THE NUMBERS BEHIND SMALL BUSINESS
Small business research & data
Explore state comparisons and industry studies on business survival, costs, jobs, funding and AI. Find the numbers behind your next decision.
283 studies & references 9 topics Free to read
Publication dates identify when a study was published. Each study explains its data period, sources and methods.
Start with a question
Three places to begin exploring.
How long do businesses stay open?
Explore survival rates by state and industry.
Explore the study AI at workWhich industries are using AI?
Compare adoption across business sectors.
Explore the study Pay & planningWhat changes in the 2027 minimum wage?
Compare state rates and scheduled increases.
Explore the studyThe research library
Browse all 283 studies and references below.
AI, technology & patents
How businesses use AI, where inventions are heading and what changes for workers.
- AI Vendors vs. AI Hires: Where Businesses Get Help
Published
- An Insurer Is the Top Inventor of Home Water Shutoff Systems
Published
- ChatGPT Shows Up in Patent Rejections: How Examiners Handle Generative AI
Published
- Cleaning Robot Patent Filings Have More Than Doubled Since 2015
Published
- EV Charging Station Patent Filings Have Held Steady for a Decade
Published
- Heat Pump Patent Filings Jumped in 2024 After a Decade of Little Change
Published
- Missed a Patent Fee? How Often Small Inventors Get Their Patents Back
Published
- Paying to Skip the Patent Line: Who Uses Fast-Track Exams
Published
- Robot Lawn Mower Patent Filings Nearly Quadrupled Since 2015
Published
- Small Inventors File Most Hair Tool Patents
Published
- The 4 Reasons Patents Get Rejected (and Which Industries Hear Each One)
Published
- What Businesses Actually Use AI For: Writing, Documents and Office Work
Published
- Why the Patent Office Rejects So Many AI Inventions (and What Gets Through)
Published
- $3 Billion Lost to Fake Bosses and Fake Invoices: The Scams AI Made Cheaper
Published
- AI Patents in Main Street Industries
Published
- How a Small-Entity Filer Built a Big AI Patent Portfolio: Digital Global Systems
Published
- The AI Patent Paradox: Fewer AI Patents in the AI Boom
Published
- AI Patents by State 2026: Where America’s AI Gets Invented
Published
- Generative AI Patent Tracker: Monthly Filings at the U.S. Patent Office
Published
- Small Businesses Are Taking a Bigger Slice of AI Patents
Published
- States That Invent AI vs. States That Use It
Published
- AI Chatbot Laws by State (2026)
Published
- AI in Health Care Laws by State (2026)
Published
- AI in Hiring Laws by State (2026)
Published
- AI Laws Small Businesses Must Follow, by State (2026)
Published
- Algorithmic Pricing and Rent Algorithm Laws by State (2026)
Published
- Are Data Centers Raising Power Bills? Electricity Prices by State (2026)
Published
- Deepfake Laws by State (2026)
Published
- AI-Proof Jobs by State (2026): Where Work Is Most and Least Exposed to AI
Published
- Corporate America’s AI Obsession: 7 in 10 Annual Reports Now Mention AI (2026)
Published
- Data Center Boom by State (2026): Texas Leads, 6 States Run Hot
Published
- Data Center Tax Break Tracker: Every 2025-26 State Bill
Published
- Small-Business AI Use by State (2026): Nearly 1 in 4 Businesses Now Use AI
Published
- Trade Jobs vs. Tech Jobs Since ChatGPT (2026): Trades Hold Up, Software Sinks
Published
- Which Small Businesses Use AI? Construction’s AI Use Is Growing Fastest (2026)
Published
Business formation & survival
Business applications, survival, ownership, firm size and the economics of working for yourself.
- Construction Business Filings Up 20%, but Fewer Plan to Hire
Published
- $1 Million in Revenue. Zero Employees. Which Businesses Pull It Off?
Published
- Florida’s One-Truck Electrician Boom: Solo Shops Up 55% Since 2019
Published
- Open for Business. No Profit to Show.
