Across the 51 states, each of the 177,138 private law offices has 1,929 residents, 3.5 bankruptcy cases a year and 20.5 fatal crashes per 100 offices behind it. The ratio differs sharply by state.
The question this answers: in which states is there the most legal demand behind each existing law office, so you know where a new market, a new practice area or more ad spend has the most demand?
On the four core ratios, Indiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin have the most demand for each law office, and Vermont, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia have the least. Among the 23 states with recent eviction data, North Dakota has the most eviction filings per law office (75.0). Texas has the most Spanish speakers with limited English per law office (218.3).
Demand for each law office, by state
| State | Law offices (N) | Residents per office | Bankruptcy cases per office | Fatal crashes per 100 offices | Divorces per office | Third of states |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 177,138 | 1,929 | 3.5 | 20.5 | 10.5 | National total |
| Indiana | 2,424 | 2,877 | 7.8 | 32.4 | 18.8 | Highest |
| Tennessee | 2,814 | 2,600 | 8.1 | 38.8 | 17.1 | Highest |
| Wisconsin | 1,734 | 3,445 | 5.9 | 30.5 | 16.2 | Highest |
| Arkansas | 1,402 | 2,222 | 5.6 | 39.0 | 17.5 | Highest |
| Michigan | 3,671 | 2,759 | 6.5 | 27.5 | 14.0 | Highest |
| Ohio | 4,333 | 2,746 | 6.5 | 24.9 | 15.0 | Highest |
| Mississippi | 1,421 | 2,079 | 7.4 | 47.7 | 13.5 | Highest |
| Minnesota | 1,901 | 3,067 | 5.5 | 22.7 | 15.2 | Highest |
| Alabama | 2,688 | 1,932 | 8.1 | 33.3 | 14.1 | Highest |
| Virginia | 3,385 | 2,623 | 5.1 | 25.6 | 14.7 | Highest |
| Nebraska | 824 | 2,449 | 3.6 | 27.1 | 14.1 | Highest |
| Missouri | 2,871 | 2,184 | 4.0 | 30.7 | 13.1 | Highest |
| Kentucky | 2,390 | 1,928 | 5.5 | 27.7 | 13.8 | Highest |
| Alaska | 249 | 2,961 | 1.3 | 25.3 | 19.1 | Highest |
| New Hampshire | 506 | 2,797 | 2.3 | 23.7 | 16.2 | Highest |
| Texas | 13,905 | 2,280 | 3.1 | 27.1 | 12.7 | Highest |
| Iowa | 1,294 | 2,503 | 2.8 | 25.0 | 12.6 | Highest |
| Pennsylvania | 4,908 | 2,661 | 2.9 | 21.6 | 13.3 | Middle |
| Arizona | 3,644 | 2,092 | 3.8 | 30.7 | 11.3 | Middle |
| Kansas | 1,280 | 2,326 | 3.5 | 24.5 | 12.1 | Middle |
| North Dakota | 352 | 2,271 | 2.9 | 23.9 | 13.3 | Middle |
| Washington | 3,280 | 2,439 | 3.2 | 20.5 | 13.5 | Middle |
| North Carolina | 5,064 | 2,211 | 2.3 | 29.8 | 12.5 | Middle |
| West Virginia | 874 | 2,021 | 1.9 | 27.2 | 14.5 | Middle |
| Maryland | 2,881 | 2,175 | 4.9 | 19.2 | 12.5 | Middle |
| South Dakota | 425 | 2,200 | 1.8 | 31.5 | 11.7 | Middle |
| Idaho | 968 | 2,097 | 2.8 | 22.6 | 12.3 | Middle |
| South Carolina | 2,836 | 1,964 | 2.1 | 33.4 | 9.9 | Middle |
| New Mexico | 1,103 | 1,927 | 1.6 | 34.3 | 11.0 | Middle |
| Oregon | 2,348 | 1,820 | 3.6 | 20.9 | 11.8 | Middle |
| Georgia | 6,568 | 1,721 | 5.4 | 20.0 | 10.5 | Middle |
| Oklahoma | 2,524 | 1,634 | 3.2 | 23.5 | 11.7 | Middle |
