Counties in Alabama by business establishments (QCEW)

Jefferson County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 67 counties in 2024, at 22,923. Coosa County had the lowest, at 158. The median was 805 and the figure for Alabama was 160,887. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest22,923Jefferson County
Lowest158Coosa County
Median80567 counties
Alabama160,887History

Map of counties, 2024

Autauga County: 1,120 countBaldwin County: 8,757 countBarbour County: 595 countBibb County: 445 countBlount County: 956 countBullock County: 208 countButler County: 526 countCalhoun County: 2,828 countChambers County: 779 countCherokee County: 498 countChilton County: 922 countChoctaw County: 354 countClarke County: 730 countClay County: 254 countCleburne County: 289 countCoffee County: 1,372 countColbert County: 1,621 countConecuh County: 286 countCoosa County: 158 countCovington County: 1,134 countCrenshaw County: 300 countCullman County: 2,308 countDale County: 1,130 countDallas County: 976 countDeKalb County: 1,482 countElmore County: 1,787 countEscambia County: 934 countEtowah County: 2,439 countFayette County: 370 countFranklin County: 691 countGeneva County: 605 countGreene County: 174 countHale County: 331 countHenry County: 420 countHouston County: 3,720 countJackson County: 1,192 countJefferson County: 22,923 countLamar County: 300 countLauderdale County: 2,558 countLawrence County: 572 countLee County: 4,362 countLimestone County: 2,050 countLowndes County: 207 countMacon County: 310 countMadison County: 13,778 countMarengo County: 568 countMarion County: 712 countMarshall County: 2,582 countMobile County: 12,216 countMonroe County: 488 countMontgomery County: 7,267 countMorgan County: 3,362 countPerry County: 184 countPickens County: 398 countPike County: 805 countRandolph County: 470 countRussell County: 1,202 countSt. Clair County: 1,943 countShelby County: 7,251 countSumter County: 294 countTalladega County: 1,578 countTallapoosa County: 1,052 countTuscaloosa County: 5,406 countWalker County: 1,536 countWashington County: 318 countWilcox County: 324 countWinston County: 538 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,400
  • 1,400 to 2,600
  • 2,600 and over
count, 2024. 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, 2024

Jefferson County: 22,923 countJefferson County22,923Madison County: 13,778 countMadison County13,778Mobile County: 12,216 countMobile County12,216Baldwin County: 8,757 countBaldwin County8,757Montgomery County: 7,267 countMontgomery County7,267Shelby County: 7,251 countShelby County7,251Tuscaloosa County: 5,406 countTuscaloosa County5,406Lee County: 4,362 countLee County4,362Houston County: 3,720 countHouston County3,720Morgan County: 3,362 countMorgan County3,362Calhoun County: 2,828 countCalhoun County2,828Marshall County: 2,582 countMarshall County2,582Lauderdale County: 2,558 countLauderdale County2,558Etowah County: 2,439 countEtowah County2,439Cullman County: 2,308 countCullman County2,308Limestone County: 2,050 countLimestone County2,050St. Clair County: 1,943 countSt. Clair County1,943Elmore County: 1,787 countElmore County1,787Colbert County: 1,621 countColbert County1,621Talladega County: 1,578 countTalladega County1,578Walker County: 1,536 countWalker County1,536DeKalb County: 1,482 countDeKalb County1,482Coffee County: 1,372 countCoffee County1,372Russell County: 1,202 countRussell County1,202Jackson County: 1,192 countJackson County1,192Covington County: 1,134 countCovington County1,134Dale County: 1,130 countDale County1,130Autauga County: 1,120 countAutauga County1,120Tallapoosa County: 1,052 countTallapoosa County1,052Dallas County: 976 countDallas County976Blount County: 956 countBlount County956Escambia County: 934 countEscambia County934Chilton County: 922 countChilton County922Pike County: 805 countPike County805Chambers County: 779 countChambers County779Clarke County: 730 countClarke County730Marion County: 712 countMarion County712Franklin County: 691 countFranklin County691Geneva County: 605 countGeneva County605Barbour County: 595 countBarbour County595Jefferson County: 22,923 countJefferson County22,923Madison County: 13,778 countMadison County13,778Mobile County: 12,216 countMobile County12,216Baldwin County: 8,757 countBaldwin County8,757Montgomery County: 7,267 countMontgomery County7,267Shelby County: 7,251 countShelby County7,251Tuscaloosa County: 5,406 countTuscaloosa County5,406Lee County: 4,362 countLee County4,362Houston County: 3,720 countHouston County3,720Morgan County: 3,362 countMorgan County3,362Calhoun County: 2,828 countCalhoun County2,828Marshall County: 2,582 countMarshall County2,582Lauderdale County: 2,558 countLauderdale County2,558Etowah County: 2,439 countEtowah County2,439Cullman County: 2,308 countCullman County2,308Limestone County: 2,050 countLimestone County2,050St. Clair County: 1,943 countSt. Clair County1,943Elmore County: 1,787 countElmore County1,787Colbert County: 1,621 countColbert County1,621Talladega County: 1,578 countTalladega County1,578Walker County: 1,536 countWalker County1,536DeKalb County: 1,482 countDeKalb County1,482Coffee County: 1,372 countCoffee County1,372Russell County: 1,202 countRussell County1,202Jackson County: 1,192 countJackson County1,192Covington County: 1,134 countCovington County1,134Dale County: 1,130 countDale County1,130Autauga County: 1,120 countAutauga County1,120Tallapoosa County: 1,052 countTallapoosa County1,052Dallas County: 976 countDallas County976Blount County: 956 countBlount County956Escambia County: 934 countEscambia County934Chilton County: 922 countChilton County922Pike County: 805 countPike County805Chambers County: 779 countChambers County779Clarke County: 730 countClarke County730Marion County: 712 countMarion County712Franklin County: 691 countFranklin County691Geneva County: 605 countGeneva County605Barbour County: 595 countBarbour County595
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

