Small Business Statistics & Research
Original data studies on local service businesses, from the team behind Smarfle. Real numbers, clear methodology, and interactive tools you can use and cite.
Research by Ihor Lavrenenko, Founder of Smarfle.
2.4M+
businesses analyzed
51
states + DC
13
data studies
Free
to cite (CC BY 4.0)
Google Review Benchmarks for Local Service Businesses
Key finding
7,400+ businesses analyzed across 15 industries and 25 cities
How many Google reviews do you need to compete? We analyzed 7,400+ local service businesses across 15 industries and 25 U.S. cities to find out.
Read the study Industry & Market DataBest States for Home Service Businesses
Key finding
All 50 states + DC ranked by home-service business density
2.3M home service businesses, and 83% are solo operators. All 50 states ranked by count and density per capita. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataLandscaping Business Statistics by State
Key finding
630,000+ U.S. landscaping businesses ranked across all 50 states
634,000 landscaping businesses in the U.S., 81% of them solo. All 50 states ranked by count, density, jobs, and pay. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataPest Control Business Statistics by State
Key finding
32,000+ U.S. pest control businesses, jobs, and pay ranked by state
32,672 pest control businesses and $53,466 average pay. All 50 states ranked by count, density, jobs, and pay. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataElectrician Business Statistics by State
Key finding
243,000+ U.S. electrical businesses, 1M+ jobs, and pay ranked by state
243,035 electrical contractors and over 1M jobs. All 50 states ranked by count, density, employment, and pay. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataCleaning Business Statistics by State
Key finding
1.1M+ U.S. cleaning businesses (94% solo) ranked by state
1.16M cleaning businesses in the U.S., and 94% are solo. All 50 states ranked by count, density, jobs, and pay. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataHome Service Trades Compared
Key finding
6 trades compared on pay, size, and solo share (electrical pays most)
Which trade pays most, and which is most crowded? Six home-service trades compared on pay, business count, jobs, and solo share. Census data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataBusiness Formation Statistics by State
Key finding
6M+ new business applications a year, ranked across all 50 states
6.0M new business applications a year. All 50 states ranked by filings, per-capita density, and growth, from Census data. Free to cite.
Read the study Industry & Market DataHome-Service Demand by State
Key finding
1M+ housing permits a year + home-price growth, ranked by state
Where is home-service demand growing fastest? All 50 states ranked by building permits per capita and home-price growth. Federal data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataFastest-Growing Trades Through 2034
Key finding
18 trades ranked by projected growth, openings, and pay (solar leads at +42%)
Solar installers grow 42% by 2034, the fastest of any trade. 18 trades ranked by projected growth, job openings, and pay. BLS data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataPlumber Salary by State
Key finding
Plumbers earn a $63,800 median; pay ranked across all 50 states
Plumbers earn a $63,800 median nationally. All 50 states ranked by pay, pay adjusted for cost of living, and jobs. BLS data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataHVAC Technician Salary by State
Key finding
HVAC techs earn a $61,010 median; pay ranked across all 50 states
HVAC techs earn a $61,010 median nationally. All 50 states ranked by pay, pay adjusted for cost of living, and jobs. BLS data.
Read the study Industry & Market DataRoofer Salary by State
Key finding
Roofers earn a $55,440 median; pay ranked across all 50 states
How much do roofers make? Median and cost-of-living-adjusted pay plus employment for roofers in all 50 states, from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Read the studyFor journalists & researchers
Every study is free to use and cite with attribution (Creative Commons BY 4.0). Each one ships with the raw data and an embeddable chart so you can drop the numbers straight into your article or report.
Download the data
Every study has a one-click CSV export with the full state-by-state dataset.
Embed the map
Each by-state study has an “Embed this map” button with a copy-paste snippet for your site.
Custom data requests
Need a specific cut or an interview? Email Ihor.
How we research
Every figure comes from a citable public dataset, never an estimate or a guess. Our primary sources are the U.S. Census Bureau (County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, American Community Survey) for business counts, employment, and population, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis for cost-of-living adjustments. Our Google review benchmarks use first-party data collected from Google Maps. Each study lists its exact sources, methodology, and caveats.
Data vintage: 2023–2024 (latest available). Last updated June 2026.
More studies publishing regularly. Have a data question about local service businesses? Email Ihor.