Infographic: Here Are the 15 Most Entrepreneurial Cities in the U.S.

Self-employed individuals represent about 10 percent of all U.S. workers, according to an analysis. Here's where they're concentrated.

learn more about Hayden Field

By Hayden Field

Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images

Good news for entrepreneurship, bad news for entrepreneurs who don't want any market competition: We're experiencing the highest level of entrepreneurial activity recorded in the last two decades, according to a data set published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 2019. There's been an uptick in 55- to 64-year-old entrepreneurs launching businesses by choice rather than necessity, and in 2017, the share of startups founded by immigrants was double that of native-born entrepreneurs. And if you recently took the leap and started your own business, the numbers are in your favor: About eight in 10 early startups survive, and that number remains largely unchanged since 2012.

But what does the map look like in the midst of this entrepreneurship boom? Where are the founders located, and which cities' economies are they affecting? Ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's new startup, CloudKitchens — a real estate company pairing delivery-only restaurants with home-base kitchens — recently published an analysis of the "most entrepreneurial" cities in the U.S. after crunching the numbers on Census Bureau data, specifically the organization's 2017 "American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample." The methodology involved calculating the percentage of self-employed workers (whether via an incorporated or unincorporated business), as well as using the sample data to denote median total income and the most "overrepresented" industry in entrepreneurship.

The New York, Newark and Jersey City region ranked 15th, with self-employed individuals making up 10.5 percent of workers. The median total income for full-time self-employed people was $55,000. As for top billing? The number-one spot went to the region encompassing Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla., with a self-employed worker rate of 15.6 percent and a $40,000 median total income. Read on for the rest of the list.

Hayden Field

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor

Hayden Field is an associate editor at Entrepreneur. She covers technology, business and science. Her work has also appeared in Fortune Magazine, Mashable, Refinery29 and others. 

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Business News

A Retired Teacher and Her Daughter Were Scammed Out of $200,000 Over Email: 'I'm 69 Years Old and Now I'm Broke and Homeless'

The mother-daughter duo was in the process of buying a townhouse when their email chain with the title company was hacked.

Starting a Business

This Seasoned Exec's High-Tech Farming Company Has Upended the Status Quo. Here Are His Top 3 Success Tips.

This founder is on a mission to revolutionize the fresh food supply chain to embrace greater simplicity, safety and sustainability.

Business News

How to Give Feedback Without Hurting Anyone's Feelings

Constructive feedback can be an excellent way to boost morale, productivity and results.

Business News

New Starbucks CEO Steps in Early Amid Union Turmoil — Will He Accept an 'Olive Branch'?

The 55-year-old former CEO at Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC was expected to assume the role on April 1.

Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.