Counties in Alabama by employer firms

Jefferson County had the highest employer firms of 67 counties in 2021, at 12,075. Greene County had the lowest, at 87. The median was 551 and the figure for Alabama was 69,639. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest12,075Jefferson County
Median55167 counties
Alabama69,639History

Map of counties, 2021

Autauga County: 690 countBaldwin County: 4,654 countBarbour County: 353 countBibb County: 255 countBlount County: 623 countBullock County: 101 countButler County: 374 countCalhoun County: 1,760 countChambers County: 551 countCherokee County: 300 countChilton County: 685 countChoctaw County: 218 countClarke County: 474 countClay County: 167 countCleburne County: 154 countCoffee County: 849 countColbert County: 1,009 countConecuh County: 172 countCoosa County: 87 countCovington County: 714 countCrenshaw County: 196 countCullman County: 1,506 countDale County: 608 countDallas County: 587 countDeKalb County: 973 countElmore County: 1,117 countEscambia County: 621 countEtowah County: 1,602 countFayette County: 239 countFranklin County: 442 countGeneva County: 360 countGreene County: 87 countHale County: 145 countHenry County: 262 countHouston County: 2,221 countJackson County: 716 countJefferson County: 12,075 countLamar County: 206 countLauderdale County: 1,612 countLawrence County: 357 countLee County: 2,461 countLimestone County: 1,320 countLowndes County: 92 countMacon County: 213 countMadison County: 6,649 countMarengo County: 370 countMarion County: 450 countMarshall County: 1,518 countMobile County: 6,560 countMonroe County: 344 countMontgomery County: 4,214 countMorgan County: 2,140 countPerry County: 97 countPickens County: 198 countPike County: 540 countRandolph County: 299 countRussell County: 665 countSt. Clair County: 1,204 countShelby County: 4,403 countSumter County: 156 countTalladega County: 982 countTallapoosa County: 653 countTuscaloosa County: 3,343 countWalker County: 1,021 countWashington County: 155 countWilcox County: 138 countWinston County: 343 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 600
  • 600 to 800
  • 800 to 1,600
  • 1,600 and over
count, 2021. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Jefferson County: 12,075 countJefferson County12,075Madison County: 6,649 countMadison County6,649Mobile County: 6,560 countMobile County6,560Baldwin County: 4,654 countBaldwin County4,654Shelby County: 4,403 countShelby County4,403Montgomery County: 4,214 countMontgomery County4,214Tuscaloosa County: 3,343 countTuscaloosa County3,343Lee County: 2,461 countLee County2,461Houston County: 2,221 countHouston County2,221Morgan County: 2,140 countMorgan County2,140Calhoun County: 1,760 countCalhoun County1,760Lauderdale County: 1,612 countLauderdale County1,612Etowah County: 1,602 countEtowah County1,602Marshall County: 1,518 countMarshall County1,518Cullman County: 1,506 countCullman County1,506Limestone County: 1,320 countLimestone County1,320St. Clair County: 1,204 countSt. Clair County1,204Elmore County: 1,117 countElmore County1,117Walker County: 1,021 countWalker County1,021Colbert County: 1,009 countColbert County1,009Talladega County: 982 countTalladega County982DeKalb County: 973 countDeKalb County973Coffee County: 849 countCoffee County849Jackson County: 716 countJackson County716Covington County: 714 countCovington County714Autauga County: 690 countAutauga County690Chilton County: 685 countChilton County685Russell County: 665 countRussell County665Tallapoosa County: 653 countTallapoosa County653Blount County: 623 countBlount County623Escambia County: 621 countEscambia County621Dale County: 608 countDale County608Dallas County: 587 countDallas County587Chambers County: 551 countChambers County551Pike County: 540 countPike County540Clarke County: 474 countClarke County474Marion County: 450 countMarion County450Franklin County: 442 countFranklin County442Butler County: 374 countButler County374Marengo County: 370 countMarengo County370Jefferson County: 12,075 countJefferson County12,075Madison County: 6,649 countMadison County6,649Mobile County: 6,560 countMobile County6,560Baldwin County: 4,654 countBaldwin County4,654Shelby County: 4,403 countShelby County4,403Montgomery County: 4,214 countMontgomery County4,214Tuscaloosa County: 3,343 countTuscaloosa