Counties in Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW)

Oklahoma County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 77 counties in 2021, at 29,266. Harmon County had the lowest, at 70. The median was 578 and the figure for Oklahoma was 115,892. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest29,266Oklahoma County
Median57877 counties
Oklahoma115,892History

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 315 countAlfalfa County: 145 countAtoka County: 310 countBeaver County: 167 countBeckham County: 792 countBlaine County: 310 countBryan County: 1,064 countCaddo County: 614 countCanadian County: 3,387 countCarter County: 1,729 countCherokee County: 820 countChoctaw County: 374 countCimarron County: 97 countCleveland County: 6,331 countCoal County: 117 countComanche County: 2,435 countCotton County: 105 countCraig County: 414 countCreek County: 1,548 countCuster County: 999 countDelaware County: 841 countDewey County: 196 countEllis County: 133 countGarfield County: 1,707 countGarvin County: 812 countGrady County: 1,200 countGrant County: 164 countGreer County: 107 countHarmon County: 70 countHarper County: 142 countHaskell County: 254 countHughes County: 272 countJackson County: 640 countJefferson County: 143 countJohnston County: 232 countKay County: 1,196 countKingfisher County: 578 countKiowa County: 237 countLatimer County: 213 countLe Flore County: 966 countLincoln County: 684 countLogan County: 787 countLove County: 233 countMcClain County: 1,120 countMcCurtain County: 766 countMcIntosh County: 391 countMajor County: 255 countMarshall County: 293 countMayes County: 932 countMurray County: 368 countMuskogee County: 1,531 countNoble County: 258 countNowata County: 178 countOkfuskee County: 217 countOklahoma County: 29,266 countOkmulgee County: 761 countOsage County: 550 countOttawa County: 731 countPawnee County: 305 countPayne County: 2,080 countPittsburg County: 1,032 countPontotoc County: 1,155 countPottawatomie County: 1,402 countPushmataha County: 270 countRoger Mills County: 109 countRogers County: 1,974 countSeminole County: 515 countSequoyah County: 711 countStephens County: 1,129 countTexas County: 579 countTillman County: 178 countTulsa County: 23,263 countWagoner County: 808 countWashington County: 1,300 countWashita County: 271 countWoods County: 312 countWoodward County: 813 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 600
  • 600 to 800
  • 800 to 1,200
  • 1,200 and over
count, 2021. 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.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Oklahoma County: 29,266 countOklahoma County29,266Tulsa County: 23,263 countTulsa County23,263Cleveland County: 6,331 countCleveland County6,331Canadian County: 3,387 countCanadian County3,387Comanche County: 2,435 countComanche County2,435Payne County: 2,080 countPayne County2,080Rogers County: 1,974 countRogers County1,974Carter County: 1,729 countCarter County1,729Garfield County: 1,707 countGarfield County1,707Creek County: 1,548 countCreek County1,548Muskogee County: 1,531 countMuskogee County1,531Pottawatomie County: 1,402 countPottawatomie County1,402Washington County: 1,300 countWashington County1,300Grady County: 1,200 countGrady County1,200Kay County: 1,196 countKay County1,196Pontotoc County: 1,155 countPontotoc County1,155Stephens County: 1,129 countStephens County1,129McClain County: 1,120 countMcClain County1,120Bryan County: 1,064 countBryan County1,064Pittsburg County: 1,032 countPittsburg County1,032Custer County: 999 countCuster County999Le Flore County: 966 countLe Flore County966Mayes County: 932 countMayes County932Delaware County: 841 countDelaware County841Cherokee County: 820 countCherokee County820Woodward County: 813 countWoodward County813Garvin County: 812 countGarvin County812Wagoner County: 808 countWagoner County808Beckham County: 792 countBeckham County792Logan County: 787 countLogan County787McCurtain County: 766 countMcCurtain County766Okmulgee County: 761 countOkmulgee County761Ottawa County: 731 countOttawa County731Sequoyah County: 711 countSequoyah County711Lincoln County: 684 countLincoln County684Jackson County: 640 countJackson County640Caddo County: 614 countCaddo County614Texas County: 579 countTexas County579Kingfisher County: 578 countKingfisher County578Osage County: 550 countOsage County550Oklahoma County: 29,266 countOklahoma County29,266Tulsa County: 23,263 countTulsa County23,263Cleveland County: 6,331 countCleveland County6,331Canadian County: 3,387 countCanadian County3,387Comanche County: 2,435 countComanche County2,435Payne County: 2,080 countPayne County2,080Rogers County: 1,974 countRogers County1,974Carter County: 1,729 countCarter County1,729Garfield County: 1,707 countGarfield County1,707Creek County: 1,548 countCreek County1,548Muskogee County: 1,531 countMuskogee County1,531Pottawatomie County: 1,402 countPottawatomie County1,402Washington County: 1,300 countWashington County1,300Grady County: 1,200 countGrady County1,200Kay County: 1,196 countKay County1,196Pontotoc County: 1,155 countPontotoc County1,155Stephens County: 1,129 countStephens County1,129McClain County: 1,120 countMcClain County1,120Bryan County: 1,064 countBryan County1,064Pittsburg County: 1,032 countPittsburg County1,032Custer County: 999 countCuster County999Le Flore County: 966 countLe Flore County966Mayes County: 932 countMayes County932Delaware County: 841 countDelaware County841Cherokee County: 820 countCherokee County820Woodward County: 813 countWoodward County813Garvin County: 812 countGarvin County812Wagoner County: 808 countWagoner County808Beckham County: 792 countBeckham County792Logan County: 787 countLogan County787McCurtain County: 766 countMcCurtain County766Okmulgee County: 761 countOkmulgee County761Ottawa County: 731 countOttawa County731Sequoyah County: 711 countSequoyah County711Lincoln County: 684 countLincoln County684Jackson County: 640 countJackson County640Caddo County: 614 countCaddo County614Texas County: 579 countTexas County579Kingfisher County: 578 countKingfisher County578Osage County: 550 countOsage County550
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

