How Miami-Dade ranked in fastest-growing counties for small business in America
South Florida has become the go-to place for entrepreneurs: Miami-Dade is now ranked the No. 1 county in the United States in the number of small businesses planning to open.
“It’s a lot of people relocating to South Florida and in particular Miami-Dade,” said G. Eric Knowles, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of young college graduates are not necessarily looking to go into the job market, but want to start their own small businesses for work balance and working from home.”
To create its list, Clarify Capital, a small-business financial consulting firm, combined Census and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data to look at how many new business applications were filed in 2024; the growth in business applications over the past decade; the number of business loans approved in 2025 so far; the average size of those loans; and the total number of small businesses currently operating.
Counties with the highest populations nationwide were included in the study. Miami-Dade, which recorded 4,862 small business applications per 100,000 residents, isn’t the only South Florida county to make the Top 100 list. Broward is No. 3, with 3,602 small business applications. Fulton County, Georgia, came in at No. 2, with 4,336.
In a list ranking counties that saw the biggest growth in business applications over the last decade, Polk County in Central Florida was No. 2 with a 200% increase, and Pinellas County, the St. Petersburg area, was No. 3 with a 186% increase.
According to the U.S. Census, Florida saw more than 664,000 business applications in 2023.
“Some counties are pulling ahead when it comes to supporting small business success,” Clarity Capital said about the rankings. “These spots seem to have the right mix of opportunity, resources and momentum to help new ventures get off the ground and thrive.”
The South Florida data reflects recent small business trends in communities like North Miami. The city’s Northwest Seventh Avenue corridor is home to new businesses eager to learn about funding and licensing opportunities for growth.
While the data on small business applications is promising, Knowles says that it’s also important to look at small business longevity. He recommends that all new business owners become familiar with local business organizations. The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, for instance, works to help businesses stabilize, expand and connect with customers.
“It’s one thing to start a business, but it’s another thing to build a business,” he said. “We won’t know what that looks like for another couple of years. You can be great at doing something, but are you great at running a business?”
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 6:26 AM.
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