The fastest-growing small business startups in each state (2026)

Opening a business can be a leap of faith. At Nav, we encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to chase their business dreams and help support owners as they pursue their professional passions.

We wanted to know the top industries for new business startups throughout the U.S. To learn more, we collected the U.S. Census Bureau’s U.S. County Business Patterns data from 2019 to 2023 to create a breakout score which ranks industries by combining average growth rate, number of states growing and industry size. 

In addition to the overall breakout stars, we also used growth data to determine which types of small businesses are the fastest growing nationally as well as by state.

Small businesses thriving across the U.S.

In January 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a 7.2% increase in business applications compared to December 2025. Based on application trends, an estimated nearly 30,000 new business startups could form in 2026.

While these businesses are likely to vary in industry and location, we can understand which types of businesses people have shown the most interest in recently. 

Vape and smoke shops rank highest in our breakout index with a breakout score of 145.7, the highest rating in our index that combines growth momentum, expansion across states, and national footprint. Overall, the data shows that vape shops, cigar stores, and smoke shops are growing in 45 states with an average growth rate of 79.8%. 

In second place for the fastest growing small business industry are food trucks with a breakout score of 141.5. In recent years, more than 5,000 new food trucks have opened.

Specialty health clinics are third place with a breakout score of 135.3. Examples of these businesses include sleep clinics, IV therapy locations and urgent care facilities. These healthcare-related industries have experienced significant growth according to Census data, with an average growth of 101.8% in recent years. Overall, more than one-third of the fastest-growing industries are tied to healthcare, mental health or wellness. 

In addition to the fastest growing industries across the U.S., we analyzed which industries added the most new physical business establishments (i.e., individual operating locations with employees) nationwide. The real estate industry came out on top with 27,228 new establishments, a 20.3% increase between 2019 and 2023. This is followed by home remodelers with an increase of 19,816 new establishments between 2019 and 2023, representing a 17.7% increase. 

In third place with a growth percentage of 23.6% are business consultants, which includes strategic planning and operations consulting. Between 2019 and 2023, 18,744 new establishments across the country have opened for business. 

Therapists and mental health professionals experienced the highest growth percentage out of the top 10 fastest growing at 60.9%. This industry includes psychologists, counselors and marriage therapists, with 16,434 new locations opened nationally. 

The fastest growing businesses by state

In addition to national statistics, we examined regional data to determine which businesses are the most popular to open in each state. In eight states, vape and smoke shops were the fastest-growing industry: Connecticut, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In fact, the number of vape and smoke shops have doubled in more than 11 different states. 

Business owners showed an appetite for food trucks, with the number doubling in 13 states and growing overall in 43 of 50 states. Doubling refers to industries that experienced 100% or greater growth between 2019 and 2023. Food trucks are the fastest growing industry in Arizona, Missouri, Oregon, and Tennessee. 

Specialty health clinics grew in 37 states, doubling in number across half of them, including Georgia (+229%), California (+216%), and Illinois (+126%). Similarly, specialized consultants doubled in 14 states and had growth in 30 states, including Georgia (+256%), New York (+171%), and Pennsylvania (+130%).

Nav and the small business journey

All across the country, Americans are following their dreams and opening their own small businesses. At Nav, we strive to help dreamers by offering financial tools that may alleviate the financial stress. If you’re starting a business, Nav offers tools designed to help you monitor cash flow and build business credit.

Get started today and check out products like our cash flow health tracker to help you monitor all of your accounts in one place. Or jump into a more hands-on approach with our business credit coaching through Nav Prime, which provides one-on-one meetings to connect with a dedicated professional to plan for the future. 

Methodology

In January 2026 we conducted an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns data comparing 2019 to 2023, focusing on businesses with fewer than 20 employees across all 50 states. An "establishment" is a single business location; one company may have multiple establishments, but most establishments in this data refer to single companies.

The breakout score ranks industries by combining average growth rate, number of states growing and industry size (log-scaled so large industries don't automatically dominate). Volume rankings show where the most new establishments actually opened.

State rankings use filtered data: only industries with 100+ establishments in 2019 and positive growth, focusing on meaningful local opportunities. The 100%+ explosive growth tables use the same filter to capture genuine breakout stories.

NAICS industry codes have been translated to what we call a plain English version, where needed (e.g., "All other miscellaneous ambulatory health care services" becomes "Specialty health clinics").