NewBiz Alert Florida Insights
Florida New Business Formation Report: January 2026
By NewBiz Alert, from Florida Division of Corporations filings. How we built this.
New formations, Jan 2026
64,983
record over the 25 months we have data for, Jan 2024 to Jan 2026
Year over year
+3.6%
vs 62,753 in Jan 2025
Month over month
+29.6%
vs 50,134 in Dec, mostly seasonal
Momentum
Accelerating
2nd straight monthly increase
Florida had 64,983 new businesses start in January 2026. That is the most in any month since we began sorting businesses into categories in January 2024, so it is a record over those 25 months. The best way to read the trend is to compare with the same month a year ago. By that measure, new businesses were up 3.6% from January 2025, when 62,753 started. The count also jumped 29.6% from December's 50,134, but that is mostly the calendar at work. January is Florida's biggest month for new businesses every year, so most of that jump is the season, not real growth.
- Southeast Florida had 36.9% of all new businesses, the biggest share of any region. Tampa Bay was next at 18.5%, then Central Florida at 15.8%.
- The fastest growth was outside the big cities. All nine of the counties that grew unusually fast sat in the Panhandle or along the First Coast. Flagler County stood out the most, running further above its normal pace than any county in the state.
- Property Holding and Asset Protection was the second biggest category, with 7,463 new businesses, up 15.2% from December. Of those, 534 looked like short term rentals, up 11.2%. These are solid counts, not rough guesses.
- New businesses stayed spread across many industries and counties. No single filing company (the firm that handles a business's legal mail) handled even 10% of the month, which would hint at mass filings. The busiest one handled just 4.37%.
- The word 'property' showed up in new business names more than in any month we have tracked. Plain everyday LLCs made up 86.0% of all new businesses.
Section 1
Statewide overview
Total formations
64,983
Month over month
+29.6%
14,849 filings
Year over year
+3.6%
2,230 filings
3 month average
53,090
Trailing 12 mo
rising
Momentum
2x increase
speeding up
January is consistently Florida's single biggest formation month across the window we cover (62,964 in Jan 2024; 62,753 in Jan 2025; 64,983 in Jan 2026), so the +29.6% MoM is seasonally inflated. Lead with the +3.6% YoY as the cleaner signal.
Florida had 64,983 new businesses in January 2026. That is the most in any month since we began sorting businesses into categories in January 2024, a record over those 25 months. The 29.6% jump over December's 50,134 looks big, but January is always Florida's biggest month, so the cleaner read is the year-over-year change. New businesses rose 3.6% over January 2025's 62,753, a gain of 2,230.
The trend is still rising. This is the second month in a row with an increase. The three-month average is 53,090. Over the last twelve months, Florida added 688,565 new businesses, a bit more than the 686,335 in the twelve months before.
Activity stayed spread out. New businesses were split across many industries and counties, not packed into a few. The top five industries made up 59.9% of the businesses we could sort by type. Plain everyday LLCs made up 86.0% of all new businesses.
Holding companies and property businesses were busy. The single biggest industry was Management of Companies, with 11,295 new businesses. A holding company is a business set up mainly to own things, like real estate or other businesses. Property Holding and Asset Protection was the second biggest at 7,463. The words 'property' and 'capital' showed up in new business names more than in almost any month we have tracked.
Industry mix (friendly categories)
When a business registers, it reports what kind of work it does. We take that and group it into our own plain everyday categories. A business lands in 'Other' when its description does not fit one of our named categories. Every business is still counted, so 'Other' is a labeling matter, not missing data.
Flagship signal: Property Holding & Asset Protection
7,463 holding entities (11.6% of formations)+15.2%, including 534 seasonal / short term rental holdings (7.2% of the bucket).
The 7,463 property holding count and the 534 short term rental slice are solid month reads, not rough partial estimates. Most new businesses are simply not property holdings, so this group is a minority of the month's filings by design.
Industry mix
broad based
how spread across industries
Top 5 industry share
59.9%
County mix
broad based
how spread across counties
Out of state
3.6%
2,281 filings
We measure how spread out business activity is across industries and counties using a standard formula we run ourselves on the month's counts. A low result means activity is spread across many industries and counties, not packed into a few. Both the industry measure and the county measure came out low for January 2026, so new businesses were spread out across the state.
Entity type mix
- LLC (domestic)55,549(86%)
- Corp (domestic profit)5,455(8.4%)
- LLC (foreign)1,567(2.4%)
- Nonprofit (domestic)1,379(2.1%)
- Corp (foreign profit)511(0.8%)
Top filing services
- NORTHWEST REGISTERED AGENT LLC4.37%
- REGISTERED AGENTS INC2.9%
- INC AUTHORITY RA1.84%
- ZENBUSINESS INC.1.83%
- UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC.1.49%
No single filing company (the firm that handles a business's legal mail) handled even 10% of the month, which would hint at mass filings. The busiest one handled just 4.37% of the month's new businesses.
Trending words in new names
Address named LLCs (a holding company tell): 2.5% of new names.
Industry by region
The same grid, read three ways: raw volume, what each region specializes in, and a bubble view that lets the eye compare across both axes at once.
Chart 1: Volume (absolute counts)
| Industry | Northwest Florida | North Central Florida | Northeast Florida | Central Florida | Tampa Bay | Southwest Florida | Southeast Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies & Enterprises | 308 | 158 | 456 | 1,673 | 2,023 | 592 | 4,572 |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 167 | 115 | 262 | 917 | 1,202 | 300 | 2,204 |
| Real Estate and Rental & Leasing | 195 | 101 | 220 | 667 | 757 | 287 | 1,454 |
| Construction | 207 | 100 | 234 | 681 | 749 | 352 | 1,224 |
| Administrative & Support and Waste Management & Remediation Services | 155 | 95 | 215 | 597 | 700 | 345 | 1,145 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | 124 | 76 | 152 | 374 | 534 | 179 | 1,449 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 126 | 82 | 193 | 500 | 475 | 159 | 1,009 |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 69 | 73 | 175 | 552 | 448 | 159 | 1,023 |
| Retail Trade | 84 | 33 | 129 | 347 | 364 | 107 | 779 |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 87 | 44 | 106 | 296 | 372 | 89 | 641 |
New business counts by industry and region. A darker cell marks the stronger region for that industry.
Chart 2: Specialization (share within each region)
| Industry | Northwest Florida | North Central Florida | Northeast Florida | Central Florida | Tampa Bay | Southwest Florida | Southeast Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies & Enterprises | 20% | 18% | 21% | 25% | 27% | 23% | 29% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 11% | 13% | 12% | 14% | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Real Estate and Rental & Leasing | 13% | 12% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 9% |
| Construction | 14% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 14% | 8% |
| Administrative & Support and Waste Management & Remediation Services | 10% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 13% | 7% |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | 8% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 9% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 8% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 5% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Retail Trade | 6% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 6% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Each region column is read on its own terms: a cell is the percentage of that region taken by the industry, so the shading shows what each part of Florida specializes in rather than its raw size. The darkest cell in a column marks the leading sector for that region.
Chart 3: Bubble matrix
| Industry | Northwest Florida | North Central Florida | Northeast Florida | Central Florida | Tampa Bay | Southwest Florida | Southeast Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies & Enterprises | |||||||
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | |||||||
| Real Estate and Rental & Leasing | |||||||
| Construction | |||||||
| Administrative & Support and Waste Management & Remediation Services | |||||||
| Health Care & Social Assistance | |||||||
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | |||||||
| Transportation & Warehousing | |||||||
| Retail Trade | |||||||
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation |
Circle area scales to the number of formations, so a large bubble is a busy pairing of industry and region, and the eye can compare across both the rows and the columns at once. Hover a circle for the exact count.
Section 2
Region by region
Northwest Florida (Panhandle & Capital)
2,367 formations(3.7% of state)
Walton County had 263 new businesses against its normal pace of about 145 a month, running further above its usual count than nearly every other county in the state. Wakulla County had 8 new businesses against a usual pace of about 3. Calhoun County had 20 against a usual pace of about 8. Four Panhandle counties ran unusually fast at once, which is a real pattern. The region's 18.5% gain over last year is the second highest of any Florida region, well above the statewide 3.6%.
Northwest Florida had 2,367 new businesses in January 2026, an 18.5% gain over January 2025's 1,998. The year to year read is the cleaner signal. The 32.9% jump over December's 1,781 is partly puffed up by Florida's January peak, which lifts every region. Even so, the region's 18.5% yearly rate is the second strongest of all seven named Florida regions and more than five times the statewide pace of 3.6%.
The region made 3.7% of all Florida new businesses this month. Its three largest counties each pulled their weight. Leon County (Tallahassee, the state capital) had 435 new businesses, up 13.3% from December. Bay County (Panama City) had 407, up 29.6%. Okaloosa County (Fort Walton Beach and Destin) had 399, up 44.6%. Okaloosa's 44.6% jump stands out among the three larger markets. It fits the logistics and defense work centered on Eglin Air Force Base and the Destin area.
