Counties in Wisconsin by employer firm births

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firm births of 72 counties in 2016, at 944. Menominee County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 41 and the figure for Wisconsin was 6,234. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Median4172 counties
Wisconsin6,234History

Map of counties, 2016

Adams County: 20 countAshland County: 20 countBarron County: 51 countBayfield County: 22 countBrown County: 264 countBuffalo County: 15 countBurnett County: 18 countCalumet County: 48 countChippewa County: 78 countClark County: 26 countColumbia County: 76 countCrawford County: 11 countDane County: 720 countDodge County: 68 countDoor County: 41 countDouglas County: 40 countDunn County: 31 countEau Claire County: 110 countFlorence County: 4 countFond du Lac County: 84 countForest County: 13 countGrant County: 54 countGreen County: 48 countGreen Lake County: 21 countIowa County: 28 countIron County: 4 countJackson County: 24 countJefferson County: 88 countJuneau County: 25 countKenosha County: 148 countKewaunee County: 18 countLa Crosse County: 111 countLafayette County: 19 countLanglade County: 15 countLincoln County: 33 countManitowoc County: 63 countMarathon County: 105 countMarinette County: 39 countMarquette County: 10 countMenominee County: 0 countMilwaukee County: 944 countMonroe County: 52 countOconto County: 31 countOneida County: 73 countOutagamie County: 200 countOzaukee County: 126 countPepin County: 8 countPierce County: 41 countPolk County: 52 countPortage County: 73 countPrice County: 22 countRacine County: 193 countRichland County: 20 countRock County: 134 countRusk County: 20 countSt. Croix County: 119 countSauk County: 85 countSawyer County: 24 countShawano County: 42 countSheboygan County: 98 countTaylor County: 33 countTrempealeau County: 29 countVernon County: 21 countVilas County: 44 countWalworth County: 149 countWashburn County: 20 countWashington County: 144 countWaukesha County: 557 countWaupaca County: 36 countWaushara County: 20 countWinnebago County: 153 countWood County: 81 count
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 25
  • 25 to 41
  • 41 to 73
  • 73 to 120
  • 120 and over
count, 2016. 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, 2016

Milwaukee County: 944 countMilwaukee County944Dane County: 720 countDane County720Waukesha County: 557 countWaukesha County557Brown County: 264 countBrown County264Outagamie County: 200 countOutagamie County200Racine County: 193 countRacine County193Winnebago County: 153 countWinnebago County153Walworth County: 149 countWalworth County149Kenosha County: 148 countKenosha County148Washington County: 144 countWashington County144Rock County: 134 countRock County134Ozaukee County: 126 countOzaukee County126St. Croix County: 119 countSt. Croix County119La Crosse County: 111 countLa Crosse County111Eau Claire County: 110 countEau Claire County110Marathon County: 105 countMarathon County105Sheboygan County: 98 countSheboygan County98Jefferson County: 88 countJefferson County88Sauk County: 85 countSauk County85Fond du Lac County: 84 countFond du Lac County84Wood County: 81 countWood County81Chippewa County: 78 countChippewa County78Columbia County: 76 countColumbia County76Oneida County: 73 countOneida County73Portage County: 73 countPortage County73Dodge County: 68 countDodge County68Manitowoc County: 63 countManitowoc County63Grant County: 54 countGrant County54Monroe County: 52 countMonroe County52Polk County: 52 countPolk County52Barron County: 51 countBarron County51Calumet County: 48 countCalumet County48Green County: 48 countGreen County48Vilas County: 44 countVilas County44Shawano County: 42 countShawano County42Door County: 41 countDoor County41Pierce County: 41 countPierce County41Douglas County: 40 countDouglas County40Marinette County: 39 countMarinette County39Waupaca County: 36 countWaupaca County36Milwaukee County: 944 countMilwaukee County944Dane County: 720 countDane County720Waukesha County: 557 countWaukesha County557Brown County: 264 countBrown County264Outagamie County: 200 countOutagamie County200Racine County: 193 countRacine County193Winnebago County: 153 countWinnebago County153Walworth County: 149 countWalworth County149Kenosha County: 148 countKenosha County148Washington County: 144 countWashington County144Rock County: 134 countRock County134Ozaukee County: 126 countOzaukee County126St. Croix County: 119 countSt. Croix County119La Crosse County: 111 countLa Crosse County111Eau Claire County: 110 countEau Claire County110Marathon County: 105 countMarathon County105Sheboygan County: 98 countSheboygan County98Jefferson County: 88 countJefferson County88Sauk County: 85 countSauk County85Fond du Lac County: 84 countFond du Lac County84Wood County: 81 countWood County81Chippewa County: 78 countChippewa County78Columbia County: 76 countColumbia County76Oneida County: 73 countOneida County73Portage County: 73 countPortage County73Dodge County: 68 countDodge County68Manitowoc County: 63 countManitowoc County63Grant County: 54 countGrant County54Monroe County: 52 countMonroe County52Polk County: 52 countPolk County52Barron County: 51 countBarron County51Calumet County: 48 countCalumet County48Green County: 48 countGreen County48Vilas County: 44 countVilas County44Shawano County: 42 countShawano County42Door County: 41 countDoor County41Pierce County: 41 countPierce County41Douglas County: 40 countDouglas County40Marinette County: 39 countMarinette County39Waupaca County: 36 countWaupaca County36
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