RankCounties2024
count
Change on 2023
1Jefferson County22,923+2.2%
2Madison County13,778+5.6%
3Mobile County12,216+1.7%
4Baldwin County8,757+5.5%
5Montgomery County7,267+1.8%
6Shelby County7,251+3.9%
7Tuscaloosa County5,406+3.1%
8Lee County4,362+3.6%
9Houston County3,720+3.9%
10Morgan County3,362+3.7%
11Calhoun County2,828+1%
12Marshall County2,582+4%
13Lauderdale County2,558+3.4%
14Etowah County2,439+2.7%
15Cullman County2,308+3.1%
16Limestone County2,050+9.5%
17St. Clair County1,943+6.3%
18Elmore County1,787+4.6%
19Colbert County1,621+5.1%
20Talladega County1,578+1.8%
21Walker County1,536-0.8%
22DeKalb County1,482+3.4%
23Coffee County1,372+3.1%
24Russell County1,202+2%
25Jackson County1,192+1.2%
26Covington County1,134+4.1%
27Dale County1,130+2.6%
28Autauga County1,120+4.4%
29Tallapoosa County1,052+1.3%
30Dallas County976+0.4%
31Blount County956+2.6%
32Escambia County934+0.3%
33Chilton County922+1%
34Pike County805+0.9%
35Chambers County779+1.4%
36Clarke County730-4.3%
37Marion County712+2.2%
38Franklin County691+3.1%
39Geneva County605-1.5%
40Barbour County595+0.7%
41Lawrence County572+0.2%
42Marengo County568+2.3%
43Winston County538+2.7%
44Butler County526-3.5%
45Cherokee County498+2.3%
46Monroe County488-1.6%
47Randolph County470+1.7%
48Bibb County445+2.8%
49Henry County420-0.5%
50Pickens County398+3.6%
51Fayette County370-1.3%
52Choctaw County354-3%
53Hale County331+3.8%
54Wilcox County324+8.4%
55Washington County318+1.6%
56Macon County310+2.3%
57Crenshaw County300+0.7%
57Lamar County300-3.2%
59Sumter County294-5.2%
60Cleburne County289+1%
61Conecuh County286+1.1%
62Clay County254+2.8%
63Bullock County208-1.4%
64Lowndes County207-2.4%
65Perry County184+5.1%
66Greene County174-1.1%
67Coosa County1580%

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/2024/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), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/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), 2024. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024. 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), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024.

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), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_alabama_by_2024,
  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), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024. 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/2024/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), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/alabama-counties?period=2024.
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/2024/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 22,923 in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Coosa County, with 158 in 2024.

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