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43% of small businesses are owned by women. Here's how that breaks down in your state.

·Leesa Davis

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Women have made significant strides in the entrepreneurial space in recent years. Currently, 43.1% of small business owners are women, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. With women-led small businesses employing 10.1 million U.S. workers in 2019, it’s unsurprising that in 2021 the U.S. Small Business Administration launched 20 new Women’s Business Centers nationwide.

According to 2022 Guidant polling, the three most common reasons cited for women starting their businesses were that they wanted to be their own boss (57.9%), were dissatisfied with working in corporate America (37.7%), or wanted to pursue their passion (29.8%). Although being an entrepreneur is no easy feat, 73.7% of female business owners said they were “somewhat or very happy.” The top industries for female small-business owners were retail and e-commerce, followed by health, beauty, and fitness, as well as business services.

Simply Business compiled statistics from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2021 Small Business Profile to find out the number of women-owned small businesses in each state. The data for this report is sourced from the 2018 American Community Survey, the 2018 Annual Business Survey, and the 2017 Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics, all from the Census Bureau. This data predates the COVID-19 pandemic, which dramatically affected small businesses.

The list is ordered based on the percentage of women-owned small businesses. Two states—North Dakota and Rhode Island—do not report the number of women-owned businesses and were excluded from this list. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 500 employees.

Read on to learn more about the number of women entrepreneurs in your state.

Young woman opening her store with a sign

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1 / 49

Delaware

- Number of small businesses: 88,051 (98.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 27,499 (31.2% of small businesses)

Female owner with digital tablet standing behind sales desk

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2 / 49

South Dakota

- Number of small businesses: 89,942 (99% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 28,694 (31.9% of small businesses)

Charming row of shops from the sidewalk

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3 / 49

New Jersey

- Number of small businesses: 937,436 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 300,130 (32.0% of small businesses)

Cropped shot of female employee taking payment from customer

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4 / 49

Wyoming

- Number of small businesses: 70,618 (98.9% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 22,707 (32.2% of small businesses)

Woman surrounded with digital devices

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5 / 49

Utah

- Number of small businesses: 313,590 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 101,750 (32.4% of small businesses)

A small business with a welcoming open sign

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6 / 49

Montana

- Number of small businesses: 126,219 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 41,584 (32.9% of small businesses)

Female designer working on a digital tablet

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7 / 49

New York

- Number of small businesses: 2,300,000 (99.8% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 757,816 (32.9% of small businesses)

Female arranging textiles In homeware store

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8 / 49

Pennsylvania

- Number of small businesses: 1,100,000 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 364,121 (33.1% of small businesses)

Woman with tablet looking at carpentry

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9 / 49

Wisconsin

- Number of small businesses: 461,525 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 152,951 (33.1% of small businesses)

Woman at desk with candle in hand

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10 / 49

Maine

- Number of small businesses: 150,592 (99.2% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 50,165 (33.3% of small businesses)

Woman doing work with laptop at table at home

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11 / 49

New Hampshire

- Number of small businesses: 137,811 (99% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 46,274 (33.6% of small businesses)

Smiling flower shop owner using laptop computer

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12 / 49

Idaho

- Number of small businesses: 176,029 (99.2% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 59,635 (33.9% of small businesses)

Open signboard, potted plants and reflecting windows at flower shop

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13 / 49

Nebraska

- Number of small businesses: 180,988 (99.1% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 61,491 (34.0% of small businesses)

Young woman working in workshop

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14 / 49

Massachusetts

- Number of small businesses: 715,425 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 243,200 (34.0% of small businesses)

Woman behind a cafe counter on laptop

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15 / 49

Minnesota

- Number of small businesses: 533,344 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 181,984 (34.1% of small businesses)

Female business owner using laptop

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16 / 49

Kentucky

- Number of small businesses: 360,756 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 123,312 (34.2% of small businesses)

Jewelry artist working on laptop in studio

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17 / 49

Vermont

- Number of small businesses: 79,189 (99% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 27,133 (34.3% of small businesses)

Female online seller confirming orders on the phone

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

18 / 49

Missouri

- Number of small businesses: 542,519 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 186,311 (34.3% of small businesses)

Small business supplies and packages at home office

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19 / 49

Connecticut

- Number of small businesses: 355,596 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 122,409 (34.4% of small businesses)

Closeup of female online store owner preparing a package

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20 / 49

Iowa

- Number of small businesses: 273,969 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 94,759 (34.6% of small businesses)

Florist decorates a window

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21 / 49

Kansas

- Number of small businesses: 258,012 (99.1% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 89,853 (34.8% of small businesses)

Woman wearing protection face mask turning open sign board on glass door

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22 / 49

Oklahoma

- Number of small businesses: 362,364 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 127,759 (35.3% of small businesses)

Smiling flower shop owner working on laptop computer

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23 / 49

Arkansas

- Number of small businesses: 258,552 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 91,168 (35.3% of small businesses)

Quaint shops and businesses line a street

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24 / 49

Ohio

- Number of small businesses: 982,035 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 347,268 (35.4% of small businesses)

Young woman working on a laptop and writing notes

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25 / 49

Indiana

- Number of small businesses: 529,456 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 187,915 (35.5% of small businesses)

Woman tending a vegetable stall at a farmer's market

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26 / 49

Alaska

- Number of small businesses: 73,981 (99.1% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 26,391 (35.7% of small businesses)

Young woman cooking on home kithen

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27 / 49

West Virginia

- Number of small businesses: 113,184 (98.8% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 40,378 (35.7% of small businesses)

Young woman packing clothes in boxes to be shipped

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28 / 49

Texas

- Number of small businesses: 3,000,000 (99.8% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 1,076,697 (35.9% of small businesses)

Female standing behind the counter and writing notes

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29 / 49

Washington

- Number of small businesses: 647,639 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 234,128 (36.2% of small businesses)

Female owner of a business looking at a new order

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30 / 49

Colorado

- Number of small businesses: 674,741 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 244,479 (36.2% of small businesses)

Female in a flower shop makes a bouquet

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31 / 49

Nevada

- Number of small businesses: 297,183 (99.2% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 107,773 (36.3% of small businesses)

Smiling woman standing behind her clothing store shop open window

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32 / 49

Arizona

- Number of small businesses: 611,097 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 224,252 (36.7% of small businesses)

Woman working with fretsaw

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33 / 49

California

- Number of small businesses: 4,200,000 (99.8% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 1,541,927 (36.7% of small businesses)

Culinary outlets, shops, and businesses line a tree-shaded sidewalk

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34 / 49

Michigan

- Number of small businesses: 902,131 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 332,223 (36.8% of small businesses)

Young African woman using computer while standing in workshop

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35 / 49

Florida

- Number of small businesses: 2,800,000 (99.8% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 1,034,013 (36.9% of small businesses)

Asian woman making fruit tart for an online sale

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36 / 49

Tennessee

- Number of small businesses: 636,842 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 235,863 (37.0% of small businesses)

Young female in wheelchair working on laptop

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37 / 49

North Carolina

- Number of small businesses: 964,280 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 358,783 (37.2% of small businesses)

Open sign board at coffee shop

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38 / 49

South Carolina

- Number of small businesses: 445,804 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 166,744 (37.4% of small businesses)

Young hispanic woman working finances with a calculator

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39 / 49

Alabama

- Number of small businesses: 408,374 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 154,112 (37.7% of small businesses)

A girl holds a laptop on her lap outdoors

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40 / 49

Oregon

- Number of small businesses: 396,925 (99.4% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 149,823 (37.7% of small businesses)

Young business woman working online

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41 / 49

Virginia

- Number of small businesses: 783,977 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 296,057 (37.8% of small businesses)

Open sign front of cafe shop with flowers

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42 / 49

Illinois

- Number of small businesses: 1,200,000 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 454,362 (37.9% of small businesses)

High angle view of a brunette working at her office desk

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

43 / 49

Maryland

- Number of small businesses: 618,214 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 237,668 (38.4% of small businesses)

Small business owner smiling while turning the open sign

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44 / 49

Louisiana

- Number of small businesses: 464,527 (99.5% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 179,693 (38.7% of small businesses)

Dropshipping business owner working

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

45 / 49

New Mexico

- Number of small businesses: 158,844 (99% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 62,236 (39.2% of small businesses)

Female bicycle repair technician using digital tablet in bicycle shop

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46 / 49

Mississippi

- Number of small businesses: 264,858 (99.3% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 104,159 (39.3% of small businesses)

Woman checking orders for home business on laptop

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47 / 49

Hawaii

- Number of small businesses: 137,328 (99.2% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 54,361 (39.6% of small businesses)

Young female reaches for a parcel box

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48 / 49

Washington D.C.

- Number of small businesses: 79,814 (98.2% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 31,849 (39.9% of small businesses)

Welcome open sign on door of coffee cafe shop

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49 / 49

Georgia

- Number of small businesses: 1,100,000 (99.6% of all businesses)
- Number of women-owned small businesses: 452,913 (41.2% of small businesses)

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