Counties in Wisconsin by business establishments (QCEW)

Milwaukee County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 72 counties in 2014, at 24,543. Menominee County had the lowest, at 113. The median was 1,002 and the figure for Wisconsin was 163,938. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest24,543Milwaukee County
Median1,00272 counties
Wisconsin163,938History

Map of counties, 2014

Adams County: 332 countAshland County: 553 countBarron County: 1,304 countBayfield County: 478 countBrown County: 6,380 countBuffalo County: 343 countBurnett County: 382 countCalumet County: 788 countChippewa County: 1,474 countClark County: 790 countColumbia County: 1,473 countCrawford County: 454 countDane County: 13,964 countDodge County: 1,732 countDoor County: 1,224 countDouglas County: 1,022 countDunn County: 929 countEau Claire County: 2,554 countFlorence County: 146 countFond du Lac County: 2,258 countForest County: 299 countGrant County: 1,315 countGreen County: 982 countGreen Lake County: 486 countIowa County: 607 countIron County: 218 countJackson County: 473 countJefferson County: 1,929 countJuneau County: 597 countKenosha County: 2,920 countKewaunee County: 514 countLa Crosse County: 2,853 countLafayette County: 404 countLanglade County: 591 countLincoln County: 691 countManitowoc County: 1,789 countMarathon County: 3,341 countMarinette County: 1,226 countMarquette County: 334 countMenominee County: 113 countMilwaukee County: 24,543 countMonroe County: 1,058 countOconto County: 752 countOneida County: 1,445 countOutagamie County: 4,935 countOzaukee County: 2,660 countPepin County: 247 countPierce County: 789 countPolk County: 1,104 countPortage County: 1,620 countPrice County: 480 countRacine County: 3,963 countRichland County: 419 countRock County: 3,173 countRusk County: 333 countSt. Croix County: 2,149 countSauk County: 1,928 countSawyer County: 644 countShawano County: 1,031 countSheboygan County: 2,684 countTaylor County: 473 countTrempealeau County: 715 countVernon County: 632 countVilas County: 938 countWalworth County: 2,548 countWashburn County: 523 countWashington County: 3,098 countWaukesha County: 12,216 countWaupaca County: 1,248 countWaushara County: 512 countWinnebago County: 3,517 countWood County: 1,853 count
  • Under 400
  • 400 to 600
  • 600 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,500
  • 1,500 to 2,700
  • 2,700 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.

