# Circular Studios research data

Release: 2026-09-05. Industry reference year: 2023. Historical employer series: 2019-2023.

Reports and methodology:
- https://circularstudios.com/research/photography-business-statistics
- https://circularstudios.com/research/fine-arts-school-statistics

## Files

Each report has a full JSON dataset, a `-states.csv` file (50 states + D.C.), and a `-history.csv` file (five national annual records). CSV encoding is UTF-8. Empty CSV fields correspond to JSON null, not zero. Source-records.json preserves selected original string fields from both reports. Source-manifest.json identifies each original archive, its download URL, byte count, SHA-256 checksum, review date, and retained record count.

## Units and fields

| Field | Definition |
| --- | --- |
| naics | Industry code as text. CBP: 2017 NAICS; NES: 2022 NAICS. |
| stateFips | Two-character state/D.C. FIPS code. Keep leading zeroes. |
| state | Census state or district name. |
| referenceYear / year | Year of the industry observation, not publication year. |
| employerEstablishments | CBP locations with paid employees. Not firms, people, or rental spaces. |
| employees | Employment around mid-March, all occupations. Not full-time equivalents. |
| annualPayrollUsd | Annual payroll in nominal USD; source `ap` multiplied by 1,000. Not revenue. |
| establishmentsUnder5Employees | CBP `n<5` size band. Not necessarily new or owner-operated businesses. |
| employerEstablishments2019 | Corresponding 2019 state establishment count. |
| establishmentChange2019To2023Pct | (2023 establishments / 2019 establishments - 1) x 100. |
| population2023 | July 1, 2023 population, revised in Vintage 2025. |
| populationVintage | 2025. Do not substitute 2025 population for the 2023 denominator. |
| employerEstablishmentsPer100kResidents | 2023 employer establishments / population2023 x 100,000. Not an opportunity score. |
| employmentNoiseFlag / payrollNoiseFlag | Original CBP noise flags. Historical layout: G <2%, H 2% to <5%, J >=5%; N unavailable/not comparable. |
| nonemployerBusinesses | NES businesses without paid employees. Separate universe from employer establishments. |
| nonemployerReceiptsUsd | Annual gross receipts in nominal USD; source RCPTOT x 1,000. Not net income. |
| nonemployerReceiptsNoiseFlag | Original NES receipts noise flag. |
| receiptsSizeCode | NES published receipts band. 111: <$5,000; 118: $5,000-$9,999; 119: $10,000-$24,999; 121: $25,000-$49,999; 122: $50,000-$99,999; 123: $100,000-$249,999; 125: $250,000-$499,999; 131: $500,000-$999,999; 133: $1,000,000-$2,499,999. |

G/H/J flagged numeric values are retained, not treated as exact unperturbed measurements. N/S or nonnumeric missing/suppressed values become null. Rates are rounded to six decimal places; article displays use fewer decimals. Percentages in the report can fail to total exactly 100% because of rounding.

NAICS 54192 is photographic services, comprising portrait photography studios (541921) and commercial photography (541922). NAICS 611610 includes dance, music, drama, and art instruction; it is not dance-only. Fine arts school nonemployer fields are unavailable in this extract and remain null. Broad educational-services nonemployer counts are not substituted.

NES methodology changed in 2022. The report uses only the 2023 NES snapshot, not historical nonemployer growth. Employer location change is not a startup birth, closure, or survival rate. State/D.C. establishment totals reconcile to national totals. Charts rank the 50 states; D.C. remains in the downloadable tables.

At source review, Census's CBP methodology page said its guidance was no longer current while Commerce reevaluated noise infusion. The reports disclose this and use the explicitly linked historical 2018-2023 record layout for flag interpretation.

## Reproduction and reuse

Repository: https://github.com/dotiomain/circular-studios

Run `python3 scripts/build-research-data.py` from the repository. This downloads public bulk files into ignored `.research-cache/`, validates counts, and produces the extracts. No API key or runtime data request is required. For graphics, run `scripts/build-research-charts.py` with Python and Pillow. Its font directory is configurable through RESEARCH_FONT_DIR. See the repository research release notes for review/update steps.

Original Circular Studios analysis, compiled extracts, and charts: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Underlying U.S. federal source data remain public domain; this license does not restrict reuse of those facts. Cite Circular Studios and the U.S. Census Bureau, retain data years and scope, and indicate changes. Do not imply government endorsement.