How many local governments are there in the US?

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 90,837 local governments in its 2022 Census of Governments: 3,031 counties, 19,491 municipalities, 16,214 townships, 39,555 special districts and 12,546 independent school districts. Its 2025 update counts 91,438.

Which state has the most local governments?

Illinois, with 6,930 local governments in 2022, followed by Texas (5,533), Pennsylvania (4,851), California (4,494) and Ohio (3,939).

How do I calculate my government total addressable market?

Count the governments in the states and types you can serve, using the Census of Governments, then apply filters for fit, such as population, budget and current systems. This calculator does the first step and lets you set a fit rate to estimate target accounts.

Does the count include state agencies and utilities?

No. The Census local government count excludes state agencies, federal agencies, tribal governments and departments inside cities or counties. Public utility districts, such as public power and water districts, are included as special districts; investor-owned utilities and co-ops are not governments.

How current is the data?

The state-by-state counts come from the 2022 Census of Governments, the most recent full census of governments. The Census Bureau's 2025 annual update shows only small national changes, mostly growth in special districts.

B2G Market Size Calculator: Local Governments by State

Name: US local governments by state and type, 2022
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau

Key takeaways

The U.S. had 90,837 local governments in 2022, according to the Census Bureau, and 91,438 in its 2025 update.
Special districts (39,555) outnumber every other type, followed by municipalities (19,491), townships (16,214), school districts (12,546) and counties (3,031).
Illinois (6,930), Texas (5,533) and Pennsylvania (4,851) have the most local governments.
Use the count as your total addressable market, then filter by fit and timing to build a target list.

Calculate your local government market

Pick the states you sell into and the types of local government that buy your product. The calculator counts every matching government in the 2022 Census of Governments and estimates how many fit your ideal customer profile.

1. Types of government

2. States

3. Fit rate

Share of these governments that fit your ideal customer profile25%

Local governments90,837in 50 states and DC

Estimated target accounts22,709at a 25% fit rate

Counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments. The fit rate is your own assumption, not data. Use it to size a first target list, then refine with the steps below.

What the numbers show

There were 90,837 local governments in 2022: 3,031 counties, 19,491 municipalities, 16,214 townships, 39,555 special districts and 12,546 independent school districts. The Census Bureau's 2025 update counts 91,438.
Illinois has the most local governments (6,930), followed by Texas (5,533), Pennsylvania (4,851), California (4,494) and Ohio (3,939).
Special districts are concentrated: Illinois (3,218), Colorado (3,201), Texas (2,984) and California (2,949) each have nearly 3,000 or more. In Colorado, special districts make up 86% of local governments.
Texas (1,070) and California (1,006) have the most independent school districts. Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina and the District of Columbia have none; their schools are run by states, counties or cities.
Only 20 states have township governments, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest. Connecticut and Rhode Island have no county governments.

Local governments by state and type (2022)

State	County	Municipal	Township	Special district	School district	Total
Alabama	67	462	0	541	138	1,208
Alaska	15	149	0	17	0	181
Arizona	15	91	0	326	242	674
Arkansas	75	500	0	753	234	1,562
California	57	482	0	2,949	1,006	4,494
Colorado	62	272	0	3,201	180	3,715
Connecticut	0	30	149	433	17	629
Delaware	3	57	0	255	19	334
District of Columbia	0	1	0	1	0	2
Florida	66	412	0	1,374	95	1,947
Georgia	152	537	0	510	180	1,379
Hawaii	3	1	0	17	0	21
Idaho	44	199	0	807	118	1,168
Illinois	102	1,295	1,425	3,218	890	6,930
Indiana	91	567	1,004	696	290	2,648
Iowa	99	940	0	445	342	1,826
Kansas	103	624	1,267	1,468	306	3,768
Kentucky	118	417	0	601	171	1,307
Louisiana	60	304	0	101	69	534
Maine	16	23	461	227	101	828
Maryland	23	157	0	162	0	342
Massachusetts	5	56	295	415	85	856
Michigan	83	533	1,240	437	567	2,860
Minnesota	87	854	1,779	579	330	3,629
Mississippi	82	298	0	437	150	967
Missouri	114	943	283	1,927	529	3,796
Montana	54	128	0	736	310	1,228
Nebraska	93	528	350	1,303	267	2,541
Nevada	16	19	0	135	17	187
New Hampshire	10	13	221	128	166	538
New Jersey	21	323	241	222	521	1,328
New Mexico	33	105	0	769	96	1,003
New York	57	595	930	1,189	676	3,447
North Carolina	100	552	0	313	0	965
North Dakota	53	356	1,305	683	173	2,570
Ohio	88	926	1,308	952	665	3,939
Oklahoma	77	592	0	632	539	1,840
Oregon	36	240	0	1,029	223	1,528
Pennsylvania	66	1,013	1,546	1,712	514	4,851
Rhode Island	0	8	31	84	4	127
South Carolina	46	271	0	271	78	666
South Dakota	66	310	897	478	149	1,900
Tennessee	92	345	0	451	14	902
Texas	254	1,225	0	2,984	1,070	5,533
Utah	29	254	0	308	41	632
Vermont	14	40	237	162	121	574
Virginia	95	228	0	198	1	522
Washington	39	281	0	1,275	295	1,890
West Virginia	55	231	0	298	55	639
Wisconsin	72	605	1,245	703	437	3,062
Wyoming	23	99	0	643	55	820
United States	3,031	19,491	16,214	39,555	12,546	90,837

School district means independent school districts counted as separate governments. Dependent school systems run by a state, county, city or township are not counted separately.

What the count leaves out

The Census Bureau's local government count doesn't include:

State agencies and state colleges and universities, which are part of state government.
Federal agencies and tribal governments.
Dependent school systems and departments within a city or county, such as a city-run water utility or police department.
Investor-owned utilities and electric co-ops, which aren't governments. See our US utility directories.

Many special districts are utilities: public power, water, sewer and irrigation districts are counted as special districts.

From total market to target list

Start with the count. The calculator gives your total addressable number of governments.
Filter by fit: population, budget, current systems, and whether the agency actually does the work your product supports.
Add timing: budgets, capital plans, grants and contract expirations show who is likely to buy soon.
Tier the list and focus outreach on the best fit and timing. See defining TAM to target for the full method.

How KSG helps

Kensington Sales Group turns market counts like these into researched target lists and booked meetings, across Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts and Utilities. See our B2G lead generation service.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Table 2: Local Governments by Type and State; U.S. Census Bureau, Government Organization Summary Report: 2022 & 2025; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, The Number and Types of Local Governments in the U.S..

B2G market size calculator: local governments by state.