Data / Rankings / Business establishments (QCEW) / Counties in Arkansas

Counties in Arkansas by business establishments (QCEW)

Pulaski County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 75 counties in 2023, at 14,271. Calhoun County had the lowest, at 106. The median was 465 and the figure for Arkansas was 102,529. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest14,271Pulaski County
Lowest106Calhoun County
Median46575 counties
Arkansas102,529History

Map of counties, 2023

Arkansas County: 943 countAshley County: 512 countBaxter County: 1,289 countBenton County: 8,082 countBoone County: 976 countBradley County: 327 countCalhoun County: 106 countCarroll County: 811 countChicot County: 376 countClark County: 665 countClay County: 357 countCleburne County: 639 countCleveland County: 127 countColumbia County: 637 countConway County: 507 countCraighead County: 3,009 countCrawford County: 1,270 countCrittenden County: 1,095 countCross County: 462 countDallas County: 224 countDesha County: 452 countDrew County: 523 countFaulkner County: 3,225 countFranklin County: 404 countFulton County: 213 countGarland County: 3,234 countGrant County: 352 countGreene County: 940 countHempstead County: 509 countHot Spring County: 615 countHoward County: 350 countIndependence County: 947 countIzard County: 261 countJackson County: 421 countJefferson County: 1,739 countJohnson County: 492 countLafayette County: 160 countLawrence County: 396 countLee County: 221 countLincoln County: 240 countLittle River County: 231 countLogan County: 465 countLonoke County: 1,404 countMadison County: 289 countMarion County: 298 countMiller County: 903 countMississippi County: 1,013 countMonroe County: 239 countMontgomery County: 170 countNevada County: 190 countNewton County: 120 countOuachita County: 593 countPerry County: 145 countPhillips County: 603 countPike County: 272 countPoinsett County: 470 countPolk County: 488 countPope County: 1,794 countPrairie County: 230 countPulaski County: 14,271 countRandolph County: 395 countSt. Francis County: 595 countSaline County: 2,397 countScott County: 186 countSearcy County: 168 countSebastian County: 3,757 countSevier County: 321 countSharp County: 399 countStone County: 285 countUnion County: 1,179 countVan Buren County: 340 countWashington County: 6,831 countWhite County: 1,818 countWoodruff County: 180 countYell County: 421 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 600
  • 600 to 1,300
  • 1,300 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

