NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Industry: 2026 Market Survival & Risk Analysis

Real estate agents, property management, rental services

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 492,273 Establishments Nationwide

492,273
Total Establishments
2,406,044
Total Employment
$69,540
Average Annual Wage
40.5
Average Entry Risk Score

What Drives Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Risk

Real estate is cyclical by nature. Interest rates, housing supply, and local population growth drive demand in ways that vary sharply across state lines. At 492,273 establishments nationally, density ranges from extremely saturated coastal metros to wide-open rural markets. Average wages ($69,540) sit near the all-industry mean, but commission-based compensation means actual income swings much wider than that average suggests. States with steady in-migration like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin rank among the safest bets for new entrants.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing vs. All-Industry Average

How this sector compares to the average across all ten tracked industries.

Avg Entry Risk
40.5 This sector
43.1 All sectors
Avg Annual Wage
$69,540 This sector
$73,293 All sectors
Total Employment
2.4M This sector
9.6M Avg per sector

State Leaderboards for Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

Lowest Entry Risk

Best overall market conditions

  1. Pennsylvania 24.5
  2. Wisconsin 26.0
  3. Nebraska 26.3
  4. South Dakota 26.4
  5. Massachusetts 27.7

Highest Entry Risk

Most competitive markets

  1. Nevada 61.9
  2. Hawaii 60.3
  3. Florida 54.7
  4. North Dakota 54.3
  5. Delaware 53.2

Best for Firm Retention

Highest 5-year firm survival rates

  1. Vermont 100%
  2. Nebraska 98.04%
  3. South Dakota 96.08%
  4. New York 94.12%
  5. Alaska 92.16%

Highest Growth Momentum

Fastest new firm formation

  1. Idaho 100
  2. Utah 89.88
  3. Florida 81.53
  4. Arizona 76.63
  5. Colorado 75.96

Top Metro Markets for Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

Best and worst metro areas out of 330 with real estate and rental and leasing data.

Most Favorable Metros

Lowest Metro Market Score

  1. Sheboygan, WI 8.3
  2. Saginaw, MI 8.4
  3. Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 11.1
  4. Dalton, GA 11.4
  5. Columbus, IN 12.6

Most Challenging Metros

Highest Metro Market Score

  1. Lafayette, LA 77.6
  2. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 76.2
  3. Odessa, TX 75.9
  4. Grants Pass, OR 75.8
  5. New Haven, CT 75.1

Entry Risk by State

Geographic distribution of market entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing. Click any state for detailed analysis.

Entry Risk by State Alaska — 34.9 · #15 Alabama — 31.9 · #13 Arkansas — 30.5 · #12 Arizona — 52.4 · #46 California — 47.1 · #39 Colorado — 52.1 · #44 Connecticut — 45.9 · #37 District of Columbia — 38.5 · #24 Delaware — 53.2 · #47 Florida — 54.7 · #49 Georgia — 51.6 · #43 Hawaii — 60.3 · #50 Iowa — 35.6 · #16 Idaho — 43.4 · #32 Illinois — 44.3 · #33 Indiana — 30.2 · #10 Kansas — 41.4 · #29 Kentucky — 30.3 · #11 Louisiana — 44.5 · #34 Massachusetts — 27.7 · #5 Maryland — 50.4 · #42 Maine — 28.3 · #6 Michigan — 39.3 · #26 Minnesota — 42.1 · #31 Missouri — 39.2 · #25 Mississippi — 30.0 · #8 Montana — 37.5 · #20 North Carolina — 38.1 · #23 North Dakota — 54.3 · #48 Nebraska — 26.3 · #3 New Hampshire — 29.6 · #7 New Jersey — 37.3 · #19 New Mexico — 52.3 · #45 Nevada — 61.9 · #51 New York — 37.6 · #21 Ohio — 33.2 · #14 Oklahoma — 42.0 · #30 Oregon — 44.8 · #35 Pennsylvania — 24.5 · #1 Rhode Island — 37.8 · #22 South Carolina — 44.9 · #36 South Dakota — 26.4 · #4 Tennessee — 37.2 · #18 Texas — 41.4 · #28 Utah — 46.6 · #38 Virginia — 35.6 · #17 Vermont — 30.1 · #9 Washington — 48.0 · #40 Wisconsin — 26.0 · #2 West Virginia — 40.6 · #27 Wyoming — 49.6 · #41
Low Moderate Elevated High

