Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW)

Cass County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 53 counties in 2017, at 7,183. Slope County had the lowest, at 23. The median was 191 and the figure for North Dakota was 31,917. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7,183Cass County
Lowest23Slope County
Median19153 counties
North Dakota31,917History

Map of counties, 2017

Adams County: 125 countBarnes County: 434 countBenson County: 145 countBillings County: 48 countBottineau County: 315 countBowman County: 191 countBurke County: 120 countBurleigh County: 3,750 countCass County: 7,183 countCavalier County: 179 countDickey County: 269 countDivide County: 145 countDunn County: 216 countEddy County: 95 countEmmons County: 161 countFoster County: 170 countGolden Valley County: 93 countGrand Forks County: 2,239 countGrant County: 87 countGriggs County: 104 countHettinger County: 130 countKidder County: 103 countLaMoure County: 222 countLogan County: 99 countMcHenry County: 189 countMcIntosh County: 144 countMcKenzie County: 779 countMcLean County: 375 countMercer County: 343 countMorton County: 1,028 countMountrail County: 573 countNelson County: 168 countOliver County: 60 countPembina County: 395 countPierce County: 191 countRamsey County: 533 countRansom County: 255 countRenville County: 136 countRichland County: 625 countRolette County: 264 countSargent County: 163 countSheridan County: 51 countSioux County: 62 countSlope County: 23 countStark County: 1,482 countSteele County: 84 countStutsman County: 851 countTowner County: 102 countTraill County: 373 countWalsh County: 525 countWard County: 2,437 countWells County: 218 countWilliams County: 2,108 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 190
  • 190 to 330
  • 330 to 680
  • 680 and over
count, 2017. 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, 2017

Cass County: 7,183 countCass County7,183Burleigh County: 3,750 countBurleigh County3,750Ward County: 2,437 countWard County2,437Grand Forks County: 2,239 countGrand Forks County2,239Williams County: 2,108 countWilliams County2,108Stark County: 1,482 countStark County1,482Morton County: 1,028 countMorton County1,028Stutsman County: 851 countStutsman County851McKenzie County: 779 countMcKenzie County779Richland County: 625 countRichland County625Mountrail County: 573 countMountrail County573Ramsey County: 533 countRamsey County533Walsh County: 525 countWalsh County525Barnes County: 434 countBarnes County434Pembina County: 395 countPembina County395McLean County: 375 countMcLean County375Traill County: 373 countTraill County373Mercer County: 343 countMercer County343Bottineau County: 315 countBottineau County315Dickey County: 269 countDickey County269Rolette County: 264 countRolette County264Ransom County: 255 countRansom County255LaMoure County: 222 countLaMoure County222Wells County: 218 countWells County218Dunn County: 216 countDunn County216Bowman County: 191 countBowman County191Pierce County: 191 countPierce County191McHenry County: 189 countMcHenry County189Cavalier County: 179 countCavalier County179Foster County: 170 countFoster County170Nelson County: 168 countNelson County168Sargent County: 163 countSargent County163Emmons County: 161 countEmmons County161Benson County: 145 countBenson County145Divide County: 145 countDivide County145McIntosh County: 144 countMcIntosh County144Renville County: 136 countRenville County136Hettinger County: 130 countHettinger County130Adams County: 125 countAdams County125Burke County: 120 countBurke County120Griggs County: 104 countGriggs County104Kidder County: 103 countKidder County103Towner County: 102 countTowner County102Logan County: 99 countLogan County99Eddy County: 95 countEddy County95Golden Valley County: 93 countGolden Valley County93Grant County: 87 countGrant County87Steele County: 84 countSteele County84Sioux County: 62 countSioux County62Oliver County: 60 countOliver County60Sheridan County: 51 countSheridan County51Billings County: 48 countBillings County48Slope County: 23 countSlope County23Cass County: 7,183 countCass County7,183Burleigh County: 3,750 countBurleigh County3,750Ward County: 2,437 countWard County2,437Grand Forks County: 2,239 countGrand Forks County2,239Williams County: 2,108 countWilliams County2,108Stark County: 1,482 countStark County1,482Morton County: 1,028 countMorton County1,028Stutsman County: 851 countStutsman County851McKenzie County: 779 countMcKenzie County779Richland County: 625 countRichland County625Mountrail County: 573 countMountrail County573Ramsey County: 533 countRamsey County533Walsh County: 525 countWalsh County525Barnes County: 434 countBarnes County434Pembina County: 395 countPembina County395McLean County: 375 countMcLean County375Traill County: 373 countTraill County373Mercer County: 343 countMercer County343Bottineau County: 315 countBottineau County315Dickey County: 269 countDickey County269Rolette County: 264 countRolette County264Ransom County: 255 countRansom County255LaMoure County: 222 countLaMoure County222Wells County: 218 countWells County218Dunn County: 216 countDunn County216Bowman County: 191 countBowman County191Pierce County: 191 countPierce County191McHenry County: 189 countMcHenry County189Cavalier County: 179 countCavalier County179Foster County: 170 countFoster County170Nelson County: 168 countNelson County168Sargent County: 163 countSargent County163Emmons County: 161 countEmmons County161Benson County: 145 countBenson County145Divide County: 145 countDivide County145McIntosh County: 144 countMcIntosh County144Renville County: 136 countRenville County136Hettinger County: 130 countHettinger County130Adams County: 125 countAdams County125Burke County: 120 countBurke County120Griggs County: 104 countGriggs County104Kidder County: 103 countKidder County103Towner County: 102 countTowner County102Logan County: 99 countLogan County99Eddy County: 95 countEddy County95Golden Valley County: 93 countGolden Valley County93Grant County: 87 countGrant County87Steele County: 84 countSteele County84Sioux County: 62 countSioux County62Oliver County: 60 countOliver County60Sheridan County: 51 countSheridan County51Billings County: 48 countBillings County48Slope County: 23 countSlope 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

