Counties in Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025

Gallatin County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 56 counties in 2025, at 9,632. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 25. The median was 268 and the figure for Montana was 61,060. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest9,632Gallatin County
Median26856 counties
Montana61,060History

Map of counties, 2025

Beaverhead County: 555 countBig Horn County: 269 countBlaine County: 190 countBroadwater County: 276 countCarbon County: 628 countCarter County: 50 countCascade County: 3,117 countChouteau County: 220 countCuster County: 542 countDaniels County: 96 countDawson County: 392 countDeer Lodge County: 333 countFallon County: 177 countFergus County: 554 countFlathead County: 6,888 countGallatin County: 9,632 countGarfield County: 65 countGlacier County: 315 countGolden Valley County: 44 countGranite County: 175 countHill County: 586 countJefferson County: 503 countJudith Basin County: 108 countLake County: 1,273 countLewis and Clark County: 3,612 countLiberty County: 94 countLincoln County: 935 countMcCone County: 80 countMadison County: 602 countMeagher County: 132 countMineral County: 193 countMissoula County: 6,663 countMusselshell County: 185 countPark County: 1,279 countPetroleum County: 25 countPhillips County: 180 countPondera County: 221 countPowder River County: 102 countPowell County: 250 countPrairie County: 60 countRavalli County: 2,360 countRichland County: 618 countRoosevelt County: 267 countRosebud County: 258 countSanders County: 554 countSheridan County: 213 countSilver Bow County: 1,444 countStillwater County: 391 countSweet Grass County: 263 countTeton County: 323 countToole County: 226 countTreasure County: 30 countValley County: 341 countWheatland County: 97 countWibaux County: 44 countYellowstone County: 7,526 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 190
  • 190 to 270
  • 270 to 530
  • 530 to 1,200
  • 1,200 and over
count, 2025. 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, 2025

Gallatin County: 9,632 countGallatin County9,632Yellowstone County: 7,526 countYellowstone County7,526Flathead County: 6,888 countFlathead County6,888Missoula County: 6,663 countMissoula County6,663Lewis and Clark County: 3,612 countLewis and Clark County3,612Cascade County: 3,117 countCascade County3,117Ravalli County: 2,360 countRavalli County2,360Silver Bow County: 1,444 countSilver Bow County1,444Park County: 1,279 countPark County1,279Lake County: 1,273 countLake County1,273Lincoln County: 935 countLincoln County935Carbon County: 628 countCarbon County628Richland County: 618 countRichland County618Madison County: 602 countMadison County602Hill County: 586 countHill County586Beaverhead County: 555 countBeaverhead County555Fergus County: 554 countFergus County554Sanders County: 554 countSanders County554Custer County: 542 countCuster County542Jefferson County: 503 countJefferson County503Dawson County: 392 countDawson County392Stillwater County: 391 countStillwater County391Valley County: 341 countValley County341Deer Lodge County: 333 countDeer Lodge County333Teton County: 323 countTeton County323Glacier County: 315 countGlacier County315Broadwater County: 276 countBroadwater County276Big Horn County: 269 countBig Horn County269Roosevelt County: 267 countRoosevelt County267Sweet Grass County: 263 countSweet Grass County263Rosebud County: 258 countRosebud County258Powell County: 250 countPowell County250Toole County: 226 countToole County226Pondera County: 221 countPondera County221Chouteau County: 220 countChouteau County220Sheridan County: 213 countSheridan County213Mineral County: 193 countMineral County193Blaine County: 190 countBlaine County190Musselshell County: 185 countMusselshell County185Phillips County: 180 countPhillips County180Fallon County: 177 countFallon County177Granite County: 175 countGranite County175Meagher County: 132 countMeagher County132Judith Basin County: 108 countJudith Basin County108Powder River County: 102 countPowder River County102Wheatland County: 97 countWheatland County97Daniels County: 96 countDaniels County96Liberty County: 94 countLiberty County94McCone County: 80 countMcCone County80Garfield County: 65 countGarfield County65Prairie County: 60 countPrairie County60Carter County: 50 countCarter County50Golden Valley County: 44 countGolden Valley County44Wibaux County: 44 countWibaux County44Treasure County: 30 countTreasure County30Petroleum County: 25 countPetroleum County25Gallatin County: 9,632 countGallatin County9,632Yellowstone County: 7,526 countYellowstone County7,526Flathead County: 6,888 countFlathead County6,888Missoula County: 6,663 countMissoula County6,663Lewis and Clark County: 3,612 countLewis and Clark County3,612Cascade County: 3,117 countCascade County3,117Ravalli County: 2,360 countRavalli County2,360Silver Bow County: 1,444 countSilver Bow County1,444Park County: 1,279 countPark County1,279Lake County: 1,273 countLake County1,273Lincoln County: 935 countLincoln County935Carbon County: 628 countCarbon County628Richland County: 618 countRichland County618Madison County: 602 countMadison County602Hill County: 586 countHill County586Beaverhead County: 555 countBeaverhead County555Fergus County: 554 countFergus County554Sanders County: 554 countSanders County554Custer County: 542 countCuster County542Jefferson County: 503 countJefferson County503Dawson County: 392 countDawson County392Stillwater County: 391 countStillwater County391Valley County: 341 countValley County341Deer Lodge County: 333 countDeer Lodge County333Teton County: 323 countTeton County323Glacier County: 315 countGlacier County315Broadwater County: 276 countBroadwater County276Big Horn County: 269 countBig Horn County269Roosevelt County: 267 countRoosevelt County267Sweet Grass County: 263 countSweet Grass County263Rosebud County: 258 countRosebud County258Powell County: 250 countPowell County250Toole County: 226 countToole County226Pondera County: 221 countPondera County221Chouteau County: 220 countChouteau County220Sheridan County: 213 countSheridan County213Mineral County: 193 countMineral County193Blaine County: 190 countBlaine County190Musselshell County: 185 countMusselshell County185Phillips County: 180 countPhillips County180Fallon County: 177 countFallon County177Granite County: 175 countGranite County175Meagher County: 132 countMeagher County132Judith Basin County: 108 countJudith Basin County108Powder River County: 102 countPowder River County102Wheatland County: 97 countWheatland County97Daniels County: 96 countDaniels County96Liberty County: 94 countLiberty County94McCone County: 80 countMcCone County80Garfield County: 65 countGarfield County65Prairie County: 60 countPrairie County60Carter County: 50 countCarter County50Golden Valley County: 44 countGolden Valley County44Wibaux County: 44 countWibaux County44Treasure County: 30 countTreasure County30Petroleum County: 25 countPetroleum County25
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

