Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births

Hennepin County had the highest employer firm births of 87 counties in 2014, at 1,924. Traverse County had the lowest, at 4. The median was 22 and the figure for Minnesota was 6,489. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,924Hennepin County
Median2287 counties
Minnesota6,489History

Map of counties, 2014

Aitkin County: 22 countAnoka County: 389 countBecker County: 38 countBeltrami County: 49 countBenton County: 35 countBig Stone County: 6 countBlue Earth County: 64 countBrown County: 22 countCarlton County: 34 countCarver County: 136 countCass County: 24 countChippewa County: 11 countChisago County: 50 countClay County: 46 countClearwater County: 8 countCook County: 12 countCottonwood County: 10 countCrow Wing County: 97 countDakota County: 532 countDodge County: 15 countDouglas County: 55 countFaribault County: 13 countFillmore County: 22 countFreeborn County: 29 countGoodhue County: 52 countGrant County: 7 countHennepin County: 1,924 countHouston County: 11 countHubbard County: 24 countIsanti County: 48 countItasca County: 32 countJackson County: 13 countKanabec County: 14 countKandiyohi County: 52 countKittson County: 4 countKoochiching County: 12 countLac qui Parle County: 16 countLake County: 14 countLake of the Woods County: 8 countLe Sueur County: 28 countLincoln County: 6 countLyon County: 30 countMcLeod County: 27 countMahnomen County: 5 countMarshall County: 8 countMartin County: 23 countMeeker County: 18 countMille Lacs County: 26 countMorrison County: 23 countMower County: 32 countMurray County: 12 countNicollet County: 23 countNobles County: 17 countNorman County: 6 countOlmsted County: 172 countOtter Tail County: 61 countPennington County: 12 countPine County: 19 countPipestone County: 9 countPolk County: 32 countPope County: 9 countRamsey County: 582 countRed Lake County: 5 countRedwood County: 16 countRenville County: 16 countRice County: 52 countRock County: 9 countRoseau County: 15 countSt. Louis County: 145 countScott County: 190 countSherburne County: 99 countSibley County: 10 countStearns County: 170 countSteele County: 34 countStevens County: 5 countSwift County: 15 countTodd County: 20 countTraverse County: 4 countWabasha County: 19 countWadena County: 18 countWaseca County: 16 countWashington County: 304 countWatonwan County: 9 countWilkin County: 9 countWinona County: 36 countWright County: 165 countYellow Medicine County: 15 count
  • Under 10
  • 10 to 20
  • 20 to 30
  • 30 to 60
  • 60 and over
count, 2014. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2014

Hennepin County: 1,924 countHennepin County1,924Ramsey County: 582 countRamsey County582Dakota County: 532 countDakota County532Anoka County: 389 countAnoka County389Washington County: 304 countWashington County304Scott County: 190 countScott County190Olmsted County: 172 countOlmsted County172Stearns County: 170 countStearns County170Wright County: 165 countWright County165St. Louis County: 145 countSt. Louis County145Carver County: 136 countCarver County136Sherburne County: 99 countSherburne County99Crow Wing County: 97 countCrow Wing County97Blue Earth County: 64 countBlue Earth County64Otter Tail County: 61 countOtter Tail County61Douglas County: 55 countDouglas County55Goodhue County: 52 countGoodhue County52Kandiyohi County: 52 countKandiyohi County52Rice County: 52 countRice County52Chisago County: 50 countChisago County50Beltrami County: 49 countBeltrami County49Isanti County: 48 countIsanti County48Clay County: 46 countClay County46Becker County: 38 countBecker County38Winona County: 36 countWinona County36Benton County: 35 countBenton County35Carlton County: 34 countCarlton County34Steele County: 34 countSteele County34Itasca County: 32 countItasca County32Mower County: 32 countMower County32Polk County: 32 countPolk County32Lyon County: 30 countLyon County30Freeborn County: 29 countFreeborn County29Le Sueur County: 28 countLe Sueur County28McLeod County: 27 countMcLeod County27Mille Lacs County: 26 countMille Lacs County26Cass County: 24 countCass County24Hubbard County: 24 countHubbard County24Martin County: 23 countMartin County23Morrison County: 23 countMorrison County23Hennepin County: 1,924 countHennepin County1,924Ramsey County: 582 countRamsey County582Dakota County: 532 countDakota County532Anoka County: 389 countAnoka County389Washington County: 304 countWashington County304Scott County: 190 countScott County190Olmsted County: 172 countOlmsted County172Stearns County: 170 countStearns County170Wright County: 165 countWright County165St. Louis County: 145 countSt. Louis County145Carver County: 136 countCarver County136Sherburne County: 99 countSherburne County99Crow Wing County: 97 countCrow Wing County97Blue Earth County: 64 countBlue Earth County64Otter Tail County: 61 countOtter Tail County61Douglas County: 55 countDouglas County55Goodhue County: 52 countGoodhue County52Kandiyohi County: 52 countKandiyohi County52Rice County: 52 countRice County52Chisago County: 50 countChisago County50Beltrami County: 49 countBeltrami County49Isanti County: 48 countIsanti County48Clay County: 46 countClay County46Becker County: 38 countBecker County38Winona County: 36 countWinona County36Benton County: 35 countBenton County35Carlton County: 34 countCarlton County34Steele County: 34 countSteele County34Itasca County: 32 countItasca County32Mower County: 32 countMower County32Polk County: 32 countPolk County32Lyon County: 30 countLyon County30Freeborn County: 29 countFreeborn County29Le Sueur County: 28 countLe Sueur County28McLeod County: 27 countMcLeod County27Mille Lacs County: 26 countMille Lacs County26Cass County: 24 countCass County24Hubbard County: 24 countHubbard County24Martin County: 23 countMartin County23Morrison County: 23 countMorrison County23
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Full ranking

