2026 Data Report
An analysis of 1,000 Catholic-owned businesses across 22 categories and 51 states
The first comprehensive look at the size, shape, and geography of Catholic entrepreneurship in the United States.
Last updated
57%
of all Catholic businesses fall within just three categories: Other, Healthcare, Home Services.
13.8%
of the entire directory is in Pennsylvania alone — making it the nation's leading state for Catholic-owned businesses.
51
states represented — Catholic entrepreneurship stretches coast to coast.
1,000
Total Businesses
22
Industry Categories
51
States Represented
0
Veteran-Owned
The Catholic business community in the United States is larger and more diverse than most people realize. With 1,000 verified businesses spanning 22 industry categories, Catholic entrepreneurs are active in everything from artisan coffee roasting to financial planning to legal services.
This report draws on the Discover Catholic Business directory — the largest curated database of Catholic-owned businesses in the country — to answer a question that has never been examined with data before: what does the Catholic business landscape actually look like?
The findings reveal a community that skews heavily toward product-oriented businesses (6% of listings) over professional services (36%), is geographically concentrated in a handful of states, and has significant opportunity gaps in underserved categories.
Other dominates the directory with 321 listings — more than Church Supply and Pilgrimages & More combined. Catholic entrepreneurs have traditionally thrived in tangible goods that serve the faith community directly, from rosaries and devotional art to Catholic-themed apparel.
Product-oriented categories (gifts, books, coffee, apparel, food, and more) account for roughly 6% of listings, while professional services (financial, legal, technology, real estate) make up 36%. This gap suggests a significant opportunity for Catholic professionals in service industries to become more visible to their community.
The long tail is notable: the bottom half of categories collectively represents thousands of businesses in niche sectors like funeral services, automotive, and wedding planning — markets where shared faith can be a powerful differentiator.
57% of all Catholic businesses fall within just three categories: Other, Healthcare, Home Services.
Pennsylvania leads the nation with 138 Catholic-owned businesses, accounting for 13.8% of the entire directory. This tracks closely with Catholic population data — states with the most Catholics tend to produce the most Catholic entrepreneurs.
The top five states — Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington, Illinois, Texas — collectively represent 43% of all listings. That concentration means the remaining 46 states share the other 57%.
Regionally, the South leads with 301 businesses, followed by Midwest (257), Northeast (212), and West (177). The average state has 20 Catholic-owned businesses listed.
Pennsylvania leads the nation with 138 Catholic-owned businesses — 13.8% of the entire directory.
Chicago, IL leads all cities with 37 Catholic-owned businesses, followed by San Diego, CA with 13. Major metro areas dominate the top of the list, but smaller cities with strong Catholic communities — from college towns to historic diocesan seats — also appear throughout the rankings.
Chicago leads all U.S. cities with 37 Catholic-owned businesses.
| Rank | City | State | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | IL | 37 |
| 2 | San Diego | CA | 13 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | PA | 13 |
| 4 | Miami | FL | 13 |
| 5 | Des Moines | IA | 11 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach |
Distribution of businesses across our four listing tiers.
0
Partner Tier
2
Premium Tier
0
Basic Tier
998
Free Tier
This report is generated from the Discover Catholic Business directory database, which includes businesses submitted directly by owners, curated from Catholic business directories, and verified through our editorial review process. All listings are approved by our team before inclusion.
Geographic data is derived from business-provided addresses and standardized to U.S. state codes. Businesses without parseable U.S. locations are excluded from geographic breakdowns but included in total counts.
Data as of April 19, 2026. This report regenerates daily with the latest directory data.
Get your business listed in the largest Catholic business directory and connect with customers who share your faith.
| Rank | Category | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other | 321 | 32.1% |
| 2 | Healthcare | 129 | 12.9% |
| 3 | Home Services | 120 | 12.0% |
| 4 | Real Estate | 76 | 7.6% |
| 5 | Funeral Services | 67 | 6.7% |
| 6 | Finance & Insurance | 63 | 6.3% |
| 7 | Gifts & Religious Goods | 43 | 4.3% |
| 8 | Automotive | 37 | 3.7% |
| 9 | Beer, Wine, & Food | 31 | 3.1% |
| 10 | Legal Services | 29 | 2.9% |
| 11 | Education & Homeschool | 17 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Fitness & Wellness | 12 | 1.2% |
| 13 | Beauty & Personal Care | 10 | 1.0% |
| 14 | Professional Services | 9 | 0.9% |
| 15 | Media | 8 | 0.8% |
| 16 | Books & Publishing | 6 | 0.6% |
| 17 | Wedding Services | 6 | 0.6% |
| 18 | Pets & Animals | 4 | 0.4% |
| 19 | Coffee | 4 | 0.4% |
| 20 | Apparel & Clothing | 4 | 0.4% |
| 21 | Pilgrimages & More | 3 | 0.3% |
| 22 | Church Supply | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rank | State | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 138 | 13.8% |
| 2 | Florida | 125 | 12.5% |
| 3 | Washington | 58 | 5.8% |
| 4 | Illinois | 53 | 5.3% |
| 5 | Texas | 51 | 5.1% |
| 6 | California | 50 | 5.0% |
| 7 | Ohio | 35 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Michigan | 30 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 26 | 2.6% |
| 10 | Indiana | 26 | 2.6% |
| 11 | Virginia | 25 | 2.5% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 24 | 2.4% |
| 13 | Louisiana | 23 | 2.3% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 22 | 2.2% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 20 | 2.0% |
| 16 | New York | 20 | 2.0% |
| 17 | Colorado | 20 | 2.0% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 18 | 1.8% |
| 19 | Iowa | 18 | 1.8% |
| 20 | Kansas | 14 | 1.4% |
| VA |
| 10 |
| 7 | Milwaukee | WI | 10 |
| 8 | Omaha | NE | 10 |
| 9 | Louisville | KY | 9 |
| 10 | Indianapolis | IN | 9 |
| 11 | Tampa | FL | 9 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs | CO | 8 |
| 13 | Jacksonville | FL | 8 |
| 14 | Houston | TX | 8 |
| 15 | Seattle | WA | 8 |