Counties in Montana by business establishments (QCEW)

Gallatin County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 56 counties in 2023, at 9,690. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 23. The median was 284 and the figure for Montana was 65,848. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest9,690Gallatin County
Median28456 counties
Montana65,848History

Map of counties, 2023

Beaverhead County: 598 countBig Horn County: 292 countBlaine County: 211 countBroadwater County: 276 countCarbon County: 626 countCarter County: 63 countCascade County: 3,207 countChouteau County: 243 countCuster County: 557 countDaniels County: 105 countDawson County: 427 countDeer Lodge County: 349 countFallon County: 190 countFergus County: 604 countFlathead County: 6,961 countGallatin County: 9,690 countGarfield County: 72 countGlacier County: 352 countGolden Valley County: 46 countGranite County: 188 countHill County: 632 countJefferson County: 492 countJudith Basin County: 119 countLake County: 1,308 countLewis and Clark County: 3,768 countLiberty County: 106 countLincoln County: 970 countMcCone County: 88 countMadison County: 616 countMeagher County: 132 countMineral County: 203 countMissoula County: 6,934 countMusselshell County: 190 countPark County: 1,318 countPetroleum County: 23 countPhillips County: 199 countPondera County: 249 countPowder River County: 111 countPowell County: 259 countPrairie County: 58 countRavalli County: 2,423 countRichland County: 677 countRoosevelt County: 298 countRosebud County: 271 countSanders County: 586 countSheridan County: 231 countSilver Bow County: 1,510 countStillwater County: 399 countSweet Grass County: 271 countTeton County: 341 countToole County: 245 countTreasure County: 35 countValley County: 365 countWheatland County: 116 countWibaux County: 47 countYellowstone County: 7,942 count
  • Under 110
  • 110 to 210
  • 210 to 280
  • 280 to 540
  • 540 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
count, 2023. 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, 2023

Gallatin County: 9,690 countGallatin County9,690Yellowstone County: 7,942 countYellowstone County7,942Flathead County: 6,961 countFlathead County6,961Missoula County: 6,934 countMissoula County6,934Lewis and Clark County: 3,768 countLewis and Clark County3,768Cascade County: 3,207 countCascade County3,207Ravalli County: 2,423 countRavalli County2,423Silver Bow County: 1,510 countSilver Bow County1,510Park County: 1,318 countPark County1,318Lake County: 1,308 countLake County1,308Lincoln County: 970 countLincoln County970Richland County: 677 countRichland County677Hill County: 632 countHill County632Carbon County: 626 countCarbon County626Madison County: 616 countMadison County616Fergus County: 604 countFergus County604Beaverhead County: 598 countBeaverhead County598Sanders County: 586 countSanders County586Custer County: 557 countCuster County557Jefferson County: 492 countJefferson County492Dawson County: 427 countDawson County427Stillwater County: 399 countStillwater County399Valley County: 365 countValley County365Glacier County: 352 countGlacier County352Deer Lodge County: 349 countDeer Lodge County349Teton County: 341 countTeton County341Roosevelt County: 298 countRoosevelt County298Big Horn County: 292 countBig Horn County292Broadwater County: 276 countBroadwater County276Rosebud County: 271 countRosebud County271Sweet Grass County: 271 countSweet Grass County271Powell County: 259 countPowell County259Pondera County: 249 countPondera County249Toole County: 245 countToole County245Chouteau County: 243 countChouteau County243Sheridan County: 231 countSheridan County231Blaine County: 211 countBlaine County211Mineral County: 203 countMineral County203Phillips County: 199 countPhillips County199Fallon County: 190 countFallon County190Musselshell County: 190 countMusselshell County190Granite County: 188 countGranite County188Meagher County: 132 countMeagher County132Judith Basin County: 119 countJudith Basin County119Wheatland County: 116 countWheatland County116Powder River County: 111 countPowder River County111Liberty County: 106 countLiberty County106Daniels County: 105 countDaniels County105McCone County: 88 countMcCone County88Garfield County: 72 countGarfield County72Carter County: 63 countCarter County63Prairie County: 58 countPrairie County58Wibaux County: 47 countWibaux County47Golden Valley County: 46 countGolden Valley County46Treasure County: 35 countTreasure County35Petroleum County: 23 countPetroleum County23Gallatin County: 9,690 countGallatin County9,690Yellowstone County: 7,942 countYellowstone County7,942Flathead County: 6,961 countFlathead County6,961Missoula County: 6,934 countMissoula County6,934Lewis and Clark County: 3,768 countLewis and Clark County3,768Cascade County: 3,207 countCascade County3,207Ravalli County: 2,423 countRavalli County2,423Silver Bow County: 1,510 countSilver Bow County1,510Park County: 1,318 countPark County1,318Lake County: 1,308 countLake County1,308Lincoln County: 970 countLincoln County970Richland County: 677 countRichland County677Hill County: 632 countHill County632Carbon County: 626 countCarbon County626Madison County: 616 countMadison County616Fergus County: 604 countFergus County604Beaverhead County: 598 countBeaverhead County598Sanders County: 586 countSanders County586Custer County: 557 countCuster County557Jefferson County: 492 countJefferson County492Dawson County: 427 countDawson County427Stillwater County: 399 countStillwater County399Valley County: 365 countValley County365Glacier County: 352 countGlacier County352Deer Lodge County: 349 countDeer Lodge County349Teton County: 341 countTeton County341Roosevelt County: 298 countRoosevelt County298Big Horn County: 292 countBig Horn County292Broadwater County: 276 countBroadwater County276Rosebud County: 271 countRosebud County271Sweet Grass County: 271 countSweet Grass County271Powell County: 259 countPowell County259Pondera County: 249 countPondera County249Toole County: 245 countToole County245Chouteau County: 243 countChouteau County243Sheridan County: 231 countSheridan County231Blaine County: 211 countBlaine County211Mineral County: 203 countMineral County203Phillips County: 199 countPhillips County199Fallon County: 190 countFallon County190Musselshell County: 190 countMusselshell County190Granite County: 188 countGranite County188Meagher County: 132 countMeagher County132Judith Basin County: 119 countJudith Basin County119Wheatland County: 116 countWheatland County116Powder River County: 111 countPowder River County111Liberty County: 106 countLiberty County106Daniels County: 105 countDaniels County105McCone County: 88 countMcCone County88Garfield County: 72 countGarfield County72Carter County: 63 countCarter County63Prairie County: 58 countPrairie County58Wibaux County: 47 countWibaux County47Golden Valley County: 46 countGolden Valley County46Treasure County: 35 countTreasure County35Petroleum County: 23 countPetroleum County23
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

