Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW)

Jefferson County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2023, at 22,427. Coosa County had the lowest, at 158. The median was 798 and the figure for Alabama was 156,469. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest22,427Jefferson County
Lowest158Coosa County
Median79867 counties
Alabama156,469History

Map of counties, 2023

Autauga County: 1,073 countBaldwin County: 8,302 countBarbour County: 591 countBibb County: 433 countBlount County: 932 countBullock County: 211 countButler County: 545 countCalhoun County: 2,800 countChambers County: 768 countCherokee County: 487 countChilton County: 913 countChoctaw County: 365 countClarke County: 763 countClay County: 247 countCleburne County: 286 countCoffee County: 1,331 countColbert County: 1,542 countConecuh County: 283 countCoosa County: 158 countCovington County: 1,089 countCrenshaw County: 298 countCullman County: 2,238 countDale County: 1,101 countDallas County: 972 countDeKalb County: 1,433 countElmore County: 1,709 countEscambia County: 931 countEtowah County: 2,375 countFayette County: 375 countFranklin County: 670 countGeneva County: 614 countGreene County: 176 countHale County: 319 countHenry County: 422 countHouston County: 3,582 countJackson County: 1,178 countJefferson County: 22,427 countLamar County: 310 countLauderdale County: 2,474 countLawrence County: 571 countLee County: 4,210 countLimestone County: 1,873 countLowndes County: 212 countMacon County: 303 countMadison County: 13,044 countMarengo County: 555 countMarion County: 697 countMarshall County: 2,483 countMobile County: 12,012 countMonroe County: 496 countMontgomery County: 7,141 countMorgan County: 3,243 countPerry County: 175 countPickens County: 384 countPike County: 798 countRandolph County: 462 countRussell County: 1,178 countSt. Clair County: 1,827 countShelby County: 6,982 countSumter County: 310 countTalladega County: 1,550 countTallapoosa County: 1,039 countTuscaloosa County: 5,241 countWalker County: 1,549 countWashington County: 313 countWilcox County: 299 countWinston County: 524 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,300
  • 1,300 to 2,500
  • 2,500 and over
count, 2023. 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, 2023

Jefferson County: 22,427 countJefferson County22,427Madison County: 13,044 countMadison County13,044Mobile County: 12,012 countMobile County12,012Baldwin County: 8,302 countBaldwin County8,302Montgomery County: 7,141 countMontgomery County7,141Shelby County: 6,982 countShelby County6,982Tuscaloosa County: 5,241 countTuscaloosa County5,241Lee County: 4,210 countLee County4,210Houston County: 3,582 countHouston County3,582Morgan County: 3,243 countMorgan County3,243Calhoun County: 2,800 countCalhoun County2,800Marshall County: 2,483 countMarshall County2,483Lauderdale County: 2,474 countLauderdale County2,474Etowah County: 2,375 countEtowah County2,375Cullman County: 2,238 countCullman County2,238Limestone County: 1,873 countLimestone County1,873St. Clair County: 1,827 countSt. Clair County1,827Elmore County: 1,709 countElmore County1,709Talladega County: 1,550 countTalladega County1,550Walker County: 1,549 countWalker County1,549Colbert County: 1,542 countColbert County1,542DeKalb County: 1,433 countDeKalb County1,433Coffee County: 1,331 countCoffee County1,331Jackson County: 1,178 countJackson County1,178Russell County: 1,178 countRussell County1,178Dale County: 1,101 countDale County1,101Covington County: 1,089 countCovington County1,089Autauga County: 1,073 countAutauga County1,073Tallapoosa County: 1,039 countTallapoosa County1,039Dallas County: 972 countDallas County972Blount County: 932 countBlount County932Escambia County: 931 countEscambia County931Chilton County: 913 countChilton County913Pike County: 798 countPike County798Chambers County: 768 countChambers County768Clarke County: 763 countClarke County763Marion County: 697 countMarion County697Franklin County: 670 countFranklin County670Geneva County: 614 countGeneva County614Barbour County: 591 countBarbour County591Jefferson County: 22,427 countJefferson County22,427Madison County: 13,044 countMadison County13,044Mobile County: 12,012 countMobile County12,012Baldwin County: 8,302 countBaldwin County8,302Montgomery County: 7,141 countMontgomery County7,141Shelby County: 6,982 countShelby County6,982Tuscaloosa County: 5,241 countTuscaloosa County5,241Lee County: 4,210 countLee County4,210Houston County: 3,582 countHouston County3,582Morgan County: 3,243 countMorgan County3,243Calhoun County: 2,800 countCalhoun County2,800Marshall County: 2,483 countMarshall County2,483Lauderdale County: 2,474 countLauderdale County2,474Etowah County: 2,375 countEtowah County2,375Cullman County: 2,238 countCullman County2,238Limestone County: 1,873 countLimestone County1,873St. Clair County: 1,827 countSt. Clair County1,827Elmore County: 1,709 countElmore County1,709Talladega County: 1,550 countTalladega County1,550Walker County: 1,549 countWalker County1,549Colbert County: 1,542 countColbert County1,542DeKalb County: 1,433 countDeKalb County1,433Coffee County: 1,331 countCoffee County1,331Jackson County: 1,178 countJackson County1,178Russell County: 1,178 countRussell County1,178Dale County: 1,101 countDale County1,101Covington County: 1,089 countCovington County1,089Autauga County: 1,073 countAutauga County1,073Tallapoosa County: 1,039 countTallapoosa County1,039Dallas County: 972 countDallas County972Blount County: 932 countBlount County932Escambia County: 931 countEscambia County931Chilton County: 913 countChilton County913Pike County: 798 countPike County798Chambers County: 768 countChambers County768Clarke County: 763 countClarke County763Marion County: 697 countMarion County697Franklin County: 670 countFranklin County670Geneva County: 614 countGeneva County614Barbour County: 591 countBarbour County591
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