Top 40 counties, 2014

Milwaukee County: 24,543 countMilwaukee County24,543Dane County: 13,964 countDane County13,964Waukesha County: 12,216 countWaukesha County12,216Brown County: 6,380 countBrown County6,380Outagamie County: 4,935 countOutagamie County4,935Racine County: 3,963 countRacine County3,963Winnebago County: 3,517 countWinnebago County3,517Marathon County: 3,341 countMarathon County3,341Rock County: 3,173 countRock County3,173Washington County: 3,098 countWashington County3,098Kenosha County: 2,920 countKenosha County2,920La Crosse County: 2,853 countLa Crosse County2,853Sheboygan County: 2,684 countSheboygan County2,684Ozaukee County: 2,660 countOzaukee County2,660Eau Claire County: 2,554 countEau Claire County2,554Walworth County: 2,548 countWalworth County2,548Fond du Lac County: 2,258 countFond du Lac County2,258St. Croix County: 2,149 countSt. Croix County2,149Jefferson County: 1,929 countJefferson County1,929Sauk County: 1,928 countSauk County1,928Wood County: 1,853 countWood County1,853Manitowoc County: 1,789 countManitowoc County1,789Dodge County: 1,732 countDodge County1,732Portage County: 1,620 countPortage County1,620Chippewa County: 1,474 countChippewa County1,474Columbia County: 1,473 countColumbia County1,473Oneida County: 1,445 countOneida County1,445Grant County: 1,315 countGrant County1,315Barron County: 1,304 countBarron County1,304Waupaca County: 1,248 countWaupaca County1,248Marinette County: 1,226 countMarinette County1,226Door County: 1,224 countDoor County1,224Polk County: 1,104 countPolk County1,104Monroe County: 1,058 countMonroe County1,058Shawano County: 1,031 countShawano County1,031Douglas County: 1,022 countDouglas County1,022Green County: 982 countGreen County982Vilas County: 938 countVilas County938Dunn County: 929 countDunn County929Clark County: 790 countClark County790Milwaukee County: 24,543 countMilwaukee County24,543Dane County: 13,964 countDane County13,964Waukesha County: 12,216 countWaukesha County12,216Brown County: 6,380 countBrown County6,380Outagamie County: 4,935 countOutagamie County4,935Racine County: 3,963 countRacine County3,963Winnebago County: 3,517 countWinnebago County3,517Marathon County: 3,341 countMarathon County3,341Rock County: 3,173 countRock County3,173Washington County: 3,098 countWashington County3,098Kenosha County: 2,920 countKenosha County2,920La Crosse County: 2,853 countLa Crosse County2,853Sheboygan County: 2,684 countSheboygan County2,684Ozaukee County: 2,660 countOzaukee County2,660Eau Claire County: 2,554 countEau Claire County2,554Walworth County: 2,548 countWalworth County2,548Fond du Lac County: 2,258 countFond du Lac County2,258St. Croix County: 2,149 countSt. Croix County2,149Jefferson County: 1,929 countJefferson County1,929Sauk County: 1,928 countSauk County1,928Wood County: 1,853 countWood County1,853Manitowoc County: 1,789 countManitowoc County1,789Dodge County: 1,732 countDodge County1,732Portage County: 1,620 countPortage County1,620Chippewa County: 1,474 countChippewa County1,474Columbia County: 1,473 countColumbia County1,473Oneida County: 1,445 countOneida County1,445Grant County: 1,315 countGrant County1,315Barron County: 1,304 countBarron County1,304Waupaca County: 1,248 countWaupaca County1,248Marinette County: 1,226 countMarinette County1,226Door County: 1,224 countDoor County1,224Polk County: 1,104 countPolk County1,104Monroe County: 1,058 countMonroe County1,058Shawano County: 1,031 countShawano County1,031Douglas County: 1,022 countDouglas County1,022Green County: 982 countGreen County982Vilas County: 938 countVilas County938Dunn County: 929 countDunn County929Clark County: 790 countClark County790
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
1Milwaukee County24,543+1.9%
2Dane County13,964-2.1%
3Waukesha County12,216-2.5%
4Brown County6,380-2.4%
5Outagamie County4,935-2%
6Racine County3,963-3%
7Winnebago County3,517-2.3%
8Marathon County3,341-1.9%
9Rock County3,173-3.3%
10Washington County3,098-2.9%
11Kenosha County2,920-2.5%
12La Crosse County2,853-2.9%
13Sheboygan County2,684-3%
14Ozaukee County2,660-3.7%
15Eau Claire County2,554-2.8%
16Walworth County2,548-3.7%
17Fond du Lac County2,258-2.7%
18St. Croix County2,149-1.8%
19Jefferson County1,929-2.4%
20Sauk County1,928-3.8%
21Wood County1,853-3.3%
22Manitowoc County1,789-1.5%
23Dodge County1,732-1.6%
24Portage County1,620-2.4%
25Chippewa County1,474-3.6%
26Columbia County1,473-3%
27Oneida County1,445-3.8%
28Grant County1,315-1.5%
29Barron County1,304-1.4%
30Waupaca County1,248-3.1%
31Marinette County1,226-4.5%
32Door County1,224-2.5%
33Polk County1,104-1.9%
34Monroe County1,058-2.4%
35Shawano County1,031-1.8%
36Douglas County1,022-3.3%
37Green County982-2.2%
38Vilas County938-3.5%
39Dunn County929-3.3%
40Clark County790-1.5%
41Pierce County789-2.4%
42Calumet County788-1.6%
43Oconto County752-4.2%
44Trempealeau County715-2.3%
45Lincoln County691-2.5%
46Sawyer County644-4%
47Vernon County632-3.7%
48Iowa County607-1.1%
49Juneau County597-2.8%
50Langlade County591-1%
51Ashland County553-5%
52Washburn County523-5.4%
53Kewaunee County514-2.1%
54Waushara County512-3.2%
55Green Lake County486-2.4%
56Price County480-2%
57Bayfield County478-3.6%
58Jackson County473-1.3%
58Taylor County473-5.2%
60Crawford County454-2.2%
61Richland County419-3.5%
62Lafayette County404-1.7%
63Burnett County382-2.6%
64Buffalo County343-4.2%
65Marquette County334-0.6%
66Rusk County333-2.6%
67Adams County332-2.9%
68Forest County299-2.9%
69Pepin County247-3.1%
70Iron County218-5.2%
71Florence County146-5.8%
72Menominee County113+21.5%

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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/wisconsin-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 Wisconsin 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/wisconsin-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 Wisconsin 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/wisconsin-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_wisconsin_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 Wisconsin 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/wisconsin-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 Wisconsin 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/wisconsin-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/wisconsin-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)?

Milwaukee County, with 24,543 in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Menominee County, with 113 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 Wisconsin: more rankings