RankCounties2023
count
Change on 2022
1Gallatin County9,690+12.5%
2Yellowstone County7,942+9.6%
3Flathead County6,961+13.9%
4Missoula County6,934+12.2%
5Lewis and Clark County3,768+9.9%
6Cascade County3,207+8.4%
7Ravalli County2,423+12.4%
8Silver Bow County1,510+9%
9Park County1,318+11.8%
10Lake County1,308+10.6%
11Lincoln County970+11.9%
12Richland County677+5.3%
13Hill County632+6.2%
14Carbon County626+13.6%
15Madison County616+11.6%
16Fergus County604+7.5%
17Beaverhead County598+7.6%
18Sanders County586+13.6%
19Custer County557+7.9%
20Jefferson County492+13.1%
21Dawson County427+4.7%
22Stillwater County399+11.5%
23Valley County365+5.8%
24Glacier County352+6.3%
25Deer Lodge County349+14.1%
26Teton County341+12.5%
27Roosevelt County298+3.5%
28Big Horn County292+2.1%
29Broadwater County276+13.1%
30Rosebud County271+5.9%
30Sweet Grass County271+7.1%
32Powell County259+14.1%
33Pondera County249+6%
34Toole County245+5.6%
35Chouteau County243+6.1%
36Sheridan County231+2.7%
37Blaine County211+5.5%
38Mineral County203+12.2%
39Phillips County199+3.6%
40Fallon County190+4.4%
40Musselshell County190+16.6%
42Granite County188+13.9%
43Meagher County132+3.9%
44Judith Basin County119+5.3%
45Wheatland County116+4.5%
46Powder River County111+4.7%
47Liberty County106+3.9%
48Daniels County105+7.1%
49McCone County88+11.4%
50Garfield County72+4.3%
51Carter County63+6.8%
52Prairie County58+5.5%
53Wibaux County47+6.8%
54Golden Valley County46+12.2%
55Treasure County350%
56Petroleum County230%

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/2023/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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/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), 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_montana_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/montana-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Gallatin County, with 9,690 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Petroleum County, with 23 in 2023.

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