Top Businesses Owned by Philly Immigrants, 2018-22

Construction firms, restaurants, taxi and trucking companies, and housecleaning services were the most common types of businesses owned by Philadelphia’s self-employed immigrants in the 2018-22 period. In contrast, the top sectors for U.S.-born entrepreneurs were construction; management, scientific, and technical consulting; and independent (freelance) art, writing, and performance services.

Subsectors shown have the highest number of self-employed individuals out of 200 subsectors at the three-digit level of the North American Industrial Classification System. Subsectors are ranked by their share of total self-employment in Philadelphia. Stop-and-go and beer deli establishments may be categorized as restaurants or convenience stores.
Chart: Steve Madden Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey