Counties in Montana by business establishments (QCEW)

Gallatin County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 56 counties in 2019, at 7,020. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 19. The median was 258 and the figure for Montana was 50,141. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7,020Gallatin County
Median25856 counties
Montana50,141History

Map of counties, 2019

Beaverhead County: 511 countBig Horn County: 270 countBlaine County: 193 countBroadwater County: 204 countCarbon County: 495 countCarter County: 50 countCascade County: 2,774 countChouteau County: 210 countCuster County: 499 countDaniels County: 90 countDawson County: 385 countDeer Lodge County: 286 countFallon County: 172 countFergus County: 535 countFlathead County: 4,926 countGallatin County: 7,020 countGarfield County: 57 countGlacier County: 302 countGolden Valley County: 32 countGranite County: 147 countHill County: 598 countJefferson County: 379 countJudith Basin County: 99 countLake County: 1,013 countLewis and Clark County: 2,996 countLiberty County: 91 countLincoln County: 709 countMcCone County: 73 countMadison County: 494 countMeagher County: 114 countMineral County: 156 countMissoula County: 5,358 countMusselshell County: 145 countPark County: 1,009 countPetroleum County: 19 countPhillips County: 183 countPondera County: 225 countPowder River County: 92 countPowell County: 229 countPrairie County: 52 countRavalli County: 1,839 countRichland County: 614 countRoosevelt County: 274 countRosebud County: 246 countSanders County: 450 countSheridan County: 214 countSilver Bow County: 1,297 countStillwater County: 327 countSweet Grass County: 230 countTeton County: 275 countToole County: 225 countTreasure County: 34 countValley County: 342 countWheatland County: 98 countWibaux County: 40 countYellowstone County: 6,628 count
  • Under 90
  • 90 to 190
  • 190 to 260
  • 260 to 430
  • 430 to 960
  • 960 and over
count, 2019. 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, 2019

Gallatin County: 7,020 countGallatin County7,020Yellowstone County: 6,628 countYellowstone County6,628Missoula County: 5,358 countMissoula County5,358Flathead County: 4,926 countFlathead County4,926Lewis and Clark County: 2,996 countLewis and Clark County2,996Cascade County: 2,774 countCascade County2,774Ravalli County: 1,839 countRavalli County1,839Silver Bow County: 1,297 countSilver Bow County1,297Lake County: 1,013 countLake County1,013Park County: 1,009 countPark County1,009Lincoln County: 709 countLincoln County709Richland County: 614 countRichland County614Hill County: 598 countHill County598Fergus County: 535 countFergus County535Beaverhead County: 511 countBeaverhead County511Custer County: 499 countCuster County499Carbon County: 495 countCarbon County495Madison County: 494 countMadison County494Sanders County: 450 countSanders County450Dawson County: 385 countDawson County385Jefferson County: 379 countJefferson County379Valley County: 342 countValley County342Stillwater County: 327 countStillwater County327Glacier County: 302 countGlacier County302Deer Lodge County: 286 countDeer Lodge County286Teton County: 275 countTeton County275Roosevelt County: 274 countRoosevelt County274Big Horn County: 270 countBig Horn County270Rosebud County: 246 countRosebud County246Sweet Grass County: 230 countSweet Grass County230Powell County: 229 countPowell County229Pondera County: 225 countPondera County225Toole County: 225 countToole County225Sheridan County: 214 countSheridan County214Chouteau County: 210 countChouteau County210Broadwater County: 204 countBroadwater County204Blaine County: 193 countBlaine County193Phillips County: 183 countPhillips County183Fallon County: 172 countFallon County172Mineral County: 156 countMineral County156Granite County: 147 countGranite County147Musselshell County: 145 countMusselshell County145Meagher County: 114 countMeagher County114Judith Basin County: 99 countJudith Basin County99Wheatland County: 98 countWheatland County98Powder River County: 92 countPowder River County92Liberty County: 91 countLiberty County91Daniels County: 90 countDaniels County90McCone County: 73 countMcCone County73Garfield County: 57 countGarfield County57Prairie County: 52 countPrairie County52Carter County: 50 countCarter County50Wibaux County: 40 countWibaux County40Treasure County: 34 countTreasure County34Golden Valley County: 32 countGolden Valley County32Petroleum County: 19 countPetroleum County19Gallatin County: 7,020 countGallatin County7,020Yellowstone County: 6,628 countYellowstone County6,628Missoula County: 5,358 countMissoula County5,358Flathead County: 4,926 countFlathead County4,926Lewis and Clark County: 2,996 countLewis and Clark County2,996Cascade County: 2,774 countCascade County2,774Ravalli County: 1,839 countRavalli County1,839Silver Bow County: 1,297 countSilver Bow County1,297Lake County: 1,013 countLake County1,013Park County: 1,009 countPark County1,009Lincoln County: 709 countLincoln County709Richland County: 614 countRichland County614Hill County: 598 countHill County598Fergus County: 535 countFergus County535Beaverhead County: 511 countBeaverhead County511Custer County: 499 countCuster County499Carbon County: 495 countCarbon County495Madison County: 494 countMadison County494Sanders County: 450 countSanders County450Dawson County: 385 countDawson County385Jefferson County: 379 countJefferson County379Valley County: 342 countValley County342Stillwater County: 327 countStillwater County327Glacier County: 302 countGlacier County302Deer Lodge County: 286 countDeer Lodge County286Teton County: 275 countTeton County275Roosevelt County: 274 countRoosevelt County274Big Horn County: 270 countBig Horn County270Rosebud County: 246 countRosebud County246Sweet Grass County: 230 countSweet Grass County230Powell County: 229 countPowell County229Pondera County: 225 countPondera County225Toole County: 225 countToole County225Sheridan County: 214 countSheridan County214Chouteau County: 210 countChouteau County210Broadwater County: 204 countBroadwater County204Blaine County: 193 countBlaine County193Phillips County: 183 countPhillips County183Fallon County: 172 countFallon County172Mineral County: 156 countMineral County156Granite County: 147 countGranite County147Musselshell County: 145 countMusselshell County145Meagher County: 114 countMeagher County114Judith Basin County: 99 countJudith Basin County99Wheatland County: 98 countWheatland County98Powder River County: 92 countPowder River County92Liberty County: 91 countLiberty County91Daniels County: 90 countDaniels County90McCone County: 73 countMcCone County73Garfield County: 57 countGarfield County57Prairie County: 52 countPrairie County52Carter County: 50 countCarter County50Wibaux County: 40 countWibaux County40Treasure County: 34 countTreasure County34Golden Valley County: 32 countGolden Valley County32Petroleum County: 19 countPetroleum County19
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

