Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW)

Cass County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 53 counties in 2018, at 7,345. Slope County had the lowest, at 23. The median was 189 and the figure for North Dakota was 31,881. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7,345Cass County
Lowest23Slope County
Median18953 counties
North Dakota31,881History

Map of counties, 2018

Adams County: 121 countBarnes County: 426 countBenson County: 140 countBillings County: 47 countBottineau County: 309 countBowman County: 189 countBurke County: 113 countBurleigh County: 3,825 countCass County: 7,345 countCavalier County: 175 countDickey County: 260 countDivide County: 135 countDunn County: 198 countEddy County: 99 countEmmons County: 165 countFoster County: 166 countGolden Valley County: 91 countGrand Forks County: 2,262 countGrant County: 87 countGriggs County: 102 countHettinger County: 132 countKidder County: 107 countLaMoure County: 222 countLogan County: 95 countMcHenry County: 191 countMcIntosh County: 147 countMcKenzie County: 785 countMcLean County: 371 countMercer County: 325 countMorton County: 1,059 countMountrail County: 540 countNelson County: 167 countOliver County: 57 countPembina County: 389 countPierce County: 188 countRamsey County: 536 countRansom County: 258 countRenville County: 134 countRichland County: 631 countRolette County: 260 countSargent County: 164 countSheridan County: 51 countSioux County: 64 countSlope County: 23 countStark County: 1,433 countSteele County: 81 countStutsman County: 834 countTowner County: 106 countTraill County: 371 countWalsh County: 518 countWard County: 2,390 countWells County: 206 countWilliams County: 2,048 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 190
  • 190 to 320
  • 320 to 680
  • 680 and over
count, 2018. 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, 2018

Cass County: 7,345 countCass County7,345Burleigh County: 3,825 countBurleigh County3,825Ward County: 2,390 countWard County2,390Grand Forks County: 2,262 countGrand Forks County2,262Williams County: 2,048 countWilliams County2,048Stark County: 1,433 countStark County1,433Morton County: 1,059 countMorton County1,059Stutsman County: 834 countStutsman County834McKenzie County: 785 countMcKenzie County785Richland County: 631 countRichland County631Mountrail County: 540 countMountrail County540Ramsey County: 536 countRamsey County536Walsh County: 518 countWalsh County518Barnes County: 426 countBarnes County426Pembina County: 389 countPembina County389McLean County: 371 countMcLean County371Traill County: 371 countTraill County371Mercer County: 325 countMercer County325Bottineau County: 309 countBottineau County309Dickey County: 260 countDickey County260Rolette County: 260 countRolette County260Ransom County: 258 countRansom County258LaMoure County: 222 countLaMoure County222Wells County: 206 countWells County206Dunn County: 198 countDunn County198McHenry County: 191 countMcHenry County191Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Pierce County: 188 countPierce County188Cavalier County: 175 countCavalier County175Nelson County: 167 countNelson County167Foster County: 166 countFoster County166Emmons County: 165 countEmmons County165Sargent County: 164 countSargent County164McIntosh County: 147 countMcIntosh County147Benson County: 140 countBenson County140Divide County: 135 countDivide County135Renville County: 134 countRenville County134Hettinger County: 132 countHettinger County132Adams County: 121 countAdams County121Burke County: 113 countBurke County113Kidder County: 107 countKidder County107Towner County: 106 countTowner County106Griggs County: 102 countGriggs County102Eddy County: 99 countEddy County99Logan County: 95 countLogan County95Golden Valley County: 91 countGolden Valley County91Grant County: 87 countGrant County87Steele County: 81 countSteele County81Sioux County: 64 countSioux County64Oliver County: 57 countOliver County57Sheridan County: 51 countSheridan County51Billings County: 47 countBillings County47Slope County: 23 countSlope County23Cass County: 7,345 countCass County7,345Burleigh County: 3,825 countBurleigh County3,825Ward County: 2,390 countWard County2,390Grand Forks County: 2,262 countGrand Forks County2,262Williams County: 2,048 countWilliams County2,048Stark County: 1,433 countStark County1,433Morton County: 1,059 countMorton County1,059Stutsman County: 834 countStutsman County834McKenzie County: 785 countMcKenzie County785Richland County: 631 countRichland County631Mountrail County: 540 countMountrail County540Ramsey County: 536 countRamsey County536Walsh County: 518 countWalsh County518Barnes County: 426 countBarnes County426Pembina County: 389 countPembina County389McLean County: 371 countMcLean County371Traill County: 371 countTraill County371Mercer County: 325 countMercer County325Bottineau County: 309 countBottineau County309Dickey County: 260 countDickey County260Rolette County: 260 countRolette County260Ransom County: 258 countRansom County258LaMoure County: 222 countLaMoure County222Wells County: 206 countWells County206Dunn County: 198 countDunn County198McHenry County: 191 countMcHenry County191Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Pierce County: 188 countPierce County188Cavalier County: 175 countCavalier County175Nelson County: 167 countNelson County167Foster County: 166 countFoster County166Emmons County: 165 countEmmons County165Sargent County: 164 countSargent County164McIntosh County: 147 countMcIntosh County147Benson County: 140 countBenson County140Divide County: 135 countDivide County135Renville County: 134 countRenville County134Hettinger County: 132 countHettinger County132Adams County: 121 countAdams County121Burke County: 113 countBurke County113Kidder County: 107 countKidder County107Towner County: 106 countTowner County106Griggs County: 102 countGriggs County102Eddy County: 99 countEddy County99Logan County: 95 countLogan County95Golden Valley County: 91 countGolden Valley County91Grant County: 87 countGrant County87Steele County: 81 countSteele County81Sioux County: 64 countSioux County64Oliver County: 57 countOliver County57Sheridan County: 51 countSheridan County51Billings County: 47 countBillings County47Slope 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

RankCounties2018
count
Change on 2017
1Cass County7,345+2.3%
2Burleigh County3,825+2%
3Ward County2,390-1.9%
4Grand Forks County2,262+1%
5Williams County2,048-2.8%
6Stark County1,433-3.3%
7Morton County1,059+3%
8Stutsman County834-2%
9McKenzie County785+0.8%
10Richland County631+1%
11Mountrail County540-5.8%
12Ramsey County536+0.6%
13Walsh County518-1.3%
14Barnes County426-1.8%
15Pembina County389-1.5%
16McLean County371-1.1%
16Traill County371-0.5%
18Mercer County325-5.2%
19Bottineau County309-1.9%
20Dickey County260-3.3%
20Rolette County260-1.5%
22Ransom County258+1.2%
23LaMoure County2220%
24Wells County206-5.5%
25Dunn County198-8.3%
26McHenry County191+1.1%
27Bowman County189-1%
28Pierce County188-1.6%
29Cavalier County175-2.2%
30Nelson County167-0.6%
31Foster County166-2.4%
32Emmons County165+2.5%
33Sargent County164+0.6%
34McIntosh County147+2.1%
35Benson County140-3.4%
36Divide County135-6.9%
37Renville County134-1.5%
38Hettinger County132+1.5%
39Adams County121-3.2%
40Burke County113-5.8%
41Kidder County107+3.9%
42Towner County106+3.9%
43Griggs County102-1.9%
44Eddy County99+4.2%
45Logan County95-4%
46Golden Valley County91-2.2%
47Grant County870%
48Steele County81-3.6%
49Sioux County64+3.2%
50Oliver County57-5%
51Sheridan County510%
52Billings County47-2.1%
53Slope 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/2018/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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/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), 2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/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 7,345 in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Slope County, with 23 in 2018.

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