Research · Data through September 2026 · Updated October 18, 2026

New business applications

How many applications for a new business were filed each month, in the U.S., in each state and in each county. The figures come from the Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics, which count applications for an Employer Identification Number, through September 2026.

Filed in 20255.67MApplications

How many new businesses are being started

Applicants filed 5,671,836 applications to start a business in 2025, the most in any year since the series begins in 2005. In the first nine months of 2026 they filed 4,927,840, which is 15.3% more than in the same months of 2025.

An application is not a business. Of the 5,062,563 applications filed in 2022, 296,531 (5.9%) became employer businesses within four quarters.

Applications in 20255,671,8362019: 3,498,990, +62.1%
January to September 20264,927,840same months of 2025: 4,273,086, +15.3%
September 2026, seasonally adjusted534,947September 2025: 512,569

Applications for an Employer Identification Number that indicate a new business, 50 states and D.C. Source: Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, data through September 2026.

Monthly applications

July 2026 was the highest month in the series, at 576,264 applications (seasonally adjusted). The previous high was July 2020, at 546,719. The latest month, September 2026, was 534,947 against 512,569 in September 2025.

Figure 1

Business applications by month, seasonally adjusted

July 2004 to September 2026. The lighter line is high-propensity applications. Select a state to see its months instead.

Source: Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, seasonally adjusted. Use seasonally adjusted figures to compare one month with another and unadjusted figures for annual totals.

Applications by year

2025 had more applications than any earlier year, ahead of 2023 (5,469,302) and 2021 (5,390,816). It was 62.1% above 2019, the last year before the pandemic (3,498,990).

Figure 2

Business applications by calendar year, 2005 to 2025

Not seasonally adjusted. Select a state to see its years instead.

Source: Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, annual totals.

All 50 states and D.C.

Table 1

New business applications, by state


United States	5,671,836	16.59	+15.3%	+62.1%	30.1%
Alabama	70,466	13.57	+17.6%	+69.8%	25.7%	27
Alaska	10,531	14.28	+48.1%	+30.2%	27.4%	49
Arizona	135,679	17.80	+22.7%	+77.0%	27.3%	15
Arkansas	39,512	12.69	+25.7%	+54.9%	29.6%	36
California	553,931	14.08	+18.1%	+51.7%	38.9%	2
Colorado	143,807	23.92	+24.5%	+66.3%	29.9%	12
Connecticut	49,834	13.51	+19.1%	+51.4%	29.3%	34
Delaware†	60,132	56.73	+4.1%	+132.3%	34.6%	31
District of Columbia	14,945	21.55	+8.5%	+21.7%	29.4%	45
Florida	647,734	27.61	+15.7%	+65.2%	31.4%	1
Georgia	254,582	22.52	+16.1%	+47.9%	27.6%	5
Hawaii	19,558	13.65	−7.1%	+34.8%	29.7%	42
Idaho	33,267	16.39	+19.7%	+53.9%	31.2%	39
Illinois	189,879	14.93	+9.2%	+61.9%	30.8%	6
Indiana	89,768	12.87	+17.8%	+66.9%	30.1%	20
Iowa	35,038	10.82	+13.6%	+59.1%	28.0%	38
Kansas	37,534	12.61	+23.9%	+66.6%	29.0%	37
Kentucky	64,042	13.90	+34.0%	+94.6%	24.9%	29
Louisiana	75,620	16.37	+15.2%	+39.8%	25.2%	23
Maine	14,186	10.03	+18.2%	+42.0%	35.1%	46
Maryland	101,253	16.16	+13.6%	+34.2%	29.1%	18
Massachusetts	79,139	11.06	+14.1%	+38.2%	37.0%	21
Michigan	152,060	15.01	+17.7%	+60.9%	26.3%	11
Minnesota	73,825	12.66	+12.7%	+60.4%	30.3%	24
Mississippi	52,467	17.76	+30.0%	+67.2%	26.8%	33
Missouri	101,393	16.17	+30.3%	+72.6%	25.6%	17
Montana	29,887	26.11	+14.9%	+111.2%	26.3%	40
Nebraska	22,876	11.34	+9.2%	+52.9%	29.3%	41
Nevada	64,781	19.74	+9.7%	+52.8%	27.7%	28
New Hampshire	17,046	12.04	+28.4%	+53.0%	30.5%	43
New Jersey	161,138	16.88	+16.1%	+43.4%	29.2%	10
New Mexico	40,758	19.18	+14.6%	+133.4%	25.8%	35
New York	301,047	15.05	+12.0%	+31.7%	39.4%	4
North Carolina	182,653	16.31	+13.1%	+76.3%	28.5%	7
North Dakota	8,912	11.15	+17.2%	+29.6%	32.3%	50
Ohio	168,207	14.13	+16.7%	+77.1%	25.5%	8
Oklahoma	56,855	13.79	+35.4%	+38.6%	29.3%	32
Oregon	62,652	14.66	+6.0%	+59.7%	28.0%	30
Pennsylvania	161,275	12.35	+9.0%	+57.0%	28.7%	9
Rhode Island	11,800	10.59	+14.3%	+39.0%	34.7%	48
South Carolina	94,104	16.89	+13.2%	+82.7%	26.2%	19
South Dakota	12,092	12.93	+18.6%	+55.0%	30.0%	47
Tennessee	103,220	14.11	+16.9%	+75.8%	29.5%	16
Texas	544,146	17.16	+13.6%	+78.3%	27.8%	3
Utah	72,787	20.57	+29.5%	+46.5%	26.8%	25
Vermont	7,575	11.75	+20.7%	+36.0%	33.4%	51
Virginia	138,762	15.63	+13.6%	+57.7%	27.4%	14
Washington	142,196	17.77	−18.8%	+102.0%	22.8%	13
West Virginia	16,387	9.28	+24.6%	+64.6%	30.8%	44
Wisconsin	71,475	11.97	+17.0%	+63.2%	27.4%	26
Wyoming†	79,023	134.22	+14.7%	+301.9%	26.0%	22

