Counties in North Dakota by business establishments (QCEW)

Cass County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 53 counties in 2024, at 9,494. Slope County had the lowest, at 14. The median was 198 and the figure for North Dakota was 36,563. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest9,494Cass County
Lowest14Slope County
Median19853 counties
North Dakota36,563History

Map of counties, 2024

Adams County: 118 countBarnes County: 458 countBenson County: 148 countBillings County: 62 countBottineau County: 335 countBowman County: 195 countBurke County: 126 countBurleigh County: 4,390 countCass County: 9,494 countCavalier County: 173 countDickey County: 274 countDivide County: 125 countDunn County: 221 countEddy County: 104 countEmmons County: 166 countFoster County: 173 countGolden Valley County: 89 countGrand Forks County: 2,774 countGrant County: 110 countGriggs County: 107 countHettinger County: 146 countKidder County: 130 countLaMoure County: 239 countLogan County: 116 countMcHenry County: 242 countMcIntosh County: 141 countMcKenzie County: 819 countMcLean County: 392 countMercer County: 327 countMorton County: 1,238 countMountrail County: 529 countNelson County: 180 countOliver County: 73 countPembina County: 411 countPierce County: 198 countRamsey County: 525 countRansom County: 259 countRenville County: 139 countRichland County: 704 countRolette County: 287 countSargent County: 191 countSheridan County: 52 countSioux County: 78 countSlope County: 14 countStark County: 1,566 countSteele County: 84 countStutsman County: 900 countTowner County: 96 countTraill County: 412 countWalsh County: 519 countWard County: 2,723 countWells County: 207 countWilliams County: 2,228 count
  • Under 110
  • 110 to 140
  • 140 to 200
  • 200 to 330
  • 330 to 740
  • 740 and over
count, 2024. 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, 2024

Cass County: 9,494 countCass County9,494Burleigh County: 4,390 countBurleigh County4,390Grand Forks County: 2,774 countGrand Forks County2,774Ward County: 2,723 countWard County2,723Williams County: 2,228 countWilliams County2,228Stark County: 1,566 countStark County1,566Morton County: 1,238 countMorton County1,238Stutsman County: 900 countStutsman County900McKenzie County: 819 countMcKenzie County819Richland County: 704 countRichland County704Mountrail County: 529 countMountrail County529Ramsey County: 525 countRamsey County525Walsh County: 519 countWalsh County519Barnes County: 458 countBarnes County458Traill County: 412 countTraill County412Pembina County: 411 countPembina County411McLean County: 392 countMcLean County392Bottineau County: 335 countBottineau County335Mercer County: 327 countMercer County327Rolette County: 287 countRolette County287Dickey County: 274 countDickey County274Ransom County: 259 countRansom County259McHenry County: 242 countMcHenry County242LaMoure County: 239 countLaMoure County239Dunn County: 221 countDunn County221Wells County: 207 countWells County207Pierce County: 198 countPierce County198Bowman County: 195 countBowman County195Sargent County: 191 countSargent County191Nelson County: 180 countNelson County180Cavalier County: 173 countCavalier County173Foster County: 173 countFoster County173Emmons County: 166 countEmmons County166Benson County: 148 countBenson County148Hettinger County: 146 countHettinger County146McIntosh County: 141 countMcIntosh County141Renville County: 139 countRenville County139Kidder County: 130 countKidder County130Burke County: 126 countBurke County126Divide County: 125 countDivide County125Adams County: 118 countAdams County118Logan County: 116 countLogan County116Grant County: 110 countGrant County110Griggs County: 107 countGriggs County107Eddy County: 104 countEddy County104Towner County: 96 countTowner County96Golden Valley County: 89 countGolden Valley County89Steele County: 84 countSteele County84Sioux County: 78 countSioux County78Oliver County: 73 countOliver County73Billings County: 62 countBillings County62Sheridan County: 52 countSheridan County52Slope County: 14 countSlope County14Cass County: 9,494 countCass County9,494Burleigh County: 4,390 countBurleigh County4,390Grand Forks County: 2,774 countGrand Forks County2,774Ward County: 2,723 countWard County2,723Williams County: 2,228 countWilliams County2,228Stark County: 1,566 countStark County1,566Morton County: 1,238 countMorton County1,238Stutsman County: 900 countStutsman County900McKenzie County: 819 countMcKenzie County819Richland County: 704 countRichland County704Mountrail County: 529 countMountrail County529Ramsey County: 525 countRamsey County525Walsh County: 519 countWalsh County519Barnes County: 458 countBarnes County458Traill County: 412 countTraill County412Pembina County: 411 countPembina County411McLean County: 392 countMcLean County392Bottineau County: 335 countBottineau County335Mercer County: 327 countMercer County327Rolette County: 287 countRolette County287Dickey County: 274 countDickey County274Ransom County: 259 countRansom County259McHenry County: 242 countMcHenry County242LaMoure County: 239 countLaMoure County239Dunn County: 221 countDunn County221Wells County: 207 countWells County207Pierce County: 198 countPierce County198Bowman County: 195 countBowman County195Sargent County: 191 countSargent County191Nelson County: 180 countNelson County180Cavalier County: 173 countCavalier County173Foster County: 173 countFoster County173Emmons County: 166 countEmmons County166Benson County: 148 countBenson County148Hettinger County: 146 countHettinger County146McIntosh County: 141 countMcIntosh County141Renville County: 139 countRenville County139Kidder County: 130 countKidder County130Burke County: 126 countBurke County126Divide County: 125 countDivide County125Adams County: 118 countAdams County118Logan County: 116 countLogan County116Grant County: 110 countGrant County110Griggs County: 107 countGriggs County107Eddy County: 104 countEddy County104Towner County: 96 countTowner County96Golden Valley County: 89 countGolden Valley County89Steele County: 84 countSteele County84Sioux County: 78 countSioux County78Oliver County: 73 countOliver County73Billings County: 62 countBillings County62Sheridan County: 52 countSheridan County52Slope County: 14 countSlope County14
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