Four counties here ran far above their normal pace this month, more than any other region in the state. Walton County had 263 new businesses against its usual 145 a month. Wakulla County had 8 against a usual 3. Calhoun County had 20 against a usual 8. Holmes County had 34 against a usual 17. All four ran well above their own normal at the same time, which points to broad growth across the Panhandle, not just its main cities.
Three smaller northwest counties also made the statewide fastest growth list, which ranks counties by the biggest month to month gains, with a floor of 10 prior filings. Holmes County rose 112.5% (from 16 to 34), Washington County rose 75.0% (from 20 to 35), and Jefferson County rose 70.0% (from 20 to 34). Jackson County added 55.9% (from 34 to 53). These are small markets, and their monthly readings bounce around. Several Panhandle counties sped up at once in one month, and that timing is a real signal.
The region's industry mix runs on its military, tourism, and state government base. Construction leads at 207 new businesses, higher than Real Estate and Rental and Leasing at 195. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (167) and Administrative and Support (155) fill out the top five, along with Management of Companies and Enterprises (308). The logistics buildout that includes the Emerald Coast Logistics Center in Walton County and the Milton Interchange Park in Santa Rosa County (Florida Trend, January 2025) fits with Construction ranking second among the operating groups. The word 'logistics' was also one of the top trending words in new business names statewide this month.
Construction
Construction was the Panhandle's largest operating industry this month, with 207 new businesses, behind only the broad holding company group. The region is in a building stretch right now. A new logistics center in Walton County and an industrial park in Santa Rosa County are both under way, and that kind of work pulls in contractors, framers, electricians, and supply firms that each register as their own business. For anyone watching where new companies come from, a construction lead like this tends to keep going for years, because one big project feeds a chain of smaller trade businesses around it.
Arts, entertainment & recreation
The Emerald Coast lives on visitors, and that shows up here. The region started 87 new arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses in January, the kind that run charters, tours, events, and beach activities. January is peak winter season on the Panhandle coast, from Destin to Panama City Beach to the 30A towns, and seasonal crowds pull small operators into the market to serve them. For the reader, this sector is a good gauge of tourist demand, and a steady count here means the coast is still drawing new entrants.
Emerging counties: Holmes (+112.5%), Washington (+75%), Jefferson (+70%), Jackson (+55.9%).
Government & policy
- Big private projects often pull in suppliers, contractors, and service firms around them, so a logistics buildout is worth watching for new business activity. A $50 million Emerald Coast Logistics Center is under construction at the Mossy Head industrial park in Walton County, with more than 500,000 square feet across five warehouse buildings. Santa Rosa County's Milton Interchange Park moved ahead too, with food distributor Cheney Brothers planning a 350,000 square foot warehouse. Walton County had 263 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual monthly pace, and Okaloosa County new businesses rose 44.6% month over month, at the same time as this logistics buildout. For the reader, this kind of building activity tends to keep demand for new contractor and supplier firms going for years, not just one month. Florida Trend: Northwest Florida's economic forecast for 2025, 2025-01-01
- New laws set the cost and rules of starting a business, so what the legislature takes up matters for formation. Florida's 60 day 2026 legislative session opened January 13, 2026. Its live agenda included a proposed repeal of the statewide local business tax (HB 103 / SB 122) and an E-Verify expansion to all private employers, no matter the size. Leon County (Tallahassee, the state capital) had 435 new businesses in January 2026, and the region's 18.5% yearly gain came during this stretch of heavy lawmaking in the capital. For the reader, less expected red tape and lower fees would lower the cost of opening a new business across the state. BoardroomPR: Why Florida's 2026 Legislative Session May Be Your Business's Top Priority, 2026-01-13
- Local rental rules can directly require people to register a business, so they show up in the formation counts. Walton County made its required vacation rental signup program official in February 2025 under BCC Resolution 2024-57. It requires business registration with the Florida Department of State for homes deeded to a company, with renewals tied to the DBPR license cycle. Walton County had 263 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual monthly pace. For the reader, rules like this turn vacation rental owners into registered businesses, which lifts the local new business count. Walton County FL: Vacation Rental Registration Program, 2025-02-01
Corroboration
- This outside report helps confirm that the Panhandle's building activity is real and ongoing, not a one month blip in our counts. A $50 million Emerald Coast Logistics Center is under construction at the Mossy Head industrial park in Walton County (more than 500,000 square feet across five warehouse buildings). Santa Rosa County's Milton Interchange Park moved ahead with Cheney Brothers planning a 350,000 square foot warehouse. Walton County had 263 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual monthly pace, and Okaloosa County rose 44.6% month over month, at the same time as this logistics buildout. For the reader, it means the Panhandle's growth has a concrete cause readers can check, which makes the formation count more trustworthy. Florida Trend: Northwest Florida's economic forecast for 2025, 2025-01-01
- An official county program is a clear reason for a spike, so it helps explain Walton's standout month. Walton County made its required vacation rental signup program official in February 2025 under BCC Resolution 2024-57. It requires business registration with the Florida Department of State for homes deeded to a company. Walton County had 263 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual monthly pace. For the reader, it shows that part of Walton's jump is paperwork driven, so the count reflects a rule change as well as real demand. Walton County FL: Vacation Rental Registration Program, 2025-02-01
- Statewide rental rules set the backdrop for how many rental owners register as businesses, so they matter for the property holding count. Florida's statewide rules for short term rentals stayed the same into 2026 after Governor DeSantis vetoed SB 280 in 2024. The ongoing mix of local signup rules, including Walton County's February 2025 program, fits short term rental holding LLCs making up 534 of the 7,463 property holding new businesses statewide in January 2026 (7.2% of that group, up 11.2% from December). For the reader, steady statewide rules plus stricter local ones keep pushing rental owners to register as businesses. Minut: Florida short-term rental laws, 2026 guide for hosts, 2026-01-26
North Central Florida (Nature Coast & Heartland)
1,368 formations(2.1% of state)
North Central Florida had the strongest year to year growth of any Florida region in January 2026, at 21.1% over the prior January's 1,130 new businesses. That signal is cleaner than the 33.1% month to month gain, which is pumped up by January's seasonal peak. Gilchrist County doubled its count to 22 new businesses and Columbia County rose 52.5% to 93, putting both on the statewide hotspots list.
North Central Florida had 1,368 new businesses in January 2026, or 2.1% of the state total of 64,983. The 33.1% gain over December's 1,028 is real but partly seasonal. January is Florida's biggest month, and the statewide gain was 29.6%, so the region ran higher than that lift. The cleaner measure is year to year, where the region grew 21.1% over January 2025's 1,130. That 21.1% is the highest yearly rate of any named Florida region this month. It is higher than Northwest Florida (18.5%), Northeast Florida (15.0%), Tampa Bay (13.6%), Southwest Florida (8.6%), Central Florida (5.1%), and Southeast Florida (4.4%).
Marion County (Ocala) led on volume with 630 new businesses, up 32.6% from December's 475. Alachua County (Gainesville) came next with 414, up 32.7% from 312. Together those two anchor counties hold just over three quarters of the region's total. The rest spreads across smaller counties. Two of them made the statewide hotspots list: Columbia County reached 93 new businesses (up 52.5% from 61), and Gilchrist County doubled from 11 to 22 (up 100.0%). These are small counts. The Gilchrist reading is one of the biggest monthly gains of any Florida county this month.
The industry mix here is led by Management of Companies and Enterprises (158 new businesses), then Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (115), Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (101), Construction (100), and Administrative and Support Services (95). Health Care and Social Assistance made 76, which fits a region built around a university health hub (UF Health in Gainesville) and a large retiree group in Marion County. Transportation and Warehousing added 73, a number that fits the region's spot along I-75 and US-301, both busy freight routes.
The 21.1% yearly outperformance lines up with fast population growth across the region's smaller counties. Gainesville's university anchor sends out a steady stream of new professional and research firms. Ocala's horse economy and ongoing home building have drawn construction and personal service businesses. The statewide repeal of the commercial rent sales tax (effective October 1, 2025) cut rent costs for every new commercial tenant in the region, which fits the construction and real estate counts here.
Transportation & warehousing
The Nature Coast and Heartland sit on Florida's main north south freight routes, including Interstate 75 and the Turnpike, and that location shows up in the counts. The region started 73 new transportation and warehousing businesses in January, a larger share of its total than most regions carry. These are trucking, hauling, and distribution firms that move farm goods and freight through the middle of the state. For the reader, a strong logistics count in a rural region is a sign that moving goods, not just local shops, is helping drive new business there.
Health care & social assistance
The Heartland skews older and more rural than the coasts, and that drives demand for care. The region started 76 new health care and social assistance businesses in January, a bigger slice of its mix than the statewide average. These are home care services, clinics, and support providers that follow an aging population. For the reader, health care formations in a rural region point to real local need, and these businesses tend to stay open because the demand behind them does not fade with the season.
Emerging counties: Gilchrist (+100%), Columbia (+52.5%).