Per-resident rates divide 2025 applications by the July 1, 2025 population estimate (Vintage 2025). Year to date is January to September, unadjusted. Ranks are out of 51 and cover the 50 states and D.C. † See the note on Wyoming and Delaware under the map.

Applications per resident

Florida had the most applications in 2025 (647,734), followed by California (553,931), Texas (544,146), New York (301,047) and Georgia (254,582). Per resident, the order changes: Wyoming (134.22 per 1,000), Delaware (56.73), Florida (27.61), Montana (26.11) and Colorado (23.92) are highest, against 16.59 for the U.S. West Virginia (9.28), Maine (10.03), Rhode Island (10.59), Iowa (10.82) and Massachusetts (11.06) are lowest.

Wyoming's rate is nearly five times Florida's. Census does not publish how it assigns an application to a state, so this page shows the figures as published and does not say what lies behind them.

Figure 3

Applications filed in 2025 per 1,000 residents

Wyoming and Delaware are hatched. Select a state on the map.

Under 12
12 to 15
15 to 18
18 to 22
22 to 30
30 or more
Hatched: Wyoming and Delaware, see the note

United States

16.59

per 1,000 residents · 5,671,836 applications

Source: Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics and Vintage 2025 population estimates. U.S. rate 16.59.

Fastest and slowest growth

49 of the 51 jurisdictions filed more applications in January to September 2026 than in the same months of 2025. Washington (−18.8%) and Hawaii (−7.1%) filed fewer.

Highest

Lowest

Percentage changes in small states rest on small counts. Alaska's year-to-date change is on 10,531 applications in 2025.

From applications to employers

Census also counts the applications that turn into employer businesses within four quarters of filing. Of the 5,062,563 applications filed in 2022, the latest year with a complete count, 296,531 (5.9%) did. High-propensity applications are those Census flags as likely to become employers: 30.1% of 2025 applications (1,708,842). The share was highest in New York (39.4%), California (38.9%) and Massachusetts (37.0%) and lowest in Washington (22.8%), Kentucky (24.9%) and Louisiana (25.2%).

The data does not say why an application did not become an employer business.

Applications by county

Census also publishes annual applications for every county. Select a state to see all of its counties; with no state selected, the table shows the 25 counties with the most applications in 2025.

