Counties in Wisconsin by employer firm births

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firm births of 71 counties in 2021, at 1,039. Florence County had the lowest, at 4. The median was 39 and the figure for Wisconsin was 5,927. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest1,039Milwaukee County
Median3971 counties
Wisconsin5,927History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 28 countAshland County: 20 countBarron County: 62 countBayfield County: 18 countBrown County: 212 countBuffalo County: 13 countBurnett County: 25 countCalumet County: 47 countChippewa County: 76 countClark County: 42 countColumbia County: 63 countCrawford County: 17 countDane County: 657 countDodge County: 69 countDoor County: 53 countDouglas County: 41 countDunn County: 35 countEau Claire County: 105 countFlorence County: 4 countFond du Lac County: 72 countForest County: 11 countGrant County: 35 countGreen County: 51 countGreen Lake County: 16 countIowa County: 26 countIron County: 6 countJackson County: 18 countJefferson County: 89 countJuneau County: 18 countKenosha County: 141 countKewaunee County: 17 countLa Crosse County: 101 countLafayette County: 14 countLanglade County: 21 countLincoln County: 33 countManitowoc County: 67 countMarathon County: 106 countMarinette County: 27 countMarquette County: 8 countMilwaukee County: 1,039 countMonroe County: 39 countOconto County: 29 countOneida County: 54 countOutagamie County: 199 countOzaukee County: 106 countPepin County: 9 countPierce County: 35 countPolk County: 47 countPortage County: 51 countPrice County: 9 countRacine County: 192 countRichland County: 12 countRock County: 149 countRusk County: 17 countSt. Croix County: 94 countSauk County: 58 countSawyer County: 20 countShawano County: 38 countSheboygan County: 95 countTaylor County: 26 countTrempealeau County: 28 countVernon County: 45 countVilas County: 39 countWalworth County: 132 countWashburn County: 18 countWashington County: 152 countWaukesha County: 523 countWaupaca County: 36 countWaushara County: 18 countWinnebago County: 134 countWood County: 55 count
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 30
  • 30 to 40
  • 40 to 60
  • 60 to 110
  • 110 and over
  • No data
count, 2021. 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, 2021

Milwaukee County: 1,039 countMilwaukee County1,039Dane County: 657 countDane County657Waukesha County: 523 countWaukesha County523Brown County: 212 countBrown County212Outagamie County: 199 countOutagamie County199Racine County: 192 countRacine County192Washington County: 152 countWashington County152Rock County: 149 countRock County149Kenosha County: 141 countKenosha County141Winnebago County: 134 countWinnebago County134Walworth County: 132 countWalworth County132Marathon County: 106 countMarathon County106Ozaukee County: 106 countOzaukee County106Eau Claire County: 105 countEau Claire County105La Crosse County: 101 countLa Crosse County101Sheboygan County: 95 countSheboygan County95St. Croix County: 94 countSt. Croix County94Jefferson County: 89 countJefferson County89Chippewa County: 76 countChippewa County76Fond du Lac County: 72 countFond du Lac County72Dodge County: 69 countDodge County69Manitowoc County: 67 countManitowoc County67Columbia County: 63 countColumbia County63Barron County: 62 countBarron County62Sauk County: 58 countSauk County58Wood County: 55 countWood County55Oneida County: 54 countOneida County54Door County: 53 countDoor County53Green County: 51 countGreen County51Portage County: 51 countPortage County51Calumet County: 47 countCalumet County47Polk County: 47 countPolk County47Vernon County: 45 countVernon County45Clark County: 42 countClark County42Douglas County: 41 countDouglas County41Monroe County: 39 countMonroe County39Vilas County: 39 countVilas County39Shawano County: 38 countShawano County38Waupaca County: 36 countWaupaca County36Dunn County: 35 countDunn County35Milwaukee County: 1,039 countMilwaukee County1,039Dane County: 657 countDane County657Waukesha County: 523 countWaukesha County523Brown County: 212 countBrown County212Outagamie County: 199 countOutagamie County199Racine County: 192 countRacine County192Washington County: 152 countWashington County152Rock County: 149 countRock County149Kenosha County: 141 countKenosha County141Winnebago County: 134 countWinnebago County134Walworth County: 132 countWalworth County132Marathon County: 106 countMarathon County106Ozaukee County: 106 countOzaukee County106Eau Claire County: 105 countEau Claire County105La Crosse County: 101 countLa Crosse County101Sheboygan County: 95 countSheboygan County95St. Croix County: 94 countSt. Croix County94Jefferson County: 89 countJefferson County89Chippewa County: 76 countChippewa County76Fond du Lac County: 72 countFond du Lac County72Dodge County: 69 countDodge County69Manitowoc County: 67 countManitowoc County67Columbia County: 63 countColumbia County63Barron County: 62 countBarron County62Sauk County: 58 countSauk County58Wood County: 55 countWood County55Oneida County: 54 countOneida County54Door County: 53 countDoor County53Green County: 51 countGreen County51Portage County: 51 countPortage County51Calumet County: 47 countCalumet County47Polk County: 47 countPolk County47Vernon County: 45 countVernon County45Clark County: 42 countClark County42Douglas County: 41 countDouglas County41Monroe County: 39 countMonroe County39Vilas County: 39 countVilas County39Shawano County: 38 countShawano County38Waupaca County: 36 countWaupaca County36Dunn County: 35 countDunn County35
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

