Industry & Market Data

Landscaping Business Statistics by State (2026)

There are about 634,541 landscaping businesses in the U.S., and 81% are solo operators. We ranked all 50 states plus D.C. by landscaping business count and per-capita density using U.S. Census data. Texas has the most; Mississippi has the highest density.

Ihor Lavrenenko

By · Founder, Smarfle

Published June 24, 2026 · Data current as of 2023-2024

Smarfle

634,541

Landscaping businesses

81%

Solo operators

$51,286

Avg annual pay

+10.4%

Growth since 2019

Key findings

  • The U.S. has roughly 634,541 landscaping businesses: 117,969 with employees and 516,572 solo operators.
  • 81% are solo / owner-operator businesses, making landscaping one of the most fragmented and competitive service trades.
  • Texas has the most landscaping businesses (63,918), ahead of California and Florida.
  • By density, Mississippi leads with 34.7 businesses per 10,000 residents, followed by Louisiana and Vermont.
  • The South and Sun Belt dominate both rankings, tracking warm-weather, year-round outdoor-service demand.

Landscaping businesses, mapped

Texas, California and Florida lead, and the Gulf states run hot on density for the obvious reason that grass never stops growing. Hover a state for its count.

Alaska: 863Alabama: 15,246Arkansas: 7,752Arizona: 11,021California: 59,530Colorado: 9,332Connecticut: 7,499District of Columbia: 246Delaware: 1,874Florida: 58,983Georgia: 34,226Hawaii: 3,058Iowa: 5,449Idaho: 3,544Illinois: 19,608Indiana: 12,691Kansas: 5,321Kentucky: 8,860Louisiana: 15,364Massachusetts: 11,701Maryland: 9,627Maine: 3,882Michigan: 20,366Minnesota: 8,055Missouri: 12,415Mississippi: 10,223Montana: 2,013North Carolina: 27,613North Dakota: 1,190Nebraska: 3,594New Hampshire: 2,997New Jersey: 11,572New Mexico: 2,253Nevada: 3,618New York: 21,995Ohio: 20,972Oklahoma: 9,022Oregon: 6,156Pennsylvania: 18,549Rhode Island: 1,939South Carolina: 14,526South Dakota: 1,450Tennessee: 19,166Texas: 63,918Utah: 4,640Virginia: 16,238Vermont: 2,151Washington: 9,377Wisconsin: 9,337West Virginia: 2,526Wyoming: 993
Scale:246 to 2,5262,526 to 6,1566,156 to 10,22310,223 to 18,54918,549 to 63,918

Landscaping businesses by state

All 50 states plus D.C., ranked by total landscaping businesses (employer firms plus solo operators). Search or sort any column.

1Texas63,91820.460,794$48,920+16.6%
2California59,53015.1103,803$51,055-1.7%
3Florida58,98325.278,430$41,352+10.8%
4Georgia34,22630.623,535$48,102+20.1%
5North Carolina27,6132531,542$44,669+7.7%
6New York21,99511.133,359$62,725+7%
7Ohio20,97217.628,603$51,280+10.7%
8Michigan20,36620.120,967$60,317+13.1%
9Illinois19,60815.423,331$69,346+11.8%
10Tennessee19,16626.515,585$50,821+13.2%
11Pennsylvania18,54914.228,339$53,983+6.5%
12Virginia16,23818.425,931$47,143+9.7%
13Louisiana15,36433.46,534$43,345+18.2%
14Alabama15,24629.69,837$44,943+15%
15South Carolina14,52626.513,383$44,356+16.6%
16Indiana12,69118.317,467$47,982+9.9%
17Missouri12,41519.913,201$48,758+6.9%
18Massachusetts11,70116.418,649$74,736+7.7%
19New Jersey11,57212.221,755$56,062+6.2%
20Arizona11,02114.519,632$45,282+8.3%
21Mississippi10,22334.73,779$40,090+16.5%
22Maryland9,62715.419,366$48,095+8.6%
23Washington9,37711.819,278$52,617+7.9%
24Wisconsin9,33715.713,641$53,199+17.8%
25Colorado9,33215.717,630$59,331+15.2%
26Oklahoma9,022227,210$43,058+9.3%
27Kentucky8,86019.38,853$45,945+4.8%
28Minnesota8,05513.913,696$58,577+9.7%
29Arkansas7,75225.14,607$42,497+12.4%
30Connecticut7,49920.410,103$59,876+5.5%
31Oregon6,15614.411,299$47,815+9.9%
32Iowa5,44916.87,493$51,801+8.7%
33Kansas5,32117.97,446$48,880+7.6%
34Utah4,64013.27,888$53,484+23.6%
35Maine3,88227.63,914$56,230+10.4%
36Nevada3,61811.110,949$45,668+15.3%
37Nebraska3,59417.94,878$52,596+5.7%
38Idaho3,54417.76,135$51,496+24.8%
39Hawaii3,05821.13,559$50,203+3.2%
40New Hampshire2,99721.35,174$60,046+12.2%
41West Virginia2,52614.32,048$44,861+11%
42New Mexico2,25310.63,200$41,433+8.7%
43Vermont2,15133.21,462$55,877+7%
44Montana2,01317.72,435$53,425+18.6%
45Rhode Island1,93917.42,885$73,447+5.4%
46Delaware1,87417.84,285$51,659+10.6%
47South Dakota1,45015.71,460$50,038+9.9%
48North Dakota1,19014.91,209$60,006+11.3%
49Wyoming99316.91,272$54,002+13.4%
50Alaska86311.7870$62,739+41%
51District of Columbia2463.5198$33,561-11.5%

