DSDILLON RESEARCH · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
U.S. business formation by state — August 2026
The Census Bureau reported 531,728 seasonally adjusted business applications in August 2026. This page maps the national total across all 50 states and the District of Columbia and adds high-propensity applications, projected employer formations and month-to-month movement.
Headline finding
Florida, California and Texas accounted for almost one-third of August applications.
Florida recorded 61,380 applications, California 55,619 and Texas 48,692. The five highest jurisdictions together represented 40.6% of the national total.
Top five by business applications
1. Florida61,380
2. California55,619
3. Texas48,692
4. New York26,762
5. Georgia23,383
HIGH-PROPENSITY APPLICATIONS
Where employer-business signals were most concentrated
Census classifies high-propensity applications using characteristics associated with a higher rate of transition into businesses with payroll.
MONTH-TO-MONTH MOVEMENT
16 jurisdictions increased from July
These percentages compare seasonally adjusted August business applications with July 2026.
Largest increases
Minnesota+20.7%
New Mexico+13.6%
Vermont+6.4%
Montana+6.0%
Maine+5.8%
Largest declines
Arkansas-24.2%
Oklahoma-21.9%
Indiana-21.4%
Mississippi-19.5%
Alabama-19.3%
STATE & D.C. TABLE
August 2026 Business Formation Statistics
Sorted by seasonally adjusted business applications. The table covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
| Rank | State / D.C. | Business applications | High-propensity | Projected formations | Change vs July | Market page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FloridaFL | 61,380 | 16,660 | 2,698 | -5.8% | State market |
| 2 | CaliforniaCA | 55,619 | 17,632 | 3,769 | -8.8% | State market |
| 3 | TexasTX | 48,692 | 13,032 | 2,859 | -13.0% | State market |
| 4 | New YorkNY | 26,762 | 9,666 | 1,694 | -13.9% | State market |
| 5 | GeorgiaGA | 23,383 | 5,706 | 939 | -10.0% | State market |
| 6 | North CarolinaNC | 16,692 | 4,725 | 962 | -5.5% | State market |
| 7 | IllinoisIL | 16,559 | 5,040 | 875 | -9.4% | State market |
| 8 | New JerseyNJ | 15,873 | 4,136 | 821 | +0.1% | State market |
| 9 | ColoradoCO | 15,602 | 3,472 | 754 | -9.3% | State market |
| 10 | MichiganMI | 14,883 | 3,617 | 537 | -10.1% | State market |
| 11 | OhioOH | 14,822 | 3,771 | 701 | -8.0% | State market |
| 12 | PennsylvaniaPA | 14,285 | 4,009 | 715 | +2.5% | State market |
| 13 | VirginiaVA | 13,103 | 3,288 | 666 | +2.4% | State market |
| 14 | ArizonaAZ | 12,399 | 3,343 | 678 | -11.5% | State market |
| 15 | MissouriMO | 11,239 | 2,339 | 590 | -7.6% | State market |
| 16 | WashingtonWA | 9,874 | 2,613 | 784 | +0.4% | State market |
| 17 | TennesseeTN | 9,613 | 2,677 | 577 | -13.1% | State market |
| 18 | MarylandMD | 8,922 | 2,473 | 321 | -1.9% | State market |
| 19 | South CarolinaSC | 8,406 | 2,126 | 421 | -11.9% | State market |
| 20 | IndianaIN | 8,363 | 2,325 | 474 | -21.4% | State market |
| 21 | MinnesotaMN | 8,078 | 1,723 | 374 | +20.7% | State market |
| 22 | UtahUT | 7,682 | 1,760 | 420 | 0.0% | State market |
| 23 | MassachusettsMA | 7,596 | 2,391 | 571 | +1.2% | State market |
| 24 | WyomingWY | 7,171 | 1,629 | 232 | -4.6% | State market |
| 25 | LouisianaLA | 6,793 | 1,737 | 242 | -6.5% | State market |
| 26 | KentuckyKY | 6,751 | 1,435 | 297 | -4.7% | State market |
| 27 | WisconsinWI | 6,380 | 1,765 | 347 | -16.4% | State market |
| 28 | AlabamaAL | 6,206 | 1,615 | 314 | -19.3% | State market |
| 29 | NevadaNV | 5,757 | 1,479 | 296 | -6.9% | State market |
| 30 | MississippiMS | 5,561 | 1,180 | 157 | -19.5% | State market |
| 31 | OregonOR | 5,500 | 1,518 | 460 | -3.9% | State market |
| 32 | OklahomaOK | 5,318 | 1,504 | 287 | -21.9% | State market |
| 33 | DelawareDE | 4,985 | 1,749 | 193 | -5.8% | State market |
| 34 | ConnecticutCT | 4,916 | 1,315 | 279 | -2.2% | State market |
| 35 | KansasKS | 3,941 | 995 | 236 | -11.0% | State market |
| 36 | New MexicoNM | 3,901 | 1,056 | 184 | +13.6% | State market |
