Bars and taverns by state, 2026 Q1
The United States has 41,912 bars and taverns with employees, 12.3 per 100,000 residents; jobs -2.0% over the year. Wisconsin is the densest market at 47.8 per 100,000 and Virginia the thinnest at 1. Every state below links to its own page. Official BLS and Census figures, refreshed each quarter.
Every state, densest first
Density is bars and taverns with employees per 100,000 residents. Rows marked n/a are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or have no published population.
| # | State | Per 100k | Locations | Jobs | Jobs YoY | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 47.8 | 2,850 | 21,049 | -0.5% | $332 |
| 2 | North Dakota | 45.7 | 364 | 3,163 | n/a | $355 |
| 3 | Montana | 44.1 | 502 | 4,817 | -2.9% | $415 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 39.8 | 368 | 3,622 | -0.9% | $369 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 32.2 | 189 | 1,659 | n/a | $449 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 28.1 | 563 | 5,002 | -2.6% | $378 |
| 7 | Iowa | 25 | 811 | 5,876 | -3.7% | $291 |
| 8 | Illinois | 24.6 | 3,132 | 26,402 | +0.2% | $477 |
| 9 | Oregon | 24.3 | 1,038 | 8,770 | -2.8% | $562 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 24.1 | 1,108 | 7,031 | -3.2% | $457 |
| 11 | Idaho | 19.2 | 384 | 2,657 | -3.8% | $402 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 18.8 | 209 | 1,874 | n/a | $472 |
| 13 | Alaska | 18.4 | 136 | 1,032 | n/a | $507 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 17.6 | 1,022 | 10,224 | -2.5% | $404 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 16.6 | 293 | 1,941 | -3.5% | $351 |
| 16 | Ohio | 16.4 | 1,954 | 16,121 | 0.0% | $407 |
| 17 | Vermont | 16.3 | 106 | 887 | n/a | $528 |
| 18 | New York | 16.1 | 3,191 | 28,175 | -2.7% | $672 |
| 19 | Michigan | 15.6 | 1,577 | 17,586 | -3.8% | $481 |
| 20 | Hawaii | 15.1 | 218 | 1,536 | +3.6% | $582 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | 14.9 | 1,945 | 14,937 | -1.8% | $405 |
| 22 | Colorado | 14.8 | 881 | 9,542 | -2.2% | $659 |
| 23 | Nevada | 13.6 | 445 | 6,848 | -4.2% | $716 |
| 24 | Indiana | 12.7 | 880 | 7,833 | -7.7% | $418 |
| 25 | Washington | 12.6 | 1,006 | 9,575 | +1.1% | $653 |
| 26 | Missouri | 12 | 747 | 7,103 | -2.4% | $455 |
| 27 | North Carolina | 10.1 | 1,121 | 9,512 | +2.4% | $480 |
| 28 | Kansas | 10 | 296 | 3,391 | +6.5% | $308 |
| 29 | Texas | 9.4 | 2,946 | 34,202 | -1.5% | $509 |
| 30 | Florida | 8.8 | 2,049 | 25,533 | -3.5% | $677 |
| 31 | Kentucky | 8.8 | 403 | 3,087 | -0.6% | $456 |
| 32 | Maine | 8.7 | 122 | 873 | n/a | $547 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 8.7 | 355 | 3,090 | -16.4% | $430 |
| 34 | South Carolina | 8.6 | 469 | 4,804 | +0.3% | $510 |
| 35 | Arizona | 8.3 | 632 | 7,770 | -5.8% | $653 |
| 36 | Maryland | 8.1 | 505 | 4,650 | -2.4% | $496 |
| 37 | New Jersey | 8 | 761 | 7,288 | -4.3% | $519 |
| 38 | California | 7.9 | 3,127 | 32,621 | -0.5% | $588 |
| 39 | Alabama | 7.8 | 402 | 2,866 | +2.2% | $479 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 7.2 | 517 | 5,003 | -5.6% | $514 |
| 41 | Utah | 6.3 | 219 | 3,823 | -5.1% | $580 |
| 42 | Connecticut | 6.1 | 225 | 1,667 | -3.8% | $490 |
| 43 | Tennessee | 5.9 | 427 | 5,179 | -4.1% | $699 |
| 44 | Georgia | 5.8 | 644 | 6,923 | +2.7% | $519 |
| 45 | Mississippi | 5.6 | 166 | 1,142 | -5.0% | $384 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 5.6 | 119 | 1,393 | -21.2% | $481 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 5.4 | 168 | 1,457 | +16.7% | $417 |
| 48 | Delaware | 4.4 | 46 | 238 | n/a | $444 |
| 49 | Virginia | 1 | 90 | 907 | -3.6% | $439 |
| New Hampshire | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Fastest job growth
Arkansas (+16.7%), Kansas (+6.5%), Hawaii (+3.6%), Georgia (+2.7%), North Carolina (+2.4%). Slowest: New Mexico (-21.2%), Oklahoma (-16.4%), Indiana (-7.7%).
What counts
Drinking places that serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption: bars, taverns, pubs, nightclubs and cocktail lounges. Food may be served but drinks are the main line. NAICS 722410. BLS counts establishments with payroll, so owner-only businesses are not in these figures.
Other business types
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 722410, 2026 Q1; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year population estimates. All 14 business types ranked by state.