Total businesses

63,918

Rank #1 of 51

Per 10k residents

20

Rank #15 of 51

Employees

60,794

Rank #3 of 51

Avg annual pay

$48,920

Rank #30 of 51

Pay adjusted for cost of living

$50,403

Rank #32 of 51

Occupation median wage (BLS)

$36,740

Rank #42 of 51

Top 15 states by total businesses

TexasTexas63,918CaliforniaCalifornia59,530FloridaFlorida58,983GeorgiaGeorgia34,226North CarolinaNorth Carolina27,613New YorkNew York21,995OhioOhio20,972MichiganMichigan20,366IllinoisIllinois19,608TennesseeTennessee19,166PennsylvaniaPennsylvania18,549VirginiaVirginia16,238LouisianaLouisiana15,364AlabamaAlabama15,246South CarolinaSouth Carolina14,526

Density, businesses per 10,000 residents

Mississippi and Louisiana top density ahead of Vermont, a year-round growing season against a short intense one. Density is the clearer read on how saturated a local market is.

MississippiMississippi34.7LouisianaLouisiana33.4VermontVermont33.2GeorgiaGeorgia30.6AlabamaAlabama29.6MaineMaine27.6TennesseeTennessee26.5South CarolinaSouth Carolina26.5FloridaFlorida25.2ArkansasArkansas25.1North CarolinaNorth Carolina25OklahomaOklahoma22

How much do landscapers make? Pay by state

Landscaping averages about $51,300, and the leaders are all short-season northern states where crews are paid for fewer months of work.

MassachusettsMassachusetts$74,736Rhode IslandRhode Island$73,447IllinoisIllinois$69,346AlaskaAlaska$62,739New YorkNew York$62,725MichiganMichigan$60,317New HampshireNew Hampshire$60,046North DakotaNorth Dakota$60,006ConnecticutConnecticut$59,876ColoradoColorado$59,331MinnesotaMinnesota$58,577MaineMaine$56,230

Two ways to read pay. The chart above is the Census industry average ($51,286, everyone at landscaping firms). For the specific occupation, the BLS median wage for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers is $39,150 nationally (much landscaping work is seasonal, which pulls the occupation wage below the firm average). Look up the BLS occupation median for any state with the state tool above.

Where a paycheck goes furthest (cost of living adjusted)

Adjusting each state’s average pay for its cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities) reranks the map: high-cost states fall, affordable states rise.

Rhode IslandRhode Island$71,810MassachusettsMassachusetts$70,668IllinoisIllinois$69,375North DakotaNorth Dakota$67,454MichiganMichigan$62,689AlaskaAlaska$61,293MinnesotaMinnesota$59,396IowaIowa$59,024NebraskaNebraska$58,373WyomingWyoming$58,260New YorkNew York$58,121MaineMaine$57,939

Fastest-growing markets since 2019

Landscaping businesses grew 10.4% nationwide since 2019 (pre-pandemic). These large markets grew fastest. Sort the table above by “Growth since 2019” to see every state.