RankCounties2023
count
Change on 2022
1Jefferson County22,427+4.7%
2Madison County13,044+7.6%
3Mobile County12,012+4.8%
4Baldwin County8,302+6.9%
5Montgomery County7,141+3.3%
6Shelby County6,982+2.5%
7Tuscaloosa County5,241+4%
8Lee County4,210+7.2%
9Houston County3,582+6.1%
10Morgan County3,243+4.8%
11Calhoun County2,800+3%
12Marshall County2,483+6.3%
13Lauderdale County2,474+6.8%
14Etowah County2,375+4.8%
15Cullman County2,238+6.3%
16Limestone County1,873+8%
17St. Clair County1,827+3.3%
18Elmore County1,709+5.6%
19Talladega County1,550+2.7%
20Walker County1,549+3.4%
21Colbert County1,542+3.8%
22DeKalb County1,433+3.8%
23Coffee County1,331+7.8%
24Jackson County1,178+6%
24Russell County1,178+6%
26Dale County1,101+8.7%
27Covington County1,089+8%
28Autauga County1,073+5.2%
29Tallapoosa County1,039+4.8%
30Dallas County972+6.5%
31Blount County932+4%
32Escambia County931+2.5%
33Chilton County913+6.7%
34Pike County798+4.7%
35Chambers County768+6.8%
36Clarke County763+2.7%
37Marion County697+4.3%
38Franklin County670+4.2%
39Geneva County614+5%
40Barbour County591+1.2%
41Lawrence County571+7.5%
42Marengo County555+4.3%
43Butler County545+2.3%
44Winston County524+4.4%
45Monroe County496+0.8%
46Cherokee County487+6.6%
47Randolph County462+3.4%
48Bibb County433+7.2%
49Henry County422+8.2%
50Pickens County384+7.6%
51Fayette County375+3.6%
52Choctaw County3650%
53Hale County319+3.9%
54Washington County313+7.2%
55Lamar County310+4.4%
55Sumter County310+6.9%
57Macon County303+3.8%
58Wilcox County299+9.5%
59Crenshaw County298+1.7%
60Cleburne County286+2.9%
61Conecuh County283+3.3%
62Clay County247+5.6%
63Lowndes County212+3.9%
64Bullock County211+2.4%
65Greene County176+2.9%
66Perry County175+5.4%
67Coosa County158+3.3%

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/2023/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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/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), 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/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 22,427 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Coosa County, with 158 in 2023.

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