Counties in Arkansas by employer firms

Pulaski County had the highest employer firms of 75 counties in 2016, at 9,000. Newton County had the lowest, at 71. The median was 305 and the figure for Arkansas was 45,694. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest9,000Pulaski County
Median30575 counties
Arkansas45,694History

Map of counties, 2016

Arkansas County: 430 countAshley County: 330 countBaxter County: 902 countBenton County: 4,083 countBoone County: 757 countBradley County: 222 countCalhoun County: 71 countCarroll County: 573 countChicot County: 177 countClark County: 438 countClay County: 244 countCleburne County: 498 countCleveland County: 72 countColumbia County: 471 countConway County: 363 countCraighead County: 1,983 countCrawford County: 877 countCrittenden County: 707 countCross County: 295 countDallas County: 175 countDesha County: 254 countDrew County: 345 countFaulkner County: 2,058 countFranklin County: 251 countFulton County: 146 countGarland County: 2,239 countGrant County: 236 countGreene County: 689 countHempstead County: 342 countHot Spring County: 428 countHoward County: 252 countIndependence County: 681 countIzard County: 185 countJackson County: 276 countJefferson County: 1,077 countJohnson County: 341 countLafayette County: 88 countLawrence County: 232 countLee County: 120 countLincoln County: 135 countLittle River County: 151 countLogan County: 305 countLonoke County: 852 countMadison County: 173 countMarion County: 181 countMiller County: 690 countMississippi County: 640 countMonroe County: 155 countMontgomery County: 118 countNevada County: 106 countNewton County: 71 countOuachita County: 422 countPerry County: 86 countPhillips County: 321 countPike County: 163 countPoinsett County: 307 countPolk County: 390 countPope County: 1,252 countPrairie County: 133 countPulaski County: 9,000 countRandolph County: 276 countSt. Francis County: 377 countSaline County: 1,577 countScott County: 126 countSearcy County: 107 countSebastian County: 2,628 countSevier County: 228 countSharp County: 278 countStone County: 209 countUnion County: 940 countVan Buren County: 275 countWashington County: 4,159 countWhite County: 1,281 countWoodruff County: 109 countYell County: 254 count
  • Under 140
  • 140 to 230
  • 230 to 310
  • 310 to 430
  • 430 to 890
  • 890 and over
count, 2016. 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, 2016