Government & policy
- Rent is a major startup cost, so a tax cut on commercial rent is a direct reason more people open businesses. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge that hit only Florida commercial tenants. Lower rent cost gives a direct reason to start a business across all Florida regions, including the Gainesville and Ocala markets that anchor north central. For the reader, a lower fixed cost makes it easier for a new firm to take a lease and get going. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
- State spending on elder care signals real demand for care businesses, which helps explain the region's health care formations. Florida's FY 2025-26 budget plans included new ongoing money for Home and Community-Based Services, with tens of thousands of Floridians on waitlists for Community Care for the Elderly and Home Care for the Elderly programs. That demand fits Health Care and Social Assistance making 76 new businesses in north central Florida in January 2026, a region anchored by UF Health and a large retiree group in Marion County. For the reader, public money and long waitlists point to steady demand that supports new care firms. Florida Policy Institute: Florida Budget Proposals in Brief (FY 2025-26): Health and Human Services, 2025-04-25
- Lawmaking sets the rules and fees new businesses face, so the session agenda is worth flagging. Florida's 2026 legislative session opened January 13, 2026, with a proposed repeal of the statewide local business tax (HB 103 / SB 122) and an E-Verify expansion. Less expected red tape fits north central Florida's January 2026 count reaching 1,368, a 21.1% gain over last year. For the reader, fewer fees and rules lower the bar to starting a business in the region. BoardroomPR: Why Florida's 2026 Legislative Session May Be Your Business's Top Priority, 2026-01-13
Corroboration
- An outside ranking helps confirm the region's growth is part of a real statewide trend, not a quirk in our data. Florida led all U.S. states in new business formations in 2025 with 698,000 registrations. North Central Florida's 21.1% year to year gain in January 2026 is the highest of any Florida region and runs well higher than the statewide 3.6%, fitting real demand growth higher than the state's already leading pace. For the reader, it means the region is growing faster than a state that already leads the country. Business Observer FL: Florida leads nation in new business creation, 2026-01-23
- Insurance cost is a known barrier to property and small business formation, so a falling policy count is a helpful backdrop. Florida's Citizens Property Insurance policy count fell below 400,000 as of December 2025, with new private carriers entering the market after lawsuit reforms. Steadier insurance costs lower a barrier to property based and small business formation across all Florida regions, including the inland north central market where coverage costs had been a friction point. For the reader, cheaper and steadier insurance removes one cost that used to hold back new property businesses. WUSF Public Media: Citizens Property Insurance now has fewer than 400,000 policies, 2025-12-27
Northeast Florida (First Coast)
3,234 formations(5% of state)
Nassau County had 133 new businesses in January 2026, a 95.6% month to month jump, running well above its usual pace of about 75 a month. Putnam County had 77 new businesses, also well above its normal. Flagler County had 295 new businesses and ran further above its normal pace than any county in Florida this month. Three of Florida's nine fast running counties this month sit in Northeast Florida. The region's 15.0% gain over last year is more than four times the statewide 3.6%.
Northeast Florida had 3,234 new businesses in January 2026, or 5.0% of statewide activity, a 32.0% gain from 2,450 in December 2025. That month to month figure follows January's seasonal lift (the state overall rose 29.6%), so the cleaner signal is the year to year change: 3,234 versus 2,813 in January 2025, a 15.0% gain that is more than four times the statewide rate of 3.6%. That gap is the lead fact for this region.
Duval County anchors the region with 1,994 new businesses (up 24.8% from December), then St. Johns County at 423 (up 35.6%). Together they hold about 75% of regional volume. St. Johns' above average growth follows steady home and commercial building along the I-95 and US-1 corridors south of Jacksonville.
The sharper signal comes from the region's smaller counties. Nassau County had 133 new businesses in January 2026, a 95.6% gain, running well above its usual pace of about 75 a month. Putnam County had 77 (up 79.1%), also running well above its usual pace of about 41. Flagler County reached 295 (up 56.9%), running further above its normal than any county in Florida this month. Three of Florida's nine fast running counties this month are in Northeast Florida.
The region's industry mix runs on its port and logistics base plus a growing finance back office. Management of Companies and Enterprises leads at 456 filings (14.1% of the regional total), then Professional, Scientific and Technical Services at 262 (8.1%), Construction at 234 (7.2%), Real Estate and Rental and Leasing at 220 (6.8%), Administrative and Support at 215 (6.6%), and Transportation and Warehousing at 175 (5.4%). Transportation and Warehousing's 5.4% regional share is higher than its 4.4% statewide share. That extra weight fits JAXPORT's activity and the region's I-95 and I-10 freight crossing.
The investment cycle is on the record. In 2025, Northeast Florida logged 12 project announcements totaling more than 2,400 new jobs and nearly $1 billion in investment (JAXUSA, December 2025). That set of projects spans aerospace work at Cecil Airport, new distribution centers, and factory expansions. It creates demand for supplier, contractor, and professional service firms across the surrounding counties. Nassau County's jump lines up with both that cycle and a March 2026 state award of $6.25 million for the US-301/I-10 interchange, built to open up an industrial and commercial site (Island Chamber, March 2026). Nassau's spot in the North Central Florida Rural Area of Opportunity adds to it.
Transportation & warehousing
Jacksonville is a port and rail town, and the First Coast runs on moving goods. The region started 175 new transportation and warehousing businesses in January, one of the higher logistics counts in the state outside the big metros. The deep water port and the highways that feed it support trucking, freight, and distribution companies that keep forming around them. For the reader, this is the sector that ties the First Coast's growth to national trade, so it is worth watching as a read on how much cargo is moving through the region.
Construction
The suburbs north and south of Jacksonville are some of the fastest growing in the state, and builders are following the rooftops. The region started 234 new construction businesses in January, its top operating industry. Nassau County, just north of the city, nearly doubled its new businesses this month, and Flagler County to the south posted the highest county spike in all of Florida. New homes in those counties pull in contractors and trades. For the reader, a construction lead like this usually means population growth is still pushing outward from the city.
Emerging counties: Nassau (+95.6%), Putnam (+79.1%), Flagler (+56.9%).
Government & policy
- Big job and investment announcements tend to seed new supplier and service firms, so this cycle is worth tracking against the formation counts. In 2025, Northeast Florida logged 12 project announcements totaling more than 2,400 new jobs and nearly $1 billion in investment, including Otto Aerospace's move from Fort Worth and a factory at Cecil Airport (more than 1,200 jobs, up to $430 million) and a Walmart Sam's Club distribution center opening (250 jobs, $61 million). Duval County new businesses rose 24.8% month over month in January 2026 and Nassau County jumped 95.6%, in line with this investment cycle. For the reader, large employers moving in usually pull a wave of smaller contractor and service businesses along with them. JAXUSA: Northeast Florida sees 2,400+ new jobs and nearly $1B in capital investment in 2025, 2025-12-11
- State money for roads and industrial sites can directly create local business activity, which helps explain Nassau's jump. Governor DeSantis awarded Nassau County $6.25 million to build a road network for a new industrial and commercial site near the US-301/I-10 interchange, set to directly create 1,250 jobs, and named Nassau part of the North Central Florida Rural Area of Opportunity (now 15 counties). Nassau County had 133 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual pace, and its 95.6% growth made it the fastest rising county in the region. For the reader, public infrastructure money tends to open up land for new businesses and the firms that serve them. Island Chamber: Governor DeSantis Awards More Than $9 Million for Workforce and Infrastructure Development, 2026-03-07
- A tax cut on rent lowers a core cost for builders and contractors, so it is relevant to the region's construction count. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge that only Florida placed on commercial tenants. Lower rent cost lines up with the 43% month over month surge in new Construction formations statewide and feeds the cost setting in which Northeast Florida's construction segment had 234 filings in January 2026. For the reader, cheaper rent makes it easier for new construction and contracting firms to take on commercial space. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
Corroboration
- This investment record helps confirm the region's formation surge has real economic backing. In 2025, Northeast Florida logged 12 project announcements totaling more than 2,400 new jobs and nearly $1 billion in investment, including Otto Aerospace at Cecil Airport and a Walmart Sam's Club distribution center. Duval County new businesses rose 24.8% month over month in January 2026 and Nassau County had a 95.6% surge, in line with this investment cycle. For the reader, it means the region's growth is tied to projects readers can verify, not just a swing in the filing data. JAXUSA: Northeast Florida sees 2,400+ new jobs and nearly $1B in capital investment in 2025, 2025-12-11
- A specific state award gives Nassau's jump a concrete cause, which makes it easier to trust. Governor DeSantis awarded Nassau County $6.25 million for road work near the US-301/I-10 interchange, set to directly create 1,250 jobs, and named Nassau part of the North Central Florida Rural Area of Opportunity. Nassau County had 133 new businesses in January 2026, well above its usual pace of about 75, and rose 95.6%. For the reader, it ties an unusual county jump to real public investment. Island Chamber: Governor DeSantis Awards More Than $9 Million for Workforce and Infrastructure Development, 2026-03-07
- Fast population growth is a steady source of new business demand, so it helps explain Flagler's strong month. Flagler County was the sixth fastest growing county in Florida between 2020 and 2025, adding 25,000 residents (21.7% growth) with most of that in Palm Coast. Flagler County had 295 new businesses in January 2026, running further above its usual pace than any other county in Florida this month. For the reader, more residents mean more local demand, which supports the county's strong formation count. FlaglerLive: Flagler County Is 6th Fastest Growing in Florida, with 25,000 New Residents Between 2020 and 2025, 2026-03-31
Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast)
10,202 formations(15.8% of state)
Seminole County (up 36.0%, 881 new businesses) and Volusia County (up 36.8%, 955 new businesses) ran higher than the region's 30.4% gain. Brevard County's 920 new businesses (up 29.2%) line up with Port Canaveral passing 8.6 million revenue passenger movements in FY 2025, its highest ever as the world's busiest cruise port, plus a $912 million five year capital plan.
Central Florida had 10,202 new businesses in January 2026, or 15.8% of the statewide total of 64,983. The cleaner read is the year to year change: the region grew 5.1% over January 2025's 9,703, a solid if steady gain against last January's own high base. The 30.4% jump from December 2025's 7,825 is partly a January seasonal effect, since January is always Florida's biggest month. So the yearly figure tells you more about the real trend.
Orange County anchors the region with 4,313 new businesses, up 27.7% from December. That gain lines up with Central Florida's growing slate of building projects. The Sunbridge community in Orange and Osceola counties is adding close to one million square feet of new VanTrust industrial space, moving from plans to visible construction heading into 2026 (GrowthSpotter, February 2026). Seminole County added 881, up 36.0%. Polk County made 1,356 (up 37.9%), Osceola 999 (up 34.6%), Volusia 955 (up 36.8%), and Lake 629 (up 17.4%). Every named county here grew month to month. Lake's 17.4% gain was the only one that was much lower than the region's 30.4% pace.
By industry, Management of Companies and Enterprises led the region with 1,673 new businesses, in line with its top statewide spot, then Professional, Scientific and Technical Services at 917. Construction reached 681. That count is similar to the statewide pattern (Construction rose 43.0% statewide, partly sparked by the October 2025 repeal of the commercial rent sales tax) and follows the region's own busy logistics and industrial build out. Transportation and Warehousing at 552 stands out for a region anchored by a major cruise port and a growing aerospace and defense base.
No Central Florida county ran far enough above its own normal to land on the fastest county list this month. That is not a weakness. Orange, Polk, and Brevard are large enough that their raw gains (935, 373, and 208 new businesses over December) are normal for a January at their size. The region's steadiness, its ongoing I-4 corridor industrial investment, Port Canaveral's cruise build out, and Space Coast aerospace jobs make a January spring up from a higher floor than rural and outer counties.
Hospitality & recreation
This is the heart of Florida's tourism economy, and the counts show it. Central Florida started 296 new arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses in January, more than any region except the southeast. Orlando's theme parks, the Space Coast beaches, and the cruise traffic through Port Canaveral all feed a steady stream of tour operators, event companies, and entertainment startups. For the reader, this is the clearest place in the state to read tourist demand straight from the formation counts, and Central Florida's strength here is the real story of the region this month.
Property & short term rentals
Central Florida is also one of the busiest short term rental markets in the country, built around the parks. The region started 667 new real estate and rental businesses in January. Many are single homes near Orlando and Kissimmee that owners place into an LLC to run as a vacation rental. Statewide, about 534 of January's property holding companies looked like short term or seasonal rentals. Property holding is reported only at the state level, so a Central Florida figure is not broken out, but this region is where much of that vacation rental activity sits. For the reader, it is a reminder that a share of new companies here are homes turned into small rental businesses, not storefronts.
Government & policy
- A fuel tax cut lowers operating costs for aviation and aerospace firms, so it is relevant to the Space Coast's formation count. Florida's aviation fuel excise tax (4.27 cents per gallon on jet fuel, undyed kerosene, and aviation fuel) was repealed effective January 1, 2026. The Brevard County Space Coast region, home to major fixed base operator and aerospace work, had 920 new businesses in January 2026 (up 29.2% month over month), at the same time as lower expected operating costs at the start of the year. For the reader, lower fuel costs make it a bit easier to start and run an aviation related business. Moffa Tax Law: Florida Repeals the Aviation Fuel Excise Tax, 2025-11-24
- Rent is a fixed cost for new firms taking commercial space, so cutting the tax on it matters for construction formation. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge on every commercial lease payment. Lower rent cost lines up with the 43.0% month over month surge in new Construction formations statewide, with Central Florida adding 681 construction new businesses in January 2026. For the reader, a lower rent cost makes commercial space more affordable for a new construction firm. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
- What the legislature takes up sets the rules and fees for new businesses statewide, so it is worth flagging. Florida's 60 day 2026 legislative session opened January 13, 2026, with a live agenda including a proposed repeal of the statewide local business tax (HB 103 / SB 122) and an E-Verify expansion to all private employers. Less expected red tape lines up with the January 2026 record of 64,983 new businesses statewide, the most in any month we have data for. For the reader, fewer fees and rules would make starting a business cheaper and simpler. BoardroomPR: Why Florida's 2026 Legislative Session May Be Your Business's Top Priority, 2026-01-13
Corroboration
- A record cruise year at the port gives Brevard's growth a clear local driver, which helps confirm the formation signal. Port Canaveral (Brevard County) passed 8.6 million revenue passenger movements in fiscal year 2025, a 13% rise over FY 2024, becoming the world's busiest cruise port and committing to a $912 million five year capital plan starting in 2026. Brevard County's January 2026 new businesses rose 29.2% month over month to 920, at the same time as this port expansion. For the reader, a busy and growing port tends to spin off new vendor, logistics, and hospitality firms. Port Canaveral: Officially World's Busiest Cruise Port, 2025-12-02
- Visible construction projects give the region's growth a concrete cause readers can check. Central Florida building pace was called fast going into 2026, with the Sunbridge community in Orange and Osceola counties adding close to one million square feet of new VanTrust industrial space. Orange County new businesses rose 27.7% month over month in January 2026 and Seminole County climbed 36.0%, in line with this build out. For the reader, active building usually brings new contractor, supplier, and service firms to the area. GrowthSpotter: A million square feet of industrial space planned in Sunbridge, 2026-02-18
- A statewide rent tax cut helps explain why construction formation rose across regions, including here. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031). Lower rent cost lines up with the 43% month over month surge in new Construction formations statewide (4,034 in January 2026 vs 2,821 in December 2025), with Central Florida adding 681 construction new businesses. For the reader, the cheaper cost of commercial space supports the rise in new construction firms. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
Tampa Bay (Gulf Coast)
11,942 formations(18.5% of state)
Pasco County had the steepest month to month gain in the region at 39.2% (1,016 new businesses). Sarasota County climbed to 10th ranked statewide at 1,040 new businesses (up 35.1%). Both ran higher than the region's 27.7% pace. The region's 13.6% gain over last year is the third strongest of all seven named Florida regions, a cleaner read on real growth than the seasonally high month to month figure.
Tampa Bay had 11,942 new businesses in January 2026, or 18.5% of all Florida activity, the second largest regional share behind Southeast Florida's 36.9%. The 13.6% gain over January 2025 (from 10,509) is the more reliable signal, since it strips out the January seasonal peak that puffs up the month to month number. The 27.7% month to month reading is the lowest among Florida's named regions for the month. That is a starting point effect, not weak demand, since the region began from a higher December 2025 base (9,355). Across the months we have data for, Tampa Bay holds its 18% to 19% share steadily.
Pinellas County anchored the region with 5,181 new businesses, the third highest county total in Florida and up 24.2% from December. Hillsborough followed at 3,534 (up 28.7%), ranked sixth statewide. Sarasota County reached 1,040 (up 35.1%), climbing to 10th in the state, its highest rank in the window. Pasco County had 1,016 (up 39.2%), the fastest growing county in the region by month. Manatee came in at 752 (up 17.9%), in keeping with its more residential than commercial feel.
By industry, Management of Companies and Enterprises led Tampa Bay with 2,023 new businesses, more than any Florida region except Southeast Florida (4,572). That fits the Tampa Bay metro's role as a holding company and finance hub, in line with national design build firm LGE setting up its East Coast hub in Tampa in November 2025 and with Hillsborough's Gasworx redevelopment in Ybor City topping out a 145,000 square foot office building (Tampa Bay Business Wire, October to November 2025). Professional Services added 1,202, Construction 749, and Health Care 534, each following the region's blend of dense services, a busy construction sector, and care demand from a large retiree group.
Construction's 749 new businesses make Tampa Bay the second highest region in the state for construction, behind only Southeast Florida (1,224). The commercial rent sales tax repeal effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031) cut a surcharge that only Florida put on tenants, lowering rent cost for new firms taking commercial space. The statewide 43.0% jump in Construction sits against that policy backdrop, and Tampa Bay's construction count moved in the same direction.
Professional, scientific & technical services
Tampa Bay carries more of the high skill professional economy than its size alone would suggest. The region started 1,202 new professional, scientific, and technical businesses in January, second only to the southeast. These are law, accounting, engineering, design, and consulting firms, the white collar service base that clusters in Tampa and St. Petersburg. For the reader, a strong professional count signals a maturing local economy, the kind that supports higher paying work and tends to hold up better when growth slows.
Arts, entertainment & recreation
The Gulf Coast beaches, pro sports, and a growing arts scene give Tampa Bay a busy entertainment sector. The region started 372 new arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses in January, the second highest count of any region. St. Petersburg's galleries and waterfront, Tampa's sports and events, and the beach towns between them all support tour, event, and recreation startups. For the reader, this sector shows that Tampa Bay's draw is not only jobs and housing but lifestyle, which keeps pulling in both visitors and the small businesses that serve them.
Government & policy
- A national firm picking Tampa for a regional hub signals real business demand, so it is worth tying to the region's construction count. LGE Design Build set up its East Coast hub in Tampa in November 2025, with nearly 500,000 square feet of logistics space already under contract, citing Tampa's strong population growth and lively economy. Tampa Bay's January 2026 count of 11,942 was up 27.7% month over month, and construction new businesses in the region numbered 749, the second highest of any Florida region, in line with this logistics activity. For the reader, a major firm's bet on Tampa tends to draw contractor and supplier businesses to the area. Tampa Bay Business Wire: National design-build firm announces East Coast hub in Tampa, 2025-11-13
- A large urban redevelopment is a concrete driver of nearby business activity, which helps frame Hillsborough's gain. Moss Construction topped out the 145,000 square foot Gasworx office building in Ybor City in October 2025, part of a 50 acre mixed use redevelopment linking Ybor City to downtown Tampa, with Grow Financial taking about half the building. The project is set to open in 2026 alongside over 900 homes. Hillsborough County had 3,534 new businesses in January 2026, up 28.7% from December, at the same time as this urban core build out. For the reader, big mixed use projects bring new offices, homes, and the service firms that follow them. Tampa Bay Business Wire: Major milestone for Ybor's Gasworx project, 2025-10-27
- Cutting the rent tax lowers a core cost for builders, so it matters for Tampa Bay's large construction count. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge on every commercial lease payment. Lower rent cost lines up with the 43% month over month surge in new Construction formations statewide (4,034 in January 2026 vs 2,821 in December 2025), with Tampa Bay adding 749 construction new businesses, the second highest regional total in the state. For the reader, cheaper commercial space supports the region's strong construction formation. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
- Local rental rules can push owners to register as businesses, so Sarasota's new ordinance is relevant to its jump. The City of Sarasota brought in Ordinance 25-5560, requiring all short term rental homes to get vacation rental certificates with yearly renewal, signup with several agencies (DBPR, county tax collector, and city business tax receipt), and a responsible party reachable around the clock, starting in 2026. That paperwork fits LLC formation being the standard choice for short term rental operators, and comes alongside Sarasota County's 1,040 new businesses in January 2026 (up 35.1% month over month). For the reader, stricter local rules turn more rental owners into registered businesses. Choose Gulf Coast: New Sarasota Vacation Rental Ordinance Explained, 2025-12-07
Corroboration
- A national firm's move helps confirm Tampa's construction strength is real, not just a data swing. LGE Design Build set up its East Coast hub in Tampa in November 2025, with nearly 500,000 square feet of logistics space under contract, citing Tampa's strong population growth. Tampa Bay's 749 construction new businesses in January 2026 were the second highest of any Florida region, in line with this activity. For the reader, it ties the region's construction count to a real, checkable investment. Tampa Bay Business Wire: National design-build firm announces East Coast hub in Tampa, 2025-11-13
- A major downtown project gives Hillsborough's gain a concrete cause readers can verify. Moss Construction topped out the 145,000 square foot Gasworx office building in Ybor City in October 2025 as part of a 50 acre mixed use redevelopment, set to open in 2026 alongside over 900 homes. Hillsborough County had 3,534 new businesses in January 2026 (up 28.7% month over month), at the same time as this urban core build out. For the reader, the project shows real building behind the county's formation count. Tampa Bay Business Wire: Major milestone for Ybor's Gasworx project, 2025-10-27
- An outside explainer of the new rule helps confirm why Sarasota's count jumped. The City of Sarasota brought in Ordinance 25-5560 requiring vacation rental certificates with yearly renewal, signup with several agencies, and a responsible party reachable around the clock, explained publicly in December 2025. Sarasota County had 1,040 new businesses in January 2026 (up 35.1% month over month), the highest gain among the region's counties. For the reader, it shows part of Sarasota's jump is rule driven paperwork, not only new demand. Choose Gulf Coast: New Sarasota Vacation Rental Ordinance Explained, 2025-12-07
Southwest Florida
3,714 formations(5.8% of state)
Lee County had 2,151 new businesses in January 2026, a 46.2% month to month gain that moved it from rank 8 to rank 7 statewide, the steepest gain of any top 10 county. That single county made 57.9% of the region's 3,714 total new businesses for the month.
Southwest Florida had 3,714 new businesses in January 2026, a 35.3% gain from December 2025's 2,745. The year to year read is the cleaner signal: new businesses are up 8.6% from January 2025's 3,420, putting the region among the faster growing parts of the state once you adjust for the calendar. The 35.3% month to month figure is partly puffed up by January's well known seasonal peak, which hits full stride across the Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples markets as snowbird season arrives.
Lee County drives the regional story. Its 2,151 new businesses in January, up 680 from December 2025's 1,471, a 46.2% jump, lifted it from 8th to 7th statewide. That single county made 57.9% of the region's total. Several forces stacked up in the move: Hurricane Ian federal rebuild money still flowing (Lee County holds a $1.1 billion CDBG-DR HUD allocation) and a steady run of home building.
Collier County added 951 new businesses, up 15.7% from December 2025's 822. That is a steadier gain, the mark of a stable, well off market rather than a recovery spike.
Construction is the region's second largest industry by count at 352, higher than its share of the statewide Construction total (4,034). Southwest Florida made 8.7% of all Florida Construction filings in January while holding only 5.8% of all state new businesses, a clear overweight that fits the region's post Ian rebuild cycle. It also fits the single family home permits placed statewide in January 2026, of which Southwest Florida made up $427.95 million (1,405 permits), per HBWeekly (January 2026). Management of Companies leads at 592, in keeping with the region's many holding companies tied to real estate and wealth management. Administrative and Support services (345) rank third in the region. That follows the subcontractor, staffing, and facilities crews behind a construction and resort services economy.
Construction
Southwest Florida is rebuilding and expanding at the same time, and construction leads its operating industries with 352 new businesses in January. Lee County alone, home to Cape Coral and Fort Myers, made more than half the region's total formations this month. The Gulf Coast is still recovering and growing after recent storm seasons, and that work draws contractors, roofers, and trade firms that each register on their own. For the reader, a construction lead this strong points to both repair work and new growth, a mix that keeps trade businesses forming for years.
Administrative & support services
This region leans on the services that keep other businesses and a large retiree population running. Southwest Florida started 345 new administrative and support businesses in January, a bigger slice of its mix than almost any other region. These are staffing, cleaning, landscaping, and office support firms, the behind the scenes work that a fast growing, retiree heavy area needs. For the reader, a strong showing here is a sign that the region's growth is deep enough to support the support businesses, not just the headline trades.
Government & policy
- Federal rebuild money keeps construction demand going for years, which helps explain Lee County's surge. Lee County's $1.1 billion CDBG-DR HUD allocation for Hurricane Ian recovery kept multi year construction demand going. That fits Lee County's 46.2% month over month jump to 2,151 new businesses in January 2026. For the reader, ongoing rebuild money tends to keep new contractor and supplier firms forming well after the storm. WGCU: HUD announces $1.1 billion for Hurricane Ian recovery in Lee, 2023-03-15
- Cutting the rent tax lowers a core cost for construction and real estate firms, so it is relevant to the region's counts. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge on every commercial lease payment. Lower rent cost fits the region's 352 Construction new businesses and 287 Real Estate and Rental & Leasing new businesses in January 2026. For the reader, cheaper commercial space makes it easier for new building and property firms to start up. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
- Easing permit rules lowers the cost and hassle of small building jobs, so it matters for the region's construction count. Governor DeSantis signed HB 803 on May 7, 2026, dropping building permit rules for residential work worth $7,500 or less (effective July 1, 2026) and cutting fees on commercial permits when a private provider is used. Southwest Florida's 352 Construction filings in January 2026, 8.7% of the statewide Construction total while the region holds 5.8% of all state new businesses, came against a backdrop of active permitting reform talk that fits post Ian rebuild demand. For the reader, fewer permit hurdles make it easier for small contractors to take on rebuild work. Insurance Journal: Florida Governor Signs Bill Dropping Building Permits for Work Valued at $7,500 or Less, 2026-05-08
Corroboration
- Outside permit data helps confirm Lee County's surge is tied to real building, not a data swing. Lee County's January 2026 surge of 46.2% month over month comes alongside 1,405 single family home permits issued in Southwest Florida in January 2026, worth $427.95 million, the second highest regional volume in the state. For the reader, real permits back up the region's strong formation count. HBWeekly: Florida new home construction overview, January 2026, 2026-01-31
- A shift in who is visiting is a structural change worth watching for this snowbird heavy region. Canadian visitors to Florida fell 14.7% in all of 2025, to 2.9 million, tied to U.S.-Canada trade tension and a weaker Canadian dollar. Fort Myers and Cape Coral are among Florida's most Canadian snowbird heavy markets, making this visitor shift matter for Southwest Florida's hospitality new business activity in January 2026. For the reader, the swing from Canadian to domestic visitors is a trend that could reshape the region's hospitality businesses over time. WUSF Public Media: Domestic travel drives record Florida tourism as Canadian visitors drop almost 15 percent, 2026-02-22
- Permit volume is a direct measure of building activity, so it helps confirm the region's construction strength. Southwest Florida, anchored by Lee County, issued 1,405 single family home permits in January 2026 worth $427.95 million, the second highest of any Florida region, in line with ongoing Hurricane Ian rebuilding. For the reader, a high permit count points to real building work that supports new construction firms. HBWeekly: Florida New Home Construction Overview, January 2026, 2026-01-01
Southeast Florida (Gold Coast, Treasure Coast & Keys)
23,819 formations(36.9% of state)
Management of Companies and Enterprises made 4,572 new businesses, the highest raw count of any industry in any Florida region. That shows Southeast Florida's outsized role as the state's holding LLC and capital center. Miami-Dade alone made 12,074 new businesses, the single highest county total in Florida and nearly double the next largest county. The three county Gold Coast (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) made 22,575 of the region's 23,819 filings, or 94.8% of the regional total.
