Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW)

Jefferson County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2022, at 21,422. Coosa County had the lowest, at 153. The median was 762 and the figure for Alabama was 148,979. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest21,422Jefferson County
Lowest153Coosa County
Median76267 counties
Alabama148,979History

Map of counties, 2022

Autauga County: 1,020 countBaldwin County: 7,766 countBarbour County: 584 countBibb County: 404 countBlount County: 896 countBullock County: 206 countButler County: 533 countCalhoun County: 2,719 countChambers County: 719 countCherokee County: 457 countChilton County: 856 countChoctaw County: 365 countClarke County: 743 countClay County: 234 countCleburne County: 278 countCoffee County: 1,235 countColbert County: 1,485 countConecuh County: 274 countCoosa County: 153 countCovington County: 1,008 countCrenshaw County: 293 countCullman County: 2,105 countDale County: 1,013 countDallas County: 913 countDeKalb County: 1,380 countElmore County: 1,618 countEscambia County: 908 countEtowah County: 2,266 countFayette County: 362 countFranklin County: 643 countGeneva County: 585 countGreene County: 171 countHale County: 307 countHenry County: 390 countHouston County: 3,375 countJackson County: 1,111 countJefferson County: 21,422 countLamar County: 297 countLauderdale County: 2,317 countLawrence County: 531 countLee County: 3,926 countLimestone County: 1,735 countLowndes County: 204 countMacon County: 292 countMadison County: 12,121 countMarengo County: 532 countMarion County: 668 countMarshall County: 2,335 countMobile County: 11,457 countMonroe County: 492 countMontgomery County: 6,914 countMorgan County: 3,095 countPerry County: 166 countPickens County: 357 countPike County: 762 countRandolph County: 447 countRussell County: 1,111 countSt. Clair County: 1,769 countShelby County: 6,809 countSumter County: 290 countTalladega County: 1,509 countTallapoosa County: 991 countTuscaloosa County: 5,038 countWalker County: 1,498 countWashington County: 292 countWilcox County: 273 countWinston County: 502 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,200
  • 1,200 to 2,300
  • 2,300 and over
count, 2022. 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, 2022

Jefferson County: 21,422 countJefferson County21,422Madison County: 12,121 countMadison County12,121Mobile County: 11,457 countMobile County11,457Baldwin County: 7,766 countBaldwin County7,766Montgomery County: 6,914 countMontgomery County6,914Shelby County: 6,809 countShelby County6,809Tuscaloosa County: 5,038 countTuscaloosa County5,038Lee County: 3,926 countLee County3,926Houston County: 3,375 countHouston County3,375Morgan County: 3,095 countMorgan County3,095Calhoun County: 2,719 countCalhoun County2,719Marshall County: 2,335 countMarshall County2,335Lauderdale County: 2,317 countLauderdale County2,317Etowah County: 2,266 countEtowah County2,266Cullman County: 2,105 countCullman County2,105St. Clair County: 1,769 countSt. Clair County1,769Limestone County: 1,735 countLimestone County1,735Elmore County: 1,618 countElmore County1,618Talladega County: 1,509 countTalladega County1,509Walker County: 1,498 countWalker County1,498Colbert County: 1,485 countColbert County1,485DeKalb County: 1,380 countDeKalb County1,380Coffee County: 1,235 countCoffee County1,235Jackson County: 1,111 countJackson County1,111Russell County: 1,111 countRussell County1,111Autauga County: 1,020 countAutauga County1,020Dale County: 1,013 countDale County1,013Covington County: 1,008 countCovington County1,008Tallapoosa County: 991 countTallapoosa County991Dallas County: 913 countDallas County913Escambia County: 908 countEscambia County908Blount County: 896 countBlount County896Chilton County: 856 countChilton County856Pike County: 762 countPike County762Clarke County: 743 countClarke County743Chambers County: 719 countChambers County719Marion County: 668 countMarion County668Franklin County: 643 countFranklin County643Geneva County: 585 countGeneva County585Barbour County: 584 countBarbour County584Jefferson County: 21,422 countJefferson County21,422Madison County: 12,121 countMadison County12,121Mobile County: 11,457 countMobile County11,457Baldwin County: 7,766 countBaldwin County7,766Montgomery County: 6,914 countMontgomery County6,914Shelby County: 6,809 countShelby County6,809Tuscaloosa County: 5,038 countTuscaloosa County5,038Lee County: 3,926 countLee County3,926Houston County: 3,375 countHouston County3,375Morgan County: 3,095 countMorgan County3,095Calhoun County: 2,719 countCalhoun County2,719Marshall County: 2,335 countMarshall County2,335Lauderdale County: 2,317 countLauderdale County2,317Etowah County: 2,266 countEtowah County2,266Cullman County: 2,105 countCullman County2,105St. Clair County: 1,769 countSt. Clair County1,769Limestone County: 1,735 countLimestone County1,735Elmore County: 1,618 countElmore County1,618Talladega County: 1,509 countTalladega County1,509Walker County: 1,498 countWalker County1,498Colbert County: 1,485 countColbert County1,485DeKalb County: 1,380 countDeKalb County1,380Coffee County: 1,235 countCoffee County1,235Jackson County: 1,111 countJackson County1,111Russell County: 1,111 countRussell County1,111Autauga County: 1,020 countAutauga County1,020Dale County: 1,013 countDale County1,013Covington County: 1,008 countCovington County1,008Tallapoosa County: 991 countTallapoosa County991Dallas County: 913 countDallas County913Escambia County: 908 countEscambia County908Blount County: 896 countBlount County896Chilton County: 856 countChilton County856Pike County: 762 countPike County762Clarke County: 743 countClarke County743Chambers County: 719 countChambers County719Marion County: 668 countMarion County668Franklin County: 643 countFranklin County643Geneva County: 585 countGeneva County585Barbour County: 584 countBarbour County584
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