Tap a state to view details

All 51 States Ranked for Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Entry Risk

Complete ranking of all 51 states by Entry Risk Score for real estate and rental and leasing. Lower score indicates better market conditions for new entrants.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Entry Risk by State

Rank State Risk Score Classification
#1 Pennsylvania 24.5 low
#2 Wisconsin 26.0 low
#3 Nebraska 26.3 low
#4 South Dakota 26.4 low
#5 Massachusetts 27.7 low
#6 Maine 28.3 low
#7 New Hampshire 29.6 low
#8 Mississippi 30.0 low
#9 Vermont 30.1 moderate
#10 Indiana 30.2 moderate
#11 Kentucky 30.3 moderate
#12 Arkansas 30.5 moderate
#13 Alabama 31.9 moderate
#14 Ohio 33.2 moderate
#15 Alaska 34.9 moderate
#16 Iowa 35.6 moderate
#17 Virginia 35.6 moderate
#18 Tennessee 37.2 moderate
#19 New Jersey 37.3 moderate
#20 Montana 37.5 moderate
#21 New York 37.6 moderate
#22 Rhode Island 37.8 moderate
#23 North Carolina 38.1 moderate
#24 District of Columbia 38.5 moderate
#25 Missouri 39.2 moderate
#26 Michigan 39.3 moderate
#27 West Virginia 40.6 moderate
#28 Texas 41.4 moderate
#29 Kansas 41.4 moderate
#30 Oklahoma 42.0 elevated
#31 Minnesota 42.1 elevated
#32 Idaho 43.4 elevated
#33 Illinois 44.3 elevated
#34 Louisiana 44.5 elevated
#35 Oregon 44.8 elevated
#36 South Carolina 44.9 elevated
#37 Connecticut 45.9 elevated
#38 Utah 46.6 elevated
#39 California 47.1 elevated
#40 Washington 48.0 elevated
#41 Wyoming 49.6 elevated
#42 Maryland 50.4 elevated
#43 Georgia 51.6 elevated
#44 Colorado 52.1 elevated
#45 New Mexico 52.3 elevated
#46 Arizona 52.4 elevated
#47 Delaware 53.2 elevated
#48 North Dakota 54.3 elevated
#49 Florida 54.7 elevated
#50 Hawaii 60.3 high
#51 Nevada 61.9 high

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: Frequently Asked Questions

2026 sector data answers to common entry-decision questions.

Which state has the lowest real estate and rental and leasing entry risk in 2026?

Pennsylvania ranks #1 with an entry risk score of 24.5, 16.0 points below the 40.5 national average for the real estate and rental and leasing sector.

Which state is the most challenging market for new real estate and rental and leasing businesses?

Nevada sits at the bottom of the 51-state ranking with an entry risk score of 61.9. New real estate and rental and leasing firms here face structural headwinds across retention, growth momentum, and wage pressure.

How many real estate and rental and leasing establishments operate in the United States?

492,273 real estate and rental and leasing establishments are tracked across the 51 U.S. state markets, employing 2,406,044 workers at an average annual wage of $69,540.

Which state has the highest 5-year firm retention for real estate and rental and leasing?

Vermont leads on firm retention with a 100% 5-year survival percentile. New real estate and rental and leasing establishments in this state clear the 5-year mark at higher rates than 100% of all states.

What is the average entry risk score for real estate and rental and leasing across all U.S. states?

The 51-state average entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing is 40.5. Scores range from 24.5 (Pennsylvania) to 61.9 (Nevada), a spread of 37.4 points. Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions for new businesses.

Not in Real Estate and Rental and Leasing?

Compare entry conditions across other sectors.

NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 62 Healthcare and Social Assistance NAICS 44-45 Retail Trade NAICS 72 Accommodation and Food Services NAICS 54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services NAICS 52 Finance and Insurance NAICS 56 Administrative and Support Services NAICS 51 Information NAICS 81 Other Services

How We Calculate Entry Risk

Entry Risk Score combines five normalized metrics: firm retention rates, growth momentum, market volatility, establishment density, and wage pressure. All indices are scaled 0-100 for consistency.

Read full methodology →