Counties in Minnesota by employer firm births

Hennepin County had the highest employer firm births of 86 counties in 2019, at 1,932. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 4. The median was 21 and the figure for Minnesota was 6,615. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,932Hennepin County
Median2186 counties
Minnesota6,615History

Map of counties, 2019

Aitkin County: 16 countAnoka County: 393 countBecker County: 37 countBeltrami County: 49 countBenton County: 38 countBig Stone County: 6 countBlue Earth County: 64 countBrown County: 23 countCarlton County: 33 countCarver County: 116 countCass County: 37 countChippewa County: 6 countChisago County: 67 countClay County: 65 countClearwater County: 10 countCook County: 14 countCottonwood County: 11 countCrow Wing County: 88 countDakota County: 494 countDodge County: 16 countDouglas County: 48 countFaribault County: 13 countFillmore County: 15 countFreeborn County: 23 countGoodhue County: 46 countGrant County: 8 countHennepin County: 1,932 countHouston County: 20 countHubbard County: 28 countIsanti County: 51 countItasca County: 46 countJackson County: 5 countKanabec County: 14 countKandiyohi County: 37 countKittson County: 4 countKoochiching County: 13 countLac qui Parle County: 10 countLake County: 12 countLake of the Woods County: 5 countLe Sueur County: 33 countLincoln County: 9 countLyon County: 17 countMcLeod County: 33 countMahnomen County: 4 countMarshall County: 8 countMartin County: 12 countMeeker County: 18 countMille Lacs County: 32 countMorrison County: 40 countMower County: 25 countMurray County: 5 countNicollet County: 25 countNobles County: 15 countNorman County: 5 countOlmsted County: 176 countOtter Tail County: 76 countPennington County: 5 countPine County: 31 countPipestone County: 16 countPolk County: 17 countPope County: 14 countRamsey County: 656 countRed Lake County: 4 countRedwood County: 15 countRenville County: 21 countRice County: 57 countRock County: 9 countRoseau County: 13 countSt. Louis County: 199 countScott County: 174 countSherburne County: 113 countSibley County: 17 countStearns County: 132 countSteele County: 29 countStevens County: 6 countSwift County: 10 countTodd County: 27 countWabasha County: 21 countWadena County: 13 countWaseca County: 39 countWashington County: 305 countWatonwan County: 13 countWilkin County: 6 countWinona County: 36 countWright County: 187 countYellow Medicine County: 6 count
  • Under 10
  • 10 to 20
  • 20 to 40
  • 40 to 70
  • 70 and over
  • No data
count, 2019. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2019

Hennepin County: 1,932 countHennepin County1,932Ramsey County: 656 countRamsey County656Dakota County: 494 countDakota County494Anoka County: 393 countAnoka County393Washington County: 305 countWashington County305St. Louis County: 199 countSt. Louis County199Wright County: 187 countWright County187Olmsted County: 176 countOlmsted County176Scott County: 174 countScott County174Stearns County: 132 countStearns County132Carver County: 116 countCarver County116Sherburne County: 113 countSherburne County113Crow Wing County: 88 countCrow Wing County88Otter Tail County: 76 countOtter Tail County76Chisago County: 67 countChisago County67Clay County: 65 countClay County65Blue Earth County: 64 countBlue Earth County64Rice County: 57 countRice County57Isanti County: 51 countIsanti County51Beltrami County: 49 countBeltrami County49Douglas County: 48 countDouglas County48Goodhue County: 46 countGoodhue County46Itasca County: 46 countItasca County46Morrison County: 40 countMorrison County40Waseca County: 39 countWaseca County39Benton County: 38 countBenton County38Becker County: 37 countBecker County37Cass County: 37 countCass County37Kandiyohi County: 37 countKandiyohi County37Winona County: 36 countWinona County36Carlton County: 33 countCarlton County33Le Sueur County: 33 countLe Sueur County33McLeod County: 33 countMcLeod County33Mille Lacs County: 32 countMille Lacs County32Pine County: 31 countPine County31Steele County: 29 countSteele County29Hubbard County: 28 countHubbard County28Todd County: 27 countTodd County27Mower County: 25 countMower County25Nicollet County: 25 countNicollet County25Hennepin County: 1,932 countHennepin County1,932Ramsey County: 656 countRamsey County656Dakota County: 494 countDakota County494Anoka County: 393 countAnoka County393Washington County: 305 countWashington County305St. Louis County: 199 countSt. Louis County199Wright County: 187 countWright County187Olmsted County: 176 countOlmsted County176Scott County: 174 countScott County174Stearns County: 132 countStearns County132Carver County: 116 countCarver County116Sherburne County: 113 countSherburne County113Crow Wing County: 88 countCrow Wing County88Otter Tail County: 76 countOtter Tail County76Chisago County: 67 countChisago County67Clay County: 65 countClay County65Blue Earth County: 64 countBlue Earth County64Rice County: 57 countRice County57Isanti County: 51 countIsanti County51Beltrami County: 49 countBeltrami County49Douglas County: 48 countDouglas County48Goodhue County: 46 countGoodhue County46Itasca County: 46 countItasca County46Morrison County: 40 countMorrison County40Waseca County: 39 countWaseca County39Benton County: 38 countBenton County38Becker County: 37 countBecker County37Cass County: 37 countCass County37Kandiyohi County: 37 countKandiyohi County37Winona County: 36 countWinona County36Carlton County: 33 countCarlton County33Le Sueur County: 33 countLe Sueur County33McLeod County: 33 countMcLeod County33Mille Lacs County: 32 countMille Lacs County32Pine County: 31 countPine County31Steele County: 29 countSteele County29Hubbard County: 28 countHubbard County28Todd County: 27 countTodd County27Mower County: 25 countMower County25Nicollet County: 25 countNicollet County25
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