RankCounties2019
count
Change on 2018
1Gallatin County7,020+0.9%
2Yellowstone County6,628-2.3%
3Missoula County5,358-0.2%
4Flathead County4,926-0.1%
5Lewis and Clark County2,996+0.3%
6Cascade County2,774-1.9%
7Ravalli County1,839-0.8%
8Silver Bow County1,297-2.3%
9Lake County1,013+1.3%
10Park County1,009+0.6%
11Lincoln County709-3.8%
12Richland County614-3.9%
13Hill County598-2.1%
14Fergus County535-1.7%
15Beaverhead County511-2.9%
16Custer County499-0.2%
17Carbon County495-1.6%
18Madison County494+0.4%
19Sanders County450+2%
20Dawson County385-4.7%
21Jefferson County379-2.1%
22Valley County342-3.9%
23Stillwater County327-3%
24Glacier County302-3.8%
25Deer Lodge County2860%
26Teton County275+0.4%
27Roosevelt County274-2.5%
28Big Horn County270-4.6%
29Rosebud County246-1.6%
30Sweet Grass County230-2.5%
31Powell County229-1.7%
32Pondera County225-3.4%
32Toole County225-3%
34Sheridan County214-3.6%
35Chouteau County210-0.5%
36Broadwater County204+1.5%
37Blaine County193-4%
38Phillips County183-1.6%
39Fallon County172-2.3%
40Mineral County156+3.3%
41Granite County147-1.3%
42Musselshell County145-7.6%
43Meagher County1140%
44Judith Basin County990%
45Wheatland County98+4.3%
46Powder River County92-5.2%
47Liberty County91-3.2%
48Daniels County90+3.4%
49McCone County73-7.6%
50Garfield County57-5%
51Prairie County52-1.9%
52Carter County50-3.8%
53Wibaux County40-13%
54Treasure County34-5.6%
55Golden Valley County32+3.2%
56Petroleum County19-9.5%

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/2019/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), 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/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), 2019. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019. 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), 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019.

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), 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_montana_by_2019,
  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), 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019. 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/2019/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), 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2019.
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/2019/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 7,020 in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Petroleum County, with 19 in 2019.

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