Counties in Idaho by business establishments (QCEW)

Ada County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 44 counties in 2021, at 20,187. Clark County had the lowest, at 46. The median was 574 and the figure for Idaho was 78,581. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest20,187Ada County
Lowest46Clark County
Median57444 counties
Idaho78,581History

Map of counties, 2021

Ada County: 20,187 countAdams County: 190 countBannock County: 2,623 countBear Lake County: 237 countBenewah County: 378 countBingham County: 1,234 countBlaine County: 1,878 countBoise County: 230 countBonner County: 2,043 countBonneville County: 4,543 countBoundary County: 516 countButte County: 132 countCamas County: 65 countCanyon County: 6,667 countCaribou County: 303 countCassia County: 1,014 countClark County: 46 countClearwater County: 331 countCuster County: 262 countElmore County: 676 countFranklin County: 467 countFremont County: 445 countGem County: 592 countGooding County: 555 countIdaho County: 631 countJefferson County: 884 countJerome County: 768 countKootenai County: 6,517 countLatah County: 1,205 countLemhi County: 400 countLewis County: 202 countLincoln County: 165 countMadison County: 1,294 countMinidoka County: 669 countNez Perce County: 1,327 countOneida County: 155 countOwyhee County: 342 countPayette County: 700 countPower County: 262 countShoshone County: 436 countTeton County: 659 countTwin Falls County: 3,317 countValley County: 759 countWashington County: 311 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 400
  • 400 to 600
  • 600 to 800
  • 800 to 1,800
  • 1,800 and over
count, 2021. 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, 2021

Ada County: 20,187 countAda County20,187Canyon County: 6,667 countCanyon County6,667Kootenai County: 6,517 countKootenai County6,517Bonneville County: 4,543 countBonneville County4,543Twin Falls County: 3,317 countTwin Falls County3,317Bannock County: 2,623 countBannock County2,623Bonner County: 2,043 countBonner County2,043Blaine County: 1,878 countBlaine County1,878Nez Perce County: 1,327 countNez Perce County1,327Madison County: 1,294 countMadison County1,294Bingham County: 1,234 countBingham County1,234Latah County: 1,205 countLatah County1,205Cassia County: 1,014 countCassia County1,014Jefferson County: 884 countJefferson County884Jerome County: 768 countJerome County768Valley County: 759 countValley County759Payette County: 700 countPayette County700Elmore County: 676 countElmore County676Minidoka County: 669 countMinidoka County669Teton County: 659 countTeton County659Idaho County: 631 countIdaho County631Gem County: 592 countGem County592Gooding County: 555 countGooding County555Boundary County: 516 countBoundary County516Franklin County: 467 countFranklin County467Fremont County: 445 countFremont County445Shoshone County: 436 countShoshone County436Lemhi County: 400 countLemhi County400Benewah County: 378 countBenewah County378Owyhee County: 342 countOwyhee County342Clearwater County: 331 countClearwater County331Washington County: 311 countWashington County311Caribou County: 303 countCaribou County303Custer County: 262 countCuster County262Power County: 262 countPower County262Bear Lake County: 237 countBear Lake County237Boise County: 230 countBoise County230Lewis County: 202 countLewis County202Adams County: 190 countAdams County190Lincoln County: 165 countLincoln County165Oneida County: 155 countOneida County155Butte County: 132 countButte County132Camas County: 65 countCamas County65Clark County: 46 countClark County46Ada County: 20,187 countAda County20,187Canyon County: 6,667 countCanyon County6,667Kootenai County: 6,517 countKootenai County6,517Bonneville County: 4,543 countBonneville County4,543Twin Falls County: 3,317 countTwin Falls County3,317Bannock County: 2,623 countBannock County2,623Bonner County: 2,043 countBonner County2,043Blaine County: 1,878 countBlaine County1,878Nez Perce County: 1,327 countNez Perce County1,327Madison County: 1,294 countMadison County1,294Bingham County: 1,234 countBingham County1,234Latah County: 1,205 countLatah County1,205Cassia County: 1,014 countCassia County1,014Jefferson County: 884 countJefferson County884Jerome County: 768 countJerome County768Valley County: 759 countValley County759Payette County: 700 countPayette County700Elmore County: 676 countElmore County676Minidoka County: 669 countMinidoka County669Teton County: 659 countTeton County659Idaho County: 631 countIdaho County631Gem County: 592 countGem County592Gooding County: 555 countGooding County555Boundary County: 516 countBoundary County516Franklin County: 467 countFranklin County467Fremont County: 445 countFremont County445Shoshone County: 436 countShoshone County436Lemhi County: 400 countLemhi County400Benewah County: 378 countBenewah County378Owyhee County: 342 countOwyhee County342Clearwater County: 331 countClearwater County331Washington County: 311 countWashington County311Caribou County: 303 countCaribou County303Custer County: 262 countCuster County262Power County: 262 countPower County262Bear Lake County: 237 countBear Lake County237Boise County: 230 countBoise County230Lewis County: 202 countLewis County202Adams County: 190 countAdams County190Lincoln County: 165 countLincoln County165Oneida County: 155 countOneida County155Butte County: 132 countButte County132Camas County: 65 countCamas County65Clark County: 46 countClark County46
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

RankCounties2021
count
Change on 2020
1Ada County20,187+11.5%
2Canyon County6,667+12.3%
3Kootenai County6,517+12.4%
4Bonneville County4,543+8.8%
5Twin Falls County3,317+6.9%
6Bannock County2,623+6.5%
7Bonner County2,043+11.3%
8Blaine County1,878+9.1%
9Nez Perce County1,327+6.3%
10Madison County1,294+11.8%
11Bingham County1,234+5.5%
12Latah County1,205+7.3%
13Cassia County1,014+5.7%
14Jefferson County884+13.2%
15Jerome County768+5.8%
16Valley County759+7.8%
17Payette County700+7.5%
18Elmore County676+6.6%
19Minidoka County669+4.9%
20Teton County659+10.6%
21Idaho County631+4.6%
22Gem County592+12.1%
23Gooding County555+3%
24Boundary County516+7.3%
25Franklin County467+6.4%
26Fremont County445+8.8%
27Shoshone County436+5.3%
28Lemhi County400+3.9%
29Benewah County378+5.6%
30Owyhee County342+6.5%
31Clearwater County331+4.7%
32Washington County311+7.2%
33Caribou County303+5.9%
34Custer County262+4%
34Power County262+6.1%
36Bear Lake County237+5.8%
37Boise County230+9%
38Lewis County202+4.1%
39Adams County190+10.5%
40Lincoln County165+4.4%
41Oneida County155+6.2%
42Butte County132+2.3%
43Camas County65+6.6%
44Clark County46+4.5%

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/2021/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), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021. 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), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021.

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), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_idaho_by_2021,
  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), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/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), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/idaho-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Idaho by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Ada County, with 20,187 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Clark County, with 46 in 2021.

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