100+ Statistics On Small Business In The U.S.
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Small businesses in the US statistics offer a picture of a thriving economic environment, with 6,081,544, or 99% of all businesses considered small, with fewer than 500 employees. States with higher populations have higher levels of small business employment and payroll.
However, of those 99%, small businesses only account for 46% of employment. Moreover, annual payroll for small businesses is only ⅓ higher than the 504 large corporations with over 20,000 employees.
Key Takeaways
Small businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for 99% of total registered businesses in America.
Enterprises with fewer than 500 employees account for 46% of the employment across the United States.
California is the biggest employer via small businesses, with 15,516,824 people working for enterprises with fewer than 500 people while Wyoming has the fewest, employing only 207,016 people in small businesses.
Number Of Small Businesses In The U.S.
There are impressively high small business in the US statistics, with small businesses representing 99% of all registered companies across the United States.
- 6,102,412: The United States had 6,102,412 total firms registered.
- 6,081,544: The United States has 6,081,544 small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
- 99%: Small businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for 99% of total registered businesses in America.
- 6,961: There are 6,961 registered businesses in the US with between 500-749 employees.
- 3,387: There are 3,387 businesses in the US with between 750-999 employees.
- 3,387: There are 3,387 businesses with between 1,000-1,499 employees in the US.
- 1,715: The United States has 1,715 businesses with between 1,500 and 1,999 employees.
- 1,072: There are 1,072 businesses in the US with between 2,000 and 2,499 employees.
- 2,105: There are 2,105 businesses in the US with between 2,500-4,999 employees.
- 1,108: The United States has 1,108 businesses with between 5,000-9,999 employees.
- 582: There are only 582 businesses with between 10,000 and 19,999 employees in the US.
- 540: There are only 540 businesses with over 20,000 employees in the US.
Source: Census
Number Of People Employed By Small Businesses
According to census data, the total employment from all enterprises across the United States is 132,989,428 people. Small businesses account for nearly half of employment across the United States, though large enterprises, with more than 20,000 employees represent the next biggest category of employment at 23% of the US.
- 61,693,908: Enterprises with fewer than 500 employees employ a total of 61,693,908 people.
- 46%: Enterprises with fewer than 500 employees account for 46% of the employment across the United States.
- 4,228,530: Enterprises with between 500-749 employees employ a total of 4,228,530 people.
- 2,921,096: Enterprises with between 750-999 employees employ a total of 2,921,096 people.
- 4,138,524: Enterprises with between 1,000-1,499 employees employ a total of 4,138,524 people.
- 2,968,524: Enterprises with between 1,500-1,999 employees employ a total of 2,968,524 people.
- 2,389,866: Enterprises with between 2,000-2,499 employees employ a total of 2,389,866 people.
- 7,321,778: Enterprises with between 2,500-4,999 employees employ a total of 7,321,778 people.
- 7,669,204: Enterprises with between 5,000-9,999 employees employ a total of 7,669,204 people.
- 8,145,418: Enterprises with between 10,000-19,999 employees employ a total of 8,145,418 people.
- 31,512,580: Enterprises with 20,000 or more employees employ a total of 31,512,580 people.
- 23%: Enterprises with more than 20,000 employees make up 23% of the workforce.
Source: Census
Wyoming, Vermont, and Alaska have the three lowest employment levels within small businesses while California, Texas, and Florida have the largest employment levels for small businesses.
- 15,516,824: California is the biggest employer via small businesses, with 15,516,824 people working for enterprises with fewer than 500 people.
- 11,104,054: Texas employs the second highest number of individuals in small businesses, with 11,104,054 people.
- 8,860,042: Florida is the third largest employer via small businesses, with 8,860,042 people working for small businesses throughout the state.
- 8,597,216: New York employs 8,597,216 people through small businesses.
