523210

Analysis

NAICS 523210 is the 2022 national industry for securities and commodity exchanges, part of 52321 (Securities and Commodity Exchanges). Census lists 7 example activities under it in the official index.

Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 35% and employment rose 22%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.

County Business Patterns counts 54 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 7,056 people at an average annual payroll of $227,142 per employee (100th percentile of national industries). 56% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.

Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include commodity contracts exchanges, exchanges, commodity contracts, exchanges, securities and futures commodity contracts exchanges, among 7 in all.

For example, investment banking, securities dealing, securities brokering, commodity contracts dealing, or commodity contracts brokering are classified in 5231 (Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage) instead.

Census lists 2 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 5231 and 523999. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.