RankCounties2024
count
Change on 2023
1Cass County9,494+3.3%
2Burleigh County4,390+3.2%
3Grand Forks County2,774+4.1%
4Ward County2,723+1.4%
5Williams County2,228+4.2%
6Stark County1,566+1.3%
7Morton County1,238+4.4%
8Stutsman County900+1.4%
9McKenzie County819-0.2%
10Richland County704+2.9%
11Mountrail County529+2.7%
12Ramsey County525+2.3%
13Walsh County5190%
14Barnes County458+2%
15Traill County412-0.5%
16Pembina County411+2.5%
17McLean County392+1.8%
18Bottineau County335-1.2%
19Mercer County327+1.9%
20Rolette County287+1.4%
21Dickey County274+7.5%
22Ransom County259-0.4%
23McHenry County242+5.2%
24LaMoure County239+3.5%
25Dunn County221-2.2%
26Wells County207-0.5%
27Pierce County198-1.5%
28Bowman County195+2.1%
29Sargent County191+4.9%
30Nelson County180-1.6%
31Cavalier County173-0.6%
31Foster County173-1.1%
33Emmons County166+1.8%
34Benson County148-3.3%
35Hettinger County146+2.1%
36McIntosh County141+0.7%
37Renville County139-4.8%
38Kidder County130+2.4%
39Burke County126+4.1%
40Divide County1250%
41Adams County118+3.5%
42Logan County116+3.6%
43Grant County110+3.8%
44Griggs County107-2.7%
45Eddy County104-1.9%
46Towner County960%
47Golden Valley County89-7.3%
48Steele County840%
49Sioux County78+6.8%
50Oliver County73+7.4%
51Billings County62+12.7%
52Sheridan County52+2%
53Slope County14+7.7%

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/2024/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), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/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), 2024. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024. 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), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024.

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), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2024,
  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), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024. 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/2024/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), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/north-dakota-counties?period=2024.
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/2024/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 9,494 in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Slope County, with 14 in 2024.

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