Southeast Florida made 23,819 new businesses in January 2026, taking 36.9% of all Florida filings and the largest share of any region in the state. The 4.4% gain over last year is the cleaner signal of real demand. The 35.6% month to month jump is large, but it is the January seasonal peak common across all Florida regions, not real growth over the prior December.
The three Gold Coast counties dominate the count. Miami-Dade made 12,074 new businesses (up 39.6% from December's 8,652), Broward 6,046 (up 33.1% from 4,544), and Palm Beach 4,455 (up 30.9% from 3,404). Together the three sum to 22,575, with St. Lucie on the Treasure Coast adding 486 (up 40.9% from 345). The unassigned bucket (filings with blank or out of state main addresses) holds a separate 7,928 statewide (12.3% of total state filings), so the seven named regions plus unassigned add up to the full 64,983.
Management of Companies and Enterprises is the regional standout, making 4,572 filings in January. That single group in Southeast Florida is higher than the whole regional total of every Florida region except Tampa Bay and Central Florida. ServiceNow's plan for a regional headquarters at 10 CityPlace in West Palm Beach, projecting 850 jobs and a $1.8 billion impact over five years, came right before Palm Beach County's 30.9% month to month jump (WPTV, September 2025).
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services ranked second with 2,204 regional filings, then Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (1,454) and Health Care and Social Assistance (1,449) close behind. Construction placed fifth at 1,224. The near tie between Real Estate and Health Care marks two different currents running at once. One comes from the affordable housing wave sped up by the 2025 Live Local Act changes (SB 1730). The other comes from South Florida's aging residents and the demand on in home care and outpatient services.
Okeechobee County was the region's only entry on the statewide hotspot list, with 65 new businesses, up 51.2% from 43 in December. At these small counts the move is minor. It is still notable for an inland farming county that rarely shows up in formation activity.
Health care & social assistance
The Gold Coast has the state's largest and densest population, and its health economy matches that. The southeast started 1,449 new health care and social assistance businesses in January, the most of any region by a wide margin and a bigger share of its mix than the statewide average. These are clinics, home care services, therapy practices, and social support providers spread across Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. For the reader, health care is one of the steadiest sectors there is, so a lead this large points to lasting demand rather than a seasonal bump.
Professional, scientific & technical services
Miami's role as a finance, trade, and legal hub drives a deep professional services base. The southeast started 2,204 new professional, scientific, and technical businesses in January, the most of any region. These are the law, finance, consulting, and trade firms that cluster around an international gateway city. For the reader, this is the sector that most reflects the southeast's ties to money and global business, and a count this high shows that pipeline is still wide open.
Emerging counties: Okeechobee (+51.2%).
Government & policy
- A zoning law that speeds up affordable housing can drive real estate and related formations, so it is worth tying to the region's counts. Florida's 2025 Live Local Act changes (SB 1730) removed zoning change and variance rules for qualifying multifamily affordable housing projects. As of January 2026, 5,427 units in fully affordable buildings and 7,250 in partly affordable buildings were under construction in South Florida, with 3,515 completions projected for 2026. The January 2026 Southeast Florida Real Estate and Rental & Leasing total of 1,454 and the statewide 38.4% month over month jump in Hospitality & Tourism new businesses fit the speed up of planned projects after these approvals. For the reader, faster approvals mean more building, which supports new real estate and service firms. MIAMI REALTORS: South Florida Affordable Housing Construction on the Rise Because of Live Local Act, 2026-02-24
- Cutting the rent tax lowers a core cost for construction and real estate firms statewide, including here. Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 (HB 7031), ending a surcharge on every commercial lease payment. Lower rent cost lines up with the statewide 43.0% month over month surge in Construction new businesses (4,034 in January 2026 vs 2,821 in December 2025) and the 19.0% rise in Real Estate and Rental & Leasing new businesses. For the reader, cheaper commercial space makes it easier for new building and property firms to start up. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
- What the legislature takes up sets the cost and rules for new businesses, so the session agenda is worth flagging. Florida's 60 day 2026 legislative session opened January 13, 2026, with a live agenda including a proposed repeal of the statewide local business tax (HB 103 / SB 122) and an E-Verify expansion to all private employers. Less expected red tape fits the January 2026 record of 64,983 new businesses statewide. For the reader, fewer fees and rules would make starting a business cheaper and simpler. BoardroomPR: Why Florida's 2026 Legislative Session May Be Your Business's Top Priority, 2026-01-13
Corroboration
- A big employer move gives Palm Beach County's gain a concrete cause readers can verify. ServiceNow announced a regional headquarters at 10 CityPlace in West Palm Beach on September 16, 2025, projecting 850 jobs and a $1.8 billion impact over five years. Palm Beach County's count rose 30.9% month over month in January 2026, during a stretch of steady large employer moves to the region. For the reader, a major company setting up locally tends to draw the supplier and service firms that follow it. WPTV: ServiceNow West Palm Beach expansion, 2025-09-16
- A record port year gives Miami-Dade's huge count a clear local driver, which helps confirm the formation signal. PortMiami closed fiscal year 2025 with a record 8,564,225 cruise passengers, up 4% from 8,233,056 the prior year, the highest total ever, while handling 1,115,058 TEUs of cargo, marking 11 straight years above one million TEUs. Miami-Dade County logged 12,074 new businesses in January 2026, the highest of any Florida county, in line with this steady cruise and trade volume. For the reader, a busy port keeps generating vendor, logistics, and trade related businesses. Porthole Cruise and Travel: PortMiami record cruise passengers and cargo growth, 2025-12-02
- A record cruise year at a second major port gives Broward's gain a checkable cause. Port Everglades (Broward County) logged an estimated 4.77 million cruise guests in fiscal year 2025, its highest ever and a 16% rise from the prior year, while pursuing more than $3 billion in long term capital improvements. Broward County had 6,046 new businesses in January 2026, up 33.1% from December 2025. For the reader, a growing port supports new vendor, logistics, and hospitality firms in the county. Cruise Industry News: Port Everglades Celebrates Record Fiscal Year, 2025-12-01
Section 3
Industry spotlights
Property Holding & Asset Protection and the Short Term Rental Slice
Property Holding and Asset Protection was the second largest category statewide in January 2026 at 7,463 new businesses, an 11.6% share of the category mix and up 15.2% from December's 6,477. Within it, 534 looked like short term rentals, 7.2% of the property holding group and up 11.2% from December's 480.
These are solid month reads, not partial estimates. Most new businesses are simply not property holdings, so this group is a minority of the month's filings by design.
The naming data backs the group's strength. The word 'property' showed up 11.8 times in every 1,000 business names, the highest rate over the months we have data for, and 'capital' 10.44 times in every 1,000. Address named LLCs, a standard holding company sign, made up 1,620 of 64,574 named new businesses (2.5%). The holding company group held 2,121 new businesses (3.3% of the mix).
Where it clusters: Grouped in coastal markets: the Panhandle's Emerald Coast, the Gulf Coast around Sarasota, and Southeast Florida's capital center, where Management of Companies led every regional industry matrix.
Holding company and asset protection formation is running hot, and it is well measured for this month. The short term rental slice is small in raw terms but rising. County rules in Walton and Sarasota, plus peak winter season, give it a real driver beyond the seasonal lift.