Published
- Solo Plumbing and HVAC Shops Are Up 16% Since 2019
Published
- The Franchise Grew. What Did the Headline Leave Out?
Published
- The Solo Cleaning Business Boom: 1.17 Million One-Person Companies
Published
- Hawaii Business Startups Are Cooling in 2026
Published
- Kansas New Business Applications Have Nearly Doubled Since 2019
Published
- Kentucky’s New Business Boom: Applications Up 34% in 2026
Published
- Oklahoma Business Filings Are on a Record Pace in 2026
Published
- Pennsylvania Startups by Industry: Where New Businesses Are Opening
Published
- Veteran-Owned Businesses by State (2023 Census Data)
Published
- Women-Owned Businesses by State (2023 Census Data)
Published
- The Retirement Wave: Business Owners 65 and Older, by State
Published
- Young-Firm Job Share and Firm Entry/Exit by State (Census BDS 2023)
Published
- Do States with Faster Personal-Income Growth Also See More Business Applications?
Published
- How Big Are Service Businesses?
Published
- Partnership Form 1065 Ordinary Income by State (IRS SOI Averages)
Published
- Service Business Openings, Closings, and Job Churn by State (BLS BED)
Published
- Sole Prop Schedule C Net Profit by State (IRS SOI Averages)
Published
- Where Service Businesses Stay Solo: Nonemployer Share by State
Published
- Who Owns Service Employers? Women, Minority & Veteran Shares
Published
- Which Service Businesses Have No Employees?
Published
- State Migration vs Business Formation: A Weak Correlation
Published
- Business Startup Seasonality: When Search Interest Peaks
Published
- Business Survival Rates by State (2026): 1 to 30-Year BLS Data
Published
- Best States to Start a Business: 2026 Study — 50 States + DC Across 6 Industries
Published
- Business Formation Statistics 2026: State & County Rankings
Published
Jobs, wages & workforce
Pay, hiring, skills and labor-market changes across states and service industries.
- Construction Laborers Out-Earn Landscapers in Every State
Published
- Illinois Electricians and Plumbers Earn 92% More Than the Typical Worker
Published
- Maids and Housekeepers Earn Less Than Warehouse Movers in 48 States
Published
- Women Are Only 2% to 3% of Electricians, Plumbers and HVAC Techs
Published
- Cleaning Jobs Are Flat, but Pay Rose 3.1% to $664 a Week
Published
- Food Truck Jobs Rose 7.9% in a Year, and Businesses Grew Even Faster
Published
- Landscaping Jobs Fell 0.9% While the Number of Businesses Grew 1.9%
Published
- Nearly 1 in 5 Electricians Is 55 or Older
Published
- Ohio HVAC Jobs Up 4% as Home Electricity Hits 19.45 Cents
Published
- Pennsylvania Landscaper Pay Jumped 13% to $1,081 a Week
Published
- The Wage Bill That Arrived After Payday
Published
- Electrical Contractor Jobs Grew 3.6% in a Year, to 1.14 Million
Published
- Gym Jobs Grew 4.3% in a Year, With Tennessee Up 46%
Published
- Nursing Home Jobs Grew 2.5% in a Year, to 1.56 Million
Published
- Almost 1 in 10 Workers Commute an Hour or More Each Way
Published
- Dental Offices Are Multiplying Faster Than Their Staff: 138,982 Locations, 1.05 Million Jobs
Published
- Florida Lost About 1 in 5 Roofing Jobs in a Year, Even as Roofing Companies Grew
Published
- Home Health Jobs Jumped 21% in West Virginia and Fell 18% in New York
Published
- Vet Clinic Jobs Grew 1% in a Year, With Montana Up 8%
Published
- Warehouse Jobs Fell 20% in Maryland and Rose 18% in Utah
Published
- Computer and IT Services Jobs by State (Q1 2026)
Published
- Jobless Claims by State: 2026 vs. 2025
Published
- Construction Jobs by State: Where Building Employment Is Growing (Q1 2026)
Published
- H-2B Seasonal Workers by State: Where Landscapers Rely on Them (2026)
Published
- Manufacturing Jobs by State (Q1 2026)
Published
- Paychecks vs. Inflation by State: Real Pay Fell in 30 States
Published
- Who Builds, Cleans and Landscapes: Immigrant Workers by Trade and State (2026)
Published
- Minimum Wage by State 2027: Every Rate on January 1
Published
- Minimum Wage Gaps Between Neighboring States in 2027
Published
- Minimum Wage vs. Rent by State: Hours Needed for a One-Bedroom
Published
- Real Minimum Wage by State: What It Buys After Local Prices
Published
- The 2027 Minimum Wage vs. What Workers Actually Earn
