WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Office of Advocacy, an independent office housed in the U.S. Small Business Administration, released the 2025 Small Business Profile for Rural Areas today.
Each year, Advocacy’s Office of Economic Research assembles the most recent economic data into a comprehensive snapshot of small business contributions in rural areas. The rural area profile explores trends in small business employment, industry makeup, demographics, farms, and lending over recent years.
Small businesses play a big role in the U.S. economy, especially rural areas. In the latest data, while small businesses accounted for about 48 percent of employment in metropolitan areas, they accounted for over 56 percent of employment outside of metropolitan areas.
Small business employment in rural areas grew by only 0.7 percent between 2012 and 2022. However, small business employment in rural areas rebounded after the pandemic, growing by 4.2 percent in 2022.
“Advocacy’s Small Business Profile for Rural Areas provides a critical snapshot of how important small businesses are outside of urban centers,” said Chief Counsel Casey B. Mulligan. “The data shows that small businesses are the main source of employment in rural areas.”
The 2025 Rural Area Profile is part of Advocacy’s larger geographic profile series, which highlights the features of small business economies for policymakers and other stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels.
PRESS RELEASE
SBA No. 25-13 ADV
PROFILE:
Small Business Rural Profile 2025
CONTACT(S):
Chandler Baxter
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the executive branch. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov or call (202) 205-6533.