Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW)

Jefferson County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2020, at 19,488. Coosa County had the lowest, at 138. The median was 730 and the figure for Alabama was 132,126. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest19,488Jefferson County
Lowest138Coosa County
Median73067 counties
Alabama132,126History

Map of counties, 2020

Autauga County: 910 countBaldwin County: 6,686 countBarbour County: 566 countBibb County: 370 countBlount County: 805 countBullock County: 183 countButler County: 489 countCalhoun County: 2,555 countChambers County: 633 countCherokee County: 421 countChilton County: 832 countChoctaw County: 328 countClarke County: 676 countClay County: 221 countCleburne County: 235 countCoffee County: 1,070 countColbert County: 1,372 countConecuh County: 253 countCoosa County: 138 countCovington County: 921 countCrenshaw County: 277 countCullman County: 1,883 countDale County: 891 countDallas County: 859 countDeKalb County: 1,242 countElmore County: 1,448 countEscambia County: 837 countEtowah County: 2,095 countFayette County: 346 countFranklin County: 597 countGeneva County: 516 countGreene County: 165 countHale County: 288 countHenry County: 356 countHouston County: 3,072 countJackson County: 1,017 countJefferson County: 19,488 countLamar County: 280 countLauderdale County: 2,139 countLawrence County: 480 countLee County: 3,397 countLimestone County: 1,519 countLowndes County: 179 countMacon County: 255 countMadison County: 10,264 countMarengo County: 512 countMarion County: 624 countMarshall County: 2,125 countMobile County: 10,449 countMonroe County: 460 countMontgomery County: 6,470 countMorgan County: 2,848 countPerry County: 159 countPickens County: 340 countPike County: 730 countRandolph County: 407 countRussell County: 969 countSt. Clair County: 1,579 countShelby County: 5,963 countSumter County: 257 countTalladega County: 1,422 countTallapoosa County: 877 countTuscaloosa County: 4,680 countWalker County: 1,399 countWashington County: 270 countWilcox County: 248 countWinston County: 490 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,100
  • 1,100 to 2,100
  • 2,100 and over
count, 2020. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2020

