Data · Updated through August 2026
DFW new business applications
How many new businesses are being started in Dallas-Fort Worth and across Texas, from the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics. Texas figures are monthly; county figures are annual.
Headline figures
DFW applications, 2025
168,817
+10.5% vs. 2024 · 11 metro counties
DFW since 2019
+71.0%
98,706 in 2019 to 168,817 in 2025
Texas, year to date
403,187
+13.0% vs. same months of 2025
Texas likely employers, YTD
108,570
+2.3% vs. same months of 2025
Year-to-date figures cover January through August 2026, not seasonally adjusted.
Texas business applications by month
Seasonally adjusted, last 24 months. Hover or tap a bar for the figure.
Show the monthly figures
| Month | Applications | Likely employers |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 48,692 | 13,032 |
| July 2026 | 55,981 | 13,332 |
| June 2026 | 48,491 | 13,377 |
| May 2026 | 49,877 | 13,176 |
| April 2026 | 46,776 | 12,823 |
| March 2026 | 45,916 | 12,920 |
| February 2026 | 46,125 | 12,557 |
| January 2026 | 49,879 | 13,158 |
| December 2025 | 47,752 | 11,295 |
| November 2025 | 53,251 | 13,289 |
| October 2025 | 49,900 | 12,676 |
| September 2025 | 50,272 | 12,814 |
| August 2025 | 45,232 | 12,673 |
| July 2025 | 44,791 | 12,785 |
| June 2025 | 44,829 | 12,470 |
| May 2025 | 43,392 | 12,614 |
| April 2025 | 42,661 | 12,628 |
| March 2025 | 43,315 | 12,596 |
| February 2025 | 40,756 | 12,348 |
| January 2025 | 33,576 | 10,859 |
| December 2024 | 42,076 | 13,028 |
| November 2024 | 39,795 | 12,501 |
| October 2024 | 40,652 | 12,654 |
| September 2024 | 39,480 | 12,733 |
Business applications by DFW county
Annual totals for the 11 counties of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area.
| County | 2019 | 2024 | 2025 | Change, 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 39,062 | 56,333 | 61,000 | +8.3% |
| Tarrant County | 23,786 | 35,175 | 39,814 | +13.2% |
| Collin County | 15,883 | 26,306 | 28,570 | +8.6% |
| Denton County | 11,051 | 18,369 | 19,739 | +7.5% |
| Ellis County | 1,881 | 3,476 | 4,246 | +22.2% |
| Kaufman County | 1,418 | 3,040 | 3,652 | +20.1% |
| Johnson County | 1,447 | 2,660 | 3,366 | +26.5% |
| Parker County | 1,524 | 2,629 | 3,013 | +14.6% |
| Rockwall County | 1,314 | 2,329 | 2,533 | +8.8% |
| Hunt County | 693 | 1,330 | 1,618 | +21.7% |
| Wise County | 647 | 1,148 | 1,266 | +10.3% |
| DFW total | 98,706 | 152,795 | 168,817 | +10.5% |
What the numbers mean for DFW owners
A business application is not a business: it is a request for a federal employer identification number, and many never hire or open. Treat the totals as a measure of how many people are trying, and the likely-employer count as the better read on new competitors who will hire.
For an established owner, a rising count means more new entrants in your market over the next few years. Our guide to spotting and responding to new market entrants covers what to watch. For someone starting out, it means lenders and investors are reading more plans than ever, and a lender-ready business plan is how yours stands out. We work with owners across the metro from our downtown Dallas office.
Source and method
U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics: the monthly state series (total and high-propensity business applications for Texas) and the annual county series. The metro total sums Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Rockwall, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties. Figures were retrieved on September 30, 2026. You are welcome to cite this page; please link to it.
FAQ
DFW business formation questions
How many new businesses are started in Dallas-Fort Worth each year?
Business applications in the 11 counties of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area totaled 168,817 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics, +10.5% from 152,795 in 2024. Dallas County alone recorded 61,000. An application is a request for an employer identification number, so not every application becomes an operating business.
Are new business applications in Texas going up?
Yes. From January through August 2026, Texas recorded 403,187 business applications, +13.0% compared with 356,881 in the same months of 2025 (not seasonally adjusted). Applications with a high propensity of becoming businesses with payroll were +2.3% over the same period.
What is a high-propensity business application?
The Census Bureau flags applications with characteristics that make them more likely to become businesses with payroll, such as planning to hire employees or operating in certain industries. They are a better signal of new employers than total applications, which include many sole proprietors and holding entities.
Where does this data come from and how often is it updated?
From the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics. Texas figures are monthly and currently run through August 2026. County figures are annual and run through 2025. We refresh this page when the Census Bureau publishes new data, usually monthly.