(Stacker) — In 2021, the IRS received a whopping 5.4 million business applications—an all-time high since the U.S. government began tracking this data in 2004. The year with the second-highest number of new business applications? 2020. Today, small businesses employ nearly half of the nation’s workers, according to a Chamber of Commerce report.

It’s fair to say that the past few years have been banner years for small businesses, but what about regional differences? The business climate in a small town in Texas is likely not the same as a small town in Connecticut. The Chamber of Commerce report found that the Midwest was the most business-friendly region, thanks to the relatively low cost of living, well-educated workforce, and regulations lowering taxes and easing zoning restrictions for businesses.

Of course, the East and West coasts also have plenty to offer, from California’s Silicon Valley and Hollywood studios to New York’s financial hub to Massachusetts’ prominence in the aerospace, defense, and information technology industries. A few states—including Delaware, Wyoming, and Nevada—even allow you to incorporate your business within their borders without ever setting foot there.

For even more specific data, let’s take it a step further by analyzing counties. Are certain counties more friendly to small businesses than others? To pinpoint the areas where small businesses abound, altLINE used Census Bureau data to find the counties in Missouri with the highest concentration of small businesses in 2021, calculated as small establishments per 1,000 residents. Small establishments are defined as those with fewer than 500 employees. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents were excluded from the analysis, as well as counties for which the Census Bureau didn’t have population estimates.

Another important factor to consider: States where nonresidents are allowed to incorporate businesses will also have a higher ratio of small businesses to residents since not all small businesses are actually operated by people living in that state.

Taking a close look at the type of counties that topped the list in each state also reveals some interesting trends. World-class vacation destinations are well represented on the lists of each state, perhaps because tourists are looking to get a sense of how the locals live through small businesses like restaurants, bakeries, bars, and boutiques.

While the top counties in each state do include a few major cities, less populated counties with smaller towns are much more common. Although most of the nation’s small businesses are located in major metropolitan areas, those that are located in rural areas tend to be more stable—possibly due to loyalty from local residents or the absence of competition from large corporations.

Keep reading to discover the counties in Missouri with the highest concentration of small businesses, and see how it compares across 50 states. It just might give you inspiration for your next endeavor.

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Annalise Mantz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

50. Reynolds County

Total small business establishments: 133 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.5%
2021 population: 6,082

49. Lafayette County

Total small business establishments: 719 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 32,832

48. Harrison County

Total small business establishments: 179 (21.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 8,170

47. Adair County

Total small business establishments: 560 (22.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 25,179

46. Stone County

Total small business establishments: 712 (22.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 31,605

45. Jasper County

Total small business establishments: 2,795 (22.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 123,325

44. Macon County

Total small business establishments: 345 (22.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.1%
2021 population: 15,167

43. Phelps County

Total small business establishments: 1,030 (22.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 44,949

42. Nodaway County

Total small business establishments: 481 (22.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 20,984

41. Cooper County

Total small business establishments: 383 (23.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 16,672

40. Stoddard County

Total small business establishments: 659 (23.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 28,482

39. Platte County

Total small business establishments: 2,532 (23.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 108,720

38. Grundy County

Total small business establishments: 229 (23.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 9,761

37. Dunklin County

Total small business establishments: 657 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 27,751

36. Pettis County

Total small business establishments: 1,026 (23.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 43,206

35. Carroll County

Total small business establishments: 200 (23.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 8,403

34. Vernon County

Total small business establishments: 478 (24.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 19,605

33. Butler County

Total small business establishments: 1,032 (24.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 42,150

32. Buchanan County

Total small business establishments: 2,058 (24.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 83,655

31. Morgan County

Total small business establishments: 527 (24.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 21,417

30. Boone County

Total small business establishments: 4,602 (24.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 186,075

29. Linn County

Total small business establishments: 294 (24.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 11,843

28. Worth County

Total small business establishments: 49 (24.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 1,969

27. New Madrid County

Total small business establishments: 406 (25.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 16,024

25. Jackson County

Total small business establishments: 18,194 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 717,616

25. Knox County

Total small business establishments: 96 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 3,787

24. Franklin County

Total small business establishments: 2,672 (25.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 105,328

23. Henry County

Total small business establishments: 573 (25.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 22,221

22. Chariton County

Total small business establishments: 193 (26.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 7,361

21. Perry County

Total small business establishments: 501 (26.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 18,956

20. Scott County

Total small business establishments: 1,016 (26.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 37,856

19. Gasconade County

Total small business establishments: 399 (27.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 14,791

18. Shelby County

Total small business establishments: 161 (27.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 97.6%
2021 population: 5,957

17. Carter County

Total small business establishments: 145 (27.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.0%
2021 population: 5,339

16. Ripley County

Total small business establishments: 293 (27.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 10,619

15. Howell County

Total small business establishments: 1,112 (27.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 39,980

14. Livingston County

Total small business establishments: 396 (27.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 14,223

13. Scotland County

Total small business establishments: 131 (28.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.2%
2021 population: 4,679

12. Greene County

Total small business establishments: 8,529 (28.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 301,118

10. Cape Girardeau County

Total small business establishments: 2,338 (28.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 82,147

10. Miller County

Total small business establishments: 710 (28.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 24,943

8. Cole County

Total small business establishments: 2,194 (28.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 76,631

8. Marion County

Total small business establishments: 816 (28.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 28,502

7. Gentry County

Total small business establishments: 183 (29.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.9%
2021 population: 6,169

6. St. Louis County

Total small business establishments: 30,715 (30.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 998,227

5. St. Louis

Total small business establishments: 9,328 (31.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 293,562

4. Holt County

Total small business establishments: 136 (32.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 4,241

3. Camden County

Total small business establishments: 1,470 (33.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 43,527

2. Taney County

Total small business establishments: 1,904 (33.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 56,334

1. Atchison County

Total small business establishments: 180 (34.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 5,227

This story originally appeared on altLINE and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.