See where aspiring entrepreneurs are showing the most interest in starting a business, ranked

Sep 03, 2026 12:41 AM - 2 hours ago 1

A female walks done a shopping halfway pinch rainbow umbrellas hanging from above.

A shopper walks done Santee Alley successful downtown Los Angeles connected July 28, 2026. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Los Angeles County and Sheridan County, Wyoming, don't stock galore similarities, isolated from for 1 main area: a high measurement of business applications.

That's 1 of respective findings from the US Census Bureau's astir caller business exertion information merchandise successful June. The information way applications for Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.

Business Insider sorted the information by which US counties saw the astir EIN applications and calculated the percent alteration compared to 2024 data, while besides cross-referencing pinch the agency's 2025 region organization dataset to find the complaint of applications per 1,000 residents. These applications did not needfully consequence successful a business being formed.

Overall, the US saw a astir 8% summation successful business applications successful 2025, rising to 5.6 cardinal from 5.2 cardinal successful 2024. That could beryllium loosely tied to an economical displacement during President Donald Trump's first twelvemonth of his non-consecutive 2nd term, including a weaker labour market that whitethorn person pushed immoderate laid-off aliases out-of-work Americans toward entrepreneurship.

The roar successful artificial intelligence, too, has torn down immoderate obstacles that antecedently barred entrepreneurs from starting and moving a business, ushering successful an AI startup aureate age.

While astir of the apical counties see ample metropolitan areas for illustration Philadelphia and Miami, a mini region called Sheridan successful the US' least-populated state, Wyoming, classed 16th, pinch 47,787 business applications successful 2025; its organization is conscionable 33,241 residents. That's much than half of the state's 79,024 applications overall.

George Mocsary, a professor and corporate and small-business rule master astatine the University of Wyoming, told Business Insider that Wyoming is charismatic to entrepreneurs because it has an manufacture built astir simple, low-cost business statement services, peculiarly for mini LLCs, including registered agents that supply designated addresses for receiving charismatic notices.

When applying for an EIN, he said businesses tin usage an reside associated pinch their registered agent, successful this case, Sheridan, making it look arsenic though tens of thousands of businesses are opening successful the mini Wyoming region erstwhile they whitethorn really run elsewhere.

"You've sewage an entire industry successful the state, and successful Sheridan successful particular, that's group up to fto you [start a company]," Moscary said.

Here are the 25 US counties pinch the astir business applications successful 2025.

25. Philadelphia County, PA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Business applications successful 2025: 31,924

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 5.0% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,574,281 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 20.3

24. Queens County, NY

People locomotion connected a engaged sidewalk nether a span successful New York.

Queens, New York. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 34,304

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 3.1% decrease

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,358,182 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 14.5

23. Sacramento County, CA

People beryllium astatine an extracurricular patio.

Sacramento, California. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 35,789

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 14.6% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,618,460 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.1

22. Pinellas County, FL

People guidelines connected a formation taking photos.

St. Petersburg is located wrong Pinellas County. The Washington Post/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 38,333

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 10.8% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 948,563

Applications per 1,000 residents: 40.4

21. Wayne County, MI

Cars thrust done a downtown area astatine night.

Detroit is located wrong Wayne County. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 39,517

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 10.1% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,769,038

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.3

20. Tarrant County, TX

The downtown area of Fort Worth, Texas, during bluish hour.

Fort Worth is located wrong Tarrant County. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 39,814

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 13.2% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,248,466 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 17.7

19. Hillsborough County, FL

Pedestrians locomotion on a sidewalk adjacent to water.

Tampa is located wrong Hillsborough County. Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 43,619

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 6.7% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,574,115 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 27.7

18. San Diego County, CA

Pedestrians locomotion on a way adjacent to a sunny beach.

San Diego. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 45,546

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 8.1% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 3,282,248 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 13.9

17. King County, WA

Pedestrians locomotion successful the downtown area of a city.