Published
- What the 2027 Minimum Wage Raises Cost a Small Business
Published
- Labor-Market Tightness by State — JOLTS Job Openings, Hires, and Quits (Dec 2025)
Published
- Trade Labor Density by State — OEWS Location Quotients for Service Trades (May 2025)
Published
- Where Employment Lives in Tiny Shops — Establishment Size Share by State (QCEW 2026 Q1)
Published
- Cleaning Business Payroll Percentage: State Benchmarks
Published
- Cleaning Employee Cost Calculator & State Wage Benchmarks
Published
- Florida’s $15 Minimum Wage: Service-Business Payroll Costs
Published
- Summer 2026 Heat and Plumbing/HVAC Jobs by State
Published
- Can Metro Service Pay Cover a Modest Apartment?
Published
- Landscaping Jobs Summer vs Winter by State (Seasonal Employment)
Published
- Service Wages vs Fair Market Rent: Can Cleaners Afford Apartment Rent by State?
Published
- What Employers Pay — and How Big Typical Locations Are — by State
Published
- When State Unemployment Falls, Do Cleaning and HVAC Jobs Grow?
Published
- Service Business Wages by State: What Staff Earn in All 50 States
Published
Costs, prices & energy
Electricity, fuel, materials, household spending and the costs of running a business.
- About 4 Million Lead Pipes Still Need Replacing, EPA Estimates
Published
- Copper Wire Costs 31% More Than a Year Ago
Published
- Lawn Care Prices Are Up 24% in Two Years
Published
- What Cleaning Companies Charge Is Up 5.7%
Published
- 1,444 Water Systems Topped the Lead Action Level in the Past 5 Years
Published
- About 37 Million Americans Get Tap Water From Privately Owned Systems
Published
- Open for Business. Waiting for the Power to Come Back.
Published
- Car Repair Spending Rose 8.7% in 2025, to $830 a Person
Published
- Furniture Spending Reached $763 a Person in 2025
Published
- Gambling Spending Hit $626 a Person in 2025, Up 8.5%
Published
- Hotel Spending Reached $591 a Person in 2025, Up 2.2%
Published
- Household Utility Spending Rose 8.4% in 2025, to $1,512 a Person
Published
- Internet Spending Was $341 a Person in 2025, and Ranged From $141 to $824
Published
- Americans Spent $1,707 a Person on Clothes and Shoes in 2025, Up 5.5%
Published
- Florida Leads the Nation in Personal Care Spending at $1,914 a Person
Published
- Grocery Spending Per Person by State (2025)
Published
- Health Care Spending Per Person by State (2025)
Published
- Pet Spending by State: Where People Spend the Most on Pets (2025)
Published
- Water and Sewer Bills by State: What Households Actually Pay
Published
- Canada Trade War Exposure by State: Who Sells the Most to Canada (2026)
Published
- Electric Heat and Winter Electric Bills, by State
Published
- Tariffs on Restaurant Food and Supplies, by Item
Published
- Construction Material Prices Since the Tariffs: U.S. vs. World (2026)
Published
- Tariff Exposure for Trade Tools and Equipment, by State (2026)
Published
- Tariff Rates on Trade Tools and Equipment, by Trade (2026)
Published
- Commercial Natural Gas Prices by State (2026): What Restaurants and Laundromats Pay
Published
- Diesel Shock Cost by State: What $6 Diesel Costs Each State (2026)
Published
- Food Truck Costs 2026: Fuel, Food and Menu Prices, Plus Trucks by State
Published
- Heat Pump Rebates by State (2026): Where You Can Apply Now
Published
- Heating Oil and Propane Prices by State: Winter 2026-27 Tracker
Published
- Small Businesses Paying Higher Prices, by State (2026)
Published
- The Gas-Price Drain on Main Street, by State (2026)
Published
- The Trucking Squeeze by State: Owner-Operators, Freight Jobs and $6 Diesel (2026)
Published
- Tariff Refunds and the New Tariffs: What Small Importers in Each State Face (2026)
Published
- Diesel and Gas Prices by State: What Fuel Costs Trade Businesses (2026)
Published
- What’s Powering the AI Boom? Electricity Sources by State (2026)
Published
- Where Business Electricity Costs Rose the Most (2026 State Rankings)
Published
- Commercial Electricity Costs by State: 2026 Price Changes
Published
- Fuel Costs for Mobile Service Businesses
Published
Funding, credit & contracts
SBA lending, credit access, customer payments, government contracts and financial pressure.
