Counties in Washington by business establishments (QCEW)

King County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 39 counties in 2014, at 86,186. Garfield County had the lowest, at 125. The median was 2,066 and the figure for Washington was 242,942. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest86,186King County
Median2,06639 counties
Washington242,942History

Map of counties, 2014

Adams County: 878 countAsotin County: 670 countBenton County: 5,844 countChelan County: 3,478 countClallam County: 2,483 countClark County: 14,311 countColumbia County: 245 countCowlitz County: 3,172 countDouglas County: 1,285 countFerry County: 297 countFranklin County: 2,819 countGarfield County: 125 countGrant County: 3,403 countGrays Harbor County: 2,664 countIsland County: 2,014 countJefferson County: 1,130 countKing County: 86,186 countKitsap County: 6,853 countKittitas County: 1,435 countKlickitat County: 815 countLewis County: 2,592 countLincoln County: 586 countMason County: 1,378 countOkanogan County: 2,066 countPacific County: 927 countPend Oreille County: 441 countPierce County: 22,361 countSan Juan County: 977 countSkagit County: 4,099 countSkamania County: 286 countSnohomish County: 20,599 countSpokane County: 16,079 countStevens County: 1,211 countThurston County: 8,011 countWahkiakum County: 134 countWalla Walla County: 2,297 countWhatcom County: 7,233 countWhitman County: 1,346 countYakima County: 8,394 count
  • Under 600
  • 600 to 1,200
  • 1,200 to 2,100
  • 2,100 to 3,200
  • 3,200 to 7,800
  • 7,800 and over
count, 2014. 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, 2014

King County: 86,186 countKing County86,186Pierce County: 22,361 countPierce County22,361Snohomish County: 20,599 countSnohomish County20,599Spokane County: 16,079 countSpokane County16,079Clark County: 14,311 countClark County14,311Yakima County: 8,394 countYakima County8,394Thurston County: 8,011 countThurston County8,011Whatcom County: 7,233 countWhatcom County7,233Kitsap County: 6,853 countKitsap County6,853Benton County: 5,844 countBenton County5,844Skagit County: 4,099 countSkagit County4,099Chelan County: 3,478 countChelan County3,478Grant County: 3,403 countGrant County3,403Cowlitz County: 3,172 countCowlitz County3,172Franklin County: 2,819 countFranklin County2,819Grays Harbor County: 2,664 countGrays Harbor County2,664Lewis County: 2,592 countLewis County2,592Clallam County: 2,483 countClallam County2,483Walla Walla County: 2,297 countWalla Walla County2,297Okanogan County: 2,066 countOkanogan County2,066Island County: 2,014 countIsland County2,014Kittitas County: 1,435 countKittitas County1,435Mason County: 1,378 countMason County1,378Whitman County: 1,346 countWhitman County1,346Douglas County: 1,285 countDouglas County1,285Stevens County: 1,211 countStevens County1,211Jefferson County: 1,130 countJefferson County1,130San Juan County: 977 countSan Juan County977Pacific County: 927 countPacific County927Adams County: 878 countAdams County878Klickitat County: 815 countKlickitat County815Asotin County: 670 countAsotin County670Lincoln County: 586 countLincoln County586Pend Oreille County: 441 countPend Oreille County441Ferry County: 297 countFerry County297Skamania County: 286 countSkamania County286Columbia County: 245 countColumbia County245Wahkiakum County: 134 countWahkiakum County134Garfield County: 125 countGarfield County125King County: 86,186 countKing County86,186Pierce County: 22,361 countPierce County22,361Snohomish County: 20,599 countSnohomish County20,599Spokane County: 16,079 countSpokane County16,079Clark County: 14,311 countClark County14,311Yakima County: 8,394 countYakima County8,394Thurston County: 8,011 countThurston County8,011Whatcom County: 7,233 countWhatcom County7,233Kitsap County: 6,853 countKitsap County6,853Benton County: 5,844 countBenton County5,844Skagit County: 4,099 countSkagit County4,099Chelan County: 3,478 countChelan County3,478Grant County: 3,403 countGrant County3,403Cowlitz County: 3,172 countCowlitz County3,172Franklin County: 2,819 countFranklin County2,819Grays Harbor County: 2,664 countGrays Harbor County2,664Lewis County: 2,592 countLewis County2,592Clallam County: 2,483 countClallam County2,483Walla Walla County: 2,297 countWalla Walla County2,297Okanogan County: 2,066 countOkanogan County2,066Island County: 2,014 countIsland County2,014Kittitas County: 1,435 countKittitas County1,435Mason County: 1,378 countMason County1,378Whitman County: 1,346 countWhitman County1,346Douglas County: 1,285 countDouglas County1,285Stevens County: 1,211 countStevens County1,211Jefferson County: 1,130 countJefferson County1,130San Juan County: 977 countSan Juan County977Pacific County: 927 countPacific County927Adams County: 878 countAdams County878Klickitat County: 815 countKlickitat County815Asotin County: 670 countAsotin County670Lincoln County: 586 countLincoln County586Pend Oreille County: 441 countPend Oreille County441Ferry County: 297 countFerry County297Skamania County: 286 countSkamania County286Columbia County: 245 countColumbia County245Wahkiakum County: 134 countWahkiakum County134Garfield County: 125 countGarfield County125
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

RankCounties2014
count
Change on 2013
1King County86,186-0.3%
2Pierce County22,361-2.6%
3Snohomish County20,599+0.5%
4Spokane County16,079-3.6%
5Clark County14,311-1.7%
6Yakima County8,394-10.1%
7Thurston County8,011+0.7%
8Whatcom County7,233-0.2%
9Kitsap County6,853-1.5%
10Benton County5,844-2.9%
11Skagit County4,099-1.7%
12Chelan County3,478-0.8%
13Grant County3,403-7.1%
14Cowlitz County3,172-6.1%
15Franklin County2,819-5%
16Grays Harbor County2,664-7.8%
17Lewis County2,592-5.5%
18Clallam County2,483-2.3%
19Walla Walla County2,297-6.4%
20Okanogan County2,066-5.1%
21Island County2,014-0.1%
22Kittitas County1,435+0.3%
23Mason County1,378-5.9%
24Whitman County1,346-0.4%
25Douglas County1,285+1.1%
26Stevens County1,211-8.1%
27Jefferson County1,130+1.6%
28San Juan County977+3%
29Pacific County927-6.4%
30Adams County878-3.1%
31Klickitat County815-2.4%
32Asotin County670-6%
33Lincoln County586-2.2%
34Pend Oreille County441-7.5%
35Ferry County297-6.6%
36Skamania County286-8.6%
37Columbia County245-6.8%
38Wahkiakum County134-0.7%
39Garfield County125-3.8%

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/2014/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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014. 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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014.

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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2014,
  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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014. 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/2014/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 Washington by business establishments (QCEW), 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/washington-counties?period=2014.
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/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

King County, with 86,186 in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Garfield County, with 125 in 2014.

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 Washington: more rankings