RankCounties2021
count
Change on 2020
1Oklahoma County29,266+1.7%
2Tulsa County23,263+1.7%
3Cleveland County6,331+3.1%
4Canadian County3,387+3.4%
5Comanche County2,435-0.4%
6Payne County2,080+1.4%
7Rogers County1,974+0.7%
8Carter County1,729+0.6%
9Garfield County1,707-0.5%
10Creek County1,548+1.2%
11Muskogee County1,531+0.1%
12Pottawatomie County1,402-1.3%
13Washington County1,300+0.6%
14Grady County1,200+0.2%
15Kay County1,196-0.1%
16Pontotoc County1,155-0.8%
17Stephens County1,129+0.1%
18McClain County1,120+1.5%
19Bryan County1,064+5.5%
20Pittsburg County1,032+0.3%
21Custer County999-1.7%
22Le Flore County966+0.9%
23Mayes County932+0.4%
24Delaware County841-1.2%
25Cherokee County820+2%
26Woodward County813-1.2%
27Garvin County812+1.6%
28Wagoner County808+2.9%
29Beckham County792-1.6%
30Logan County787-0.3%
31McCurtain County766+4.4%
32Okmulgee County761+0.4%
33Ottawa County731+4.9%
34Sequoyah County711-0.6%
35Lincoln County684+1.6%
36Jackson County640+0.5%
37Caddo County614+1%
38Texas County579+1%
39Kingfisher County578-3%
40Osage County550+0.2%
41Seminole County515-1%
42Craig County414-3%
43McIntosh County391-3.9%
44Choctaw County374+4.5%
45Murray County368+0.5%
46Adair County315+6.1%
47Woods County312-3.1%
48Atoka County310-1%
48Blaine County310-2.8%
50Pawnee County305-1.6%
51Marshall County293+2.8%
52Hughes County272-4.2%
53Washita County271+1.1%
54Pushmataha County270+3.8%
55Noble County258+2.8%
56Major County255+1.2%
57Haskell County254+0.4%
58Kiowa County237-1.3%
59Love County233+0.9%
60Johnston County232+2.2%
61Okfuskee County217+0.5%
62Latimer County213+2.4%
63Dewey County1960%
64Nowata County178-4.8%
64Tillman County178-2.2%
66Beaver County1670%
67Grant County164-1.2%
68Alfalfa County145-5.8%
69Jefferson County143-0.7%
70Harper County142+2.9%
71Ellis County133-2.9%
72Coal County117+3.5%
73Roger Mills County109-3.5%
74Greer County107-3.6%
75Cotton County105-3.7%
76Cimarron County97-1%
77Harmon County70-1.4%

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/2021/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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021. 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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021.

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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_oklahoma_by_2021,
  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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/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 Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/oklahoma-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Oklahoma by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Oklahoma County, with 29,266 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Harmon County, with 70 in 2021.

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 Oklahoma: more rankings