RankCounties2016
count
Change on 2015
1Milwaukee County944+5.9%
2Dane County720+7.5%
3Waukesha County557-0.4%
4Brown County264+13.3%
5Outagamie County200-2.4%
6Racine County193+17%
7Winnebago County153+25.4%
8Walworth County149+23.1%
9Kenosha County148-9.8%
10Washington County144+11.6%
11Rock County134-0.7%
12Ozaukee County126+26%
13St. Croix County119+1.7%
14La Crosse County111-4.3%
15Eau Claire County110-19.1%
16Marathon County105-0.9%
17Sheboygan County98+5.4%
18Jefferson County88+10%
19Sauk County85+25%
20Fond du Lac County84+3.7%
21Wood County81+26.6%
22Chippewa County78+27.9%
23Columbia County76+35.7%
24Oneida County73+65.9%
24Portage County73+49%
26Dodge County68+11.5%
27Manitowoc County63+3.3%
28Grant County54+28.6%
29Monroe County52+67.7%
29Polk County52+23.8%
31Barron County51-12.1%
32Calumet County48+23.1%
32Green County48+29.7%
34Vilas County44+10%
35Shawano County42+55.6%
36Door County41-16.3%
36Pierce County410%
38Douglas County40+14.3%
39Marinette County39+25.8%
40Waupaca County36-23.4%
41Lincoln County33+26.9%
41Taylor County33+37.5%
43Dunn County31-6.1%
43Oconto County31-16.2%
45Trempealeau County290%
46Iowa County28+27.3%
47Clark County26-33.3%
48Juneau County25-26.5%
49Jackson County24+100%
49Sawyer County24-27.3%
51Bayfield County22+10%
51Price County220%
53Green Lake County21+10.5%
53Vernon County21-27.6%
55Adams County200%
55Ashland County20-4.8%
55Richland County20+5.3%
55Rusk County200%
55Washburn County20+5.3%
55Waushara County200%
61Lafayette County19-5%
62Burnett County180%
62Kewaunee County18-14.3%
64Buffalo County15-25%
64Langlade County15-6.3%
66Forest County13+85.7%
67Crawford County11-8.3%
68Marquette County10-44.4%
69Pepin County8+14.3%
70Florence County4-50%
70Iron County4-33.3%
72Menominee 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. 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, 2016) [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, 2016. 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=2016. 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, 2016. 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=2016.

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, 2016 [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=2016 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  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=2016. 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, 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/wisconsin-counties?period=2016.
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?

Milwaukee County, with 944 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Menominee County, with 0 in 2016.

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 Wisconsin: more rankings