Statistics about Business Size (including Small Business)
from the U.S. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau does not define small or large business, but
provides statistics that allow users to define business categories
in any of several ways:
Independently, the Small Business Administration defines size
standards for each NAICS industry [PDF] to determine which businesses are
eligible for its programs.
Employers and Nonemployers
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About three quarters of all U.S. business firms have no payroll. Most are
self-employed persons operating unincorporated businesses, and may or may not
be the owner's principal source of income. Because nonemployers account for
only about 3.4 percent of business receipts, they are not included in most business
statistics, for example, most reports from the Economic Census.
Nonemployer Statistics annually classify
nonemployer firms by industry and geographic area (U.S., states, counties, and
metropolitan areas.)
Table 1. Employers and Nonemployers, 2007
|
Firms |
Estab-
lish-
ments |
Sales or
Receipts
($1,000) |
| All firms |
27,757,676 |
29,413,039 |
30,738.533,467 |
| Nonemployers (firms with no payroll) |
21,708,021 |
21,708,021 |
991,791,563 |
| Employers (firms with payroll) |
6,049,655 |
7,705,018 |
29,746,741,904 |
Employment Size of Firms
Table 2a. Employment Size of Employer and Nonemployer Firms, 2008
Introductory text includes scope and methodology.
These data are also available by
industry and state.
Table includes both establishments with payroll and nonemployers.
For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click
on the appropriate underlined element in the table.
| Employment size of enterprise |
Firms |
Estab-
lish-
ments |
Paid
employees |
Annual
payroll
($1,000) |
Sales or
Receipts
($1,000) |
| n/a - Receipts data are available for
employers only for the years for which an economic census is taken (2007, 2002,
1997). |
| All firms |
27,281,452 |
28,952,489 |
120,903,551 |
5,130,509,178 |
n/a |
| Nonemployer firms |
21,351,320 |
21,351,320 |
n/a |
n/a |
962,791,527 |
| Employer firms |
5,930,132 |
7,601,169 |
120,903,551 |
5,130,509,178 |
n/a |
| Firms with 1 to 4 employees (or with no employees as of Mar 12) |
3,617,764 |
3,624,614 |
6,086,291 |
232,062,907 |
n/a |
| Firms with 5 to 9 employees |
1,044,065 |
1,056,947 |
6,878,051 |
222,504,912 |
n/a |
| Firms with 10 to 19 employees |
633,141 |
667,463 |
8,497,391 |
293,534,352 |
n/a |
| Firms with 20 to 99 employees |
526,307 |
705,430 |
20,684,691 |
774,589,335 |
n/a |
| Firms with 100 to 499 employees |
90,386 |
359,902 |
17,547,567 |
706,476,693 |
n/a |
| Firms with 500 employees or more |
18,469 |
1,186,813 |
61,209,560 |
2,901,340,979 |
n/a |
| Firms with 500 to 749 employees |
6,060 |
72,676 |
3,681,760 |
156,491,764 |
n/a |
| Firms with 750 to 999 employees |
3,038 |
48,005 |
2,617,087 |
114,635,897 |
n/a |
| Firms with 1,000 to 1,499 employees |
3,044 |
64,556 |
3,720,654 |
167,658,791 |
n/a |
| Firms with 1,500 to 1,999 employees |
1,533 |
45,062 |
2,653,392 |
121,800,728 |
n/a |
| Firms with 2,000 to 2,499 employees |
904 |
36,081 |
2,011,244 |
94,406,916 |
n/a |
| Firms with 2,500 to 4,999 employees |
1,934 |
120,416 |
6,726,611 |
329,188,349 |
n/a |
| Firms with 5,000 employees or more |
1,956 |
800,017 |
39,798,812 |
1,917,158,534 |
n/a |
| Firms with 5,000 to 9,999 employees |
975 |
121,835 |
6,773,466 |
337,598,036 |
n/a |
| Firms with 10,000 employees or more |
981 |
678,182 |
33,025,346 |
1,579,560,498 |
n/a |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses
(See industry and state detail) and
Nonemployer Statistics
Table 2b. Employment Size of Employer and Nonemployer Firms, 2007
Introductory text includes
scope and methodology.Table includes both establishments with payroll and nonemployers.