Jefferson County: 19,488 countJefferson County19,488Mobile County: 10,449 countMobile County10,449Madison County: 10,264 countMadison County10,264Baldwin County: 6,686 countBaldwin County6,686Montgomery County: 6,470 countMontgomery County6,470Shelby County: 5,963 countShelby County5,963Tuscaloosa County: 4,680 countTuscaloosa County4,680Lee County: 3,397 countLee County3,397Houston County: 3,072 countHouston County3,072Morgan County: 2,848 countMorgan County2,848Calhoun County: 2,555 countCalhoun County2,555Lauderdale County: 2,139 countLauderdale County2,139Marshall County: 2,125 countMarshall County2,125Etowah County: 2,095 countEtowah County2,095Cullman County: 1,883 countCullman County1,883St. Clair County: 1,579 countSt. Clair County1,579Limestone County: 1,519 countLimestone County1,519Elmore County: 1,448 countElmore County1,448Talladega County: 1,422 countTalladega County1,422Walker County: 1,399 countWalker County1,399Colbert County: 1,372 countColbert County1,372DeKalb County: 1,242 countDeKalb County1,242Coffee County: 1,070 countCoffee County1,070Jackson County: 1,017 countJackson County1,017Russell County: 969 countRussell County969Covington County: 921 countCovington County921Autauga County: 910 countAutauga County910Dale County: 891 countDale County891Tallapoosa County: 877 countTallapoosa County877Dallas County: 859 countDallas County859Escambia County: 837 countEscambia County837Chilton County: 832 countChilton County832Blount County: 805 countBlount County805Pike County: 730 countPike County730Clarke County: 676 countClarke County676Chambers County: 633 countChambers County633Marion County: 624 countMarion County624Franklin County: 597 countFranklin County597Barbour County: 566 countBarbour County566Geneva County: 516 countGeneva County516Jefferson County: 19,488 countJefferson County19,488Mobile County: 10,449 countMobile County10,449Madison County: 10,264 countMadison County10,264Baldwin County: 6,686 countBaldwin County6,686Montgomery County: 6,470 countMontgomery County6,470Shelby County: 5,963 countShelby County5,963Tuscaloosa County: 4,680 countTuscaloosa County4,680Lee County: 3,397 countLee County3,397Houston County: 3,072 countHouston County3,072Morgan County: 2,848 countMorgan County2,848Calhoun County: 2,555 countCalhoun County2,555Lauderdale County: 2,139 countLauderdale County2,139Marshall County: 2,125 countMarshall County2,125Etowah County: 2,095 countEtowah County2,095Cullman County: 1,883 countCullman County1,883St. Clair County: 1,579 countSt. Clair County1,579Limestone County: 1,519 countLimestone County1,519Elmore County: 1,448 countElmore County1,448Talladega County: 1,422 countTalladega County1,422Walker County: 1,399 countWalker County1,399Colbert County: 1,372 countColbert County1,372DeKalb County: 1,242 countDeKalb County1,242Coffee County: 1,070 countCoffee County1,070Jackson County: 1,017 countJackson County1,017Russell County: 969 countRussell County969Covington County: 921 countCovington County921Autauga County: 910 countAutauga County910Dale County: 891 countDale County891Tallapoosa County: 877 countTallapoosa County877Dallas County: 859 countDallas County859Escambia County: 837 countEscambia County837Chilton County: 832 countChilton County832Blount County: 805 countBlount County805Pike County: 730 countPike County730Clarke County: 676 countClarke County676Chambers County: 633 countChambers County633Marion County: 624 countMarion County624Franklin County: 597 countFranklin County597Barbour County: 566 countBarbour County566Geneva County: 516 countGeneva County516
count. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
count
Change on 2019
1Jefferson County19,488+1.8%
2Mobile County10,449+1.4%
3Madison County10,264+2.9%
4Baldwin County6,686+3.3%
5Montgomery County6,470+0.7%
6Shelby County5,963+1%
7Tuscaloosa County4,680+1.3%
8Lee County3,397+2.5%
9Houston County3,072+2.1%
10Morgan County2,848+1.2%
11Calhoun County2,555+0.6%
12Lauderdale County2,139+0.4%
13Marshall County2,125-0%
14Etowah County2,095-1.1%
15Cullman County1,883+1.2%
16St. Clair County1,579+1.3%
17Limestone County1,519+1.6%
18Elmore County1,448+2.3%
19Talladega County1,422+0.8%
20Walker County1,399-0.4%
21Colbert County1,372+2.5%
22DeKalb County1,242+2.8%
23Coffee County1,070-0.1%
24Jackson County1,017+1.4%
25Russell County969+3.7%
26Covington County921+0.9%
27Autauga County910+2.5%
28Dale County891+1.7%
29Tallapoosa County877+1.2%
30Dallas County8590%
31Escambia County837+0.5%
32Chilton County832+1.7%
33Blount County805+2.3%
34Pike County730+0.3%
35Clarke County676+2.4%
36Chambers County633+1.6%
37Marion County624-0.8%
38Franklin County597-0.7%
39Barbour County566+0.7%
40Geneva County516+2.8%
41Marengo County512-2.1%
42Winston County490-0.6%
43Butler County489+0.6%
44Lawrence County480+1.1%
45Monroe County460+1.8%
46Cherokee County421+2.2%
47Randolph County4070%
48Bibb County3700%
49Henry County356+3.8%
50Fayette County346+1.5%
51Pickens County340+0.3%
52Choctaw County328+1.2%
53Hale County288+0.3%
54Lamar County2800%
55Crenshaw County277+5.3%
56Washington County270-1.1%
57Sumter County257+4%
58Macon County255+6.3%
59Conecuh County253-0.8%
60Wilcox County248+1.2%
61Cleburne County235+0.9%
62Clay County221+0.9%
63Bullock County183+2.8%
64Lowndes County179-1.6%
65Greene County165+1.2%
66Perry County159-0.6%
67Coosa County138+7.8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of establishments with jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An establishment is a single place of business, such as a factory, store or office; a company with several locations has several.

Counts places of business, not firms: for firms use employer_firms. Changes in how large employers report their locations can move the count without any change in activity.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Jefferson County, with 19,488 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Coosa County, with 138 in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Business establishments (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings