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How big is the US food truck industry? As of the latest Census County Business Patterns data, the United States has 12,487 employer food truck establishments employing 38,438 people, with a combined annual payroll of $1.0 billion. This page compiles the key statistics on the industry — market size, state-by-state distribution, wages, and new business formation — every number sourced directly to federal data.
Figures cover employer establishments in NAICS 722330 (mobile food services) — trucks and carts with at least one paid employee. Most food trucks are one-person nonemployer operations, so the total number of active trucks is several times larger than the employer count shown here. The Census Bureau does not publish nonemployer counts for mobile food services as a separate category, so no reliable federal count of solo food trucks exists — treat any precise “total food trucks in America” figure you see elsewhere with skepticism.
Key Food Truck Industry Statistics
- There are 12,487 employer food truck establishments in the United States (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).
- The industry employs 38,438 people with a combined annual payroll of $1.0 billion.
- Average pay works out to $25,920 per employee per year; the average establishment has 3.1 employees and carries $80k in annual payroll.
- California has the most establishments of any state — 1,329, or 10.6% of the national total.
- Relative to population, Alaska is the most saturated market (13.7 establishments per 100,000 residents) and Illinois the least (1.8).
- Pay is highest in Maine ($42,482 per employee per year) and lowest in Oklahoma ($11,977).
- The industry accounts for 0.15% of all US employer establishments.
- Americans filed 326,444 new business applications in the broader Accommodation and Food Services sector in the twelve months from Aug-2025 through Jul-2026 — a +14.9% change year over year (Census Business Formation Statistics).
Market Size
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Employer establishments | 12,487 |
| Employees | 38,438 |
| Annual payroll | $1.0 billion |
| Average pay per employee | $25,920/year |
| Average employees per establishment | 3.1 |
| Average payroll per establishment | $80k/year |
| Share of all US employer establishments | 0.15% |
The Biggest States
| State | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1,329 | 4,788 |
| Florida | 1,151 | 3,091 |
| Texas | 1,140 | 3,647 |
| New York | 632 | 1,264 |
| Oregon | 498 | 1,762 |
Market size is not market opportunity: relative to population, Alaska is the most saturated state (13.7 establishments per 100,000 residents) while Illinois is the thinnest (1.8). We rank every state on saturation, revenue proxies, labor cost, and formation momentum in the Best States to Start a Food Truck index.
Wages by State
| Highest pay per employee | Annual |
|---|---|
| Maine | $42,482 |
| Minnesota | $36,103 |
| New Hampshire | $33,059 |
| Washington | $32,956 |
| District of Columbia | $32,353 |
| Lowest pay per employee | Annual |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $11,977 |
| South Dakota | $12,520 |
| Mississippi | $13,993 |
| West Virginia | $15,252 |
| Alabama | $15,998 |
New Business Formation
The Census Bureau tracks new business applications weekly. In the twelve months from Aug-2025 through Jul-2026, Americans filed 326,444 applications in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (the broader NAICS sector containing food truck businesses) — a +14.9% change from the prior twelve months. State-by-state application counts, per-capita rates, and trends are on our business formation statistics page, updated monthly. For how new ventures fare once launched — 1-, 5-, and 10-year odds in every state — see business survival rates by state; for what they borrow to get started, SBA loan statistics. For insurance requirements state by state, see the food truck insurance guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many food truck businesses are there in the US?
There are 12,487 employer food truck establishments in the United States as of the 2023 Census County Business Patterns, employing 38,438 people. Figures cover employer establishments in NAICS 722330 (mobile food services) — trucks and carts with at least one paid employee. Most food trucks are one-person nonemployer operations, so the total number of active trucks is several times larger than the employer count shown here. The Census Bureau does not publish nonemployer counts for mobile food services as a separate category, so no reliable federal count of solo food trucks exists — treat any precise “total food trucks in America” figure you see elsewhere with skepticism.
How big is the US food truck industry?
Measured by payroll, employer establishments in the industry pay $1.0 billion in annual wages across 38,438 employees — an average of $25,920 per employee per year.
Which state has the most food truck businesses?
California leads with 1,329 employer establishments (10.6% of the US total), followed by Florida (1,151) and Texas (1,140).
Sources & Citation
| Data | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments, employment, payroll (NAICS 722330, Mobile Food Services) | U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns | 2023 |
| Business applications | U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics | Aug-2025 through Jul-2026 |
| State population (per-capita rates) | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates | 2024 |
You are welcome to cite these statistics with attribution and a link to this page.