Where America's waste-collection businesses are: the top states
The U.S. has about 10,982 solid-waste-collection establishments (2023 Census). California (907), Texas (786) and Florida (576) lead — the trade tracks population and route density fairly evenly.
There are roughly 10,982 solid-waste-collection establishments in the U.S. (NAICS 562111, 2023 Census County Business Patterns). Unlike some trades, waste collection spreads fairly evenly with population and route density: California leads with 907, then Texas 786, with Florida and New York tied at 576. Pennsylvania follows with 540, then Ohio 421, North Carolina 393, and Illinois 389.
Why it matters for insurance: waste hauling is a heavy commercial-auto and workers'-comp risk (large trucks, hydraulic equipment, roadside exposure). See how commercial-auto profitability varies by state on our market profitability pages.
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Full state breakdown
Every state with a reported count, ranked — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns.
| Rank | State | businesses | paid employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 907 | 28,722 |
| 2 | Texas | 786 | 19,620 |
| 3 | Florida | 576 | 23,402 |
| 4 | New York | 576 | 10,251 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 540 | 10,623 |
| 6 | Ohio | 421 | 8,946 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 393 | 7,385 |
| 8 | Illinois | 389 | 8,756 |
| 9 | Georgia | 361 | 6,190 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 313 | 7,612 |
| 11 | Michigan | 296 | 7,424 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 279 | 4,470 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 273 | 6,309 |
| 14 | Missouri | 272 | 4,029 |
| 15 | Indiana | 252 | 6,824 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 251 | 4,571 |
| 17 | Colorado | 247 | 4,320 |
| 18 | Virginia | 239 | 4,791 |
| 19 | Washington | 229 | 5,518 |
| 20 | Maryland | 210 | 4,429 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 208 | 3,565 |
| 22 | Arizona | 201 | 5,193 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 191 | 3,554 |
| 24 | Iowa | 176 | 1,939 |
| 25 | Oregon | 173 | 3,939 |
| 26 | Connecticut | 160 | 2,809 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 146 | 2,755 |
| 28 | Louisiana | 145 | 3,172 |
| 29 | Alabama | 139 | 2,348 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 131 | 2,151 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 128 | 1,983 |
| 32 | Kansas | 126 | 2,023 |
| 33 | Nebraska | 123 | 1,769 |
| 34 | Utah | 106 | 1,626 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | 102 | 1,423 |
| 36 | Mississippi | 99 | 2,064 |
| 37 | Maine | 97 | 1,130 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 80 | 1,733 |
| 39 | Nevada | 77 | 2,280 |
| 40 | New Mexico | 71 | 764 |
| 41 | South Dakota | 67 | 706 |
| 42 | Idaho | 65 | 886 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 64 | 493 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 53 | 378 |
| 45 | Hawaii | 48 | 765 |
| 46 | Vermont | 45 | 719 |
| 47 | Montana | 41 | 565 |
| 48 | Alaska | 33 | 434 |
| 49 | Delaware | 33 | 999 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 32 | 296 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 12 | 111 |
Paid employees = total employment reported for the week of March 12, U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. "—" marks state cells the Census suppressed for disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology
Counts are establishments classified under NAICS 562111 (Solid Waste Collection) in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns, the most recent CBP release. An establishment is a single physical location, so a business operating in several states is counted once per location; figures count establishments, not vehicles or employees. State rows exclude cells the Census suppressed for disclosure.
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Reviewed by Jason Wootton, NPN 7694718 Verify ↗