Table 2

Business applications by county, 2025: the 25 counties with the most


Los Angeles County, CA	172,540	165,805	+4.1%	128,114	+34.7%	17.8
Miami-Dade County, FL	135,758	138,504	−2.0%	86,066	+57.7%	48.4
Harris County, TX	99,688	93,626	+6.5%	59,683	+67.0%	19.8
Cook County, IL	99,217	91,812	+8.1%	66,578	+49.0%	19.1
Maricopa County, AZ	98,384	85,921	+14.5%	56,380	+74.5%	21.0
Broward County, FL	72,422	73,486	−1.4%	51,700	+40.1%	36.0
Dallas County, TX	61,000	56,333	+8.3%	39,062	+56.2%	22.9
New York County, NY	54,695	52,014	+5.2%	46,528	+17.6%	32.9
Clark County, NV	51,725	48,011	+7.7%	33,568	+54.1%	21.5
Orange County, CA	49,945	46,833	+6.6%	36,985	+35.0%	15.9
Fulton County, GA	49,873	47,373	+5.3%	33,672	+48.1%	45.4
Orange County, FL	49,392	48,244	+2.4%	30,617	+61.3%	32.3
Travis County, TX	48,974	42,500	+15.2%	20,951	+133.8%	35.2
Kings County, NY	48,687	48,851	−0.3%	39,071	+24.6%	18.3
Palm Beach County, FL	48,510	49,022	−1.0%	33,103	+46.5%	30.8
Sheridan County, WY	47,787	38,208	+25.1%	7,741	+517.3%	1437.6
King County, WA	46,989	37,502	+25.3%	26,943	+74.4%	20.0
San Diego County, CA	45,546	42,125	+8.1%	30,720	+48.3%	13.9
Hillsborough County, FL	43,619	40,869	+6.7%	25,255	+72.7%	27.7
Tarrant County, TX	39,814	35,175	+13.2%	23,786	+67.4%	17.7
Wayne County, MI	39,517	35,890	+10.1%	24,842	+59.1%	22.3
Pinellas County, FL	38,333	34,583	+10.8%	15,545	+146.6%	40.4
Sacramento County, CA	35,789	31,220	+14.6%	12,191	+193.6%	22.1
Queens County, NY	34,304	35,401	−3.1%	27,902	+22.9%	14.5
Philadelphia County, PA	31,924	30,408	+5.0%	21,560	+48.1%	20.3

County counts for 2023 and 2024 were revised in the June 2026 release. Census adds statistical noise to county counts to protect confidentiality, so small-county counts can be off and county counts may not add up to the state total. Per-resident rates use the Vintage 2025 county estimates. Suppressed counts show "n/a" (12 of 3,156 counties have no 2025 count). Alaska's boroughs and census areas do not match Census county codes one for one, so some Alaska areas have no population figure.

What these numbers count

Applications

BFS counts applications for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) on IRS Form SS-4 that indicate a new business. One person can file several, and many filers never hire anyone.

EINs

An LLC registered with a state that never applies for an EIN is not counted.

Seasonally adjusted and unadjusted.

Month-to-month comparisons use seasonally adjusted data. Annual totals and year-to-date figures use unadjusted data.

Revisions.

Census revises recent months. Figures here are as of the October 2026 download.

Where an application is counted.

Census excludes applications outside the 50 states and D.C. or without a state and county code. It does not say which address sets the state.

Methodology

Source

Data come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics (BFS): the monthly state series through September 2026 and the annual county series through 2025 (released June 10, 2026). Business applications are EIN applications that indicate a new business. High-propensity applications are those Census identifies as having a high likelihood of becoming businesses with payroll, for example corporate filers or applications that report planned wages. Business formations within four quarters are applications that appear as employer businesses within four quarters of filing; the latest complete year in the file is 2022. Per-resident rates use Vintage 2025 population estimates for July 1, 2025. Data downloaded October 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many new businesses were started in 2025?

Applicants filed 5,671,836 applications for a new business in 2025. Applications are not the same as businesses: 5.9% of 2022 applications became employer businesses within four quarters.

Which state has the most new business applications?

Florida, with 647,734 in 2025, ahead of California (553,931) and Texas (544,146).

Which state has the most per person?

Wyoming, at 134.22 applications per 1,000 residents, then Delaware (56.73) and Florida (27.61). Census does not publish how it assigns an application to a state.

Are new business applications still rising?

In January to September 2026 there were 4,927,840 applications, 15.3% more than in the same months of 2025. 49 of 51 jurisdictions were up.

What is a high-propensity business application?

One that Census flags as likely to become an employer business, for example a corporate filer or an application that reports planned wages. They were 30.1% of 2025 applications.

How many applications become real employers?

5.9% of the applications filed in 2022 became employer businesses within four quarters (296,531 of 5,062,563).

Which county has the most applications?

Los Angeles County, California, with 172,540 in 2025, followed by Miami-Dade County, Florida (135,758) and Harris County, Texas (99,688). Census adds noise to county counts, so small counties can be off.

Cite this page

You are welcome to use these figures and charts 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, "New Business Applications," updated October 18, 2026, using U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (data through September 2026). https://mainstayfiling.com/research/new-business-applications/

Last updated:October 18, 2026
Data through:September 2026 (states), 2025 (counties)
Next update:after Census publishes October 2026 data

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, monthly state data. https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/data.html. Data through September 2026; downloaded October 18, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, annual business applications by county. https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/data/county.html. Data through 2025, released June 10, 2026; downloaded October 18, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates, state and county. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html.

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.