RankCounties2019
count
Change on 2018
1Hennepin County1,932-2.5%
2Ramsey County656+0.9%
3Dakota County494+3.1%
4Anoka County393-3.9%
5Washington County305+0.3%
6St. Louis County199+9.3%
7Wright County187+14.7%
8Olmsted County176+18.9%
9Scott County174-4.9%
10Stearns County132-24.1%
11Carver County116-0.9%
12Sherburne County113-1.7%
13Crow Wing County88+1.1%
14Otter Tail County76+15.2%
15Chisago County67-4.3%
16Clay County65+4.8%
17Blue Earth County64-3%
18Rice County570%
19Isanti County51+15.9%
20Beltrami County490%
21Douglas County48-12.7%
22Goodhue County46-2.1%
22Itasca County46+21.1%
24Morrison County40-9.1%
25Waseca County39+333.3%
26Benton County38+26.7%
27Becker County37+2.8%
27Cass County37+48%
27Kandiyohi County37-31.5%
30Winona County36-18.2%
31Carlton County33+50%
31Le Sueur County33+65%
31McLeod County33+6.5%
34Mille Lacs County32+18.5%
35Pine County31+34.8%
36Steele County29-25.6%
37Hubbard County28+3.7%
38Todd County27+22.7%
39Mower County25+19%
39Nicollet County25-10.7%
41Brown County23+15%
41Freeborn County23-14.8%
43Renville County21+31.3%
43Wabasha County21+10.5%
45Houston County20+17.6%
46Meeker County18-45.5%
47Lyon County17-41.4%
47Polk County17-19%
47Sibley County17-10.5%
50Aitkin County16+60%
50Dodge County16-20%
50Pipestone County16+77.8%
53Fillmore County15-11.8%
53Nobles County15-28.6%
53Redwood County15-40%
56Cook County14-22.2%
56Kanabec County14-12.5%
56Pope County14+27.3%
59Faribault County13-7.1%
59Koochiching County13+62.5%
59Roseau County13+8.3%
59Wadena County13-31.6%
59Watonwan County13+85.7%
64Lake County12+50%
64Martin County12-40%
66Cottonwood County11+22.2%
67Clearwater County10+11.1%
67Lac qui Parle County10+100%
67Swift County10+66.7%
70Lincoln County9+200%
70Rock County9+12.5%
72Grant County8+33.3%
72Marshall County8+100%
74Big Stone County6+50%
74Chippewa County6-53.8%
74Stevens County6-50%
74Wilkin County6n/a
74Yellow Medicine County6-66.7%
79Jackson County50%
79Lake of the Woods County5-50%
79Murray County5+25%
79Norman County5-28.6%
79Pennington County5-64.3%
84Kittson County4-55.6%
84Mahnomen County4+33.3%
84Red Lake County4n/a

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. 1 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2019 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

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, 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2019,
  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, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/minnesota-counties?period=2019.
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 1,932 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Red Lake County, with 4 in 2019.

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. 1 counties have no value for 2019 and are not ranked.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings