A new report from research and analytics site Switch on Business analyzed 2024 U.S. Census Bureau Formation data for all 3,156 counties and found Florida was No. 3 in business applications compared to local population, with 2,714 new businesses per 100,000 people in 2024.
New business applications have been booming on a national scale as well, according to the report, with the last four years seeing a record 21 million new businesses launched in the U.S., a rate more than 90% faster than pre-pandemic levels. During this period, the Small Business Administration paid over $450 billion in loans and grants to small businesses, Switch on Business reported.
Other takeaways from the report include:
• There were 52,860 monthly applications for new businesses in 2024
• Even at that high number, it’s a decrease of -4.8% from 2023
• Three Florida counties are on the Top 15 national list of counties with the most new business applications per 10,000 residents in 2024. Those counties are Miami-Dade at No. 6 with 532 new businesses, Broward at No. 11 with 418, and Orange County at No. 15 with 359.