RankCounties2025
count
Change on 2024
1Gallatin County9,632-1.6%
2Yellowstone County7,526-3.4%
3Flathead County6,888-1.5%
4Missoula County6,663-3.2%
5Lewis and Clark County3,612-3.9%
6Cascade County3,117-2.6%
7Ravalli County2,360-1.4%
8Silver Bow County1,444-2.7%
9Park County1,279-1.6%
10Lake County1,273-2.1%
11Lincoln County935-2.6%
12Carbon County628-2.5%
13Richland County618-4.6%
14Madison County602-2.7%
15Hill County586-2.5%
16Beaverhead County555-5.1%
17Fergus County554-4.5%
17Sanders County554-3.5%
19Custer County542-2.5%
20Jefferson County503+1.6%
21Dawson County392-3.7%
22Stillwater County391-2.5%
23Valley County341-3.7%
24Deer Lodge County333-4.9%
25Teton County323-2.4%
26Glacier County315-7.9%
27Broadwater County276+4.9%
28Big Horn County269-0.4%
29Roosevelt County267-2.6%
30Sweet Grass County263-3.7%
31Rosebud County258-1.9%
32Powell County2500%
33Toole County226-5.4%
34Pondera County221-6.4%
35Chouteau County220-3.9%
36Sheridan County213-4.9%
37Mineral County193-6.3%
38Blaine County190-6.9%
39Musselshell County185-7%
40Phillips County180-3.2%
41Fallon County177-3.3%
42Granite County175-8.9%
43Meagher County132-4.3%
44Judith Basin County108-6.1%
45Powder River County102-3.8%
46Wheatland County97-6.7%
47Daniels County96-4%
48Liberty County94-4.1%
49McCone County80+2.6%
50Garfield County65-9.7%
51Prairie County600%
52Carter County50-10.7%
53Golden Valley County44-13.7%
53Wibaux County440%
55Treasure County30-11.8%
56Petroleum County25-3.8%

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/2025/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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties. 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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties.

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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_montana_by_2025,
  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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties. 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/2025/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 Montana by business establishments (QCEW), 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties.
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/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Montana by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Gallatin County, with 9,632 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Petroleum County, with 25 in 2025.

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 Montana: more rankings