RankCounties2014
count
Change on 2013
1Hennepin County1,924+0.9%
2Ramsey County582+8.4%
3Dakota County532+14.4%
4Anoka County389+8.4%
5Washington County304+6.3%
6Scott County190+18%
7Olmsted County172+0.6%
8Stearns County170+0.6%
9Wright County165-0.6%
10St. Louis County145-7.1%
11Carver County136+10.6%
12Sherburne County99-3.9%
13Crow Wing County97+19.8%
14Blue Earth County64+16.4%
15Otter Tail County61-9%
16Douglas County550%
17Goodhue County52+100%
17Kandiyohi County52-11.9%
17Rice County52-20%
20Chisago County50-7.4%
21Beltrami County49-3.9%
22Isanti County48+33.3%
23Clay County46-16.4%
24Becker County38-2.6%
25Winona County36-28%
26Benton County35+2.9%
27Carlton County34+47.8%
27Steele County34+36%
29Itasca County32-8.6%
29Mower County32+28%
29Polk County32-11.1%
32Lyon County30+7.1%
33Freeborn County29+70.6%
34Le Sueur County28+12%
35McLeod County27-20.6%
36Mille Lacs County26+44.4%
37Cass County24-20%
37Hubbard County240%
39Martin County23+35.3%
39Morrison County23-42.5%
39Nicollet County23-17.9%
42Aitkin County22+29.4%
42Brown County22+15.8%
42Fillmore County22+57.1%
45Todd County20-13%
46Pine County19-13.6%
46Wabasha County19-5%
48Meeker County18+20%
48Wadena County18-10%
50Nobles County17-5.6%
51Lac qui Parle County16n/a
51Redwood County16-44.8%
51Renville County16+6.7%
51Waseca County16+14.3%
55Dodge County15-25%
55Roseau County15-28.6%
55Swift County15+25%
55Yellow Medicine County15+36.4%
59Kanabec County14+40%
59Lake County14n/a
61Faribault County13-23.5%
61Jackson County13-13.3%
63Cook County12+9.1%
63Koochiching County12+20%
63Murray County12+71.4%
63Pennington County12-40%
67Chippewa County11-21.4%
67Houston County11-26.7%
69Cottonwood County100%
69Sibley County10-9.1%
71Pipestone County9+125%
71Pope County9+28.6%
71Rock County9+80%
71Watonwan County9+80%
71Wilkin County9+28.6%
76Clearwater County8-20%
76Lake of the Woods County8+33.3%
76Marshall County8n/a
79Grant County7-12.5%
80Big Stone County6-25%
80Lincoln County60%
80Norman County6-14.3%
83Mahnomen County5n/a
83Red Lake County5n/a
83Stevens County5-37.5%
86Kittson County4+33.3%
86Traverse County4-50%

Other periods

About this ranking

New employer firms: firms of age zero in March of the year, meaning that every establishment of the firm had its first employees during the previous twelve months. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics, which calls these firms startups.

A firm counts only when it has employees, so a business without staff is not a birth, and a new branch, merger or change of ownership of an existing firm is not a birth either. Not the same as business_applications (requests for an employer number) or enterprise_births (European business demography). The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978 (Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978, Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978, Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978: Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-22},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty\_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978: Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births, 2014
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty_fac.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firm births?

Hennepin County, with 1,924 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Traverse County, with 4 in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics by firm age: employer firms of age zero, all covered industries, nation, states and counties from 1978. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings