More Americans are cleaning homes and offices on their own. New Census data counts 1,173,265 one-person cleaning businesses, up 19% since 2019.
There were 1,173,265 cleaning businesses with no employees in the U.S. in 2024, up 19.0% from 985,676 in 2019. That’s about 187,589 more people running their own house or office cleaning business.
The fastest growth came in the South and Mountain West:
- Utah: 6,046 to 8,609 (+42.4%)
- Florida: 135,842 to 187,520 (+38.0%)
- Nevada: 8,719 to 11,769 (+35.0%)
Florida stands out for size as well as speed. It added about 51,678 solo cleaners, more than any other state. Every state grew except the District of Columbia, which was flat (-0.2%).
What a solo cleaner brings in
The average one-person cleaning business reported about $21,483 in sales in 2024, up from $16,809 in 2019 before inflation. Many are part-time, so full-time cleaners often earn more.
What this means if you’re starting a cleaning business
More competition makes it worth standing out with reliability, clear pricing and proof of coverage. Many clients, especially offices, ask to see a certificate of insurance before you start. Our cleaning business insurance guide explains the basics, with state details for Florida cleaning businesses and Utah cleaning businesses.
How we got these numbers
These counts come from the Census Bureau’s Nonemployer Statistics. A “nonemployer” business has no paid employees and at least $1,000 in yearly sales; most are self-employed people filing a Schedule C tax form. We compared 2024 (the newest year, released this fall) with 2019 for industry code 56172 (janitorial services, which includes house cleaning and maid services). One person can own more than one business, and side gigs count the same as full-time work. Revenue figures are average yearly sales (receipts), not profit, and are not adjusted for inflation. Data pulled October 16, 2026.