- Steady statewide rental rules set the backdrop for how many rental owners register as businesses, so they matter for the short term rental count. Florida's statewide short term rental rules (DBPR licensing for rentals under 30 days more than three times a year, plus local tourist and sales taxes) stayed the same into 2026 after the SB 280 veto. That mix fits 534 property holding LLCs that look like short term rentals forming in January 2026. For the reader, steady rules plus local taxes keep nudging rental owners to register as businesses. Minut: Florida short-term rental laws, 2026 guide for hosts, 2026-01-26
The Support Ecosystem: Admin, Logistics, and Personal Services
The support and operations cluster grew fastest of any major industry group this month. Administrative & Support and Waste Management & Remediation Services jumped 62.3% month over month to 3,688 new businesses, the steepest growth rate of any top 10 industry. Transportation & Warehousing added 2,835 (up 29.4%), and Other Services (except Public Administration) reached 2,869 (up 34.1%).
This cluster is the support layer behind the construction and property surge: staffing, building upkeep, last mile delivery, cleaning, and landscaping firms that follow a building and rental economy. We do not draw a firm tie between property and support firms here, so the read is directional, based on the raw counts and growth rates rather than a measured link.
Logistics naming backs the picture. The word 'logistics' trended at 8.44 in every 1,000 business names, up from a 6.68 baseline. 'advisory' (4.09 in every 1,000) and 'collective' (4.91 in every 1,000) topped the trending word list, a sign of a growing professional services layer.
Where it clusters: Spread broadly, with the largest raw support counts in Southeast Florida and Central Florida, the two regions with the deepest logistics and distribution footprints.
The support ecosystem is growing faster than the headline rate, what you would expect from a construction and property led cycle that pulls service and logistics firms along with it.
- A rent tax cut lowers costs across service and logistics firms, so it helps explain the support cluster's fast growth. Florida's commercial rent sales tax repeal (effective October 1, 2025) cut rent costs for new commercial tenants, a backdrop that fits the 62.3% month over month surge in Administrative & Support new businesses and the 43.0% jump in Construction. For the reader, lower rent makes it easier for new support and service firms to take space and get going. Burr & Forman: Florida's Repeal of Sales Tax on Commercial Rent Now in Effect, 2025-10-15
Hospitality & Tourism Grows in a Record Visitor Year
Hospitality & Tourism new businesses totaled 3,566 statewide in January 2026, up 38.4% month over month from 2,577 and a 5.5% share of the category mix. The parts moved together: Accommodation & Food Services rose 40.3% to 1,735 and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation rose 36.4% to 1,871.
The big picture is a record visitor year. Florida drew 143.3 million visitors in all of 2025, the highest on record, with domestic travel at about 91.5% of visits. Canadian visits fell 14.7% to 2.9 million, a shift most relevant to the Gulf Coast snowbird markets.
Cruise build out lifts the coastal regions. PortMiami posted a record 8,564,225 FY2025 cruise passengers, Port Everglades an estimated 4.77 million, and Port Canaveral passed 8.6 million revenue passenger movements as the world's busiest cruise port. The January seasonal peak sits on top of this high base.
Where it clusters: Central Florida (theme park and cruise hub) and Southeast Florida (highest volume cruise gateway) take an outsized share, with the Panhandle and Gulf Coast beach strips next.
Tourism tied formation is lifted by both the January seasonal peak and a real record visitor year. The shift from Canadian to domestic visits is the structural watch item for the Gulf Coast.
- A record visitor year is the demand backdrop for new tourism businesses, so this figure helps confirm the hospitality surge. Florida set a record 143.3 million visitors in 2025, up 0.2% from 2024, with domestic travel at 91.5% of visits and Canadian visits down 14.7% to 2.9 million. For the reader, more visitors mean more demand for the hotels, restaurants, and recreation firms that make up this group. WUSF Public Media: Domestic travel drives record Florida tourism as Canadian visitors drop almost 15 percent, 2026-02-22
Healthcare Climbs the Industry Ranks
Health Care & Social Assistance made 3,233 new businesses in January 2026 (3,227 in the category mix cut), up 47.8% month over month from 2,187. The sector climbed one rank over the prior month, from 8th to 7th among industries, the only industry to gain rank month over month besides Other Services.
The demand is demographic. Southeast Florida led the regional matrix at 1,449 healthcare new businesses, then Tampa Bay at 534, both regions with large and aging populations. North central Florida's 76 healthcare new businesses follow the UF Health system anchor and Marion County's retiree group.
The word 'care' trended at 11.83 in every 1,000 business names, the highest single trending word rate in the month. In home, outpatient, and social assistance services are a live formation theme.
Where it clusters: Grouped in Southeast Florida and Tampa Bay, the two largest retiree heavy markets.
Healthcare formation is rising faster than the overall rate and gaining rank, the mark of steady demographic demand on in home and outpatient care.
- State spending on elder care signals real demand for care businesses, so it helps confirm the healthcare rise. Florida's FY 2025-26 budget plans added ongoing money for Home and Community-Based Services amid long waitlists for elderly care programs, a demand backdrop that fits the 47.8% month over month rise in Health Care new businesses. For the reader, public money and long waitlists point to steady demand that supports new care firms. Florida Policy Institute: Florida Budget Proposals in Brief (FY 2025-26): Health and Human Services, 2025-04-25
Top Movers: Where the Month Over Month Growth Grouped
By growth rate, the fastest rising major industries were Administrative & Support (up 62.3%), Health Care (up 47.8%), Construction (up 43.0%), Retail Trade (up 41.9%), and Finance & Insurance (up 46.0%). These rates are higher than the statewide 29.6% and are partly seasonal, so the lens is relative ranking rather than real spikes.
By rank movement, Health Care & Social Assistance and Other Services each climbed one spot month over month, while Transportation & Warehousing slipped two (from 7th to 9th). Year over year, Real Estate climbed one rank to 4th and Construction fell one to 5th.
At the county level, the steepest top 10 mover was Lee County (up 46.2%, rank 8 to 7). The highest gains among smaller counties were Holmes (up 112.5%) and Gilchrist (up 100.0%), both small rural markets where monthly swings bounce around.
Where it clusters: The counties running far above their own normal were all in the Panhandle and on the First Coast, while the largest raw industry counts stayed in Southeast Florida and Tampa Bay.
The growth is broad and seasonally puffed up rather than driven by a single runaway sector or county. Rank movement and the counties running far above their normal pace are cleaner signals than raw month to month growth rates this month.
- An outside ranking sets the macro stage for a broad month rather than a single sector spike. Florida led all U.S. states in new business formations in 2025 with about 698,000 registrations, the macro setting for a broad based January 2026 month rather than a single sector spike. For the reader, it means the month's growth is widespread, in line with a state that leads the country in new businesses. Business Observer FL: Florida leads nation in new business creation, 2026-01-23
Section 4
Anomalies & notables
The counties running far above their own normal pace were the clearest signal this month, and all nine sat outside the big cities. Flagler ran the furthest above its usual pace, with 295 new businesses against a typical 160.8 a month. Then came Wakulla (8 vs a usual 2.7), Walton (263 vs 144.8), Calhoun (20 vs 7.8), Putnam (77 vs 40.6), Nassau (133 vs 74.7), Holmes (34 vs 17.4), Bradford (35 vs 18.6), and Union (20 vs 9.5).
The map pattern stands out. The Panhandle and the First Coast hold every county that ran far above its normal this month. None of Florida's largest counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Pinellas, Orange) appeared on the list. That is expected for large counties, whose raw January gains are normal at their size. The real acceleration this month was rural and outer county, not big city.
This month the clear and reliable signals were at the county level. We do not call out any single industry as a breakout.
| Place | This month | Usual | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagler | 295 | 160.8 | above |
| Wakulla | 8 | 2.7 | above |
| Walton | 263 | 144.8 | above |
| Calhoun | 20 | 7.8 | above |
| Putnam | 77 | 40.6 | above |
| Nassau | 133 | 74.7 | above |
| Holmes | 34 | 17.4 | above |
| Bradford | 35 | 18.6 | above |
| Union | 20 | 9.5 | above |
Artifact check: No single filer dominated the month. The busiest filing company, NORTHWEST REGISTERED AGENT LLC, handled 2,825 new businesses, or 4.37% of the month's new businesses, well below the 10% mark that would hint at a batch or mill filing. All filing companies together made up 14.6% of the month's new businesses. No county spike this month can be linked back to one firm mass registering companies, so the counties running far above their own normal can be read as real local growth.
Naming color: The trending word list leans toward professional services and property: 'advisory' (up 2.65 in every 1,000 vs baseline), 'collective' (up 2.45), 'studio' (up 2.34), and 'property' (up 2.32) led. 'amber' is the odd one. It jumped to 1.75 in every 1,000 from a near zero 0.13 baseline (an up 1.62 move on only 113 names), the kind of small base spike that usually means a naming fad rather than an economic trend.
Section 5
What it means
January 2026 was the most in any month Florida business formation we have data for at 64,983 filings, a record over the 25 months we have data for (January 2024 through January 2026). The honest read is steady growth, not a boom. The clean year to year signal is 3.6%. The eye catching 29.6% month to month is mostly the January seasonal peak that comes back every year.
The mix is healthy and broad. No single industry, county, or filing company runs the show. Activity is spread across many industries and counties, not packed into a few, and the top filing company handled just 4.37% of the month. The fastest growing pieces, admin and support, construction, healthcare, and property holding, are the cluster you would expect a construction and property led cycle to pull along.
