Oregon Cracks Top 10 In Small-Biz Growth Race

Oregon just muscled its way into the top tier of small-business states, landing at No. 10 in Homebase’s 2026 list of best places to “shop small.” The ranking highlights a run of hiring and longer shifts at neighborhood firms, along with a dense web of restaurants, cafes and lodging that keeps local dollars cycling through Main Street.

Homebase numbers behind Oregon’s top 10 finish

Homebase gave Oregon an overall score of 60.92 and slotted the state at No. 10 nationwide. The analysis pointed to a 4.4% year-over-year increase in small-business employees, a 9.8% jump in hours worked and an adjusted average hourly wage of $15.66. It also found roughly 296 accommodation and food-service small businesses per 100,000 residents, above the study average, according to Homebase.

How the ranking is playing locally

The Portland Business Journal delivered the hometown rundown on July 23, walking through the Homebase findings and what they might signal for Oregon’s small-business ecosystem. As reported by the Portland Business Journal, the ranking arrives while policymakers and business groups are still locked in debate over how best to support a full Main Street recovery.

Where Oregon stands in the state picture

Those gains sit alongside data showing that small firms still carry serious weight in Oregon’s job market. Business Oregon notes that in 2024 about 32.1% of jobs were in firms with fewer than 50 employees, even as the agency flags a slowdown in new business formation compared with other states. That combination of a large small-business base and a cooling pipeline of new ventures helps explain why some metrics look strong while others appear more cautious, according to Business Oregon.

What the numbers mean for workers and shoppers

Homebase’s broader analysis also points to a national pattern in which hours worked are rising faster than wages for small-business employees, a setup that can translate into more time on the schedule without matching pay bumps. For Oregon, the study’s adjusted hourly wage comes in relatively strong, but the faster growth in hours than in wages remains a flashing yellow light for workers and local policymakers, per Homebase.

What’s next for Main Street

State programs and community partners are already trying to turn opportunity into lasting businesses. Hoodline previously reported that Business Oregon-backed assistance helped launch 932 startups around the state. Whether that kind of technical-assistance push can sustain hiring and lift wages will go a long way in determining if Oregon’s top 10 showing becomes lasting momentum for Main Street.