Counties in Wisconsin by employer firm births

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firm births of 71 counties in 2012, at 809. Florence County had the lowest, at 5. The median was 38 and the figure for Wisconsin was 5,580. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Median3871 counties
Wisconsin5,580History

Map of counties, 2012

Adams County: 21 countAshland County: 12 countBarron County: 51 countBayfield County: 18 countBrown County: 233 countBuffalo County: 18 countBurnett County: 13 countCalumet County: 43 countChippewa County: 100 countClark County: 31 countColumbia County: 59 countCrawford County: 14 countDane County: 589 countDodge County: 56 countDoor County: 46 countDouglas County: 34 countDunn County: 44 countEau Claire County: 132 countFlorence County: 5 countFond du Lac County: 67 countForest County: 8 countGrant County: 48 countGreen County: 39 countGreen Lake County: 13 countIowa County: 24 countIron County: 7 countJackson County: 22 countJefferson County: 76 countJuneau County: 16 countKenosha County: 137 countKewaunee County: 18 countLa Crosse County: 121 countLafayette County: 14 countLanglade County: 6 countLincoln County: 25 countManitowoc County: 58 countMarathon County: 129 countMarinette County: 35 countMarquette County: 8 countMilwaukee County: 809 countMonroe County: 41 countOconto County: 37 countOneida County: 47 countOutagamie County: 202 countOzaukee County: 120 countPepin County: 14 countPierce County: 34 countPolk County: 38 countPortage County: 45 countPrice County: 14 countRacine County: 173 countRichland County: 10 countRock County: 139 countRusk County: 20 countSt. Croix County: 132 countSauk County: 77 countSawyer County: 23 countShawano County: 31 countSheboygan County: 97 countTaylor County: 20 countTrempealeau County: 26 countVernon County: 22 countVilas County: 37 countWalworth County: 135 countWashburn County: 14 countWashington County: 132 countWaukesha County: 502 countWaupaca County: 41 countWaushara County: 22 countWinnebago County: 119 countWood County: 48 count
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 22
  • 22 to 38
  • 38 to 54
  • 54 to 130
  • 130 and over
  • No data
count, 2012. 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, 2012

Milwaukee County: 809 countMilwaukee County809Dane County: 589 countDane County589Waukesha County: 502 countWaukesha County502Brown County: 233 countBrown County233Outagamie County: 202 countOutagamie County202Racine County: 173 countRacine County173Rock County: 139 countRock County139Kenosha County: 137 countKenosha County137Walworth County: 135 countWalworth County135Eau Claire County: 132 countEau Claire County132St. Croix County: 132 countSt. Croix County132Washington County: 132 countWashington County132Marathon County: 129 countMarathon County129La Crosse County: 121 countLa Crosse County121Ozaukee County: 120 countOzaukee County120Winnebago County: 119 countWinnebago County119Chippewa County: 100 countChippewa County100Sheboygan County: 97 countSheboygan County97Sauk County: 77 countSauk County77Jefferson County: 76 countJefferson County76Fond du Lac County: 67 countFond du Lac County67Columbia County: 59 countColumbia County59Manitowoc County: 58 countManitowoc County58Dodge County: 56 countDodge County56Barron County: 51 countBarron County51Grant County: 48 countGrant County48Wood County: 48 countWood County48Oneida County: 47 countOneida County47Door County: 46 countDoor County46Portage County: 45 countPortage County45Dunn County: 44 countDunn County44Calumet County: 43 countCalumet County43Monroe County: 41 countMonroe County41Waupaca County: 41 countWaupaca County41Green County: 39 countGreen County39Polk County: 38 countPolk County38Oconto County: 37 countOconto County37Vilas County: 37 countVilas County37Marinette County: 35 countMarinette County35Douglas County: 34 countDouglas County34Milwaukee County: 809 countMilwaukee County809Dane County: 589 countDane County589Waukesha County: 502 countWaukesha County502Brown County: 233 countBrown County233Outagamie County: 202 countOutagamie County202Racine County: 173 countRacine County173Rock County: 139 countRock County139Kenosha County: 137 countKenosha County137Walworth County: 135 countWalworth County135Eau Claire County: 132 countEau Claire County132St. Croix County: 132 countSt. Croix County132Washington County: 132 countWashington County132Marathon County: 129 countMarathon County129La Crosse County: 121 countLa Crosse County121Ozaukee County: 120 countOzaukee County120Winnebago County: 119 countWinnebago County119Chippewa County: 100 countChippewa County100Sheboygan County: 97 countSheboygan County97Sauk County: 77 countSauk County77Jefferson County: 76 countJefferson County76Fond du Lac County: 67 countFond du Lac County67Columbia County: 59 countColumbia County59Manitowoc County: 58 countManitowoc County58Dodge County: 56 countDodge County56Barron County: 51 countBarron County51Grant County: 48 countGrant County48Wood County: 48 countWood County48Oneida County: 47 countOneida County47Door County: 46 countDoor County46Portage County: 45 countPortage County45Dunn County: 44 countDunn County44Calumet County: 43 countCalumet County43Monroe County: 41 countMonroe County41Waupaca County: 41 countWaupaca County41Green County: 39 countGreen County39Polk County: 38 countPolk County38Oconto County: 37 countOconto County37Vilas County: 37 countVilas County37Marinette County: 35 countMarinette County35Douglas County: 34 countDouglas County34
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

