Counties in Nebraska by employer firm births

Douglas County had the highest employer firm births of 82 counties in 2003, at 768. Sioux County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 12 and the figure for Nebraska was 2,684. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest768Douglas County
Median1282 counties
Nebraska2,684History

Map of counties, 2003

Adams County: 50 countAntelope County: 13 countArthur County: 0 countBanner County: 0 countBlaine County: 0 countBoone County: 9 countBox Butte County: 22 countBrown County: 8 countBuffalo County: 60 countBurt County: 10 countButler County: 9 countCass County: 44 countCedar County: 12 countChase County: 4 countCherry County: 8 countCheyenne County: 24 countClay County: 12 countColfax County: 12 countCuming County: 11 countCuster County: 17 countDakota County: 17 countDawes County: 18 countDawson County: 24 countDeuel County: 3 countDixon County: 10 countDodge County: 42 countDouglas County: 768 countDundy County: 4 countFillmore County: 3 countFurnas County: 14 countGage County: 36 countGarden County: 5 countGreeley County: 3 countHall County: 91 countHamilton County: 19 countHarlan County: 8 countHayes County: 0 countHitchcock County: 4 countHolt County: 22 countHooker County: 0 countHoward County: 10 countJefferson County: 13 countJohnson County: 8 countKearney County: 16 countKeith County: 17 countKeya Paha County: 3 countKimball County: 9 countKnox County: 14 countLancaster County: 415 countLincoln County: 55 countLogan County: 6 countMadison County: 58 countMerrick County: 12 countMorrill County: 5 countNance County: 3 countNemaha County: 15 countNuckolls County: 9 countOtoe County: 26 countPerkins County: 6 countPhelps County: 25 countPierce County: 12 countPlatte County: 43 countPolk County: 7 countRed Willow County: 13 countRichardson County: 9 countRock County: 3 countSaline County: 17 countSarpy County: 183 countSaunders County: 31 countScotts Bluff County: 74 countSeward County: 24 countSheridan County: 9 countSherman County: 7 countSioux County: 0 countStanton County: 13 countThayer County: 9 countThurston County: 8 countValley County: 6 countWashington County: 33 countWayne County: 11 countWebster County: 4 countYork County: 22 count
  • Under 4
  • 4 to 8
  • 8 to 12
  • 12 to 17
  • 17 to 32
  • 32 and over
  • No data
count, 2003. 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, 2003

Douglas County: 768 countDouglas County768Lancaster County: 415 countLancaster County415Sarpy County: 183 countSarpy County183Hall County: 91 countHall County91Scotts Bluff County: 74 countScotts Bluff County74Buffalo County: 60 countBuffalo County60Madison County: 58 countMadison County58Lincoln County: 55 countLincoln County55Adams County: 50 countAdams County50Cass County: 44 countCass County44Platte County: 43 countPlatte County43Dodge County: 42 countDodge County42Gage County: 36 countGage County36Washington County: 33 countWashington County33Saunders County: 31 countSaunders County31Otoe County: 26 countOtoe County26Phelps County: 25 countPhelps County25Cheyenne County: 24 countCheyenne County24Dawson County: 24 countDawson County24Seward County: 24 countSeward County24Box Butte County: 22 countBox Butte County22Holt County: 22 countHolt County22York County: 22 countYork County22Hamilton County: 19 countHamilton County19Dawes County: 18 countDawes County18Custer County: 17 countCuster County17Dakota County: 17 countDakota County17Keith County: 17 countKeith County17Saline County: 17 countSaline County17Kearney County: 16 countKearney County16Nemaha County: 15 countNemaha County15Furnas County: 14 countFurnas County14Knox County: 14 countKnox County14Antelope County: 13 countAntelope County13Jefferson County: 13 countJefferson County13Red Willow County: 13 countRed Willow County13Stanton County: 13 countStanton County13Cedar County: 12 countCedar County12Clay County: 12 countClay County12Colfax County: 12 countColfax County12Douglas County: 768 countDouglas County768Lancaster County: 415 countLancaster County415Sarpy County: 183 countSarpy County183Hall County: 91 countHall County91Scotts Bluff County: 74 countScotts Bluff County74Buffalo County: 60 countBuffalo County60Madison County: 58 countMadison County58Lincoln County: 55 countLincoln County55Adams County: 50 countAdams County50Cass County: 44 countCass County44Platte County: 43 countPlatte County43Dodge County: 42 countDodge County42Gage County: 36 countGage County36Washington County: 33 countWashington County33Saunders County: 31 countSaunders County31Otoe County: 26 countOtoe County26Phelps County: 25 countPhelps County25Cheyenne County: 24 countCheyenne County24Dawson County: 24 countDawson County24Seward County: 24 countSeward County24Box Butte County: 22 countBox Butte County22Holt County: 22 countHolt County22York County: 22 countYork County22Hamilton County: 19 countHamilton County19Dawes County: 18 countDawes County18Custer County: 17 countCuster County17Dakota County: 17 countDakota County17Keith County: 17 countKeith County17Saline County: 17 countSaline County17Kearney County: 16 countKearney County16Nemaha County: 15 countNemaha County15Furnas County: 14 countFurnas County14Knox County: 14 countKnox County14Antelope County: 13 countAntelope County13Jefferson County: 13 countJefferson County13Red Willow County: 13 countRed Willow County13Stanton County: 13 countStanton County13Cedar County: 12 countCedar County12Clay County: 12 countClay County12Colfax County: 12 countColfax County12
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

