Counties in Idaho by business establishments (QCEW)

Ada County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 44 counties in 2018, at 16,471. Clark County had the lowest, at 49. The median was 518 and the figure for Idaho was 63,632. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest16,471Ada County
Lowest49Clark County
Median51844 counties
Idaho63,632History

Map of counties, 2018

Ada County: 16,471 countAdams County: 184 countBannock County: 2,352 countBear Lake County: 229 countBenewah County: 346 countBingham County: 1,116 countBlaine County: 1,652 countBoise County: 202 countBonner County: 1,733 countBonneville County: 3,962 countBoundary County: 476 countButte County: 141 countCamas County: 62 countCanyon County: 5,276 countCaribou County: 298 countCassia County: 920 countClark County: 49 countClearwater County: 311 countCuster County: 251 countElmore County: 623 countFranklin County: 421 countFremont County: 399 countGem County: 487 countGooding County: 549 countIdaho County: 575 countJefferson County: 704 countJerome County: 708 countKootenai County: 5,463 countLatah County: 1,104 countLemhi County: 384 countLewis County: 210 countLincoln County: 164 countMadison County: 1,034 countMinidoka County: 612 countNez Perce County: 1,243 countOneida County: 145 countOwyhee County: 294 countPayette County: 623 countPower County: 241 countShoshone County: 418 countTeton County: 562 countTwin Falls County: 2,941 countValley County: 651 countWashington County: 282 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,600
  • 1,600 and over
count, 2018. 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.

All counties, 2018

Ada County: 16,471 countAda County16,471Kootenai County: 5,463 countKootenai County5,463Canyon County: 5,276 countCanyon County5,276Bonneville County: 3,962 countBonneville County3,962Twin Falls County: 2,941 countTwin Falls County2,941Bannock County: 2,352 countBannock County2,352Bonner County: 1,733 countBonner County1,733Blaine County: 1,652 countBlaine County1,652Nez Perce County: 1,243 countNez Perce County1,243Bingham County: 1,116 countBingham County1,116Latah County: 1,104 countLatah County1,104Madison County: 1,034 countMadison County1,034Cassia County: 920 countCassia County920Jerome County: 708 countJerome County708Jefferson County: 704 countJefferson County704Valley County: 651 countValley County651Elmore County: 623 countElmore County623Payette County: 623 countPayette County623Minidoka County: 612 countMinidoka County612Idaho County: 575 countIdaho County575Teton County: 562 countTeton County562Gooding County: 549 countGooding County549Gem County: 487 countGem County487Boundary County: 476 countBoundary County476Franklin County: 421 countFranklin County421Shoshone County: 418 countShoshone County418Fremont County: 399 countFremont County399Lemhi County: 384 countLemhi County384Benewah County: 346 countBenewah County346Clearwater County: 311 countClearwater County311Caribou County: 298 countCaribou County298Owyhee County: 294 countOwyhee County294Washington County: 282 countWashington County282Custer County: 251 countCuster County251Power County: 241 countPower County241Bear Lake County: 229 countBear Lake County229Lewis County: 210 countLewis County210Boise County: 202 countBoise County202Adams County: 184 countAdams County184Lincoln County: 164 countLincoln County164Oneida County: 145 countOneida County145Butte County: 141 countButte County141Camas County: 62 countCamas County62Clark County: 49 countClark County49Ada County: 16,471 countAda County16,471Kootenai County: 5,463 countKootenai County5,463Canyon County: 5,276 countCanyon County5,276Bonneville County: 3,962 countBonneville County3,962Twin Falls County: 2,941 countTwin Falls County2,941Bannock County: 2,352 countBannock County2,352Bonner County: 1,733 countBonner County1,733Blaine County: 1,652 countBlaine County1,652Nez Perce County: 1,243 countNez Perce County1,243Bingham County: 1,116 countBingham County1,116Latah County: 1,104 countLatah County1,104Madison County: 1,034 countMadison County1,034Cassia County: 920 countCassia County920Jerome County: 708 countJerome County708Jefferson County: 704 countJefferson County704Valley County: 651 countValley County651Elmore County: 623 countElmore County623Payette County: 623 countPayette County623Minidoka County: 612 countMinidoka County612Idaho County: 575 countIdaho County575Teton County: 562 countTeton County562Gooding County: 549 countGooding County549Gem County: 487 countGem County487Boundary County: 476 countBoundary County476Franklin County: 421 countFranklin County421Shoshone County: 418 countShoshone County418Fremont County: 399 countFremont County399Lemhi County: 384 countLemhi County384Benewah County: 346 countBenewah County346Clearwater County: 311 countClearwater County311Caribou County: 298 countCaribou County298Owyhee County: 294 countOwyhee County294Washington County: 282 countWashington County282Custer County: 251 countCuster County251Power County: 241 countPower County241Bear Lake County: 229 countBear Lake County229Lewis County: 210 countLewis County210Boise County: 202 countBoise County202Adams County: 184 countAdams County184Lincoln County: 164 countLincoln County164Oneida County: 145 countOneida County145Butte County: 141 countButte County141Camas County: 62 countCamas County62Clark County: 49 countClark County49
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

RankCounties2018
count
Change on 2017
1Ada County16,471+4.3%
2Kootenai County5,463+3.6%
3Canyon County5,276+6.4%
4Bonneville County3,962+2.8%
5Twin Falls County2,941+1%
6Bannock County2,352+0.9%
7Bonner County1,733+3.2%
8Blaine County1,652+1.4%
9Nez Perce County1,243+0.3%
10Bingham County1,116+0.6%
11Latah County1,104+1.8%
12Madison County1,034+2.2%
13Cassia County920+2.4%
14Jerome County708+1.3%
15Jefferson County704+2.8%
16Valley County651+2.8%
17Elmore County623-0.3%
17Payette County623+3.5%
19Minidoka County612+3.4%
20Idaho County575+3.4%
21Teton County562+6.6%
22Gooding County549-0.2%
23Gem County487+4.3%
24Boundary County476+1.7%
25Franklin County421+4.5%
26Shoshone County418+1.5%
27Fremont County399+1.5%
28Lemhi County384-1.5%
29Benewah County346-0.6%
30Clearwater County311-1%
31Caribou County298+2.8%
32Owyhee County294+1.4%
33Washington County282-2.8%
34Custer County251+1.2%
35Power County2410%
36Bear Lake County229-3.8%
37Lewis County210-3.2%
38Boise County202+0.5%
39Adams County184-4.7%
40Lincoln County164+4.5%
41Oneida County145+5.1%
42Butte County141-2.1%
43Camas County62-6.1%
44Clark County49-2%

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/2018/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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018. 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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018.

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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_idaho_by_2018,
  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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/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 Idaho by business establishments (QCEW), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Ada County, with 16,471 in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Clark County, with 49 in 2018.

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 Idaho: more rankings