Counties Without Businesses

Some of the nation's 3,142 counties lack certain essential businesses. These "business deserts" were tallied recently by the Census Bureau's Andrew W. Hait, using data from the bureau's 2015 County Business Patterns...

Number of counties lacking employer establishments
Gas stations: 22
Commercial banks: 37
Religious organizations: 42
Grocery stores: 48
Offices of lawyers: 215
Child care services: 287
Dentist's offices: 305
Doctor's offices: 344
Hardware stores: 489
Beauty salons: 802
Drinking places: 926
Movie theaters: 1,586

While counties may have no employer establishments, Hait notes, their populations may be served by nonemployers—independent contractors and sole proprietors. He cites the example of child care service. While 2,855 counties in the U.S. have at least one employer child care service, a larger 3,117 have nonemployer (home-based) child care services.

Source: Census Bureau, Filling the Void in Counties Lacking Key Businesses