Counties in Montana by business establishments (QCEW)

Gallatin County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 56 counties in 2020, at 7,432. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 21. The median was 255 and the figure for Montana was 52,600. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7,432Gallatin County
Median25556 counties
Montana52,600History

Map of counties, 2020

Beaverhead County: 513 countBig Horn County: 266 countBlaine County: 192 countBroadwater County: 213 countCarbon County: 520 countCarter County: 51 countCascade County: 2,810 countChouteau County: 211 countCuster County: 500 countDaniels County: 93 countDawson County: 385 countDeer Lodge County: 293 countFallon County: 172 countFergus County: 538 countFlathead County: 5,203 countGallatin County: 7,432 countGarfield County: 59 countGlacier County: 304 countGolden Valley County: 31 countGranite County: 150 countHill County: 589 countJefferson County: 396 countJudith Basin County: 103 countLake County: 1,045 countLewis and Clark County: 3,068 countLiberty County: 91 countLincoln County: 733 countMcCone County: 75 countMadison County: 497 countMeagher County: 114 countMineral County: 157 countMissoula County: 5,557 countMusselshell County: 149 countPark County: 1,047 countPetroleum County: 21 countPhillips County: 182 countPondera County: 221 countPowder River County: 98 countPowell County: 223 countPrairie County: 50 countRavalli County: 1,930 countRichland County: 614 countRoosevelt County: 272 countRosebud County: 244 countSanders County: 467 countSheridan County: 221 countSilver Bow County: 1,305 countStillwater County: 334 countSweet Grass County: 238 countTeton County: 285 countToole County: 222 countTreasure County: 35 countValley County: 339 countWheatland County: 101 countWibaux County: 42 countYellowstone County: 6,728 count
  • Under 90
  • 90 to 190
  • 190 to 260
  • 260 to 440
  • 440 to 990
  • 990 and over
count, 2020. 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, 2020

Gallatin County: 7,432 countGallatin County7,432Yellowstone County: 6,728 countYellowstone County6,728Missoula County: 5,557 countMissoula County5,557Flathead County: 5,203 countFlathead County5,203Lewis and Clark County: 3,068 countLewis and Clark County3,068Cascade County: 2,810 countCascade County2,810Ravalli County: 1,930 countRavalli County1,930Silver Bow County: 1,305 countSilver Bow County1,305Park County: 1,047 countPark County1,047Lake County: 1,045 countLake County1,045Lincoln County: 733 countLincoln County733Richland County: 614 countRichland County614Hill County: 589 countHill County589Fergus County: 538 countFergus County538Carbon County: 520 countCarbon County520Beaverhead County: 513 countBeaverhead County513Custer County: 500 countCuster County500Madison County: 497 countMadison County497Sanders County: 467 countSanders County467Jefferson County: 396 countJefferson County396Dawson County: 385 countDawson County385Valley County: 339 countValley County339Stillwater County: 334 countStillwater County334Glacier County: 304 countGlacier County304Deer Lodge County: 293 countDeer Lodge County293Teton County: 285 countTeton County285Roosevelt County: 272 countRoosevelt County272Big Horn County: 266 countBig Horn County266Rosebud County: 244 countRosebud County244Sweet Grass County: 238 countSweet Grass County238Powell County: 223 countPowell County223Toole County: 222 countToole County222Pondera County: 221 countPondera County221Sheridan County: 221 countSheridan County221Broadwater County: 213 countBroadwater County213Chouteau County: 211 countChouteau County211Blaine County: 192 countBlaine County192Phillips County: 182 countPhillips County182Fallon County: 172 countFallon County172Mineral County: 157 countMineral County157Granite County: 150 countGranite County150Musselshell County: 149 countMusselshell County149Meagher County: 114 countMeagher County114Judith Basin County: 103 countJudith Basin County103Wheatland County: 101 countWheatland County101Powder River County: 98 countPowder River County98Daniels County: 93 countDaniels County93Liberty County: 91 countLiberty County91McCone County: 75 countMcCone County75Garfield County: 59 countGarfield County59Carter County: 51 countCarter County51Prairie County: 50 countPrairie County50Wibaux County: 42 countWibaux County42Treasure County: 35 countTreasure County35Golden Valley County: 31 countGolden Valley County31Petroleum County: 21 countPetroleum County21Gallatin County: 7,432 countGallatin County7,432Yellowstone County: 6,728 countYellowstone County6,728Missoula County: 5,557 countMissoula County5,557Flathead County: 5,203 countFlathead County5,203Lewis and Clark County: 3,068 countLewis and Clark County3,068Cascade County: 2,810 countCascade County2,810Ravalli County: 1,930 countRavalli County1,930Silver Bow County: 1,305 countSilver Bow County1,305Park County: 1,047 countPark County1,047Lake County: 1,045 countLake County1,045Lincoln County: 733 countLincoln County733Richland County: 614 countRichland County614Hill County: 589 countHill County589Fergus County: 538 countFergus County538Carbon County: 520 countCarbon County520Beaverhead County: 513 countBeaverhead County513Custer County: 500 countCuster County500Madison County: 497 countMadison County497Sanders County: 467 countSanders County467Jefferson County: 396 countJefferson County396Dawson County: 385 countDawson County385Valley County: 339 countValley County339Stillwater County: 334 countStillwater County334Glacier County: 304 countGlacier County304Deer Lodge County: 293 countDeer Lodge County293Teton County: 285 countTeton County285Roosevelt County: 272 countRoosevelt County272Big Horn County: 266 countBig Horn County266Rosebud County: 244 countRosebud County244Sweet Grass County: 238 countSweet Grass County238Powell County: 223 countPowell County223Toole County: 222 countToole County222Pondera County: 221 countPondera County221Sheridan County: 221 countSheridan County221Broadwater County: 213 countBroadwater County213Chouteau County: 211 countChouteau County211Blaine County: 192 countBlaine County192Phillips County: 182 countPhillips County182Fallon County: 172 countFallon County172Mineral County: 157 countMineral County157Granite County: 150 countGranite County150Musselshell County: 149 countMusselshell County149Meagher County: 114 countMeagher County114Judith Basin County: 103 countJudith Basin County103Wheatland County: 101 countWheatland County101Powder River County: 98 countPowder River County98Daniels County: 93 countDaniels County93Liberty County: 91 countLiberty County91McCone County: 75 countMcCone County75Garfield County: 59 countGarfield County59Carter County: 51 countCarter County51Prairie County: 50 countPrairie County50Wibaux County: 42 countWibaux County42Treasure County: 35 countTreasure County35Golden Valley County: 31 countGolden Valley County31Petroleum County: 21 countPetroleum County21
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

