U.S. business and employment activity took a beating during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic that claimed nearly a million American lives. Over 22 million jobs were lost during March and April 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and millions of businesses had to shut down, some permanently.
Since then, the economy has recovered 90% of these jobs, according to recent data. And according to ratings agency Fitch, only four states — Texas, Arizona, Utah and Idaho — had clawed back their pandemic job losses by November 2021. More locally, some parts of the country weathered the pandemic much better than others and also grew the number of businesses between the third quarter of 2019 to the same quarter in 2021. (Here are states with the largest drop in unemployment.)
To determine the 25 counties with the most business growth during the pandemic, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on the number of business establishments per county from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. We ranked the 500 largest counties by establishment count based on the percentage change in the number of establishments from the third quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2021. Data on employment also came from the QCEW. Data on unemployment for February 2022 came from the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and is not seasonally adjusted.
Of the top 25 U.S. counties that increased the number of business establishments during this period of time, the median gain in the number of local employers was 17.3%, and the median increase in the number of jobs was 2.1%. Nine of these counties — six of them in Georgia — experienced a decline in the number of jobs but propagated a higher number of employers.
Four of the counties on the list increased the number of business establishments by more than 20%, including Canyon County, Idaho, which also grew jobs by 11%. Wilson County, Tennessee, had nearly 17% more jobs and more establishments. Nine of the 25 counties are in Georgia, four in Florida, and four in Idaho. (Find out if any of the counties on this list are also among America’s fastest growing counties during the pandemic.)
Nationally speaking, business activity has improved considerably despite the economic headwinds of high prices. According to a Harvard University-based project called the Economic Tracker, the number of small businesses in the United States increased 2.9% by January 2022 compared to January 2020.
Here are the counties that gained the most business activity during the pandemic
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25. Wake County, North Carolina
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +15.2% (+5,521 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +1.5% (+8,537 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.0%
> Metropolitan area: Raleigh-Cary, NC
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24. Fort Bend County, Texas
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +15.2% (+2,219 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +3.5% (+6,798 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 4.8%
> Metropolitan area: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Source: 93558439@N05 / Flickr / Public Domain
23. Cherokee County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +15.5% (+908 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -2.6% (-1,691 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.4%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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22. Hays County, Texas
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +15.5% (+730 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +8.1% (+5,944 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.5%
> Metropolitan area: Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
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21. Forsyth County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +15.6% (+943 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +0.4% (+347 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.3%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
20. Bonneville County, Idaho
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.0% (+631 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +6.5% (+3,506 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.9%
> Metropolitan area: Idaho Falls, ID
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19. Cobb County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.1% (+3,580 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -3.2% (-12,002 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.7%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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18. Davidson County, Tennessee
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.2% (+3,983 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -1.8% (-9,588 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.0%
> Metropolitan area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
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17. Salt Lake County, Utah
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.5% (+8,073 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +2.1% (+15,313 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.2%
> Metropolitan area: Salt Lake City, UT
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16. Osceola County, Florida
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.6% (+1,276 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -0.6% (-598 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 4.1%
> Metropolitan area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Source: Courtesy of Wilson County, Tennessee Government Website
15. Wilson County, Tennessee
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.8% (+530 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.9% (+8,388 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.4%
> Metropolitan area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
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14. Fayette County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +16.8% (+618 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -2.2% (-986 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.6%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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13. Gwinnett County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +17.3% (+4,462 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -1.3% (-4,558 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.9%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
12. DeKalb County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +17.6% (+3,163 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -2.6% (-7,720 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.6%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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11. Clayton County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +17.6% (+722 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -8.5% (-10,559 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 5.1%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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10. Fulton County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +17.7% (+7,909 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: -2.0% (-18,498 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.7%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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9. Polk County, Florida
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +18.0% (+2,589 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +7.8% (+17,747 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.7%
> Metropolitan area: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
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8. Walton County, Florida
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +18.2% (+536 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +7.5% (+2,048 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.7%
> Metropolitan area: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
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7. St. Johns County, Florida
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +18.7% (+1,489 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +7.2% (+5,729 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.3%
> Metropolitan area: Jacksonville, FL
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6. Williamson County, Texas
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +19.1% (+2,286 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +6.6% (+12,066 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.3%
> Metropolitan area: Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
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5. Williamson County, Tennessee
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +19.2% (+1,856 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +1.6% (+2,198 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.0%
> Metropolitan area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
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4. Henry County, Georgia
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +20.2% (+828 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +4.2% (+2,806 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.4%
> Metropolitan area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
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3. Kootenai County, Idaho
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +22.3% (+1,200 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +3.8% (+2,479 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 4.1%
> Metropolitan area: Coeur d’Alene, ID
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2. Canyon County, Idaho
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +22.8% (+1,247 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +11.0% (+7,992 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 3.5%
> Metropolitan area: Boise City, ID
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1. Ada County, Idaho
> Establishment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +22.8% (+3,776 businesses)
> Employment change, Q3 2019 to Q3 2021: +3.9% (+9,886 jobs)
> Unemployment rate, February 2022: 2.7%
> Metropolitan area: Boise City, ID
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