RankCounties2012
count
Change on 2011
1Milwaukee County809+2.4%
2Dane County589-0.3%
3Waukesha County502+2.9%
4Brown County233-2.1%
5Outagamie County202+11%
6Racine County173-1.7%
7Rock County139+11.2%
8Kenosha County137+2.2%
9Walworth County135+16.4%
10Eau Claire County132+24.5%
10St. Croix County132+55.3%
10Washington County132+11.9%
13Marathon County129+10.3%
14La Crosse County121+4.3%
15Ozaukee County120+0.8%
16Winnebago County119-4%
17Chippewa County100+42.9%
18Sheboygan County97+3.2%
19Sauk County77+54%
20Jefferson County76+1.3%
21Fond du Lac County67-10.7%
22Columbia County59-4.8%
23Manitowoc County58+3.6%
24Dodge County56-6.7%
25Barron County51+2%
26Grant County48-9.4%
26Wood County48-15.8%
28Oneida County47-2.1%
29Door County46+4.5%
30Portage County45-31.8%
31Dunn County44+18.9%
32Calumet County43-14%
33Monroe County41-28.1%
33Waupaca County410%
35Green County39-17%
36Polk County38-29.6%
37Oconto County37+48%
37Vilas County37+8.8%
39Marinette County35+9.4%
40Douglas County34-8.1%
40Pierce County340%
42Clark County31-22.5%
42Shawano County31+29.2%
44Trempealeau County26+18.2%
45Lincoln County25+19%
46Iowa County24+26.3%
47Sawyer County23-4.2%
48Jackson County22+22.2%
48Vernon County220%
48Waushara County22+100%
51Adams County21+61.5%
52Rusk County20+81.8%
52Taylor County20-28.6%
54Bayfield County18+12.5%
54Buffalo County18+12.5%
54Kewaunee County18+28.6%
57Juneau County16+23.1%
58Crawford County14-17.6%
58Lafayette County14+16.7%
58Pepin County14+55.6%
58Price County140%
58Washburn County14-12.5%
63Burnett County13+30%
63Green Lake County130%
65Ashland County12-45.5%
66Richland County10-9.1%
67Forest County8-55.6%
67Marquette County8-20%
69Iron County7-22.2%
70Langlade County6-40%
71Florence County5n/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 2012 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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012) [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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012. 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/wisconsin-counties?period=2012. 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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012. 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/wisconsin-counties?period=2012.

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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012 [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/wisconsin-counties?period=2012 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2012,
  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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012}},
  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/wisconsin-counties?period=2012. 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 Wisconsin by employer firm births, 2012
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/wisconsin-counties?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/wisconsin-counties?period=2012.
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 Wisconsin by employer firm births using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firm births?

Milwaukee County, with 809 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Florence County, with 5 in 2012.

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 2012 and are not ranked.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Wisconsin: more rankings