- SBA Loans to Electricians Fell 25% in Early 2026
Published
- The Franchise Loan Scorecard: Which Brands Have More SBA Charge-Offs?
Published
- The Government Sought Competition. One Offer Came Back.
Published
- Work Finished. Payment Missing: Slow-Paying Customers by Industry
Published
- Bank Branch Closures by State (2026)
Published
- Credit Card Delinquency by State: Where Late Payments Are Highest
Published
- Small Business Bank Loans by State: Who Is Lending as Rates Rise
Published
- Small-Business Federal Contracts by State, FY2026
Published
- Credit Card Swipe Fees on Sales Tax by State (2026): Costs and Bills to Stop Them
Published
- SBA Loan Citizenship Rule by State (2026): Who Is Shut Out and How Lending Changed
Published
- Business Bankruptcy Filings by State: 2026 Court Trends
Published
- Federal Cleaning Contracts by State: FY2025 Spending
Published
- Rate Hikes and Small-Business Loans: State & Industry Data
Published
- Restoring the $7.5M Subchapter V Debt Ceiling (Pending)
Published
- SBA 7(a) Approvals Above $3M by State
Published
- SBA’s Sep 21 Proposal: Who Counts as Small in Service Industries
Published
- SBA Loan Jobs Supported by Industry & State (Jobs per $1M)
Published
- Small Business Credit Access by State
Published
- Where Do Federal Contract Dollars Flow for Service Businesses?
Published
- SBA Loan Statistics (2026): Approvals by State, Average Size & Charge-Off Rates
Published
Childcare & families
Care prices, provider availability, staffing, funding and the families using childcare.
- Day Care Prices Rose Slower Than Inflation This Year
Published
- 7 in 10 Young Kids Have All Parents in the Workforce
Published
- 928 U.S. Counties Have Fewer Than 3 Child Care Businesses With Paid Staff
Published
- About 1 in 4 Child Care Workers Has Medicaid Coverage
Published
- Child Care Workers Earn Less Than Retail Salespeople in 36 States
Published
- America Has 26,851 Fewer Self-Employed Child Care Providers Than in 2019
Published
- Child Care Jobs Fell 0.7% in a Year as Centers Run Leaner
Published
- Mississippi Child Care Jobs Fell 11% While Centers Grew
Published
- Oklahoma Child Care Lost 6.5% of Its Jobs in a Year
Published
- SBA Child Care Lending in Washington More Than Doubled
Published
- Wisconsin Child Care Workers Average $588 a Week as Centers Keep Opening
Published
- Immigrant Childcare Workers by State (2026)
Published
- Childcare Subsidy Reimbursement-Rate Transparency: What Providers Can Cite After 2026 Bills
Published
- Childcare Subsidy Waitlists & Provider Funding: 2026 Tracker
Published
- Childcare Zoning Laws by State: 4 Reforms Changing Where Daycares Can Open
Published
- Employer Childcare Credit: County Cost Benchmarks
Published
- Daycare Worker Wages vs Childcare Prices by State
Published
- Do High-Wage or Expensive-Daycare States Look Different After BEA Price Parities?