Pulaski County: 9,000 countPulaski County9,000Washington County: 4,159 countWashington County4,159Benton County: 4,083 countBenton County4,083Sebastian County: 2,628 countSebastian County2,628Garland County: 2,239 countGarland County2,239Faulkner County: 2,058 countFaulkner County2,058Craighead County: 1,983 countCraighead County1,983Saline County: 1,577 countSaline County1,577White County: 1,281 countWhite County1,281Pope County: 1,252 countPope County1,252Jefferson County: 1,077 countJefferson County1,077Union County: 940 countUnion County940Baxter County: 902 countBaxter County902Crawford County: 877 countCrawford County877Lonoke County: 852 countLonoke County852Boone County: 757 countBoone County757Crittenden County: 707 countCrittenden County707Miller County: 690 countMiller County690Greene County: 689 countGreene County689Independence County: 681 countIndependence County681Mississippi County: 640 countMississippi County640Carroll County: 573 countCarroll County573Cleburne County: 498 countCleburne County498Columbia County: 471 countColumbia County471Clark County: 438 countClark County438Arkansas County: 430 countArkansas County430Hot Spring County: 428 countHot Spring County428Ouachita County: 422 countOuachita County422Polk County: 390 countPolk County390St. Francis County: 377 countSt. Francis County377Conway County: 363 countConway County363Drew County: 345 countDrew County345Hempstead County: 342 countHempstead County342Johnson County: 341 countJohnson County341Ashley County: 330 countAshley County330Phillips County: 321 countPhillips County321Poinsett County: 307 countPoinsett County307Logan County: 305 countLogan County305Cross County: 295 countCross County295Sharp County: 278 countSharp County278Pulaski County: 9,000 countPulaski County9,000Washington County: 4,159 countWashington County4,159Benton County: 4,083 countBenton County4,083Sebastian County: 2,628 countSebastian County2,628Garland County: 2,239 countGarland County2,239Faulkner County: 2,058 countFaulkner County2,058Craighead County: 1,983 countCraighead County1,983Saline County: 1,577 countSaline County1,577White County: 1,281 countWhite County1,281Pope County: 1,252 countPope County1,252Jefferson County: 1,077 countJefferson County1,077Union County: 940 countUnion County940Baxter County: 902 countBaxter County902Crawford County: 877 countCrawford County877Lonoke County: 852 countLonoke County852Boone County: 757 countBoone County757Crittenden County: 707 countCrittenden County707Miller County: 690 countMiller County690Greene County: 689 countGreene County689Independence County: 681 countIndependence County681Mississippi County: 640 countMississippi County640Carroll County: 573 countCarroll County573Cleburne County: 498 countCleburne County498Columbia County: 471 countColumbia County471Clark County: 438 countClark County438Arkansas County: 430 countArkansas County430Hot Spring County: 428 countHot Spring County428Ouachita County: 422 countOuachita County422Polk County: 390 countPolk County390St. Francis County: 377 countSt. Francis County377Conway County: 363 countConway County363Drew County: 345 countDrew County345Hempstead County: 342 countHempstead County342Johnson County: 341 countJohnson County341Ashley County: 330 countAshley County330Phillips County: 321 countPhillips County321Poinsett County: 307 countPoinsett County307Logan County: 305 countLogan County305Cross County: 295 countCross County295Sharp County: 278 countSharp County278
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016
count
Change on 2015
1Pulaski County9,000+1%
2Washington County4,159+2.5%
3Benton County4,083+4.3%
4Sebastian County2,628+0.4%
5Garland County2,239+2.8%
6Faulkner County2,058-0.1%
7Craighead County1,983+3%
8Saline County1,577+2.8%
9White County1,281-0.5%
10Pope County1,252+1.5%
11Jefferson County1,077-0.9%
12Union County940-2%
13Baxter County902+3.1%
14Crawford County877-0.9%
15Lonoke County852+2.8%
16Boone County757+0.7%
17Crittenden County707-0.4%
18Miller County690+1.8%
19Greene County689+2.7%
20Independence County681+0.3%
21Mississippi County640-0.2%
22Carroll County573+1.4%
23Cleburne County498-2.2%
24Columbia County471-5.2%
25Clark County438+0.5%
26Arkansas County430-1.6%
27Hot Spring County428+3.1%
28Ouachita County422-4.7%
29Polk County390-1.8%
30St. Francis County377-0.3%
31Conway County363-4%
32Drew County345+2.1%
33Hempstead County342-0.3%
34Johnson County341+1.8%
35Ashley County330-2.1%
36Phillips County321-0.9%
37Poinsett County307+2.3%
38Logan County305+1.7%
39Cross County295-2.3%
40Sharp County278+5.3%
41Jackson County276-5.5%
41Randolph County276-1.1%
43Van Buren County275-2.8%
44Desha County254-0.8%
44Yell County254+2.8%
46Howard County252-1.9%
47Franklin County251-3.1%
48Clay County244-2.8%
49Grant County236-1.3%
50Lawrence County232+1.3%
51Sevier County228+0.4%
52Bradley County222+1.4%
53Stone County209+2.5%
54Izard County185+0.5%
55Marion County181-0.5%
56Chicot County177-5.3%
57Dallas County175+1.2%
58Madison County173+1.2%
59Pike County163+3.2%
60Monroe County155-1.9%
61Little River County151+1.3%
62Fulton County1460%
63Lincoln County135-2.9%
64Prairie County133+0.8%
65Scott County126-3.8%
66Lee County1200%
67Montgomery County118-7.1%
68Woodruff County1090%
69Searcy County107+1.9%
70Nevada County106+1.9%
71Lafayette County88-7.4%
72Perry County86-4.4%
73Cleveland County72-2.7%
74Calhoun County710%
74Newton County71+2.9%

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 Arkansas by employer firms, 2016) [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 Arkansas by employer firms, 2016. 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/arkansas-counties?period=2016. 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 Arkansas by employer firms, 2016. 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/arkansas-counties?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Arkansas by employer firms, 2016 [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/arkansas-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_arkansas_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Arkansas by employer firms, 2016}},
  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/arkansas-counties?period=2016. 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 Arkansas by employer firms, 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.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/arkansas-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/arkansas-counties?period=2016.
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?

Pulaski County, with 9,000 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Newton County, with 71 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: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employer firms: other rankings

Counties in Arkansas: more rankings