(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 Indiana 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 Indiana 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. Posey County

Total small business establishments: 497 (19.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 25,129

49. LaPorte County

Total small business establishments: 2,228 (19.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 112,486

47. Benton County

Total small business establishments: 176 (20.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 8,714

47. Jefferson County

Total small business establishments: 669 (20.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 33,119

46. Hendricks County

Total small business establishments: 3,635 (20.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 179,555

45. Tipton County

Total small business establishments: 314 (20.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 15,393

44. Lake County

Total small business establishments: 10,251 (20.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 499,327

43. Shelby County

Total small business establishments: 927 (20.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 45,025

42. Adams County

Total small business establishments: 743 (20.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 35,939

41. Delaware County

Total small business establishments: 2,319 (20.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 111,981

40. Porter County

Total small business establishments: 3,633 (20.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 174,517

39. Clark County

Total small business establishments: 2,574 (21.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 122,847

38. Howard County

Total small business establishments: 1,754 (21.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 83,642

36. Johnson County

Total small business establishments: 3,449 (21.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 164,418

36. Spencer County

Total small business establishments: 417 (21.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.5%
2021 population: 19,875

34. Gibson County

Total small business establishments: 696 (21.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.3%
2021 population: 32,954

34. Martin County

Total small business establishments: 207 (21.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 98.6%
2021 population: 9,799

33. Jackson County

Total small business establishments: 981 (21.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.3%
2021 population: 46,285

32. Wayne County

Total small business establishments: 1,423 (21.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 66,490

31. Monroe County

Total small business establishments: 3,033 (21.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 140,135

30. St. Joseph County

Total small business establishments: 5,906 (21.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 272,341

29. Fulton County

Total small business establishments: 444 (21.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 20,380

28. Montgomery County

Total small business establishments: 842 (22.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 38,061

27. Ripley County

Total small business establishments: 644 (22.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 29,017

25. Brown County

Total small business establishments: 348 (22.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 15,573

25. Vigo County

Total small business establishments: 2,371 (22.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 106,084

24. Jasper County

Total small business establishments: 743 (22.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 33,113

23. Bartholomew County

Total small business establishments: 1,877 (22.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 82,730

22. Wells County

Total small business establishments: 641 (22.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 28,177

21. Rush County

Total small business establishments: 382 (22.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.2%
2021 population: 16,699

20. LaGrange County

Total small business establishments: 931 (23.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 40,538

19. DeKalb County

Total small business establishments: 1,000 (23.1 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 43,369

18. Floyd County

Total small business establishments: 1,874 (23.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 80,606

17. Knox County

Total small business establishments: 838 (23.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 35,964

16. White County

Total small business establishments: 576 (23.4 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 24,662

15. Huntington County

Total small business establishments: 867 (23.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.9%
2021 population: 36,792

14. Wabash County

Total small business establishments: 729 (23.6 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 30,897

13. Marshall County

Total small business establishments: 1,092 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 100.0%
2021 population: 46,175

12. Boone County

Total small business establishments: 1,727 (23.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 73,006

11. Allen County

Total small business establishments: 9,406 (24.2 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 389,112

10. Elkhart County

Total small business establishments: 5,028 (24.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 207,066

9. Decatur County

Total small business establishments: 640 (24.3 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 26,322

8. Marion County

Total small business establishments: 23,779 (24.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 971,647

7. Kosciusko County

Total small business establishments: 1,981 (24.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.6%
2021 population: 80,323

6. Pulaski County

Total small business establishments: 308 (24.9 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.0%
2021 population: 12,370

5. Hamilton County

Total small business establishments: 9,818 (27.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 357,330

4. Daviess County

Total small business establishments: 924 (27.7 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 33,381

3. Steuben County

Total small business establishments: 962 (27.8 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.8%
2021 population: 34,666

2. Vanderburgh County

Total small business establishments: 5,049 (28.0 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.7%
2021 population: 180,267

1. Dubois County

Total small business establishments: 1,287 (29.5 per 1,000 residents)
Share of establishments that are small: 99.4%
2021 population: 43,625

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

Indiana small businesses thrive in these counties