RankCounties2003
count
Change on 2002
1Douglas County768-2.2%
2Lancaster County415-5.7%
3Sarpy County183-3.2%
4Hall County91+4.6%
5Scotts Bluff County74+32.1%
6Buffalo County60-27.7%
7Madison County58-1.7%
8Lincoln County55+14.6%
9Adams County50+66.7%
10Cass County44+10%
11Platte County43-4.4%
12Dodge County42+20%
13Gage County36+20%
14Washington County33-13.2%
15Saunders County31-6.1%
16Otoe County26-10.3%
17Phelps County25+78.6%
18Cheyenne County24+20%
18Dawson County24-25%
18Seward County24+4.3%
21Box Butte County22+15.8%
21Holt County22+10%
21York County220%
24Hamilton County19+18.8%
25Dawes County18+38.5%
26Custer County17-10.5%
26Dakota County17-45.2%
26Keith County17+6.3%
26Saline County17+70%
30Kearney County16+6.7%
31Nemaha County15+25%
32Furnas County14+100%
32Knox County14+7.7%
34Antelope County130%
34Jefferson County13+18.2%
34Red Willow County13-55.2%
34Stanton County13+225%
38Cedar County12-42.9%
38Clay County12+100%
38Colfax County12-14.3%
38Merrick County120%
38Pierce County12+71.4%
43Cuming County11-21.4%
43Wayne County11-21.4%
45Burt County10+42.9%
45Dixon County10+233.3%
45Howard County10+150%
48Boone County9+28.6%
48Butler County9-55%
48Kimball County9+50%
48Nuckolls County9-18.2%
48Richardson County9+80%
48Sheridan County9+28.6%
48Thayer County9+12.5%
55Brown County8-11.1%
55Cherry County8+14.3%
55Harlan County8+60%
55Johnson County8n/a
55Thurston County8+60%
60Polk County7+16.7%
60Sherman County7+75%
62Logan County6n/a
62Perkins County6n/a
62Valley County6-25%
65Garden County5+25%
65Morrill County5-37.5%
67Chase County4-50%
67Dundy County4n/a
67Hitchcock County4-20%
67Webster County4n/a
71Deuel County30%
71Fillmore County3-76.9%
71Greeley County3n/a
71Keya Paha County30%
71Nance County3-57.1%
71Rock County3-25%
77Arthur County0n/a
77Banner County0n/a
77Blaine County0n/a
77Hayes County0n/a
77Hooker County0-100%
77Sioux County0n/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. 11 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2003 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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003) [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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003. 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/nebraska-counties?period=2003. 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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003. 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/nebraska-counties?period=2003.

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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003 [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/nebraska-counties?period=2003 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_nebraska_by_2003,
  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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003}},
  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/nebraska-counties?period=2003. 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 Nebraska by employer firm births, 2003
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/nebraska-counties?period=2003
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/nebraska-counties?period=2003.
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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Rank Counties in Nebraska by employer firm births using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firm births?

Douglas County, with 768 in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Sioux County, with 0 in 2003.

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. 11 counties have no value for 2003 and are not ranked.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Nebraska: more rankings