Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW)

Cass County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 53 counties in 2019, at 7,387. Slope County had the lowest, at 23. The median was 193 and the figure for North Dakota was 31,897. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7,387Cass County
Lowest23Slope County
Median19353 counties
North Dakota31,897History

Map of counties, 2019

Adams County: 123 countBarnes County: 421 countBenson County: 133 countBillings County: 53 countBottineau County: 303 countBowman County: 189 countBurke County: 118 countBurleigh County: 3,826 countCass County: 7,387 countCavalier County: 166 countDickey County: 251 countDivide County: 129 countDunn County: 212 countEddy County: 99 countEmmons County: 167 countFoster County: 162 countGolden Valley County: 89 countGrand Forks County: 2,298 countGrant County: 94 countGriggs County: 102 countHettinger County: 136 countKidder County: 110 countLaMoure County: 213 countLogan County: 96 countMcHenry County: 193 countMcIntosh County: 145 countMcKenzie County: 821 countMcLean County: 369 countMercer County: 312 countMorton County: 1,050 countMountrail County: 554 countNelson County: 163 countOliver County: 58 countPembina County: 388 countPierce County: 195 countRamsey County: 518 countRansom County: 251 countRenville County: 137 countRichland County: 624 countRolette County: 258 countSargent County: 166 countSheridan County: 50 countSioux County: 66 countSlope County: 23 countStark County: 1,425 countSteele County: 80 countStutsman County: 829 countTowner County: 102 countTraill County: 372 countWalsh County: 513 countWard County: 2,366 countWells County: 193 countWilliams County: 2,074 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 190
  • 190 to 310
  • 310 to 690
  • 690 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

Cass County: 7,387 countCass County7,387Burleigh County: 3,826 countBurleigh County3,826Ward County: 2,366 countWard County2,366Grand Forks County: 2,298 countGrand Forks County2,298Williams County: 2,074 countWilliams County2,074Stark County: 1,425 countStark County1,425Morton County: 1,050 countMorton County1,050Stutsman County: 829 countStutsman County829McKenzie County: 821 countMcKenzie County821Richland County: 624 countRichland County624Mountrail County: 554 countMountrail County554Ramsey County: 518 countRamsey County518Walsh County: 513 countWalsh County513Barnes County: 421 countBarnes County421Pembina County: 388 countPembina County388Traill County: 372 countTraill County372McLean County: 369 countMcLean County369Mercer County: 312 countMercer County312Bottineau County: 303 countBottineau County303Rolette County: 258 countRolette County258Dickey County: 251 countDickey County251Ransom County: 251 countRansom County251LaMoure County: 213 countLaMoure County213Dunn County: 212 countDunn County212Pierce County: 195 countPierce County195McHenry County: 193 countMcHenry County193Wells County: 193 countWells County193Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Emmons County: 167 countEmmons County167Cavalier County: 166 countCavalier County166Sargent County: 166 countSargent County166Nelson County: 163 countNelson County163Foster County: 162 countFoster County162McIntosh County: 145 countMcIntosh County145Renville County: 137 countRenville County137Hettinger County: 136 countHettinger County136Benson County: 133 countBenson County133Divide County: 129 countDivide County129Adams County: 123 countAdams County123Burke County: 118 countBurke County118Kidder County: 110 countKidder County110Griggs County: 102 countGriggs County102Towner County: 102 countTowner County102Eddy County: 99 countEddy County99Logan County: 96 countLogan County96Grant County: 94 countGrant County94Golden Valley County: 89 countGolden Valley County89Steele County: 80 countSteele County80Sioux County: 66 countSioux County66Oliver County: 58 countOliver County58Billings County: 53 countBillings County53Sheridan County: 50 countSheridan County50Slope County: 23 countSlope County23Cass County: 7,387 countCass County7,387Burleigh County: 3,826 countBurleigh County3,826Ward County: 2,366 countWard County2,366Grand Forks County: 2,298 countGrand Forks County2,298Williams County: 2,074 countWilliams County2,074Stark County: 1,425 countStark County1,425Morton County: 1,050 countMorton County1,050Stutsman County: 829 countStutsman County829McKenzie County: 821 countMcKenzie County821Richland County: 624 countRichland County624Mountrail County: 554 countMountrail County554Ramsey County: 518 countRamsey County518Walsh County: 513 countWalsh County513Barnes County: 421 countBarnes County421Pembina County: 388 countPembina County388Traill County: 372 countTraill County372McLean County: 369 countMcLean County369Mercer County: 312 countMercer County312Bottineau County: 303 countBottineau County303Rolette County: 258 countRolette County258Dickey County: 251 countDickey County251Ransom County: 251 countRansom County251LaMoure County: 213 countLaMoure County213Dunn County: 212 countDunn County212Pierce County: 195 countPierce County195McHenry County: 193 countMcHenry County193Wells County: 193 countWells County193Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Emmons County: 167 countEmmons County167Cavalier County: 166 countCavalier County166Sargent County: 166 countSargent County166Nelson County: 163 countNelson County163Foster County: 162 countFoster County162McIntosh County: 145 countMcIntosh County145Renville County: 137 countRenville County137Hettinger County: 136 countHettinger County136Benson County: 133 countBenson County133Divide County: 129 countDivide County129Adams County: 123 countAdams County123Burke County: 118 countBurke County118Kidder County: 110 countKidder County110Griggs County: 102 countGriggs County102Towner County: 102 countTowner County102Eddy County: 99 countEddy County99Logan County: 96 countLogan County96Grant County: 94 countGrant County94Golden Valley County: 89 countGolden Valley County89Steele County: 80 countSteele County80Sioux County: 66 countSioux County66Oliver County: 58 countOliver County58Billings County: 53 countBillings County53Sheridan County: 50 countSheridan County50Slope 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

RankCounties2019
count
Change on 2018
1Cass County7,387+0.6%
2Burleigh County3,8260%
3Ward County2,366-1%
4Grand Forks County2,298+1.6%
5Williams County2,074+1.3%
6Stark County1,425-0.6%
7Morton County1,050-0.8%
8Stutsman County829-0.6%
9McKenzie County821+4.6%
10Richland County624-1.1%
11Mountrail County554+2.6%
12Ramsey County518-3.4%
13Walsh County513-1%
14Barnes County421-1.2%
15Pembina County388-0.3%
16Traill County372+0.3%
17McLean County369-0.5%
18Mercer County312-4%
19Bottineau County303-1.9%
20Rolette County258-0.8%
21Dickey County251-3.5%
21Ransom County251-2.7%
23LaMoure County213-4.1%
24Dunn County212+7.1%
25Pierce County195+3.7%
26McHenry County193+1%
26Wells County193-6.3%
28Bowman County1890%
29Emmons County167+1.2%
30Cavalier County166-5.1%
30Sargent County166+1.2%
32Nelson County163-2.4%
33Foster County162-2.4%
34McIntosh County145-1.4%
35Renville County137+2.2%
36Hettinger County136+3%
37Benson County133-5%
38Divide County129-4.4%
39Adams County123+1.7%
40Burke County118+4.4%
41Kidder County110+2.8%
42Griggs County1020%
42Towner County102-3.8%
44Eddy County990%
45Logan County96+1.1%
46Grant County94+8%
47Golden Valley County89-2.2%
48Steele County80-1.2%
49Sioux County66+3.1%
50Oliver County58+1.8%
51Billings County53+12.8%
52Sheridan County50-2%
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/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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-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 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 7,387 in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Slope County, with 23 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 North Dakota: more rankings