Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW)

Cass County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 53 counties in 2020, at 7,601. Slope County had the lowest, at 20. The median was 196 and the figure for North Dakota was 32,401. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest7,601Cass County
Lowest20Slope County
Median19653 counties
North Dakota32,401History

Map of counties, 2020

Adams County: 122 countBarnes County: 427 countBenson County: 141 countBillings County: 49 countBottineau County: 314 countBowman County: 189 countBurke County: 119 countBurleigh County: 3,895 countCass County: 7,601 countCavalier County: 159 countDickey County: 249 countDivide County: 124 countDunn County: 217 countEddy County: 101 countEmmons County: 169 countFoster County: 166 countGolden Valley County: 92 countGrand Forks County: 2,341 countGrant County: 96 countGriggs County: 100 countHettinger County: 137 countKidder County: 113 countLaMoure County: 215 countLogan County: 102 countMcHenry County: 198 countMcIntosh County: 138 countMcKenzie County: 848 countMcLean County: 371 countMercer County: 312 countMorton County: 1,068 countMountrail County: 543 countNelson County: 158 countOliver County: 60 countPembina County: 388 countPierce County: 196 countRamsey County: 508 countRansom County: 256 countRenville County: 140 countRichland County: 641 countRolette County: 261 countSargent County: 167 countSheridan County: 45 countSioux County: 67 countSlope County: 20 countStark County: 1,449 countSteele County: 79 countStutsman County: 828 countTowner County: 101 countTraill County: 384 countWalsh County: 516 countWard County: 2,388 countWells County: 198 countWilliams County: 2,151 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 200
  • 200 to 310
  • 310 to 700
  • 700 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