Published
- Fair Market Rent vs Daycare Prices by State
Published
- HUD Income Limits vs Daycare Costs by State
Published
- Childcare Availability by State: Children Under 5 per Provider
Published
- Childcare Prices by State: What Parents Pay for Infant and Preschool Care
Published
- Best States to Open a Daycare (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Daycare Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
Housing & local markets
Housing costs, property businesses, local demand and the places people live and work.
- A Quarter of U.S. Homes Were Built Before 1960
Published
- Rent Burden: 52% of U.S. Renters Spend 30% or More of Their Income on Rent
Published
- 11.3 Million U.S. Households Don’t Have a Car
Published
- Mobile Homes by State: Where Manufactured Housing Is Most Common
Published
- Young Adults Living With Parents by State (2024)
Published
- Housing Vacancy and Homeownership Rates by State (Q2 2026)
Published
- Work From Home by State: Where Remote Work Is Most Common
Published
- 2027 Fair Market Rents by State and Metro: What Changed for Section 8
Published
- Appraisers by State: How Many Are Left, and Is There a Shortage? (2026)
Published
- How Much Each State’s Economy Leans on Real Estate (2026 Data)
Published
- Investor Home Purchases by State: Who Is Buying Homes to Rent (2025 Data)
Published
- Mortgage Delinquency by State: Where Late Payments Are Rising (2026)
Published
- Mortgage Rate Lock-In by State: Who Still Has a Rate Under 4%
Published
- Moving Companies vs. Housing Turnover by State (2026 Data)
Published
- Property Managers by State: Jobs, Pay and Renters Served (2026)
Published
- Real Estate Agents by State: Self-Employed vs. Payroll (2026 Data)
Published
- Rent vs. Own: What It Costs Each Month, by State
Published
- Where Home Prices Are Falling in 2026: States and Metro Areas
Published
- Housing Permits vs. Builder Jobs by State: Builder Payrolls Fell in 41 States
Published
- Do Faster Home Prices Mean More Landscaping and HVAC Jobs?
Published
- More Owner-Occupied Houses Don’t Mean More Landscaping Jobs Per House
Published
Industry markets & revenue
Market size, revenue, spending and business conditions in specific service industries.
- 895 Counties Have Fewer Than 3 Electrical Contractors With Staff
Published
- New York Lost 345 Plumbing and HVAC Contractors in a Year
Published
- Who Gets the Money in “Boring” Businesses?
Published
- Auto Repair Shops by State: How Many Mechanics Work for Themselves
Published
- Small Business Saturday by State: Main Street Shops and Holiday Hiring
Published
- Restaurant Openings, Closings and Costs by State (2026 Data)
Published
- Where Are Cleaning Businesses Growing Fastest?
Published
- How Much Revenue Do Cleaning Businesses Generate?
Published
- Dining-Out Dollars per Food-Service Shop by State
Published
- Best States to Open a Salon (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Best States to Start a Cleaning Business (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Best States to Start a Food Truck (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Best States to Start a Landscaping Business (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Best States to Start an HVAC Business (2026): 50 States + DC Ranked
Published
- Cleaning Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
- Food Truck Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
- HVAC Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
- Landscaping Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
- Salon Industry Statistics (2026): Market Size, Payroll & State Data
Published
Rules, taxes & business risk
State requirements, fee comparisons, policy trackers, workplace safety and business risk.
- 31% of Landscapers and 27% of Maids Have No Health Insurance
Published
- How Far Does Your Electrician License Travel? A State Reciprocity Check
Published
- One Injury, Weeks Off Work: Workplace Absence by Occupation
Published
- Same $2,500 Repair. Different Licensing Rules.