Source: Census
The table below provides data on the total number of employees by all of the small businesses in each state (fewer than 500 employees):
| State | Total employed by total small businesses |
| Alabama | 1,758,609 |
| Alaska | 264,971 |
| Arizona | 2,614,641 |
| Arkansas | 1,053,453 |
| California | 15,516,824 |
| Colorado | 2,473,192 |
| Connecticut | 1,538,341 |
| Delaware | 413,410 |
| Florida | 8,860,042 |
| Georgia | 4,040,559 |
| Hawai’i | 553,206 |
| Idaho | 616,778 |
| Illinois | 5,530,388 |
| Indiana | 2,834,056 |
| Iowa | 1,380,747 |
| Kansas | 1,209,318 |
| Kentucky | 1,666,637 |
| Louisiana | 1,719,561 |
| Maine | 522,191 |
| Maryland | 2,380,865 |
| Massachusetts | 3,386,372 |
| Michigan | 3,978,872 |
| Minnesota | 2,279,420 |
| Mississippi | 958,126 |
| Missouri | 2,547,310 |
| Montana | 375,176 |
| Nebraska | 856,242 |
| Nevada | 1,261,577 |
| New Hampshire | 620,164 |
| New Jersey | 3,805,357 |
| New Mexico | 644,537 |
| New York | 8,597,216 |
| North Carolina | 3,932,620 |
| North Dakota | 353,333 |
| Ohio | 4,916,956 |
| Oklahoma | 1,404,725 |
| Oregon | 1,643,425 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,557,885 |
| Rhode Island | 444,948 |
| South Carolina | 1,949,406 |
| South Dakota | 358,943 |
| Tennessee | 2,724,545 |
| Texas | 11,104,054 |
| Utah | 1,373,876 |
| Vermont | 261,196 |
| Virginia | 3,455,993 |
| Washington | 2,898,378 |
| West Virginia | 554,433 |
| Wisconsin | 2,610,712 |
| Wyoming | 207,016 |
Small Business Statistics Split By State
The information below provides details on the size and quantity of small businesses across each state:
Alabama
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 74,669 |
| <5 employees | 40,111 |
| 5-9 employees | 13,439 |
| 10-19 employees | 8,548 |
| <20 employees | 62,098 |
| 20-99 employees | 7,750 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,149 |
| <500 employees | 71,997 |
| 500+ employees | 2,672 |
Alaska
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 17,365 |
| <5 employees | 10,398 |
| 5-9 employees | 2,965 |
| 10-19 employees | 1,744 |
| <20 employees | 15,107 |
| 20-99 employees | 1,274 |
| 100-499 employees | 310 |
| <500 employees | 16,691 |
| 500+ employees | 674 |
Arizona
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 113,832 |
| <5 employees | 68,617 |
| 5-9 employees | 17,012 |
| 10-19 employees | 11,282 |
| <20 employees | 96,911 |
| 20-99 employees | 10,603 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,889 |
| <500 employees | 110,403 |
| 500+ employees | 3,429 |
Arkansas
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 51,237 |
| <5 employees | 29,264 |
| 5-9 employees | 8,802 |
| 10-19 employees | 5,242 |
| <20 employees | 43,308 |
| 20-99 employees | 4,798 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,215 |
| <500 employees | 49,321 |
| 500+ employees | 1,916 |
California
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 790,509 |
| <5 employees | 494,046 |
| 5-9 employees | 126,960 |
| 10-19 employees | 80,853 |
| <20 employees | 701,859 |
| 20-99 employees | 68,103 |
| 100-499 employees | 13,983 |
| <500 employees | 783,945 |
| 500+ employees | 6,564 |
Colorado
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 144,185 |
| <5 employees | 92,255 |
| 5-9 employees | 20,485 |
| 10-19 employees | 13,298 |
| <20 employees | 126,038 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,648 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,976 |
| <500 employees | 140,662 |
| 500+ employees | 3,523 |
Connecticut
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 70,430 |
| <5 employees | 38,918 |
| 5-9 employees | 12,405 |
| 10-19 employees | 7,826 |
| <20 employees | 59,149 |
| 20-99 employees | 7,096 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,873 |
| <500 employees | 68,118 |
| 500+ employees | 2,312 |
Delaware
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 21,163 |
| <5 employees | 11,732 |
| 5-9 employees | 3,123 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,162 |
| <20 employees | 17,017 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,136 |
| 100-499 employees | 615 |
| <500 employees | 19,768 |
| 500+ employees | 1,395 |
Florida
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 470,502 |
| <5 employees | 324,060 |
| 5-9 employees | 64,037 |
| 10-19 employees | 38,176 |
| <20 employees | 426,273 |
| 20-99 employees | 31,997 |
| 100-499 employees | 7,224 |
| <500 employees | 465,494 |