| 37 | ArkansasAR | 3,813 | 1,053 | 180 | -24.2% | State market |
| 38 | IdahoID | 3,431 | 934 | 262 | -0.8% | State market |
| 39 | IowaIA | 3,337 | 859 | 206 | +0.2% | State market |
| 40 | MontanaMT | 2,897 | 788 | 150 | +6.0% | State market |
| 41 | NebraskaNE | 1,995 | 586 | 133 | -2.9% | State market |
| 42 | New HampshireNH | 1,797 | 497 | 132 | -5.6% | State market |
| 43 | West VirginiaWV | 1,734 | 457 | 86 | +4.8% | State market |
| 44 | MaineME | 1,538 | 486 | 141 | +5.8% | State market |
| 45 | HawaiiHI | 1,450 | 409 | 51 | -1.5% | State market |
| 46 | AlaskaAK | 1,413 | 264 | 88 | +3.1% | State market |
| 47 | South DakotaSD | 1,270 | 359 | 93 | +2.9% | State market |
| 48 | District of ColumbiaDC | 1,243 | 375 | 44 | -12.1% | U.S. hub |
| 49 | Rhode IslandRI | 1,114 | 313 | 82 | +4.7% | State market |
| 50 | North DakotaND | 906 | 271 | 74 | +4.4% | State market |
| 51 | VermontVT | 783 | 235 | 55 | +6.4% | State market |
HOW TO READ THE DATA
Four measures used on this page
The Census Bureau publishes monthly Business Formation Statistics at national, regional and state levels.
EIN applications made predominantly for business purposes after Census applies its published exclusions.
Applications with characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of becoming employer businesses with payroll.
The projected number of employer businesses expected to emerge from a month’s applications within four quarters.
Census removes recurring seasonal patterns so month-to-month movement is easier to interpret.
METHOD & SOURCES
How this page was assembled
The source is the U.S. Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics monthly file released September 11, 2026. The table uses the seasonally adjusted TOTAL rows for BA, HBA and PBF4Q for August 2026. Monthly change compares August BA with July BA. DSDillon checked the 50-state plus D.C. totals against the national series; they reconcile to 531,728 BA, 145,387 HBA and 28,501 PBF4Q.
Formation activity can help a business decide where deeper market research belongs. Service-specific demand still requires customer, competitor, price, location and search research.
USE THE DATA
Turn the state signal into a market question
Business formation can point to places worth investigating. The next step is to test the specific offer and customer.
Market Entry ResearchCompare states, customers, competitors and routes to market →Customer Demand ResearchTest demand for a specific offer →Market Opportunity AssessmentCompare several markets with one scorecard →Market Sizing AnalysisBuild TAM, SAM and a reachable-market estimate →U.S. Market HubExplore DSDillon services across U.S. states →U.S. SEO ServicesBuild search visibility in the states you choose to pursue →U.S. Website DevelopmentBuild the digital sales foundation for a U.S. market →DSDillon ResearchBrowse research and data →
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATA
Business formation questions people ask
How many U.S. business applications were filed in August 2026?
The U.S. Census Bureau reported 531,728 seasonally adjusted business applications for August 2026, down 7.8% from July 2026.
Which state had the most business applications in August 2026?
Florida had the highest seasonally adjusted state total in this dataset with 61,380 business applications, followed by California with 55,619 and Texas with 48,692.
What is a high-propensity business application?
The Census Bureau uses this term for business applications with characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of becoming an employer business with payroll.
Does a business application mean a new business has opened?
A business application is based on an EIN application made predominantly for business purposes. Census tracks business formations separately when an application becomes an employer business with payroll.
When is the next Business Formation Statistics release?
The Census Bureau schedule lists the September 2026 report for October 14, 2026.