Pulaski County: 14,271 countPulaski County14,271Benton County: 8,082 countBenton County8,082Washington County: 6,831 countWashington County6,831Sebastian County: 3,757 countSebastian County3,757Garland County: 3,234 countGarland County3,234Faulkner County: 3,225 countFaulkner County3,225Craighead County: 3,009 countCraighead County3,009Saline County: 2,397 countSaline County2,397White County: 1,818 countWhite County1,818Pope County: 1,794 countPope County1,794Jefferson County: 1,739 countJefferson County1,739Lonoke County: 1,404 countLonoke County1,404Baxter County: 1,289 countBaxter County1,289Crawford County: 1,270 countCrawford County1,270Union County: 1,179 countUnion County1,179Crittenden County: 1,095 countCrittenden County1,095Mississippi County: 1,013 countMississippi County1,013Boone County: 976 countBoone County976Independence County: 947 countIndependence County947Arkansas County: 943 countArkansas County943Greene County: 940 countGreene County940Miller County: 903 countMiller County903Carroll County: 811 countCarroll County811Clark County: 665 countClark County665Cleburne County: 639 countCleburne County639Columbia County: 637 countColumbia County637Hot Spring County: 615 countHot Spring County615Phillips County: 603 countPhillips County603St. Francis County: 595 countSt. Francis County595Ouachita County: 593 countOuachita County593Drew County: 523 countDrew County523Ashley County: 512 countAshley County512Hempstead County: 509 countHempstead County509Conway County: 507 countConway County507Johnson County: 492 countJohnson County492Polk County: 488 countPolk County488Poinsett County: 470 countPoinsett County470Logan County: 465 countLogan County465Cross County: 462 countCross County462Desha County: 452 countDesha County452Pulaski County: 14,271 countPulaski County14,271Benton County: 8,082 countBenton County8,082Washington County: 6,831 countWashington County6,831Sebastian County: 3,757 countSebastian County3,757Garland County: 3,234 countGarland County3,234Faulkner County: 3,225 countFaulkner County3,225Craighead County: 3,009 countCraighead County3,009Saline County: 2,397 countSaline County2,397White County: 1,818 countWhite County1,818Pope County: 1,794 countPope County1,794Jefferson County: 1,739 countJefferson County1,739Lonoke County: 1,404 countLonoke County1,404Baxter County: 1,289 countBaxter County1,289Crawford County: 1,270 countCrawford County1,270Union County: 1,179 countUnion County1,179Crittenden County: 1,095 countCrittenden County1,095Mississippi County: 1,013 countMississippi County1,013Boone County: 976 countBoone County976Independence County: 947 countIndependence County947Arkansas County: 943 countArkansas County943Greene County: 940 countGreene County940Miller County: 903 countMiller County903Carroll County: 811 countCarroll County811Clark County: 665 countClark County665Cleburne County: 639 countCleburne County639Columbia County: 637 countColumbia County637Hot Spring County: 615 countHot Spring County615Phillips County: 603 countPhillips County603St. Francis County: 595 countSt. Francis County595Ouachita County: 593 countOuachita County593Drew County: 523 countDrew County523Ashley County: 512 countAshley County512Hempstead County: 509 countHempstead County509Conway County: 507 countConway County507Johnson County: 492 countJohnson County492Polk County: 488 countPolk County488Poinsett County: 470 countPoinsett County470Logan County: 465 countLogan County465Cross County: 462 countCross County462Desha County: 452 countDesha County452
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
1Pulaski County14,271-0.6%
2Benton County8,082+5%
3Washington County6,831+2.9%
4Sebastian County3,757+0.7%
5Garland County3,234+0.6%
6Faulkner County3,225+3.3%
7Craighead County3,009+1.8%
8Saline County2,397+4.5%
9White County1,818+0.6%
10Pope County1,794-0.4%
11Jefferson County1,739-7.6%
12Lonoke County1,404+3.2%
13Baxter County1,289+3.1%
14Crawford County1,270+0.6%
15Union County1,179-0.8%
16Crittenden County1,095-3.1%
17Mississippi County1,013-1.2%
18Boone County976+2.8%
19Independence County947+2.5%
20Arkansas County943-6.7%
21Greene County940+3.4%
22Miller County903+0.3%
23Carroll County811-1%
24Clark County665+0.3%
25Cleburne County639+1.3%
26Columbia County637-1.7%
27Hot Spring County615+0.5%
28Phillips County603-7.4%
29St. Francis County595-3.7%
30Ouachita County593-3.7%
31Drew County523-3%
32Ashley County512-1.2%
33Hempstead County509-2.9%
34Conway County507-1.4%
35Johnson County492+2.9%
36Polk County488-0.6%
37Poinsett County470+0.4%
38Logan County465-4.7%
39Cross County462+0.9%
40Desha County452-4.8%
41Jackson County421+0.2%
41Yell County421-1.9%
43Franklin County404+2.8%
44Sharp County399+2.8%
45Lawrence County3960%
46Randolph County395+0.3%
47Chicot County376-11.1%
48Clay County357-0.3%
49Grant County352+0.3%
50Howard County350-3%
51Van Buren County340+3.3%
52Bradley County327-3%
53Sevier County321+0.3%
54Marion County298+2.4%
55Madison County289+3.2%
56Stone County285-1.7%
57Pike County272-1.1%
58Izard County261+4.4%
59Lincoln County240-6.3%
60Monroe County239-3.6%
61Little River County231-3.3%
62Prairie County230-3.4%
63Dallas County224-1.3%
64Lee County221-7.1%
65Fulton County213+2.9%
66Nevada County190-5%
67Scott County186+0.5%
68Woodruff County180-3.7%
69Montgomery County170+2.4%
70Searcy County168-3.4%
71Lafayette County160-0.6%
72Perry County145-2%
73Cleveland County127+6.7%
74Newton County120-4%
75Calhoun County106-1.9%

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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_arkansas_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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/arkansas-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 Arkansas by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Pulaski County, with 14,271 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Calhoun County, with 106 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 Arkansas: more rankings