South Florida Business Data: The Tri-County Powerhouse
Three counties at the bottom of the peninsula (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) hold the densest stack of business in the state. Together they account for about 3,245,845 active business entities, or roughly 42% of every registered company in Florida. South Florida is more than a big market. It's close to half the state's entire corporate base, packed into one metro.
Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach together hold about 3,245,845 entities, 42% of Florida's 7,772,258 registered businesses.
The three counties, by the numbers
Miami-Dade is the giant, with 1,677,867 entities, more than Broward (951,444) and Palm Beach (616,534) combined. The county's status as a global real-estate and finance hub does a lot of that work, a dynamic we dig into in business density per capita.
How the three counties differ in structure
The counties don't just differ in size. They differ in what kind of company registers there. Palm Beach leans more heavily toward LLCs (71% of its entities), while Miami-Dade has a lower LLC share (63%) because it carries more corporations and partnerships, the vehicles of choice for larger operators and funds.
Businesses move between these counties constantly
The tri-county area behaves like one labor market, and companies hop across the county lines inside it all the time. The busiest corporate relocation lane in the entire state runs between Miami-Dade and Broward, and it runs both ways in near-equal volume. We map it in full in where Florida businesses relocate.
| From | To | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | Broward | 1,592 |
| Broward | Miami-Dade | 1,572 |
| Broward | Palm Beach | 746 |
| Palm Beach | Broward | 581 |
| Miami-Dade | Palm Beach | 321 |
| Palm Beach | Miami-Dade | 309 |
South Florida in the state picture
Put the three counties next to the rest of the state and the concentration is stark: 42% of Florida's registered businesses sit here, on a sliver of the map. For how the rest of the state stacks up, see the full county ranking and the statewide totals.
Frequently asked questions
How many businesses are in South Florida?
Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach together hold about 3,245,845 active business entities, roughly 42% of the state total.
Which South Florida county has the most businesses?
Miami-Dade, with 1,677,867 entities, more than Broward and Palm Beach combined.
What share of Florida businesses are in South Florida?
About 42% of all registered Florida entities sit in the three South Florida counties.
Do businesses move between South Florida counties?
Constantly. The Miami-Dade–Broward corridor is the busiest corporate relocation lane in the state, with movement running both ways in near-equal volume.
Related reading
- The Florida counties with the most businesses
- Where Florida businesses relocate
- Florida business density per capita
- How many businesses are in Florida?
Sources
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (sunbiz)
- sneyk index of Florida Division of Corporations data, verified June 8, 2026.
Image credits
- Header image: Photo: photosam88 via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.
- Downtown Fort Lauderdale: Photo: Richard Mc Neil via Wikimedia. CC BY 3.0.
- Palm Beach, Florida: Photo: Fairchild Aerial Camera Corp. via Wikimedia. Public domain.
- Miami Beach: Photo: Traveller-Reini via Flickr. CC BY SA 2.0.