RankCounties2017
count
Change on 2016
1Cass County7,183+1.8%
2Burleigh County3,750+0.9%
3Ward County2,437-2.9%
4Grand Forks County2,239+0.4%
5Williams County2,108-4.7%
6Stark County1,482-1%
7Morton County1,028+2%
8Stutsman County851-2.6%
9McKenzie County779-0.8%
10Richland County625-1.4%
11Mountrail County573-6.5%
12Ramsey County533+1.3%
13Walsh County525-1.3%
14Barnes County434-2.5%
15Pembina County395-3.4%
16McLean County375-0.3%
17Traill County373+1.9%
18Mercer County343+3.3%
19Bottineau County315-2.8%
20Dickey County269-0.7%
21Rolette County264-1.1%
22Ransom County255+2.8%
23LaMoure County222-1.3%
24Wells County218-1.8%
25Dunn County216-11.8%
26Bowman County191-2.6%
26Pierce County1910%
28McHenry County189+1.1%
29Cavalier County179-4.3%
30Foster County1700%
31Nelson County168-2.3%
32Sargent County163-2.4%
33Emmons County161+0.6%
34Benson County145+3.6%
34Divide County145-4.6%
36McIntosh County144-2%
37Renville County136-4.2%
38Hettinger County130+1.6%
39Adams County125+0.8%
40Burke County120-6.3%
41Griggs County104-8%
42Kidder County103+1%
43Towner County102-2.9%
44Logan County99-1%
45Eddy County95-4%
46Golden Valley County93-4.1%
47Grant County87-1.1%
48Steele County84+3.7%
49Sioux County620%
50Oliver County600%
51Sheridan County51+2%
52Billings County48-11.1%
53Slope County23-20.7%

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/2017/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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017. 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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017.

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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2017,
  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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017. 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/2017/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 North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2017.
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/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Cass County, with 7,183 in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Slope County, with 23 in 2017.

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 North Dakota: more rankings