| Utah | 1,892 | 1,870 | 4.3 | 13.3 | 11.4 | Middle |
| Maine | 676 | 2,093 | 1.1 | 24.7 | 11.4 | Middle |
| Illinois | 6,667 | 1,908 | 4.3 | 16.3 | 9.0 | Lowest |
| New Jersey | 4,679 | 2,041 | 3.1 | 13.6 | 9.2 | Lowest |
| Nevada | 2,288 | 1,435 | 4.3 | 16.5 | 9.6 | Lowest |
| Delaware | 604 | 1,755 | 2.7 | 20.0 | 11.3 | Lowest |
| California | 23,830 | 1,652 | 2.5 | 15.0 | 7.7 | Lowest |
| Montana | 820 | 1,396 | 1.2 | 23.5 | 8.4 | Lowest |
| Louisiana | 3,750 | 1,232 | 2.9 | 18.8 | 7.1 | Lowest |
| Colorado | 4,317 | 1,393 | 2.2 | 14.9 | 8.3 | Lowest |
| Florida | 18,850 | 1,245 | 2.7 | 15.5 | 7.2 | Lowest |
| Massachusetts | 3,932 | 1,819 | 1.4 | 8.9 | 8.4 | Lowest |
| Wyoming | 494 | 1,192 | 1.2 | 20.6 | 8.5 | Lowest |
| New York | 11,626 | 1,720 | 2.0 | 8.9 | 7.8 | Lowest |
| Hawaii | 826 | 1,735 | 1.4 | 11.7 | 7.8 | Lowest |
| Connecticut | 2,245 | 1,643 | 1.6 | 12.7 | 7.5 | Lowest |
| Vermont | 432 | 1,492 | 0.8 | 12.3 | 6.7 | Lowest |
| Rhode Island | 814 | 1,369 | 1.4 | 5.9 | 6.5 | Lowest |
| District of Columbia | 1,529 | 454 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 1.6 | Lowest |
Eviction filings per law office
| State | Law offices (N) | Eviction filings per office | Third of these states |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 352 | 75.0 | Highest |
| Connecticut | 2,245 | 53.1 | Highest |
| South Carolina | 2,836 | 46.2 | Highest |
| Virginia | 3,385 | 41.8 | Highest |
| Indiana | 2,424 | 30.6 | Highest |
| Pennsylvania | 4,908 | 23.1 | Highest |
| Oklahoma | 2,524 | 18.9 | Highest |
| Delaware | 604 | 18.2 | Highest |
| New York | 11,626 | 16.4 | Middle |
| Kentucky | 2,390 | 15.3 | Middle |
| Tennessee | 2,814 | 15.0 | Middle |
| West Virginia | 874 | 14.7 | Middle |
| Arizona | 3,644 | 13.0 | Middle |
| Alaska | 249 | 8.1 | Middle |
| Minnesota | 1,901 | 8.0 | Middle |
| Arkansas | 1,402 | 6.8 | Middle |
| Ohio | 4,333 | 5.4 | Lowest |
| Texas | 13,905 | 5.0 | Lowest |
| Utah | 1,892 | 4.3 | Lowest |
| Vermont | 432 | 4.0 | Lowest |
| Georgia | 6,568 | 3.0 | Lowest |
| Montana | 820 | 2.3 | Lowest |
| Florida | 18,850 | 2.0 | Lowest |
Spanish speakers with limited English per law office
| State | Law offices (N) | Spanish speakers with limited English per office | Third of states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 13,905 | 218.3 | Highest |
| California | 23,830 | 172.4 | Highest |
| New Jersey | 4,679 | 149.3 | Highest |
| New Mexico | 1,103 | 130.9 | Highest |
| Arizona | 3,644 | 119.8 | Highest |
| Florida | 18,850 | 110.2 | Highest |
| New York | 11,626 | 106.2 | Highest |
| Nevada | 2,288 | 102.9 | Highest |
| Illinois | 6,667 | 98.8 | Highest |
| Maryland | 2,881 | 90.1 | Highest |
| Nebraska | 824 | 83.4 | Highest |
| Connecticut | 2,245 | 80.8 | Highest |
| Virginia | 3,385 | 78.9 | Highest |
| Washington | 3,280 | 78.6 | Highest |
| Rhode Island | 814 | 76.5 | Highest |
| North Carolina | 5,064 | 72.7 | Highest |
