Missouri small businesses thrive in these counties
(Stacker) — In 2021, the IRS received a whopping 5.4 million business applications—an all-time high since the U.S. government began tracking this data in 2004. The year with the second-highest number of new business applications? 2020. Today, small businesses employ nearly half of the nation’s workers, according to a Chamber of Commerce report.
It’s fair to say that the past few years have been banner years for small businesses, but what about regional differences? The business climate in a small town in Texas is likely not the same as a small town in Connecticut. The Chamber of Commerce report found that the Midwest was the most business-friendly region, thanks to the relatively low cost of living, well-educated workforce, and regulations lowering taxes and easing zoning restrictions for businesses.
Of course, the East and West coasts also have plenty to offer, from California’s Silicon Valley and Hollywood studios to New York’s financial hub to Massachusetts’ prominence in the aerospace, defense, and information technology industries. A few states—including Delaware, Wyoming, and Nevada—even allow you to incorporate your business within their borders without ever setting foot there.
For even more specific data, let’s take it a step further by analyzing counties. Are certain counties more friendly to small businesses than others? To pinpoint the areas where small businesses abound, altLINE used Census Bureau data to find the counties in Missouri with the highest concentration of small businesses in 2021, calculated as small establishments per 1,000 residents. Small establishments are defined as those with fewer than 500 employees. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents were excluded from the analysis, as well as counties for which the Census Bureau didn’t have population estimates.
Another important factor to consider: States where nonresidents are allowed to incorporate businesses will also have a higher ratio of small businesses to residents since not all small businesses are actually operated by people living in that state.
Taking a close look at the type of counties that topped the list in each state also reveals some interesting trends. World-class vacation destinations are well represented on the lists of each state, perhaps because tourists are looking to get a sense of how the locals live through small businesses like restaurants, bakeries, bars, and boutiques.
While the top counties in each state do include a few major cities, less populated counties with smaller towns are much more common. Although most of the nation’s small businesses are located in major metropolitan areas, those that are located in rural areas tend to be more stable—possibly due to loyalty from local residents or the absence of competition from large corporations.
Keep reading to discover the counties in Missouri with the highest concentration of small businesses, and see how it compares across 50 states. It just might give you inspiration for your next endeavor.
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Annalise Mantz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
50. Reynolds County
Total small business establishments: 133 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.5%
2021 population: 6,082
49. Lafayette County
Total small business establishments: 719 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 32,832
48. Harrison County
Total small business establishments: 179 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 8,170
47. Adair County
Total small business establishments: 560 (22.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 25,179
46. Stone County
Total small business establishments: 712 (22.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 31,605
45. Jasper County
Total small business establishments: 2,795 (22.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 123,325
44. Macon County
Total small business establishments: 345 (22.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.1%
2021 population: 15,167
43. Phelps County
Total small business establishments: 1,030 (22.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 44,949
42. Nodaway County
Total small business establishments: 481 (22.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 20,984
41. Cooper County
Total small business establishments: 383 (23.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 16,672
40. Stoddard County
Total small business establishments: 659 (23.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 28,482
39. Platte County
Total small business establishments: 2,532 (23.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 108,720
38. Grundy County
Total small business establishments: 229 (23.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 9,761
37. Dunklin County
Total small business establishments: 657 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 27,751
36. Pettis County
Total small business establishments: 1,026 (23.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 43,206
35. Carroll County
Total small business establishments: 200 (23.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 8,403
34. Vernon County
Total small business establishments: 478 (24.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 19,605
33. Butler County
Total small business establishments: 1,032 (24.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 42,150
32. Buchanan County
Total small business establishments: 2,058 (24.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 83,655
31. Morgan County
Total small business establishments: 527 (24.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 21,417
30. Boone County
Total small business establishments: 4,602 (24.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 186,075
29. Linn County
Total small business establishments: 294 (24.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 11,843
28. Worth County
Total small business establishments: 49 (24.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 1,969
27. New Madrid County
Total small business establishments: 406 (25.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 16,024
25. Jackson County
Total small business establishments: 18,194 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 717,616
25. Knox County
Total small business establishments: 96 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 3,787
24. Franklin County
Total small business establishments: 2,672 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 105,328
23. Henry County
Total small business establishments: 573 (25.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 22,221
22. Chariton County
Total small business establishments: 193 (26.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 7,361
21. Perry County
Total small business establishments: 501 (26.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 18,956
20. Scott County
Total small business establishments: 1,016 (26.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 37,856
19. Gasconade County
Total small business establishments: 399 (27.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 14,791
18. Shelby County
Total small business establishments: 161 (27.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 97.6%
2021 population: 5,957
17. Carter County
Total small business establishments: 145 (27.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.0%
2021 population: 5,339
16. Ripley County
Total small business establishments: 293 (27.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 10,619
15. Howell County
Total small business establishments: 1,112 (27.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 39,980
14. Livingston County
Total small business establishments: 396 (27.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 14,223
13. Scotland County
Total small business establishments: 131 (28.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.2%
2021 population: 4,679
12. Greene County
Total small business establishments: 8,529 (28.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 301,118
10. Cape Girardeau County
Total small business establishments: 2,338 (28.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 82,147
10. Miller County
Total small business establishments: 710 (28.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 24,943
8. Cole County
Total small business establishments: 2,194 (28.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 76,631
8. Marion County
Total small business establishments: 816 (28.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 28,502
7. Gentry County
Total small business establishments: 183 (29.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 6,169
6. St. Louis County
Total small business establishments: 30,715 (30.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 998,227
5. St. Louis
Total small business establishments: 9,328 (31.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 293,562
4. Holt County
Total small business establishments: 136 (32.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 4,241
3. Camden County
Total small business establishments: 1,470 (33.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 43,527
2. Taney County
Total small business establishments: 1,904 (33.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 56,334
1. Atchison County
Total small business establishments: 180 (34.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 5,227
This story originally appeared on altLINE and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