| 500+ employees | 5,008 |
Georgia
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 185,938 |
| <5 employees | 114,770 |
| 5-9 employees | 28,190 |
| 10-19 employees | 17,565 |
| <20 employees | 160,525 |
| 20-99 employees | 16,553 |
| 100-499 employees | 4,458 |
| <500 employees | 181,536 |
| 500+ employees | 4,402 |
Hawaii
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 25,714 |
| <5 employees | 14,332 |
| 5-9 employees | 4,455 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,704 |
| <20 employees | 21,491 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,497 |
| 100-499 employees | 689 |
| <500 employees | 24,677 |
| 500+ employees | 1,037 |
Idaho
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 42,625 |
| <5 employees | 26,037 |
| 5-9 employees | 6,550 |
| 10-19 employees | 4,227 |
| <20 employees | 36,814 |
| 20-99 employees | 3,475 |
| 100-499 employees | 885 |
| <500 employees | 41,174 |
| 500+ employees | 1,451 |
Illinois
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 256,027 |
| <5 employees | 159,274 |
| 5-9 employees | 38,219 |
| 10-19 employees | 24,232 |
| <20 employees | 221,725 |
| 20-99 employees | 23,209 |
| 100-499 employees | 6,173 |
| <500 employees | 251,107 |
| 500+ employees | 4,920 |
Indiana
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 109,979 |
| <5 employees | 59,928 |
| 5-9 employees | 19,072 |
| 10-19 employees | 12,553 |
| <20 employees | 91,553 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,899 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,136 |
| <500 employees | 106,588 |
| 500+ employees | 3,391 |
Iowa
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 63,220 |
| <5 employees | 36,792 |
| 5-9 employees | 10,248 |
| 10-19 employees | 6,678 |
| <20 employees | 53,718 |
| 20-99 employees | 5,861 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,613 |
| <500 employees | 61,192 |
| 500+ employees | 2,028 |
Kansas
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 57,389 |
| <5 employees | 32,387 |
| 5-9 employees | 9,466 |
| 10-19 employees | 6,028 |
| <20 employees | 47,881 |
| 20-99 employees | 5,593 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,627 |
| <500 employees | 55,101 |
| 500+ employees | 2,288 |
Kentucky
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 67,340 |
| <5 employees | 36,448 |
| 5-9 employees | 11,788 |
| 10-19 employees | 7,617 |
| <20 employees | 55,853 |
| 20-99 employees | 6,961 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,909 |
| <500 employees | 64,723 |
| 500+ employees | 2,617 |
Louisiana
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 81,489 |
| <5 employees | 44,593 |
| 5-9 employees | 14,410 |
| 10-19 employees | 9,220 |
| <20 employees | 68,223 |
| 20-99 employees | 8,754 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,158 |
| <500 employees | 79,135 |
| 500+ employees | 2,354 |
Maine
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 34,469 |
| <5 employees | 21,252 |
| 5-9 employees | 5,367 |
| 10-19 employees | 3,322 |
| <20 employees | 29,941 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,726 |
| 100-499 employees | 633 |
| <500 employees | 33,300 |
| 500+ employees | 1,169 |
Maryland
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 110,241 |
| <5 employees | 62,840 |
| 5-9 employees | 17,896 |
| 10-19 employees | 12,049 |
| <20 employees | 92,785 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,491 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,936 |
| <500 employees | 107,212 |
| 500+ employees | 3,029 |
Massachusetts
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 145,328 |
| <5 employees | 84,149 |
| 5-9 employees | 24,395 |
| 10-19 employees | 15,478 |
| <20 employees | 124,022 |
| 20-99 employees | 14,237 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,680 |
| <500 employees | 141,939 |
| 500+ employees | 3,389 |
Michigan
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 173,837 |
| <5 employees | 98,192 |
| 5-9 employees | 30,449 |
| 10-19 employees | 19,794 |
| <20 employees | 148,435 |
| 20-99 employees | 17,920 |
| 100-499 employees | 4,050 |
| <500 employees | 170,405 |
| 500+ employees | 3,432 |
Minnesota
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 119,278 |
| <5 employees | 70,927 |
| 5-9 employees | 18,207 |
| 10-19 employees | 12,225 |
| <20 employees | 101,359 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,995 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,963 |