Cass County: 7,601 countCass County7,601Burleigh County: 3,895 countBurleigh County3,895Ward County: 2,388 countWard County2,388Grand Forks County: 2,341 countGrand Forks County2,341Williams County: 2,151 countWilliams County2,151Stark County: 1,449 countStark County1,449Morton County: 1,068 countMorton County1,068McKenzie County: 848 countMcKenzie County848Stutsman County: 828 countStutsman County828Richland County: 641 countRichland County641Mountrail County: 543 countMountrail County543Walsh County: 516 countWalsh County516Ramsey County: 508 countRamsey County508Barnes County: 427 countBarnes County427Pembina County: 388 countPembina County388Traill County: 384 countTraill County384McLean County: 371 countMcLean County371Bottineau County: 314 countBottineau County314Mercer County: 312 countMercer County312Rolette County: 261 countRolette County261Ransom County: 256 countRansom County256Dickey County: 249 countDickey County249Dunn County: 217 countDunn County217LaMoure County: 215 countLaMoure County215McHenry County: 198 countMcHenry County198Wells County: 198 countWells County198Pierce County: 196 countPierce County196Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Emmons County: 169 countEmmons County169Sargent County: 167 countSargent County167Foster County: 166 countFoster County166Cavalier County: 159 countCavalier County159Nelson County: 158 countNelson County158Benson County: 141 countBenson County141Renville County: 140 countRenville County140McIntosh County: 138 countMcIntosh County138Hettinger County: 137 countHettinger County137Divide County: 124 countDivide County124Adams County: 122 countAdams County122Burke County: 119 countBurke County119Kidder County: 113 countKidder County113Logan County: 102 countLogan County102Eddy County: 101 countEddy County101Towner County: 101 countTowner County101Griggs County: 100 countGriggs County100Grant County: 96 countGrant County96Golden Valley County: 92 countGolden Valley County92Steele County: 79 countSteele County79Sioux County: 67 countSioux County67Oliver County: 60 countOliver County60Billings County: 49 countBillings County49Sheridan County: 45 countSheridan County45Slope County: 20 countSlope County20Cass County: 7,601 countCass County7,601Burleigh County: 3,895 countBurleigh County3,895Ward County: 2,388 countWard County2,388Grand Forks County: 2,341 countGrand Forks County2,341Williams County: 2,151 countWilliams County2,151Stark County: 1,449 countStark County1,449Morton County: 1,068 countMorton County1,068McKenzie County: 848 countMcKenzie County848Stutsman County: 828 countStutsman County828Richland County: 641 countRichland County641Mountrail County: 543 countMountrail County543Walsh County: 516 countWalsh County516Ramsey County: 508 countRamsey County508Barnes County: 427 countBarnes County427Pembina County: 388 countPembina County388Traill County: 384 countTraill County384McLean County: 371 countMcLean County371Bottineau County: 314 countBottineau County314Mercer County: 312 countMercer County312Rolette County: 261 countRolette County261Ransom County: 256 countRansom County256Dickey County: 249 countDickey County249Dunn County: 217 countDunn County217LaMoure County: 215 countLaMoure County215McHenry County: 198 countMcHenry County198Wells County: 198 countWells County198Pierce County: 196 countPierce County196Bowman County: 189 countBowman County189Emmons County: 169 countEmmons County169Sargent County: 167 countSargent County167Foster County: 166 countFoster County166Cavalier County: 159 countCavalier County159Nelson County: 158 countNelson County158Benson County: 141 countBenson County141Renville County: 140 countRenville County140McIntosh County: 138 countMcIntosh County138Hettinger County: 137 countHettinger County137Divide County: 124 countDivide County124Adams County: 122 countAdams County122Burke County: 119 countBurke County119Kidder County: 113 countKidder County113Logan County: 102 countLogan County102Eddy County: 101 countEddy County101Towner County: 101 countTowner County101Griggs County: 100 countGriggs County100Grant County: 96 countGrant County96Golden Valley County: 92 countGolden Valley County92Steele County: 79 countSteele County79Sioux County: 67 countSioux County67Oliver County: 60 countOliver County60Billings County: 49 countBillings County49Sheridan County: 45 countSheridan County45Slope County: 20 countSlope County20
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
1Cass County7,601+2.9%
2Burleigh County3,895+1.8%
3Ward County2,388+0.9%
4Grand Forks County2,341+1.9%
5Williams County2,151+3.7%
6Stark County1,449+1.7%
7Morton County1,068+1.7%
8McKenzie County848+3.3%
9Stutsman County828-0.1%
10Richland County641+2.7%
11Mountrail County543-2%
12Walsh County516+0.6%
13Ramsey County508-1.9%
14Barnes County427+1.4%
15Pembina County3880%
16Traill County384+3.2%
17McLean County371+0.5%
18Bottineau County314+3.6%
19Mercer County3120%
20Rolette County261+1.2%
21Ransom County256+2%
22Dickey County249-0.8%
23Dunn County217+2.4%
24LaMoure County215+0.9%
25McHenry County198+2.6%
25Wells County198+2.6%
27Pierce County196+0.5%
28Bowman County1890%
29Emmons County169+1.2%
30Sargent County167+0.6%
31Foster County166+2.5%
32Cavalier County159-4.2%
33Nelson County158-3.1%
34Benson County141+6%
35Renville County140+2.2%
36McIntosh County138-4.8%
37Hettinger County137+0.7%
38Divide County124-3.9%
39Adams County122-0.8%
40Burke County119+0.8%
41Kidder County113+2.7%
42Logan County102+6.3%
43Eddy County101+2%
43Towner County101-1%
45Griggs County100-2%
46Grant County96+2.1%
47Golden Valley County92+3.4%
48Steele County79-1.3%
49Sioux County67+1.5%
50Oliver County60+3.4%
51Billings County49-7.5%
52Sheridan County45-10%
53Slope County20-13%

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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-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  - 
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"establishments_qcew","level":"province","within":"North Dakota","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=establishments_qcew&level=province&within=North%20Dakota&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Cass County, with 7,601 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Slope County, with 20 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 North Dakota: more rankings