| Massachusetts | 3,932 | 72.0 | Highest |
| Kansas | 1,280 | 71.5 | Middle |
| Utah | 1,892 | 64.8 | Middle |
| Wisconsin | 1,734 | 61.7 | Middle |
| Tennessee | 2,814 | 60.0 | Middle |
| Indiana | 2,424 | 59.1 | Middle |
| Pennsylvania | 4,908 | 59.0 | Middle |
| Oregon | 2,348 | 58.6 | Middle |
| Georgia | 6,568 | 57.8 | Middle |
| Delaware | 604 | 55.7 | Middle |
| Arkansas | 1,402 | 54.7 | Middle |
| Idaho | 968 | 53.5 | Middle |
| Colorado | 4,317 | 50.7 | Middle |
| Minnesota | 1,901 | 46.9 | Middle |
| Oklahoma | 2,524 | 46.3 | Middle |
| Iowa | 1,294 | 45.8 | Middle |
| South Carolina | 2,836 | 40.1 | Middle |
| Alabama | 2,688 | 29.9 | Middle |
| Kentucky | 2,390 | 28.5 | Lowest |
| Michigan | 3,671 | 28.4 | Lowest |
| Ohio | 4,333 | 26.6 | Lowest |
| Louisiana | 3,750 | 26.1 | Lowest |
| New Hampshire | 506 | 24.4 | Lowest |
| Alaska | 249 | 23.8 | Lowest |
| South Dakota | 425 | 23.5 | Lowest |
| Mississippi | 1,421 | 22.5 | Lowest |
| Missouri | 2,871 | 21.0 | Lowest |
| Wyoming | 494 | 18.6 | Lowest |
| District of Columbia | 1,529 | 14.1 | Lowest |
| North Dakota | 352 | 13.9 | Lowest |
| Hawaii | 826 | 7.7 | Lowest |
| West Virginia | 874 | 6.4 | Lowest |
| Montana | 820 | 5.0 | Lowest |
| Maine | 676 | 4.9 | Lowest |
| Vermont | 432 | 3.4 | Lowest |
What does this mean for your firm?
- Read the third, then the practice. A state in the highest third has more residents, bankruptcies, crashes and divorces for each existing law office; which of these matters depends on your practice.
- Pair it with the county. These are state totals. The county studies linked below show where inside a state the offices are thin.
- Spanish demand is part of the picture. In states with many Spanish speakers with limited English for each law office, a Spanish-language page and intake line meet demand few offices cover.
How was this made?
Five public datasets, each already published on this site, were joined by state code: private law-office establishments and residents (Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census, 2026-Q1), bankruptcy cases commenced (12 months ending 2026-09-30), fatal crashes (2024), and divorces in the last 12 months and Spanish speakers with limited English (American Community Survey 2020-2024), plus eviction filings for the 23 states whose data ends in 2025-06 or later. Each ratio is the demand count divided by the state’s law offices, rounded to one decimal; states are ranked on each ratio and placed in thirds, and the overall third ranks the states on the first four. A second script recomputes every figure from the five datasets, and all 51 state totals were checked against the sum of their county records (law offices exactly; fatal crashes within 3 or 1%). No firm or person is named. Download the data page, the CSV or the JSON below.
Download and cite
- CSV and JSON, free under CC BY 4.0 with credit to Probative Growth.
- The same rows as a dataset: Demand per law office.