tennessee829480.82541.6523
      Texas5,1233,490.1338551.73,130
      Utah1,161530.7247303.1874
      Vermont17656.31821.4113
      Virginia1,192655.3121109.5766
      Washington1,898976.2115126.11,277
      West Virginia17363.534.297
      Wisconsin956499.9195201.8709
      Wyoming10857.22213.971

      Fiscal 2026 is partial. The 504 dollar figure is the SBA debenture portion, not the project's total cost, so it is not added to the 7(a) figure. Cancelled loans are excluded.

      Table 9

      SBA loans by county (the 25 counties with the most 7(a) loans, fiscal 2025)

      Select a state in the box at the top of the page to see all of its counties.

      Los Angeles County, CA2,2771,218.740010,6771,537
      Cook County, IL1,137537.21035,018572
      Maricopa County, AZ991567.11744,561623
      Miami-Dade County, FL926379.51154,280548
      Harris County, TX895557.6573,827500
      Orange County, CA863444.71133,930555
      San Diego County, CA831420.51073,560477
      King County, WA627318.6292,479405
      Kings County, NY582211.2172,533275
      Broward County, FL578275.0452,561340
      Dallas County, TX564438.9232,287322
      Clark County, NV532246.4632,362334
      Hennepin County, MN438189.4522,390241
      Tarrant County, TX434312.0231,800280
      New York County, NY434160.191,747247
      Middlesex County, MA427132.6411,817235
      Riverside County, CA426201.7832,260346
      Suffolk County, NY424166.9321,790277
      Salt Lake County, UT420230.9792,072318
      San Bernardino County, CA420190.5752,005297
      Palm Beach County, FL416250.4381,840292
      Oakland County, MI409201.0302,008199
      Franklin County, OH395158.1162,301209
      Nassau County, NY360139.6161,458186
      Collin County, TX358222.7151,443213

      The SBA file gives a county name, not a county code. A loan is placed in a county only when exactly one Census county in the state has that name; 19,679 of the 670,783 loans approved from fiscal 2015 through June 30, 2026 (2.9%) could not be placed and are counted in state totals only. Cancelled loans are excluded.

      10

      What these numbers count

      Startup.

      An employer firm in its first year. A firm that has not yet hired anyone is not counted.

      Owners.

      Up to four owners per employer firm. Every owner share is a share of owners, not of firms.

      Years differ.

      Startup rates and owner figures are 2023, Kauffman's are 2020 and 2021, business conditions are from October 2026 and SBA loans run to June 30, 2026.

      Opportunity share.

      Kauffman's share of new entrepreneurs who started a business by choice rather than out of necessity.

      Approvals.

      SBA figures count approved loans by project location.

      11

      Methodology

      Source

      Owner characteristics come from the Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey (ABS), Characteristics of Business Owners table AB2300CSCBO, data year 2023, which covers owners of employer firms; up to four owners per firm are tabulated. Startup rates come from the Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) 2023: firms of age 0 divided by all employer firms, from the firm-age tables. State figures count a multi-state firm in each state. County and metro startup rates divide firms aged 0 by the employer firms in the county or metro area's own table. Kauffman measures come from the Kauffman Foundation's downloadable Early-Stage Entrepreneurship and New Employer Business files (2021 data) and Entrepreneurial Jobs file (2020 data). Business conditions come from the Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey state estimates, published October 8, 2026; indexes are as published. SBA figures are totals of the SBA's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan data, as of June 30, 2026, by project state and county and approval fiscal year, excluding cancelled loans. Data downloaded October 18, 2026.

      12

      Frequently asked questions

      What percentage of businesses are startups?

      9.1% of U.S. employer firms in 2023 were in their first year: 508,777 of 5,593,727. The rate was 13.71% in 1978 and 7.56% in 2010.

      How old is the average business owner?

      The Census Bureau does not publish an average age. Of owners of employer businesses, 51.3% are 55 or older and 23.1% are 65 or older.

      Why do people start businesses?

      Among owners of employer businesses, 62.1% rated greater income as a very important reason, 61.5% wanting to be their own boss and 55.8% balancing work and family. 6.8% said they could not find a job.

      Are most business owners first-time entrepreneurs?

      48.7% of owners of employer businesses say it is the first business they have owned, just under half.

      Which state has the highest startup rate?

      Florida, at 11.31% of employer firms in 2023. Florida also had the highest rate of new entrepreneurs in Kauffman's 2021 data (0.61%).

      What is the startup failure rate?

      It depends on how long you wait. By Bureau of Labor Statistics counts of new establishments, 22.1% close within the first year, 48.6% within five years and 65.3% within ten. State rates are on what percentage of new businesses fail.

      How many startups fail?

      The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts locations, not firms: 22.1% of new establishments that opened between April 2023 and March 2024 had closed by March 2025. See what percentage of new businesses fail, with rates for every state.

      How are small businesses doing right now?

      In the Census Bureau's survey collected September 21 to October 4, 2026, the median state's current-performance index was 58.0 and the revenue index was below 50 in every state. See Table 7 for each state.

      How many SBA loans are made each year?

      In fiscal 2025 the SBA approved 63,561 7(a) loans and 6,466 504 loans for projects in the 50 states and D.C.

      13

      Cite this page

      You are welcome to use these figures with a link to this page. For a single state, link to this page with the state's postal code at the end, for example #tx.

      Suggested citation

      Mainstay Filing, "Entrepreneurship Statistics," updated October 18, 2026, using U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey 2023 and Business Dynamics Statistics 2023; Kauffman Foundation, Kauffman Indicators (2020 and 2021 data); Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey (through October 8, 2026); and SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data (as of June 30, 2026). https://mainstayfiling.com/research/entrepreneurship-statistics/
      • Last updated:October 18, 2026
      • Data years:2023 (startups, owners), 2020 and 2021 (Kauffman), October 2026 (business conditions), June 30, 2026 (SBA)
      • Next update:when the Census Bureau releases BDS 2024 and a new ABS

      Sources

      1. U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey, data year 2023, Characteristics of Business Owners (AB2300CSCBO). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/abs/data/2023/. Downloaded October 18, 2026.
      2. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023, firm age tables for the nation, states, counties and metro areas. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds.html. Downloaded October 18, 2026.
      3. Kauffman Foundation, Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship, data downloads (Early-Stage Entrepreneurship and New Employer Business, 2021 data; Entrepreneurial Jobs, 2020 data). https://www.kauffman.org/indicators/data-downloads/. Downloaded October 18, 2026.
      4. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, state estimates, through the period published October 8, 2026. https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/data_downloads.
      5. U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan data, as of June 30, 2026. https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia.
      6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (cited in the FAQ). https://www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm.

      Mainstay Filing is a business filing service, not a law firm or tax advisor. This page reports public government statistics and is not legal, tax or financial advice.