| <500 employees | 116,317 |
| 500+ employees | 2,961 |
Mississippi
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 44,293 |
| <5 employees | 24,147 |
| 5-9 employees | 8,057 |
| 10-19 employees | 4,857 |
| <20 employees | 37,061 |
| 20-99 employees | 4,222 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,128 |
| <500 employees | 42,411 |
| 500+ employees | 1,882 |
Missouri
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 116,620 |
| <5 employees | 69,567 |
| 5-9 employees | 18,043 |
| 10-19 employees | 11,716 |
| <20 employees | 99,326 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,375 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,774 |
| <500 employees | 113,475 |
| 500+ employees | 3,145 |
Montana
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 33,556 |
| <5 employees | 21,334 |
| 5-9 employees | 5,282 |
| 10-19 employees | 3,130 |
| <20 employees | 29,746 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,329 |
| 100-499 employees | 539 |
| <500 employees | 32,614 |
| 500+ employees | 942 |
Nebraska
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 43,756 |
| <5 employees | 25,870 |
| 5-9 employees | 6,769 |
| 10-19 employees | 4,372 |
| <20 employees | 37,011 |
| 20-99 employees | 4,081 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,025 |
| <500 employees | 42,117 |
| 500+ employees | 1,639 |
Nevada
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 54,760 |
| <5 employees | 31,213 |
| 5-9 employees | 8,291 |
| 10-19 employees | 5,737 |
| <20 employees | 45,241 |
| 20-99 employees | 5,383 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,744 |
| <500 employees | 52,368 |
| 500+ employees | 2,392 |
New Hampshire
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 30,973 |
| <5 employees | 16,641 |
| 5-9 employees | 5,462 |
| 10-19 employees | 3,538 |
| <20 employees | 25,641 |
| 20-99 employees | 3,101 |
| 100-499 employees | 802 |
| <500 employees | 29,544 |
| 500+ employees | 1,429 |
New Jersey
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 194,740 |
| <5 employees | 117,531 |
| 5-9 employees | 32,078 |
| 10-19 employees | 19,770 |
| <20 employees | 169,379 |
| 20-99 employees | 17,764 |
| 100-499 employees | 4,110 |
| <500 employees | 191,253 |
| 500+ employees | 3,487 |
New Mexico
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 34,448 |
| <5 employees | 18,858 |
| 5-9 employees | 5,636 |
| 10-19 employees | 3,837 |
| <20 employees | 28,331 |
| 20-99 employees | 3,478 |
| 100-499 employees | 967 |
| <500 employees | 32,776 |
| 500+ employees | 1,672 |
New York
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 466,128 |
| <5 employees | 304,015 |
| 5-9 employees | 71,091 |
| 10-19 employees | 41,988 |
| <20 employees | 417,094 |
| 20-99 employees | 35,907 |
| 100-499 employees | 8,205 |
| <500 employees | 461,206 |
| 500+ employees | 4,922 |
North Carolina
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 182,451 |
| <5 employees | 108,386 |
| 5-9 employees | 29,816 |
| 10-19 employees | 18,962 |
| <20 employees | 157,164 |
| 20-99 employees | 17,408 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,915 |
| <500 employees | 178,487 |
| 500+ employees | 3,964 |
North Dakota
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 19,812 |
| <5 employees | 10,983 |
| 5-9 employees | 3,225 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,170 |
| <20 employees | 16,378 |
| 20-99 employees | 1,913 |
| 100-499 employees | 576 |
| <500 employees | 18,867 |
| 500+ employees | 945 |
Ohio
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 183,281 |
| <5 employees | 97,664 |
| 5-9 employees | 33,037 |
| 10-19 employees | 22,303 |
| <20 employees | 153,004 |
| 20-99 employees | 20,946 |
| 100-499 employees | 5,101 |
| <500 employees | 179,051 |
| 500+ employees | 4,230 |
Oklahoma
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 73,321 |
| <5 employees | 43,127 |
| 5-9 employees | 11,978 |
| 10-19 employees | 7,319 |
| <20 employees | 62,424 |
| 20-99 employees | 6,777 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,782 |
| <500 employees | 70,983 |
| 500+ employees | 2,338 |
Oregon
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 96,968 |
| <5 employees | 56,630 |
| 5-9 employees | 16,799 |
| 10-19 employees | 10,559 |
| <20 employees | 83,988 |
| 20-99 employees | 8,566 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,014 |
| <500 employees | 94,568 |
| 500+ employees | 2,400 |
Pennsylvania