Published
- Car Insurance Costs Rose 9% in a Year: What Americans Paid Beyond Claims
Published
- 2026 State Business Fee Changes: LLC Filing & Annual Costs
Published
- What a Delaware LLC Really Costs a Small Business (2026)
Published
- Home Inspector License Requirements by State, Plus How Many Inspectors Each Has (2026)
Published
- Self-Employed Without Health Insurance, by State
Published
- Short-Term Rental Laws by State: What Passed in 2025 and 2026
Published
- What Homeowners Pay for Home Insurance, by State (Census Data)
Published
- Bar Closing Times by State (2026): Last Call Laws and Liquor License Guide
Published
- Business Flood Insurance Claims and Commercial Insurance Costs by State
Published
- Fatal Injury Rates by Trade: How Roofers, Landscapers, Truckers and Tree Crews Die on the Job
Published
- Food Truck Rules by City (2026): Permits, Commissary and Distance-From-Restaurant Limits
Published
- Flood Insurance Deadline by State: 467,566 Policies Renew Right After Dec. 11
Published
- Fuel Tax Holidays and Dyed-Diesel Waivers by State (2026 Tracker)
Published
- No Tax on Tips and Overtime by State: Which States Still Tax Them (2026)
Published
- Penny Rounding Laws by State: 19 States Now Round Cash to the Nickel
Published
- Property Taxes by State for Small Business Owners (2024 Data)
Published
- Independent Contractor Rules by State: ABC Test Map and the 2026 Federal Rule
Published
- Junk Fee Laws by State (2026): Where Prices Must Include All Fees
Published
- What Self-Employed Owners Will Pay for ACA Coverage in 2027, by State
Published
- LLC Cost by State (2026–2027): Filing Fees, Annual Reports and Publication
Published
- LLC Processing Times by State (2026): Online vs Mail & Expedite
Published
- New-Employer Unemployment Insurance Tax Cost by State (2026)
Published
- 2027 Small-Business Health Insurance Rate Tracker
Published
- Gas Leaf-Blower Bans: Deadlines, Exceptions and Rebates
Published
- Heat Protection Laws by State: Rules for Service Businesses
Published
- Maryland FAMLI Cost Calculator: 2027 Employer Contributions
Published
- OSHA Heat Program: Selected Industry Employment by State
Published
- Paid Sick Leave Employer-Size Thresholds by State (After the 2025–2026 Wave)
Published
- Pest Control & Pesticide Applicator Law Changes Landscapers Must Track (2023–2026)
Published
- Salon & Barber License Rule Changes by State (2024–2026 Board Reform Tracker)
Published
- Section 232 HVAC Tariffs: Equipment Cost Scenarios
Published
- State Heat-Illness Prevention Standards for Outdoor Service Crews (VA 2026 + Pending Map)
Published
- Tip Credit by State: Cash Wages and Industry Exceptions
Published
- Unemployment Insurance Tax Tweaks Small Service Employers Should Budget For (2024–2026)
Published
- Where Noncompetes Are Dead for Salon, Cleaning, and Food-Service Hires (Wage-Threshold Map)
Published
- Which States Let a Food Truck Operate on One Health + Fire Certificate?
Published
- Cleaning Business Lawsuits: 4 Real Insurance Disputes
Published
- FEMA Disaster Dollars by State: Public and Individual Assistance (2016–2026)
Published
- Sales Tax on Services Bills by State (Legislation Tracker)
Published
- Workers’ Comp Who-Must-Carry Threshold Bills by State (Legislation Tracker)
Published
- Workplace Injury and Illness Rates by Service Industry
Published
- Federal Disaster Declarations by State: A Decade of FEMA Data
Published
- Tree Work Safety Statistics: What the Federal Fatality Census Shows
Published
- Business License Requirements by State (2026): Which States Require One
Published
- Secretary of State Business Search: Official Links for All 50 States + DC
Published
- Workers’ Comp Requirements by State (2026): Thresholds & Exemptions
Published
No studies match those filters.
Try a broader term or clear the filters to browse the full library.
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Small business news & reporting
Read our reporting on state licensing, insurance and permitting rules, with links to the underlying records.
Using the research
Open a study for its definitions, source records and data dates. When citing a finding, link to the study itself so readers can check its context. Reuse terms and any source-specific restrictions are explained on the individual page.
Planning a business of your own? Find your state's startup requirements.