GeorgiaGeorgia+20.1%LouisianaLouisiana+18.2%WisconsinWisconsin+17.8%TexasTexas+16.6%South CarolinaSouth Carolina+16.6%MississippiMississippi+16.5%ColoradoColorado+15.2%AlabamaAlabama+15%TennesseeTennessee+13.2%MichiganMichigan+13.1%

What this means for landscapers

With 81% of the market made up of solo operators, landscaping is easy to enter and hard to stand out in. The biggest states (Texas, California, Florida) have the most businesses but also the most competition. The density view helps spot where demand is strong relative to the number of operators already serving it.

For owners, the path to growth in a crowded market is reliability and reputation: lock in recurring maintenance contracts, respond fast, and build a steady stream of Google reviews so you win the local map pack instead of competing on price.

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Best states for home services

Landscaping is 81% solo operators. See how that compares against every other home-service trade.

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Methodology

Landscaping businesses = employer establishments (County Business Patterns, NAICS 561730) plus nonemployer firms (Nonemployer Statistics, NAICS 56173). Density is businesses per 10,000 residents using 2024 ACS population. Covers the 50 states plus D.C.

Employer vs. nonemployer: County Business Patterns counts businesses with paid employees; Nonemployer Statistics counts owner-operator firms with none. We sum both so the total reflects the whole market, not just payroll businesses.

Caveats: figures are establishments and firms, not companies, so a business with two locations counts twice. NAICS 561730 (Landscaping Services) covers landscape design, installation, and maintenance / lawn care. Coverage is the 50 states plus D.C.

Pay: average annual pay is Census employer-firm annual payroll divided by employment, an industry average across all roles, not a single occupation wage.

Cost of living: adjusted pay divides nominal pay by each state’s Regional Price Parity (BEA, 2024), an index where the U.S. average is 100. A state at 90 is 10% cheaper than average, so a dollar of pay there is worth more.

Occupation wage: alongside the Census industry average we show the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) median wage for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (SOC 373011), the wage for that specific job. Census counts everyone at landscaping firms; OEWS isolates the occupation.

Source

U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns (2023), Nonemployer Statistics (2023), and American Community Survey (2024).

Census programs: County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, American Community Survey. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Occupation wages: BLS OEWS.

Frequently asked questions

How many landscaping businesses are there in the U.S.?

About 634,541 across the 50 states plus D.C.: 117,969 businesses with employees and 516,572 solo / owner-operator firms. Landscaping is one of the most fragmented service trades, dominated by small operators.

Which state has the most landscaping businesses?

Texas leads with 63,918 landscaping businesses, followed by California (59,530) and Florida (58,983). Big, warm-weather states with year-round outdoor demand sit at the top.

Which state has the highest landscaping business density?

Mississippi has the most landscaping businesses per capita, at 34.7 per 10,000 residents, ahead of Louisiana and Vermont. Density is a better measure of how active (and competitive) a local market is than raw count.

Are most landscaping businesses solo operators?

Yes. 81% of landscaping businesses are nonemployer firms, meaning a single owner-operator with no paid employees. That makes landscaping one of the easiest service businesses to start, and one of the most competitive.

How much do landscapers make?

At landscaping firms the Census industry average is about $51,286 per year (payroll divided by employment, all roles). For the specific occupation, the BLS median wage for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers is about $39,150 nationally; much landscaping work is seasonal, which pulls the occupation wage below the firm average. Both are in the state lookup and the table.

Is the landscaping industry growing?

Yes. The number of landscaping businesses grew about 10.4% nationwide since 2019, from roughly 574,706 to 634,541. Demand tracks new housing, home values, and outdoor-living spend, all up in Sun Belt and Southeast states. The low barrier to entry keeps the market crowded, so operators compete on reliability, reviews, and recurring maintenance contracts rather than price alone.

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (2023) for employer establishments and Nonemployer Statistics (2023) for solo firms, both NAICS 561730 (Landscaping Services), plus the American Community Survey (2024) for state population. See the methodology below.

Cite this study

Free to reference with a link back. Please credit Smarfle as the source.

Ihor Lavrenenko (2026). Landscaping Business Statistics by State. Smarfle. https://www.smarfle.com/small-business-statistics/landscaping-business-statistics

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