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 230,948 |
| <5 employees | 129,608 |
| 5-9 employees | 41,041 |
| 10-19 employees | 25,920 |
| <20 employees | 196,569 |
| 20-99 employees | 24,266 |
| 100-499 employees | 5,676 |
| <500 employees | 226,511 |
| 500+ employees | 4,437 |
Rhode Island
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 24,430 |
| <5 employees | 13,919 |
| 5-9 employees | 3,971 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,521 |
| <20 employees | 20,411 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,269 |
| 100-499 employees | 564 |
| <500 employees | 23,244 |
| 500+ employees | 1,186 |
South Carolina
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 85,633 |
| <5 employees | 49,079 |
| 5-9 employees | 14,272 |
| 10-19 employees | 9,052 |
| <20 employees | 72,403 |
| 20-99 employees | 8,236 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,181 |
| <500 employees | 82,820 |
| 500+ employees | 2,813 |
South Dakota
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 22,426 |
| <5 employees | 13,081 |
| 5-9 employees | 3,619 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,269 |
| <20 employees | 18,969 |
| 20-99 employees | 1,951 |
| 100-499 employees | 553 |
| <500 employees | 21,473 |
| 500+ employees | 953 |
Tennessee
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 100,734 |
| <5 employees | 53,034 |
| 5-9 employees | 18,101 |
| 10-19 employees | 11,723 |
| <20 employees | 82,858 |
| 20-99 employees | 11,314 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,057 |
| <500 employees | 97,229 |
| 500+ employees | 3,505 |
Texas
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 458,588 |
| <5 employees | 268,586 |
| 5-9 employees | 77,203 |
| 10-19 employees | 49,770 |
| <20 employees | 395,559 |
| 20-99 employees | 45,865 |
| 100-499 employees | 10,815 |
| <500 employees | 452,239 |
| 500+ employees | 6,349 |
Utah
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 70,562 |
| <5 employees | 44,412 |
| 5-9 employees | 9,641 |
| 10-19 employees | 6,763 |
| <20 employees | 60,816 |
| 20-99 employees | 6,036 |
| 100-499 employees | 1,519 |
| <500 employees | 68,371 |
| 500+ employees | 2,191 |
Vermont
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 17,745 |
| <5 employees | 10,253 |
| 5-9 employees | 2,936 |
| 10-19 employees | 1,885 |
| <20 employees | 15,074 |
| 20-99 employees | 1,524 |
| 100-499 employees | 364 |
| <500 employees | 16,962 |
| 500+ employees | 783 |
Virginia
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 154,980 |
| <5 employees | 90,102 |
| 5-9 employees | 25,337 |
| 10-19 employees | 16,700 |
| <20 employees | 132,139 |
| 20-99 employees | 15,347 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,797 |
| <500 employees | 151,283 |
| 500+ employees | 3,697 |
Washington
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 159,795 |
| <5 employees | 96,436 |
| 5-9 employees | 26,635 |
| 10-19 employees | 16,481 |
| <20 employees | 139,552 |
| 20-99 employees | 13,737 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,286 |
| <500 employees | 156,575 |
| 500+ employees | 3,220 |
West Virginia
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 26,054 |
| <5 employees | 13,637 |
| 5-9 employees | 4,818 |
| 10-19 employees | 2,943 |
| <20 employees | 21,398 |
| 20-99 employees | 2,569 |
| 100-499 employees | 750 |
| <500 employees | 24,717 |
| 500+ employees | 1,337 |
Washington
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 159,795 |
| <5 employees | 96,436 |
| 5-9 employees | 26,635 |
| 10-19 employees | 16,481 |
| <20 employees | 139,552 |
| 20-99 employees | 13,737 |
| 100-499 employees | 3,286 |
| <500 employees | 156,575 |
| 500+ employees | 3,220 |
Wisconsin
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 108,633 |
| <5 employees | 58,724 |
| 5-9 employees | 18,940 |
| 10-19 employees | 12,866 |
| <20 employees | 90,530 |
| 20-99 employees | 12,368 |
| 100-499 employees | 2,833 |
| <500 employees | 105,731 |
| 500+ employees | 2,902 |
Wyoming
| Size | Number of Businesses |
| Total Small Businesses | 18,597 |
| <5 employees | 11,408 |
| 5-9 employees | 2,956 |
| 10-19 employees | 1,692 |
| <20 employees | 16,056 |
| 20-99 employees | 1,335 |
| 100-499 employees | 386 |
| <500 employees | 17,777 |
| 500+ employees | 820 |
Small Business Salary
According to Census data, small businesses with fewer than 500 employees have an annual payroll only ⅓ higher than the 540 firms with over 20,000 employees.