For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click on the appropriate
underlined element in the table.
| Employment size of enterprise |
Firms |
Estab-
lish-
ments |
Paid
employees |
Annual
payroll
($1,000) |
Sales or
Receipts
($1,000) |
| All firms |
27,757,676 |
29,413,039 |
120,604,265 |
5,026,778,232 |
30,738.533,467 |
| Nonemployer firms |
21,708,021 |
21,708,021 |
n/a |
n/a |
991,791,563 |
|
Employer firms |
6,049,655
| 7,705,018
| 120,604,265
| 5,026,778,232
| 29,746,741,904
|
|
Firms with 1 to 4 employees (or with no employees as of Mar 12) |
3,705,275
| 3,710,700
| 6,139,463
| 234,921,325
| 1,434,680,823
|
|
Firms with 5 to 9 employees |
1,060,250
| 1,073,875
| 6,974,591
| 222,419,546
| 1,144,930,232
|
|
Firms with 10 to 19 employees |
644,842
| 682,410
| 8,656,182
| 292,088,277
| 1,395,498,431
|
|
Firms with 20 to 99 employees |
532,391
| 723,385
| 20,922,960
| 768,546,555
| 3,792,920,977
|
|
Firms with 100 to 499 employees |
88,586
| 355,853
| 17,173,728
| 686,862,018
| 3,612,050,221
|
|
Firms with 500 employees or more |
18,311
| 1,158,795
| 60,737,341
| 2,821,940,511
| 18,366,661,220
|
|
Firms with 500 to 749 employees |
6,094
| 71,702
| 3,695,682
| 152,059,022
| 800,475,934
|
|
Firms with 750 to 999 employees |
2,970
| 45,990
| 2,561,972
| 109,833,289
| 636,199,229
|
|
Firms with 1,000 to 1,499 employees |
2,916
| 59,311
| 3,552,259
| 153,957,992
| 792,993,702
|
|
Firms with 1,500 to 1,999 employees |
1,542
| 46,221
| 2,664,416
| 120,606,441
| 695,739,349
|
|
Firms with 2,000 to 2,499 employees |
942
| 36,388
| 2,094,728
| 94,001,450
| 544,038,807
|
|
Firms with 2,500 to 4,999 employees |
1,920
| 118,282
| 6,687,266
| 320,640,371
| 1,979,674,138
|
|
Firms with 5,000 employees or more |
1,927
| 780,901
| 39,481,018
| 1,870,841,946
| 12,917,540,061
|
|
Firms with 5,000 to 9,999 employees |
952
| 115,222
| 6,628,415
| 324,791,017
| 2,263,012,551
|
|
Firms with 10,000 employees or more |
975
| 665,679
| 32,852,603
| 1,546,050,929
| 10,654,527,510
|
| While most of these data are published every year, receipts data are available for
employers only for the years for which an economic census is taken (2007,
2002, 1997). |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses
(See industry and state detail) and
Nonemployer Statistics
Economic Census Establishment and
Firm Size reports, present national data classified by NAICS industry.
Statistics of U.S. Businesses is
published each year for the U.S., states, metropolitan areas, and, for selected years only, counties. Classification
is by the employment size of the overall enterprise, but by the location and
NAICS industry of the establishment. Customized tabulations are also available.
U.S. - All industries
- by Year
Introductory text includes scope and methodology.
Table includes only establishments with payroll.
Nonemployers are shown separately.
For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click on the appropriate underlined element in the table.
More
data |
Year
|
Firms by employment size of enterprise |
Paid employees by employment size of enterprise |
| Total | 20 + |
100 + | 500 + |
Total | 20 + |
100 + | 500 + |
 |
2008
| 5,930,132
|
10.7% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 120,903,551
|
82.2%
| 65.1%
| 50.6%
|
|
2007
| 6,049,655
|
10.6% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 120,604,265
|
81.9%
| 64.6%
| 50.4%
|
|
2006
| 6,022,127
|
10.7% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 119,917,165
|
82.0%
| 64.4%
| 49.8%
|
|
2005
| 5,983,546
|
10.5% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 116,317,003
|
81.7%
| 64.1%
| 49.6%
|
|
2004
| 5,885,784
|
10.7% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 115,074,924
|
81.6%
| 63.6%
| 49.1%
|
|
2003
| 5,767,127
|
10.7% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 113,398,043
|
81.6%
| 63.8%
| 49.3%
|
|
2002
| 5,697,759
|
10.7% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 112,400,654
|
81.7%
| 64.0%
| 49.9%
|
|
2001
| 5,657,774
|
11.0% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 115,061,184
|
82.1%
| 64.4%
| 50.1%
|
|
2000
| 5,652,544
|
10.9% | 1.8%
| 0.3%
| 114,064,976
|
82.0%
| 64.2%
| 49.9%
|
|
1999
| 5,607,743
|
10.7% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 110,705,661
|
81.6%
| 63.8%
| 49.7%
|
|
1998
| 5,579,177
|
10.6% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 108,117,731
|
81.2%
| 63.3%
| 49.1%
|
| |
1997
| 5,541,918
|
10.5% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 105,299,123
|
80.9%
| 62.7%
| 48.2%
|
| |
1996
| 5,478,047
|
10.4% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 102,187,297
|
80.5%
| 62.3%
| 48.0%
|
| |
1995
| 5,369,068
|
10.5% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 100,314,946
|
80.5%
| 62.1%
| 47.5%
|
| |
1994
| 5,276,964
|
10.2% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 96,721,594
|
80.2%
| 61.9%
| 47.3%
|
| |
1993
| 5,193,642
|
10.2% | 1.7%
| 0.3%
| 94,773,913
|
79.9%
| 61.5%
| 46.9%
|
| |
1992
| 5,095,356
|
10.3% | 1.6%
| 0.3%
| 92,825,797
|
79.8%
| 61.3%
| 47.0%
|
| |
1991
| 5,051,025
|
10.3% | 1.6%
| 0.3%
| 92,307,559
|
79.7%
| 61.2%
| 46.9%
|
| |
1990 |
5,073,795 |
10.6% |
1.7% |
0.3% |
93,469,275 |
79.8% |
60.8% |
46.3% |
| |
1989 |
5,021,315 |
10.5% |
1.7% |
0.3% |
91,626,094 |
79.7% |
60.7% |
46.1% |
| |
1988 |
4,954,645 |
10.3% |
1.6% |
0.3% |
87,844,303 |
79.1% |
60.0% |
45.5% |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses
Employment Size of Establishments
A number of sources provide information by employment size of establishment: several reports from with national data from the 2007 Economic
Census, and the annual County Business Patterns which includes statistics by state. metro area, county, and ZIP Code. Most scholars prefer to define
small business in terms of the size of the entire company or firm, not individual
establishments. For example, most researchers would prefer to classify a large
fast-food chain as a large company rather than as a collection of small establishments.