RankCounties2020
count
Change on 2019
1Gallatin County7,432+5.9%
2Yellowstone County6,728+1.5%
3Missoula County5,557+3.7%
4Flathead County5,203+5.6%
5Lewis and Clark County3,068+2.4%
6Cascade County2,810+1.3%
7Ravalli County1,930+4.9%
8Silver Bow County1,305+0.6%
9Park County1,047+3.8%
10Lake County1,045+3.2%
11Lincoln County733+3.4%
12Richland County6140%
13Hill County589-1.5%
14Fergus County538+0.6%
15Carbon County520+5.1%
16Beaverhead County513+0.4%
17Custer County500+0.2%
18Madison County497+0.6%
19Sanders County467+3.8%
20Jefferson County396+4.5%
21Dawson County3850%
22Valley County339-0.9%
23Stillwater County334+2.1%
24Glacier County304+0.7%
25Deer Lodge County293+2.4%
26Teton County285+3.6%
27Roosevelt County272-0.7%
28Big Horn County266-1.5%
29Rosebud County244-0.8%
30Sweet Grass County238+3.5%
31Powell County223-2.6%
32Toole County222-1.3%
33Pondera County221-1.8%
33Sheridan County221+3.3%
35Broadwater County213+4.4%
36Chouteau County211+0.5%
37Blaine County192-0.5%
38Phillips County182-0.5%
39Fallon County1720%
40Mineral County157+0.6%
41Granite County150+2%
42Musselshell County149+2.8%
43Meagher County1140%
44Judith Basin County103+4%
45Wheatland County101+3.1%
46Powder River County98+6.5%
47Daniels County93+3.3%
48Liberty County910%
49McCone County75+2.7%
50Garfield County59+3.5%
51Carter County51+2%
52Prairie County50-3.8%
53Wibaux County42+5%
54Treasure County35+2.9%
55Golden Valley County31-3.1%
56Petroleum County21+10.5%

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/2020/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), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/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), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020. 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), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020.

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), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_montana_by_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020. 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/2020/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), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2020.
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/2020/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 7,432 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Petroleum County, with 21 in 2020.

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