How many home owners are there in the coastal state of the US and its territories

Because definitions vary on what constitutes a "coastal state" (e.g., whether to include Great Lakes states or count only ocean/gulf borders), the total number of owner-occupied housing units can be examined across two common definitions established by NOAA and the U.S. Census Bureau:

1. Primary Residential Estimates by Geographic Scope

Broad NOAA Definition (30 Coastal & Great Lakes States + 5 Territories)

This official standard includes all 30 states bordering the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, or Great Lakes, alongside the 5 populated U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa).

NOAA (.gov)

• Total Occupied Housing Units: ~102.5 million

• Average Homeownership Rate: ~62% to 64%

• Estimated Homeowners (Owner-Occupied Units):~63 million to 65 million

Ocean & Gulf Coast States Only (23 Ocean-Bordering States)

If excluding the inland Great Lakes states (such as Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin):

• Estimated Homeowners:~48 million to 50 million

2. Key High-Population Coastal States & Territories

To see where the bulk of these homeowners are concentrated, here is a snapshot of owner-occupied unit estimates across major coastal regions:

State / TerritoryTotal Occupied Housing UnitsHomeownership RateEst. Owner-Occupied UnitsCalifornia~13.5 million55.3%~7.5 millionTexas~10.8 million63.6%~6.9 millionFlorida~8.7 million66.2%~5.8 millionNew York~7.7 million52.2%~4.0 millionNorth Carolina~4.2 million64.5%~2.7 millionPuerto Rico (Territory)~1.2 million~68.0%~816,000Hawaii~480,00060.9%~292,000

3. Immediate Shoreline vs. Statewide Coastal Footprint

• Statewide Coastal Totals: About 80% of all U.S. homeownership is situated in coastal states due to major population centers like California, New York, Texas, and Florida.

  NOAA (.gov)

• Direct Shoreline Counties: If strictly measuring households located directly inside shoreline-adjacent counties across these states and territories, the estimate narrows to ~28 million to 31 million owner-occupied homes.

What are the number of small businesses in these areas?

According to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy, a "small business" is defined as any independent business with fewer than 500 employees (which includes both employer firms and non-employer sole proprietorships). Nationally, there are approximately 36.2 million small businesses, representing 99.9% of all U.S. firms.

The breakdown of small businesses across coastal regions matches the geographic definitions from the homeownership estimates:

1. Small Businesses by Coastal Geographic Scope

Broad NOAA Definition (30 Coastal & Great Lakes States + 5 Territories)

Because coastal and Great Lakes states house the vast majority of U.S. population centers and commercial hubs, they account for roughly 78% to 80% of all U.S. small businesses.

• Estimated Small Businesses: ~28 million to 29 million

Ocean & Gulf Coast States Only (23 Ocean-Bordering States)

Excluding inland Great Lakes states (Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, etc.):

• Estimated Small Businesses: ~22 million to 23 million

2. Key High-Population Coastal States & Territories

The top three states with the highest number of small businesses in the entire country are all ocean-bordering coastal states:

State / TerritoryEst. Total Small BusinessesShare of All State BusinessesSmall Business EmployeesCalifornia~4.34 million99.8%~7.5 millionTexas~3.52 million99.8%~5.1 millionFlorida~3.49 million99.8%~3.8 millionNew York~2.35 million99.8%~4.1 millionNorth Carolina~1.05 million99.6%~1.8 millionPuerto Rico (Territory)~190,00099.5%~480,000Hawaii~145,00099.3%~272,000

3. Immediate Shoreline Counties vs. Statewide Footprint

• Statewide Totals: Small businesses in coastal states employ over 48 million workers across professional services, retail trade, construction, healthcare, and hospitality.

• Direct Shoreline Counties: Narrowing the focus strictly to businesses located within counties that directly touch ocean/gulf waters or Great Lakes shorelines, there are ~11.5 million to 13 million small businesses.