County3,343Lee County: 2,461 countLee County2,461Houston County: 2,221 countHouston County2,221Morgan County: 2,140 countMorgan County2,140Calhoun County: 1,760 countCalhoun County1,760Lauderdale County: 1,612 countLauderdale County1,612Etowah County: 1,602 countEtowah County1,602Marshall County: 1,518 countMarshall County1,518Cullman County: 1,506 countCullman County1,506Limestone County: 1,320 countLimestone County1,320St. Clair County: 1,204 countSt. Clair County1,204Elmore County: 1,117 countElmore County1,117Walker County: 1,021 countWalker County1,021Colbert County: 1,009 countColbert County1,009Talladega County: 982 countTalladega County982DeKalb County: 973 countDeKalb County973Coffee County: 849 countCoffee County849Jackson County: 716 countJackson County716Covington County: 714 countCovington County714Autauga County: 690 countAutauga County690Chilton County: 685 countChilton County685Russell County: 665 countRussell County665Tallapoosa County: 653 countTallapoosa County653Blount County: 623 countBlount County623Escambia County: 621 countEscambia County621Dale County: 608 countDale County608Dallas County: 587 countDallas County587Chambers County: 551 countChambers County551Pike County: 540 countPike County540Clarke County: 474 countClarke County474Marion County: 450 countMarion County450Franklin County: 442 countFranklin County442Butler County: 374 countButler County374Marengo County: 370 countMarengo County370
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021
count
Change on 2020
1Jefferson County12,075+0.9%
2Madison County6,649+3.4%
3Mobile County6,560+1.2%
4Baldwin County4,654+3.7%
5Shelby County4,403+1.8%
6Montgomery County4,214+1.5%
7Tuscaloosa County3,343+1.2%
8Lee County2,461+3.8%
9Houston County2,221+0.4%
10Morgan County2,140-0.1%
11Calhoun County1,760+0.2%
12Lauderdale County1,612+0.3%
13Etowah County1,602+0.2%
14Marshall County1,518+0.9%
15Cullman County1,506+1.1%
16Limestone County1,320+2.7%
17St. Clair County1,204+3.3%
18Elmore County1,117+2.8%
19Walker County1,021+0.4%
20Colbert County1,009-1.4%
21Talladega County982+0.3%
22DeKalb County973+3.4%
23Coffee County849+4.8%
24Jackson County716-0.7%
25Covington County714+1.4%
26Autauga County690+5.2%
27Chilton County685-1.3%
28Russell County665+3.1%
29Tallapoosa County653+2.8%
30Blount County623+5.2%
31Escambia County621+0.2%
32Dale County608+0.7%
33Dallas County587-1.2%
34Chambers County551+8.7%
35Pike County540+1.3%
36Clarke County474-2.3%
37Marion County450+4.7%
38Franklin County442+0.7%
39Butler County374+0.8%
40Marengo County370-1.9%
41Geneva County360+4%
42Lawrence County357-2.2%
43Barbour County353-3%
44Monroe County344+2.1%
45Winston County343-4.5%
46Cherokee County300-1%
47Randolph County299+2%
48Henry County262+7.4%
49Bibb County255-0.8%
50Fayette County239+2.6%
51Choctaw County218+0.5%
52Macon County213+1.4%
53Lamar County206-2.8%
54Pickens County198-2.9%
55Crenshaw County196+6.5%
56Conecuh County172-3.9%
57Clay County167-2.9%
58Sumter County156-0.6%
59Washington County155-2.5%
60Cleburne County154-1.9%
61Hale County145-2%
62Wilcox County138+1.5%
63Bullock County101-1%
64Perry County97-7.6%
65Lowndes County92-4.2%
66Coosa County87+1.2%
66Greene County87-1.1%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of firms in the private nonfarm sectors covered by the US Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Establishments under common ownership form one firm.

Excludes nonemployer businesses. Differs from active_companies, the INE DIRCE count, which includes businesses without employees.

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: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties (Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_alabama_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 2021}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Alabama by employer firms, 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.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/alabama-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firms?

Jefferson County, with 12,075 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Greene County, with 87 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: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employer firms: other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings