{ "question": "Which US states have the most businesses using AI?", "answer": "Utah had the highest share of employer businesses using AI of the 50 states, 32.1%, in the Census Business Trends and Outlook Survey collected 5 to 18 October 2026; only the District of Columbia was higher, at 34.1%. West Virginia was lowest at 9.8%, against 24.6% nationally. State figures move a lot from one wave to the next.", "period": "Oct 2026", "key_numbers": [ { "value": "32.1%", "label": "Utah employer businesses using AI, the highest of the 50 states", "note": "Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026; standard error 3.54 points", "stat": "ai/us-ai-use-state-utah" }, { "value": "34.1%", "label": "District of Columbia, above every state", "note": "Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026; standard error 6.66 points" }, { "value": "9.8%", "label": "West Virginia, the lowest state", "note": "Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026; standard error 3.19 points", "stat": "ai/us-ai-use-state-west-virginia" }, { "value": "24.6%", "label": "All US employer businesses", "note": "Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026", "stat": "ai/us-business-ai-use" }, { "value": "41.7%", "label": "Companies that operate in several states or sectors (not given a state)", "note": "Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026; standard error 2.38 points" } ], "tables": [ { "id": "by-state", "title": "Share of employer businesses using AI, by state (5-18 Oct 2026)", "columns": [ "State", "Using AI, 5-18 Oct 2026", "Standard error (points)", "Using AI, 17-30 Nov 2025", "Average of the last six waves, 27 Jul to 18 Oct 2026 (our calculation)" ], "rows": [ [ "District of Columbia", "34.1%", "6.66", "23.2%", "34.4%" ], [ "Utah", "32.1%", "3.54", "15.3%", "31.3%" ], [ "Colorado", "31.9%", "1.57", "25.2%", "28.8%" ], [ "Arizona", "31.5%", "2.47", "24.5%", "27.3%" ], [ "North Carolina", "29.6%", "1.86", "20.6%", "24.8%" ], [ "Minnesota", "29.5%", "1.69", "19.1%", "25.9%" ], [ "Maryland", "29.4%", "1.35", "21.2%", "23.6%" ], [ "Virginia", "28.9%", "0.99", "19.8%", "25.2%" ], [ "Hawaii", "28.6%", "3.25", "15.4%", "22.5%" ], [ "Texas", "28.0%", "1.16", "19.6%", "25.5%" ], [ "South Carolina", "27.7%", "1.71", "16.2%", "23.5%" ], [ "Washington", "27.1%", "2.07", "17.8%", "26.4%" ], [ "Florida", "26.8%", "1.05", "16.5%", "26.7%" ], [ "Nevada", "26.0%", "3.96", "21.3%", "26.9%" ], [ "Nebraska", "25.9%", "3.32", "20.2%", "22.3%" ], [ "Massachusetts", "25.7%", "2.97", "17.7%", "23.6%" ], [ "Georgia", "25.4%", "1.71", "16.6%", "26.1%" ], [ "Delaware", "25.0%", "8.40", "S", "27.6%" ], [ "Kansas", "24.9%", "2.22", "19.1%", "21.4%" ], [ "Tennessee", "24.9%", "3.09", "20.4%", "22.5%" ], [ "California", "24.6%", "0.70", "19.4%", "24.6%" ], [ "Illinois", "24.5%", "1.39", "14.4%", "21.9%" ], [ "Oregon", "24.4%", "1.69", "21.1%", "23.1%" ], [ "Connecticut", "23.0%", "2.66", "15.7%", "19.4%" ], [ "Kentucky", "22.8%", "2.63", "13.5%", "22.8%" ], [ "Michigan", "22.8%", "1.43", "16.4%", "21.7%" ], [ "Ohio", "22.8%", "1.05", "15.9%", "20.8%" ], [ "Montana", "22.7%", "2.91", "14.6%", "21.5%" ], [ "Pennsylvania", "22.4%", "1.58", "15.5%", "20.7%" ], [ "Alabama", "22.1%", "3.31", "14.5%", "19.5%" ], [ "Rhode Island", "21.7%", "6.27", "S", "20.1% (4 waves)" ], [ "Iowa", "21.5%", "3.77", "14.2%", "19.4%" ], [ "New Hampshire", "21.5%", "4.89", "11.8%", "20.1%" ], [ "Missouri", "21.1%", "1.71", "18.6%", "21.0%" ], [ "Indiana", "20.5%", "2.36", "18.9%", "19.9%" ], [ "Oklahoma", "20.4%", "1.87", "15.8%", "19.7%" ], [ "North Dakota", "20.0%", "3.44", "S", "17.8% (5 waves)" ], [ "Vermont", "20.0%", "4.33", "S", "20.3%" ], [ "Wisconsin", "19.8%", "1.48", "14.2%", "19.4%" ], [ "New York", "19.4%", "0.65", "13.9%", "17.6%" ], [ "New Jersey", "18.6%", "2.11", "12.7%", "18.9%" ], [ "Mississippi", "18.0%", "6.12", "11.6%", "16.0%" ], [ "Arkansas", "17.7%", "3.35", "14.4%", "20.4%" ], [ "Louisiana", "17.3%", "2.35", "13.3%", "18.6%" ], [ "South Dakota", "17.0%", "5.81", "11.5%", "21.0%" ], [ "Maine", "16.5%", "3.75", "11.4%", "20.0%" ], [ "Puerto Rico", "15.7%", "2.61", "10.1%", "13.4%" ], [ "New Mexico", "14.7%", "3.78", "9.0%", "19.6%" ], [ "Wyoming", "14.4%", "4.18", "19.0%", "23.3% (5 waves)" ], [ "Idaho", "13.5%", "2.16", "12.8%", "21.4%" ], [ "West Virginia", "9.8%", "3.19", "S", "13.3% (5 waves)" ], [ "Alaska", "S", "S", "S", "17.1% (5 waves)" ] ], "row_ids": [ "state-district-of-columbia", "state-utah", "state-colorado", "state-arizona", "state-north-carolina", "state-minnesota", "state-maryland", "state-virginia", "state-hawaii", "state-texas", "state-south-carolina", "state-washington", "state-florida", "state-nevada", "state-nebraska", "state-massachusetts", "state-georgia", "state-delaware", "state-kansas", "state-tennessee", "state-california", "state-illinois", "state-oregon", "state-connecticut", "state-kentucky", "state-michigan", "state-ohio", "state-montana", "state-pennsylvania", "state-alabama", "state-rhode-island", "state-iowa", "state-new-hampshire", "state-missouri", "state-indiana", "state-oklahoma", "state-north-dakota", "state-vermont", "state-wisconsin", "state-new-york", "state-new-jersey", "state-mississippi", "state-arkansas", "state-louisiana", "state-south-dakota", "state-maine", "state-puerto-rico", "state-new-mexico", "state-wyoming", "state-idaho", "state-west-virginia", "state-alaska" ], "note": "Census State file, question: did this business use AI in any of its business functions in the last two weeks (asked this way from the 17 Nov 2025 collection). S = suppressed by Census. Sorted by the latest wave. Each state's sample is one panel of firms per wave, so standard errors run from 0.65 points (New York) to 8.40 (Delaware); ranks that differ by less than about two standard errors are not firm. The last column is the plain average of the published estimates for the six waves collected 27 Jul to 18 Oct 2026 (one full rotation of the six panels); where a wave was suppressed the average uses the waves shown; averages are rounded half up to one decimal. National rate 24.6%. Companies that operate in several states or sectors are reported separately (41.7%) and are not in any state row.", "source": "census-btos" }, { "id": "history", "title": "Share of employer businesses using AI in Utah, West Virginia and four large states, every wave since the new question", "columns": [ "Collection ending", "Utah", "West Virginia", "California", "Texas", "Florida", "New York" ], "rows": [ [ "30 Nov 2025", "15.3%", "S", "19.4%", "19.6%", "16.5%", "13.9%" ], [ "14 Dec 2025", "17.3%", "S", "18.4%", "19.6%", "17.7%", "12.6%" ], [ "28 Dec 2025", "23.5%", "S", "18.4%", "20.9%", "21.1%", "14.9%" ], [ "11 Jan 2026", "15.2%", "14.2%", "19.1%", "19.0%", "20.0%", "14.3%" ], [ "25 Jan 2026", "17.6%", "9.8%", "19.4%", "19.5%", "20.5%", "14.7%" ], [ "8 Feb 2026", "22.8%", "S", "19.8%", "19.9%", "23.9%", "15.5%" ], [ "22 Feb 2026", "18.9%", "S", "20.2%", "20.6%", "18.4%", "14.6%" ], [ "8 Mar 2026", "26.8%", "S", "19.2%", "17.9%", "20.6%", "15.9%" ], [ "22 Mar 2026", "25.3%", "8.3%", "19.3%", "21.8%", "21.8%", "16.8%" ], [ "5 Apr 2026", "19.7%", "13.6%", "20.0%", "20.5%", "20.7%", "15.8%" ], [ "19 Apr 2026", "22.6%", "12.6%", "21.4%", "19.1%", "21.9%", "16.8%" ], [ "3 May 2026", "21.6%", "S", "20.6%", "20.6%", "22.1%", "17.1%" ], [ "17 May 2026", "23.1%", "17.6%", "20.6%", "22.2%", "18.8%", "16.2%" ], [ "31 May 2026", "24.8%", "14.5%", "21.9%", "20.9%", "22.5%", "16.4%" ], [ "14 Jun 2026", "24.5%", "11.3%", "22.2%", "21.3%", "24.8%", "16.7%" ], [ "28 Jun 2026", "20.7%", "14.2%", "22.2%", "22.3%", "22.0%", "15.0%" ], [ "12 Jul 2026", "24.2%", "16.1%", "22.7%", "22.1%", "25.4%", "16.3%" ], [ "26 Jul 2026", "25.1%", "9.2%", "22.4%", "21.9%", "25.4%", "15.7%" ], [ "9 Aug 2026", "27.8%", "12.3%", "22.4%", "24.4%", "23.7%", "16.7%" ], [ "23 Aug 2026", "30.3%", "21.7%", "23.6%", "25.9%", "25.7%", "16.7%" ], [ "6 Sep 2026", "33.7%", "8.7%", "25.1%", "25.2%", "28.2%", "17.0%" ], [ "20 Sep 2026", "28.8%", "13.9%", "26.3%", "24.0%", "28.2%", "17.8%" ], [ "4 Oct 2026", "34.8%", "S", "25.7%", "25.7%", "27.8%", "18.1%" ], [ "18 Oct 2026", "32.1%", "9.8%", "24.6%", "28.0%", "26.8%", "19.4%" ] ], "row_ids": [ "wave-202524", "wave-202525", "wave-202526", "wave-202601", "wave-202602", "wave-202603", "wave-202604", "wave-202605", "wave-202606", "wave-202607", "wave-202608", "wave-202609", "wave-202610", "wave-202611", "wave-202612", "wave-202613", "wave-202614", "wave-202615", "wave-202616", "wave-202617", "wave-202618", "wave-202619", "wave-202620", "wave-202621" ], "note": "Census State file, waves collected 17 Nov 2025 to 18 Oct 2026; S = suppressed. No waves were collected 6 Oct to 16 Nov 2025 (federal funding lapse), and the older question (AI used to produce goods or services) is a different series, so this history starts with the new wording. From the 19 Oct 2026 collection Census asks about \"Super Intelligence or SI\". California (standard error 0.70 points) and New York (0.65) are the most precise state series; Utah's and West Virginia's standard errors are over 3 points, so single waves jump.", "source": "census-btos" } ], "sources": [ { "name": "Business Trends and Outlook Survey", "publisher": "US Census Bureau", "type": "official", "url": "https://www.census.gov/" } ], "content_changed_on": "2026-10-31", "page_url": "https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai/business-ai-use-by-state", "csv_url": "https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai/business-ai-use-by-state.csv" }