Map Shows Where Self-Employed Mortgage Borrowers Are Most Common

Over half of the U.S. states have seen an increase in self-employment since 2019, and a new map shows which states have the highest rate of self-employed workers.As of 2024, the states with the highest percentage of self-employed workers were Vermont at 8.6%, Montana at 8.4%, Maine at 8.0%, South Dakota at 7.6%, and North Dakota at 7.4%. California comes in at No. 6 with 7.4% of its population identifying as self-employed, according to an analysis from AD Mortgage.A leading non-qualified mortgage lender, AD Mortgage pulled from the 2019 and 2024 U.S. Census Bureau ACS data for all 50 states and Washington, DC, to get a glimpse at the self-employment trend throughout the country.A self-employed worker is defined as an employed person aged 16 or older who works in their own unincorporated business. In addition to small-business owners, this title refers to freelance workers such as writers, videographers, and graphic designers; personal service providers like cosmetologists and personal trainers; and gig workers such as ride-share drivers, food couriers, and independent task workers.“The employment market is changing and is not as traditional as it used to be,” Mike Pearson, senior v...