US Economic Census Core Data By Industry

The US Census Bureau conducts a census of all industries in America every 7 years, in years ending in 7 and 2. So the 2012 census is the newest one. And then it takes years for them to compile all the information, so the final numbers only finished coming out in early 2016.

While this information may appear a little dated, it is by far the best and most accurate source for much information about American business. There are separate tables for every industry, and much detail, particularly on manufacturing industries. I often look at sales per employee of an industry to estimate the sales of a private company, because while those companies will not reveal sales (revenues or receipts), they usually will tell you how many employees they have. There are many other research and competitive uses for this information.

One table here is the overall summary for all industries, and 2012 data is shown on the line next to 2007 data, so it is useful for seeing growth. County Business Pattern data, which is not nearly as comprehensive and detailed, can sometimes show some numbers for more recent years, allowing more growth analysis.

The other table has one sheet/page with just 2012 data on it, a separate sheet for 2007.

Note that these tables show the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Numbers in it --- knowing these is very helpful in researching an industry. Be careful adding up totals, as there is a lot of double-counting, with lines for broad groupings as well as more detailed groupings. Fine divisions of industries have longer NAICS numbers, while the biggest, broadest groups have only two digit numbers, not always shown in these tables. For more on NAICS, see https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/