Below is a table providing information on enterprise size versus their total annual payroll:
| Enterprise Size | Annual Payroll ($1,000) |
| Total | 7,428,553,593 |
| <500 employees | 2,925,394,585 |
| 500-749 employees | 241,907,874 |
| 750-999 employees | 169,612,267 |
| 1,000-1,499 employees | 251,682,347 |
| 1,500-1,999 employees | 190,998,940 |
| 2,000-2,499 employees | 150,802,224 |
| 2,500-4,999 employees | 476,449,256 |
| 5,000-9,999 employees | 514,101,655 |
| 10,000-19,999 employees | 566,223,127 |
| 20,000+ employees | 1,941,381,318 |
Source: Census
Small Business Survival Statistics
New businesses can struggle to survive, particularly small businesses. Only half of new companies make it to 5 years with only a quarter of new companies surviving 15 years.
- 7%: Between 1994 and 2019, only 67.7% of new businesses survived at least 2 years.
- 9%: between 1994 and 2019 only 48.9% of businesses survived 5 years.
- 6%: between 1994 and 2009 only 33.6% of small businesses survived 10 years.
- 7%: between 1994 and 2019 only 25.7% of businesses survived 15 years.
Source: SBE
Small Business Industries
According to the US Census data, there are several Industries in which small businesses are employed including:
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Information
- Finance and Insurance
- Real Estate and rental and leasing
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
- Management of companies and enterprises
- Administrative and support
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other
Across all of these nearly 20 different categories, small businesses vary from one state to the next with example, the majority of small businesses having to do with things like mining can agriculture in Midwestern states but information, technology, and manufacturing in eastern states.
- 96%: 96% of small businesses work in industries like manufacturing.
- 24%: Only 8% of small firms work in technology industries but they account for 24% of patents.
- 8%: Only 8% of businesses work in construction or contract services.
- 18%: 18% of small businesses work in retail.
Source: SBE
Small Business Owner Statistics By Demographics
US Census Data has found that certain demographics are more likely to own small businesses. Nearly half of businesses are started at home with entrepreneurs. Moreover, ownership of businesses is almost equally divided between men and women with men owning 51% of small businesses.
The data notes that older individuals, 40 or older, are more likely to own small businesses with the smallest percentage owned by individuals under the age of 30. Older adults have better resources, credit scores, and financing options with the time and money necessary to invest in new businesses.
Education is an important foundation for small business owner statistics by demographic but a bachelor’s degree is the most common highest level of achievement for small business owners.
- 50%: The Chamber of Commerce has found that 50% of businesses begin at home.
- 49%: 49% of small businesses are owned by women.
- 67%: 67% of small businesses are owned by white individuals.
- 5%: 15.5% of small businesses are owned by Hispanic individuals.
- 4%: 6.4% of small businesses are owned by Asian individuals.
- 3%: 6.3% of small businesses are owned by black individuals.
- 63%: 63% of small businesses are owned by people 40 years or older.
- 30%: 30% of small businesses are owned by individuals between the ages of 30 and 40.
- 6%: 6% of businesses are owned by individuals between the ages of 20 and 30.
- 52%: 52% of small business owners have at least a bachelor’s degree.
- 21%: 21% of small business owners have an associate’s degree.
- 10%: 10% of small business owners have a high school diploma.
- 9%: 9% of business owners have a master’s degree.
Source: Chamber of Commerce
Sources
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