The most real acceleration showed up away from the big cities. Every county running far above its own normal pace was in the Panhandle or on the First Coast, with Flagler the standout. That fits recorded population growth and infrastructure awards rather than a filing fluke.
Property holding and short term rental formation is rising and, for this month, well measured. The 7,463 property holding and 534 short term rental figures are dependable for the month, and the naming data ('property' at a window high 11.8 in every 1,000) backs them up.
Honest limits
- The 29.6% month over month gain is seasonally puffed up; January is always Florida's biggest formation month. Lead with the 3.6% year over year.
- The record is true only over the 25 months we have data for (January 2024 through January 2026), not all time. We have not yet grouped the older months.
- No single industry is called out as a breakout this month; the clear and reliable signals were at the county level, and those county readings stay reliable.
- Some new businesses fall into an 'Other' catch all category (24.4% of the category mix) because their everyday description does not match one of the named categories. This is a labeling matter, not missing data.
- Most new businesses are simply not property holdings, so that group is a minority of the month's filings by design; the property figures are solid for the month.
- The region rollup includes an 'unassigned' bucket of 7,928 new businesses (12.3%, blank or out of state main county) so the seven named regions plus unassigned add up to 64,983.
- The category mix total (64,574 new businesses) is slightly under the headline 64,983; shares in the category mix are computed over that slightly smaller group.
- We do not adjust for population, so larger areas show bigger raw counts. All geographic comparisons are raw totals, not in every 1,000 residents.
- Outside events are framed as correlation, not cause; they give context for formation patterns but are not shown to drive them.
Section 6
Methodology & sources
The source is official Florida state business registration records from the Division of Corporations, also known as Sunbiz. We count brand new business registrations recorded January 1 to January 31, 2026. We wait about two weeks after the month ends for the state to finish recording all filings, so the counts you see here are complete and accurate. When a business registers, it reports what kind of work it does. We take that and group each business into our own plain everyday category. A business lands in 'Other' when its description does not fit one of our named categories. Every business is still counted, so 'Other' is a labeling matter, not missing data. The comparison baselines are the prior month (December 2025) and the same month last year (January 2025). The window for records and momentum is the 25 months we have data for, from January 2024 through January 2026; our raw filing counts go back further, but we have not yet grouped the older months. The headline total is 64,983 new businesses; the category mix is computed over 64,574 new businesses. We also measure how spread out business activity is across industries and counties using a formula we run ourselves on the month's counts. A low result means activity is spread across many industries and counties, not packed into a few.
When a business registers, it reports what kind of work it does. We take that and group each business into a plain everyday category. Some businesses fall into an 'Other' catch all category (24.4% of the category mix) because their description does not match one of the named categories. Every business is still counted, so this is a labeling matter, not missing data.
- We have the business name and mailing address only. There is no revenue and no employee count in the state records.
- We wait about two weeks after the month ends for the state to finish recording all filings before we publish, so the counts are complete.
- We do not adjust for population size, so all geographic comparisons are raw counts. Larger areas will naturally show bigger totals.
- Region level property holding and hospitality counts are reported only statewide, not broken out by region.
- A full same month across years seasonal index is not computed beyond the single year to year comparison.
External sources
- Burr & Forman (2025-10-15) Florida's commercial sales tax on business rent was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025 under HB 7031.
- WUSF Public Media (2026-02-22) Florida drew a record 143.3 million visitors in 2025, domestic travel 91.5% of visits, Canadian visits down 14.7% to 2.9 million.
- Business Observer FL (2026-01-23) Florida led all U.S. states in new business formations in 2025 with about 698,000 registrations.
- BoardroomPR (2026-01-13) Florida's 2026 legislative session convened January 13, 2026, with a proposed local business tax repeal (HB 103 / SB 122) and an E-Verify expansion to all private employers.
- Minut (2026-01-26) Florida's statewide short term rental framework continued unchanged into 2026 after the SB 280 veto.
- JAXUSA (2025-12-11) Northeast Florida recorded 12 project announcements, 2,400+ jobs, and nearly $1B in capital investment in 2025.
- Island Chamber (2026-03-07) Governor DeSantis awarded Nassau County $6.25 million for US-301/I-10 interchange infrastructure (1,250 jobs) and a Rural Area of Opportunity designation.
- FlaglerLive (2026-03-31) Flagler County was Florida's 6th fastest growing county 2020 to 2025, adding 25,000 residents (21.7%).
- Port Canaveral (2025-12-02) Port Canaveral surpassed 8.6 million revenue passenger movements in FY2025 (+13%), world's busiest cruise port, $912M five year capital plan.
- GrowthSpotter: A million square feet of industrial space planned in Sunbridge (2026-02-18) Central Florida development accelerating into 2026 (Sunbridge community, close to one million sq ft of new VanTrust industrial space).
- Moffa Tax Law (2025-11-24) Florida repealed its aviation fuel excise tax (4.27 cents per gallon) effective January 1, 2026.
- Tampa Bay Business Wire (2025-11-13) LGE Design Build established its East Coast hub in Tampa (Nov 2025).
- Tampa Bay Business Wire (2025-10-27) Gasworx 145,000 sq ft Ybor City office building topped out (Oct 2025).
- Choose Gulf Coast (2025-12-07) City of Sarasota Ordinance 25-5560 requires vacation rental certificates, annual renewal, registration with several agencies, and 24/7 responsible party availability for 2026.
- Avalara MyLodgeTax (2025-10-30) Avalara analysis of Sarasota STR amendments: mandatory tax remittance proof at registration, expanded coverage.
- WGCU: HUD announces $1.1 billion for Hurricane Ian recovery in Lee (2023-03-15) Lee County holds a $1.1 billion CDBG-DR HUD allocation for Hurricane Ian recovery.
- HBWeekly (2026-01-01) Southwest Florida issued 1,405 single family permits worth $427.95 million in January 2026.
- Insurance Journal (2026-05-08) Governor DeSantis signed HB 803 (May 7, 2026) dropping permits for residential work valued at $7,500 or less.
- MIAMI REALTORS (2026-02-24) 2025 Live Local Act amendments (SB 1730); 5,427 fully affordable and 7,250 partially affordable units under construction in South Florida as of January 2026.
- WPTV (2025-09-16) ServiceNow announced a West Palm Beach HQ, 850 jobs, $1.8B economic impact (Sept 16, 2025).
- Porthole Cruise and Travel (2025-12-02) PortMiami closed FY2025 with a record 8,564,225 cruise passengers (+4%) and 1,115,058 TEUs.
- Cruise Industry News: Port Everglades Celebrates Record Fiscal Year (2025-12-01) Port Everglades registered an estimated 4.77 million FY2025 cruise guests (+16%); $3B long term capital program.
- Walton County FL (2025-02-01) Walton County formalized its mandatory vacation rental registration program (Feb 2025, BCC Resolution 2024-57).
- Florida Trend (2025-01-01) Northwest Florida logistics buildout: $50M Emerald Coast Logistics Center (Walton) and Milton Interchange Park (Santa Rosa).
- WUSF Public Media (2025-12-27) Florida Citizens Property Insurance fell below 400,000 policies (December 2025).
- Florida Policy Institute (2025-04-25) Florida FY 2025-26 budget proposals added recurring Home and Community-Based Services appropriations.
Frequently asked questions
- Did Florida business formation really surge 30% in January?
- New businesses rose 29.6% over December 2025, but that jump is mostly seasonal. January is always Florida's single biggest formation month every year. The cleaner measure of real growth is the year to year comparison, which was 3.6% over January 2025.
- Is 64,983 an all time record?
- No. It is the most in any month we have data for, a record over the 25 months we have data for (January 2024 through January 2026). It is not an all time record. Our raw filing counts go back further, but the older months have not been grouped yet, so the record is for that window only.
- Where was the real, non seasonal acceleration?
- In the smaller counties. All nine counties that ran far above their own normal pace were in the Panhandle and on the First Coast. Flagler County ran the furthest above its usual pace of any county in the state. None of Florida's largest metros appeared on the list, which is normal for high volume counties.
- How reliable are the property holding and short term rental numbers?
- For January 2026 they are reliable. The 7,463 property holding new businesses and 534 short term rental new businesses are solid month reads, not partial estimates. Most new businesses are simply not property holdings, so this group is a minority of the month's filings by design.
- What does the 'Other' category at 24.4% mean? Is that missing data?
- No. When a business registers, it lists what kind of work it does. We sort those into our own plain everyday categories. A business lands in 'Other' when it does not fit one of our named categories. Every business is still counted, so 'Other' is just a label, not missing data.
- Why is no single industry called out as a breakout?
- This month the clear and reliable signals were at the county level, so we do not call out any single industry as a breakout. The counties running far above their own normal pace are reported and stay reliable.
- Could a single filing service be inflating these counts?
- No. The busiest filing company (the firm that handles a business's legal mail) handled just 4.37% of the month's new businesses, well under the 10% mark that would hint at a batch or mill filing. All filing companies together made up 14.6% of the month's new businesses.
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