Economic Census Establishment and Firm Size reports,
present national data classified by NAICS industry.
Receipt Size of Firms
Table 3. Receipt Size of Employer Firms, 2007
See the explanatory text
for methodology, contact names, and other data available. For descriptions of
column heading, click on that element in the table.
| Receipts Size of Enterprise |
Firms |
Estab-
lish-
ments |
Paid
employees |
Annual
payroll
($1,000) |
Sales or
Receipts
($1,000) |
| Employer firms |
6,049,655 |
7,705,018 |
120,604,265 |
5,026,778,232 |
29,746,741,904 |
| Less than $100,000 |
1,305,233 |
1,305,986 |
1,819,621 |
25,960,943 |
61,210,592 |
| $100,000-499,999 |
2,394,168 |
2,401,076 |
8,146,397 |
173,879,138 |
608,894,770 |
| $500,000-999,999 |
908,635 |
923,958 |
6,723,289 |
182,060,621 |
641,553,968 |
| $1,000,000-2,499,999 |
758,595 |
813,052 |
10,317,058 |
322,308,981 |
1,177,399,522 |
| $2,500,000-4,999,999 |
311,271 |
376,161 |
7,757,850 |
276,120,363 |
1,086,482,976 |
| $5,000,000-7,499,999 |
115,476 |
164,063 |
4,530,513 |
172,852,732 |
701,673,005 |
| $7,500,000-9,999,999 |
58,822 |
95,294 |
3,086,011 |
121,758,219 |
508,020,210 |
| $10,000,000-14,999,999 |
62,468 |
119,982 |
4,338,364 |
173,887,341 |
758,667,466 |
| $15,000,000-19,999,999 |
32,292 |
76,520 |
2,961,726 |
120,919,167 |
556,844,154 |
| $20,000,000-24,999,999 |
20,137 |
54,079 |
2,201,318 |
92,339,910 |
448,894,669 |
| $25,000,000-29,999,999 |
13,678 |
41,723 |
1,800,640 |
75,540,186 |
373,746,067 |
| $30,000,000-34,999,999 |
9,807 |
31,918 |
1,507,405 |
61,765,492 |
317,129,331 |
| $35,000,000-39,999,999 |
7,289 |
27,176 |
1,230,398 |
52,340,200 |
272,513,425 |
| $40,000,000-44,999,999 |
5,767 |
23,604 |
1,075,209 |
45,739,259 |
243,892,639 |
| $45,000,000-49,999,999 |
4,547 |
20,055 |
943,369 |
39,528,117 |
215,490,512 |
| $50,000,000-74,999,999 |
14,026 |
72,501 |
3,573,919 |
153,521,056 |
852,712,438 |
| $75,000,000-99,999,999 |
6,839 |
49,649 |
2,463,475 |
106,072,301 |
591,372,207 |
| $100,000,000 or more |
20,605 |
1,108,221 |
56,127,703 |
2,830,184,206 |
20,330,243,953 |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses,
2007
Statistics of U.S. Businesses tables showing
receipt size by NAICS industry of the establishment are accessible
as spreadsheets for 2007, 2002 and 1997.
Receipts size detail is less than shown in Establishment and Firm Size
reports cited below.
Economic Census Establishment and Firm Size reports,
present national data classified by the NAICS industry of the establishment.
Corresponding data for 1992, from 1992 Enterprise
Statistics, differ somewhat in methodology.
The PDF presents these statistics by SIC industry of the parent company.
(Enterprise Statistics was not funded for years after 1992.)
[PDF] or 
denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Reader® 
available free from Adobe.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Business & Industry |
(301)763-2547 |
econ@census.gov |
Last Revised:
August 22, 2012
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