Public Information Office
CB01-87
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e-mail: pio@census.gov
Eddie Salyers
Valerie Strang
301-457-3316
WP Version
American Indian- and Alaska Native-Owned Businesses Near 200,000;
California, Texas, Oklahoma Lead States, Census Bureau Reports
American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses [PDF] in the United States totaled 197,300, employed 298,700 people and generated $34.3 billion in revenues in 1997, according to a report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.
Businesses owned by American Indians and Alaska Natives made up 0.9 percent
of the nation's 20.8 million nonfarm businesses and generated 0.2 percent of all
receipts.
The vast majority of American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, 88
percent or 173,400, were sole proprietorships (unincorporated businesses owned
by individuals). Some businesses not owned by individuals, such as those owned
by tribes, were excluded from the survey.
For the first time, the data, which were collected in the 1997 Survey of
Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, included C corporations. C corporations are
legally incorporated businesses, excluding subchapter S corporations whose
shareholders elect to be taxed as individuals rather than corporations. Nearly
one-third of all revenues generated by American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned
businesses were produced by 9,400 C corporations with receipts of $11.9 billion.
The number of American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, excluding C
corporations for which prior comparable data are not available, increased 84
percent from 1992 to 1997, compared with a 7 percent increase for all U.S.
firms.
States With Largest Number
of American Indian- and Alaska Native-Owned Firms: 1997 States
With the Largest Percentage of American Indian- and Alaska Native-Owned
Firms: 1997 Geographic Area
Receipts of American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms rose 179 percent,
to $22 billion in 1997, compared with a 40 percent increase for all U.S. firms
over the same period.
Four states, California (26,600), Texas (15,700), Oklahoma (15,100) and
Florida (10,500), accounted for 34 percent of the firms owned by American
Indians and Alaska Natives. Three out of 10 American Indians and Alaska Natives reside in these states.
The following two tables show the top 10 states by number and percentage of
American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms.
Geographic areaAmerican Indian- and Alaska
Native-owned firms
Percent of total American Indian-
and Alaska Native-owned firms in U.S.
U.S. Total
197,300
California
26,600
13.5
Texas
15,700
8.0
Oklahoma
15,100
7.7
Florida
10,500
5.3
North Carolina
7,100
3.6
New Mexico
6,800
3.4
Alaska
6,800
3.4
New York
6,400
3.2
Michigan
5,800
2.9
Arizona
5,500
2.8
American Indian- and Alaska
Native-owned firms
All firms
American Indian- and Alaska
Native-owned firms as a percent of all firms
U.S. Total
197,300
20,821,900
0.9
Alaska
6,800
64,100
10.6
Oklahoma
15,100
280,700
5.4
New Mexico
6,800
131,700
5.2
Montana
1,900
93,700
2.0
Arizona
5,500
329,000
1.7
South Dakota
1,000
65,800
1.5
North Dakota
800
55,300
1.4
North Carolina
7,100
570,500
1.2
Alabama
3,500
285,200
1.2
Arkansas
2,300
193,400
1.2
About 41 percent (80,800) of American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses had 1997 receipts of under $10,000 and about 2 percent (4,900) had sales of $1 million or more. Average receipts per firm were $174,100 compared with $410,600 for all U.S. firms excluding publicly held corporations and firms, such as mutual companies, whose owners' race or ethnicity could not be determined.
The survey data also show that 17 percent (33,300) of American Indian- and
Alaska Native-owned firms had paid employees. There were 400 firms with 100 or more
employees.
Seventeen percent of American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms were in
the service industry and 14 percent were in construction. Receipts from service
businesses accounted for 15 percent of all receipts, while construction businesses accounted for 16
percent of all receipts.
The data in the report were collected as part of the 1997 Economic Census from a large sample of all nonfarm businesses filing tax forms as sole proprietorships, partnerships or any type of corporation with receipts of $1,000 or more in 1997.
The report, 1997 Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises: American Indians and Alaska Natives, presents data for American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses by size, type of business and geographic areas (states, counties, metropolitan areas and places).
The data were collected in a sample survey and are subject to sampling variability, as well as nonsampling errors. Sources of nonsampling error include errors of response, nonreporting and coverage. Further details concerning survey design, methodology and data limitation are contained in the full report. Comparisons with 1992 data should be conducted with caution due to changes in tax laws that caused inconsistencies between 1992 and 1997 data. Changes in survey methodology also may contribute to differences.
-X- Percentage of Total American Indian- and Alaska
Native-Owned Firms by State Compared With Percentage of American Indian-
and Alaska Native-Owned Firms to All Businesses by State: 1997 Note: Detail may not add to the total because a firm may be counted in more
than one state.
Geographic area
American Indian-
and Alaska Native-owned
firmsPercent of total American Indian- and Alaska
Native-owned firms in U.S.
All firms
American Indian-
and Alaska Native-owned
firms as a percent of all firms
U.S. Total
197,300
20,821,900
0.9
Alabama
3,500
1.8
285,200
1.2
Alaska
6,800
3.4
64,100
10.6
Arizona
5,500
2.8
329,000
1.7
Arkansas
2,300
1.2
193,400
1.2
California
26,600
13.5
2,565,700
1.0
Colorado
3,400
1.7
410,200
0.8
Connecticut
1,300
0.7
284,000
0.5
Delaware
300
0.2
56,600
0.5
District of Columbia
100
0.1
45,300
0.2
Florida
10,500
5.3
1,301,900
0.8
Georgia
4,500
2.3
568,600
0.8
Hawaii
500
0.3
94,000
0.5
Idaho
1,200
0.6
109,800
1.1
Illinois
3,900
2.0
882,100
0.4
Indiana
2,900
1.5
413,400
0.7
Iowa
900
0.5
227,600
0.4
Kansas
2,300
1.2
213,400
1.1
Kentucky
3,100
1.6
281,600
1.1
Louisiana
3,200
1.6
295,700
1.1
Maine
1,400
0.7
127,500
1.1
Maryland
2,400
1.2
400,200
0.6
Massachusetts
3,400
1.7
537,200
0.6
Michigan
5,800
2.9
677,500
0.9
Minnesota
2,400
1.2
410,600
0.6
Mississippi
1,100
0.6
167,900
0.7
Missouri
4,100
2.1
411,400
1.0
Montana
1,900
1.0
93,700
2.0
Nebraska
800
0.4
138,800
0.6
Nevada
1,200
0.6
129,800
0.9
New Hampshire
1,000
0.5
115,700
0.9
New Jersey
2,400
1.2
654,200
0.4
New Mexico
6,800
3.4
131,700
5.2
New York
6,400
3.2
1,509,800
0.4
North Carolina
7,100
3.6
570,500
1.2
North Dakota
800
0.4
55,300
1.4
Ohio
5,100
2.6
781,300
0.7
Oklahoma
15,100
7.7
280,700
5.4
Oregon
2,900
1.5
291,600
1.0
Pennsylvania
5,200
2.6
837,800
0.6
Rhode Island
600
0.3
80,900
0.7
South Carolina
2,200
1.1
260,300
0.8
South Dakota
1,000
0.5
65,800
1.5
Tennessee
3,700
1.9
415,900
0.9
Texas
15,700
8.0
1,526,000
1.0
Utah
1,400
0.7
169,200
0.8
Vermont
800
0.4
67,500
1.2
Virginia
3,300
1.7
480,100
0.7
Washington
4,700
2.4
447,400
1.1
West Virginia
1,000
0.5
111,700
0.9
Wisconsin
2,300
1.2
366,400
0.6
Wyoming
500
0.3
49,400
1.0