See where aspiring entrepreneurs are showing the most interest in starting a business, ranked

• US Census Bureau data shows the number of business applications filed in 2025 by county.
• Overall, the US saw an 8% increase in 2025, possibly fueled by layoffs and the AI boom.
• Most were in places with big cities, though a small county in Wyoming made the top 20.

“You’ve got an entire industry in the state, and in Sheridan in particular, that’s set up to let you [start a company],” Moscary said.

Here are the 25 US counties with the most business applications in 2025.

25. Philadelphia County, PA

Business applications in 2025: 31,924

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 5.0% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,574,281 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 20.3

1. Queens County, NY
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 34,304

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 3.1% decrease

Population as of 2025: 2,358,182 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 14.5

1. Sacramento County, CA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 35,789

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 14.6% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,618,460 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.1

1. Pinellas County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 38,333

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 10.8% increase

Population as of 2025: 948,563

Applications per 1,000 residents: 40.4

1. Wayne County, MI
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 39,517

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 10.1% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,769,038

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.3

1. Tarrant County, TX
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 39,814

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 13.2% increase

Population as of 2025: 2,248,466 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 17.7

1. Hillsborough County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 43,619

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 6.7% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,574,115 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 27.7

1. San Diego County, CA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 45,546

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 8.1% increase

Population as of 2025: 3,282,248 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 13.9

1. King County, WA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 46,989

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 25.3% increase

Population as of 2025: 2,344,939 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 20.0

1. Sheridan County, WY
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 47,787

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 25.1% increase

Population as of 2025: 33,241 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 1,438

1. Palm Beach County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 48,510

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 1% decrease

Population as of 2025: 1,575,726 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 30.8

1. Kings County, NY
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 48,687

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 0.3% decrease

Population as of 2025: 2,653,963 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 18.3

1. Travis County, TX
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 48,974

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 15.2% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,389,670

Applications per 1,000 residents: 35.2

1. Orange County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 49,392

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 2.4% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,528,002

Applications per 1,000 residents: 32.3

1. Fulton County, GA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 49,873

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 5.3% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,098,791 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 45.4

1. Orange County, CA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 49,945

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 6.6% increase

Population as of 2025: 3,149,507 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 15.9

1. Clark County, NV
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 51,725

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 7.7% increase

Population as of 2025: 2,407,226 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 21.5

1. New York County, NY
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 54,695

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 5.2% increase

Population as of 2025: 1,664,862 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 32.9

1. Dallas County, TX
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 61,000

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 8.3% increase

Population as of 2025: 2,661,397 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 22.9

1. Broward County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 72,422

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 1.4% decrease

Population as of 2025: 2,013,317 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 36.0

1. Maricopa County, AZ
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 98,384

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 14.5% increase

Population as of 2025: 4,689,558 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 21.0

1. Cook County, IL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 99,217

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 8.1% increase

Population as of 2025: 5,194,625 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 19.1

1. Harris County, TX
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 99,688

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 6.5% increase

Population as of 2025: 5,045,026 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 19.8

1. Miami-Dade County, FL
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 135,758

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 2% decrease

Population as of 2025: 2,802,029

Applications per 1,000 residents: 48.4

1. Los Angeles County, CA
   

   

Business applications in 2025: 172,540

Percent change from 2024 to 2025: 4.1% increase

Population as of 2025: 9,694,934 residents

Applications per 1,000 residents: 17.8