RankCounties2022
count
Change on 2021
1Jefferson County21,422+5.3%
2Madison County12,121+9.3%
3Mobile County11,457+4.8%
4Baldwin County7,766+8.3%
5Montgomery County6,914+4.1%
6Shelby County6,809+6.7%
7Tuscaloosa County5,038+4.4%
8Lee County3,926+8.4%
9Houston County3,375+5%
10Morgan County3,095+5.1%
11Calhoun County2,719+3.8%
12Marshall County2,335+5.5%
13Lauderdale County2,317+6.2%
14Etowah County2,266+3%
15Cullman County2,105+7.2%
16St. Clair County1,769+4.2%
17Limestone County1,735+6.9%
18Elmore County1,618+5.8%
19Talladega County1,509+3.1%
20Walker County1,498+3.4%
21Colbert County1,485+4.4%
22DeKalb County1,380+5.6%
23Coffee County1,235+7.9%
24Jackson County1,111+4.6%
24Russell County1,111+7.2%
26Autauga County1,020+5.8%
27Dale County1,013+8.1%
28Covington County1,008+4%
29Tallapoosa County991+6.8%
30Dallas County913+4.1%
31Escambia County908+4.2%
32Blount County896+5%
33Chilton County856+2.5%
34Pike County762+2%
35Clarke County743+5.7%
36Chambers County719+7.5%
37Marion County668+3.7%
38Franklin County643+5.1%
39Geneva County585+7.3%
40Barbour County584-0.2%
41Butler County533+5.1%
42Marengo County532+2.1%
43Lawrence County531+6.6%
44Winston County502+3.3%
45Monroe County492+3.1%
46Cherokee County457+5.3%
47Randolph County447+5.4%
48Bibb County404+4.9%
49Henry County390+6.6%
50Choctaw County365+5.5%
51Fayette County362+2.8%
52Pickens County357+3.5%
53Hale County307+2.7%
54Lamar County297+2.8%
55Crenshaw County293+2.4%
56Macon County292+8.1%
56Washington County292+4.7%
58Sumter County290+5.5%
59Cleburne County278+9.4%
60Conecuh County274+3%
61Wilcox County273+7.5%
62Clay County234+0.4%
63Bullock County206+5.6%
64Lowndes County204+7.9%
65Greene County171+1.2%
66Perry County166+1.8%
67Coosa County153+3.4%

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/2022/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), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/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), 2022. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022. 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), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022.

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), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022. 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/2022/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), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2022.
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/2022/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 21,422 in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Coosa County, with 153 in 2022.

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