Alabama Among States With Most Essential Businesses: Report

CHARLOTTE, NC — Businesses throughout the country were forced to close — at least temporarily — during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some businesses deemed "essential" were allowed to stay open. A recent study by financial firm Lending Tree shows that Alabama is one of the states with the most businesses considered "essential."

Lending Tree analyzed data from the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns Survey and measured essential businesses in every state as defined by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to find the states with the most essential businesses.

See the full report here.

Alabama was listed 8th among states with the most essential businesses. The findings for Alabama showed that of the 100,168 businesses in the state, 79.8 percent are considered essential.

Maryland tops the list with the highest percentage of essential businesses, as 81.5 percent of all businesses in the state are considered essential. Maryland has a large number of restaurants and physicians’ offices, the study showed, which contributed to the high ranking.

Washington, D.C. falls in last place on the list. With 72.8% essential businesses in Washington, D.C., public relations agencies are most prevalent