Data
Data on the New York acquisition market
Federal agencies publish excellent data about businesses and almost none of it in a shape a buyer can use. These datasets re-cut primary sources around the question that actually matters: how many New York businesses are small enough to buy, and where they are.
New York small business statistics, by county
476,454 of 541,313 New York employer establishments have fewer than 20 employees. Establishment counts, acquisition-scale share, employment and average pay for all 62 counties and 20 sectors.
How many businesses are small enough to buy? → NYS Publication 718 · effective 2025-03-01New York sales tax rates by jurisdiction
Combined state and local rate plus the reporting code for all 81 New York jurisdictions — 63 counties, New York City and the cities that levy their own tax. Rates run 7% to 8.875%.
What rate applies where, and under which code? →How these are built
- Primary files, parsed directly. Every figure comes from a federal release downloaded and processed here, never from someone else’s summary of it. The exact file and its retrieval date are listed on each page.
- The limitations are on the page, not in a footnote. Suppressed cells, establishment-versus-firm counting, mismatched vintages and unassignable records are all stated where you can see them, because a number you cannot audit is a number you should not cite.
- Editorial choices are labelled as such. Where we define something the source does not — "acquisition-scale" meaning fewer than 20 employees, for instance — the page says so, so you can disagree with the threshold rather than inherit it silently.
The underlying federal data is public domain. The arrangement and framing here are ours, and we ask for attribution and a link. Each dataset is downloadable as JSON from its own page if you would rather work with the numbers than retype them.
Talk to an advisor
Numbers are a starting point, not a target list.
These counts tell you where the businesses are. They do not tell you which are sellable, which owners are ready, or what they trade at. A free 20-minute call can turn a county-level figure into something you can actually work.
- You're choosing between two or three target industries and want a reality check on each.
- You've found a listing and want a second set of eyes on the financials before you spend on a CPA.
- You're an out-of-state buyer who needs a New York-specific view of taxes, licensing, and deal norms.
- You're stalled on how to source off-market opportunities in your target region.
Prefer email? Reach jason.taken@hedgestone.com.
Not ready to talk? The calculators and the due-diligence checklist need no introduction.