Seattle is located wrong King County. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 46,989

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 25.3% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,344,939 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 20.0

16. Sheridan County, WY

A mini municipality sits beneath snow-capped mountains.

Sheridan, Wyoming. Tony Bynum for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 47,787

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 25.1% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 33,241 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 1,438

15. Palm Beach County, FL

A sailboat approaches a drawbridge and adjacent downtown area.

Palm Beach, Florida. : Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 48,510

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 1% decrease

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,575,726 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 30.8

14. Kings County, NY

A female walks connected a sidewalk pinch 2 ceramic buildings successful the background.

Brooklyn is located wrong Kings County. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 48,687

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 0.3% decrease

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,653,963 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 18.3

13. Travis County, TX

People locomotion complete a rainbow crosswalk successful the downtown area of a city.

Austin is located wrong Travis County. Mikala Compton/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 48,974

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 15.2% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,389,670

Applications per 1,000 residents: 35.2

12. Orange County, FL

A farmer's marketplace during the daytime.

Orlando is located wrong Orange County. : Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 49,392

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 2.4% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,528,002

Applications per 1,000 residents: 32.3

11. Fulton County, GA

People locomotion connected a thoroughfare successful a downtown conception of a metropolis during the day.

Atlanta is located wrong Fulton County. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 49,873

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 5.3% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,098,791 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 45.4

10. Orange County, CA

Pedestrians locomotion connected a sidewalk during a sunny day.

Huntington Beach is located wrong Orange County. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 49,945

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 6.6% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 3,149,507 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 15.9

9. Clark County, NV

The Las Vegas skyline, pinch a crowd of group crossing a sidewalk below.

Las Vegas is located wrong Clark County. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 51,725

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 7.7% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,407,226 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 21.5

8. New York County, NY

Pedestrians transverse the sidewalk successful downtown New York City.

Manhattan is located wrong New York County. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 54,695

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 5.2% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 1,664,862 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 32.9

7. Dallas County, TX

The early greeting sunshine shines connected a metropolis skyline.

Dallas. : HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 61,000

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 8.3% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,661,397 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.9

6. Broward County, FL

Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Fort Lauderdale is located wrong Broward County. Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Business applications successful 2025: 72,422

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 1.4% decrease

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,013,317 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 36.0

5. Maricopa County, AZ

The skyline of a metropolis astatine aureate hour.

Phoenix is located wrong Maricopa County. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 98,384

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 14.5% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 4,689,558 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 21.0

4. Cook County, IL

People locomotion successful a downtown area pinch ceramic buildings successful the background.

Chicago is located wrong Cook County. Bloomberg/Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 99,217

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 8.1% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 5,194,625 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 19.1

3. Harris County, TX

People locomotion connected a sidewalk adjacent to a vendor cart that says "Downtown Houston."

Houston is located wrong Harris County. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 99,688

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 6.5% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 5,045,026 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 19.8

2. Miami-Dade County, FL

People locomotion done a engaged downtown pinch thenar trees successful the background.

Miami. : Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 135,758

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 2% decrease

Population arsenic of 2025: 2,802,029

Applications per 1,000 residents: 48.4

1. Los Angeles County, CA

People locomotion on a sunny boardwalk pinch thenar trees to the left.

Los Angeles. Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images

Business applications successful 2025: 172,540

Percent alteration from 2024 to 2025: 4.1% increase

Population arsenic of 2025: 9,694,934 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 17.8

Read next

Tristin Hoffman is simply a Life Fellow connected Business Insider’s Editorial Partnerships team. Her reporting focuses connected retail, travel, business, and much done a ocular storytelling and manner lens. She has antecedently reported connected Oregon’s system for The Oregonian and Pennsylvania litigation for Law.com. Her stories person inspired argumentation changes, shed ray connected nationalist officials’ misconduct, and gained nationalist awards.  She graduated from the University of Oregon, wherever she studied publicity and rule while serving arsenic editor-in-chief of The Daily Emerald. 

More