RankCounties2021
count
Change on 2020
1Milwaukee County1,039+8.1%
2Dane County657-0.5%
3Waukesha County523-3%
4Brown County212-13.8%
5Outagamie County199+2.6%
6Racine County192+23.9%
7Washington County152+2%
8Rock County149+5.7%
9Kenosha County141+6%
10Winnebago County134-5%
11Walworth County132+7.3%
12Marathon County106-12.4%
12Ozaukee County106-17.2%
14Eau Claire County105-7.1%
15La Crosse County101-24.1%
16Sheboygan County950%
17St. Croix County94+3.3%
18Jefferson County89-12.7%
19Chippewa County76+8.6%
20Fond du Lac County72-12.2%
21Dodge County69+19%
22Manitowoc County67+24.1%
23Columbia County63+12.5%
24Barron County62+31.9%
25Sauk County58-12.1%
26Wood County55-16.7%
27Oneida County54-6.9%
28Door County53-3.6%
29Green County51+10.9%
29Portage County51-23.9%
31Calumet County47+20.5%
31Polk County47-27.7%
33Vernon County45+66.7%
34Clark County42+27.3%
35Douglas County41+20.6%
36Monroe County39+8.3%
36Vilas County39+8.3%
38Shawano County38+11.8%
39Waupaca County36-32.1%
40Dunn County35-10.3%
40Grant County35-14.6%
40Pierce County35-18.6%
43Lincoln County33+10%
44Oconto County29-27.5%
45Adams County28+64.7%
45Trempealeau County28+21.7%
47Marinette County27+28.6%
48Iowa County26-3.7%
48Taylor County26+44.4%
50Burnett County25+78.6%
51Langlade County210%
52Ashland County20+5.3%
52Sawyer County20-4.8%
54Bayfield County18-40%
54Jackson County18-5.3%
54Juneau County18+12.5%
54Washburn County18-28%
54Waushara County18-25%
59Crawford County170%
59Kewaunee County170%
59Rusk County17+112.5%
62Green Lake County16-23.8%
63Lafayette County14+133.3%
64Buffalo County13-7.1%
65Richland County12-7.7%
66Forest County11-8.3%
67Pepin County9+80%
67Price County9-50%
69Marquette County8-38.5%
70Iron County60%
71Florence County4-20%

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 2021 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/22
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firm-births/wisconsin-counties?period=2021.
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 1,039 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firm births?

Florence County, with 4 in 2021.

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 2021 and are not ranked.

Employer firm births: other rankings

Counties in Wisconsin: more rankings