Counties in Arkansas by employer firms

Pulaski County had the highest employer firms of 75 counties in 2017, at 9,048. Cleveland County had the lowest, at 68. The median was 303 and the figure for Arkansas was 45,819. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest9,048Pulaski County
Median30375 counties
Arkansas45,819History

Map of counties, 2017

Arkansas County: 421 countAshley County: 328 countBaxter County: 897 countBenton County: 4,218 countBoone County: 747 countBradley County: 222 countCalhoun County: 70 countCarroll County: 582 countChicot County: 181 countClark County: 443 countClay County: 244 countCleburne County: 508 countCleveland County: 68 countColumbia County: 469 countConway County: 359 countCraighead County: 1,992 countCrawford County: 892 countCrittenden County: 713 countCross County: 308 countDallas County: 173 countDesha County: 257 countDrew County: 340 countFaulkner County: 2,042 countFranklin County: 256 countFulton County: 144 countGarland County: 2,225 countGrant County: 243 countGreene County: 678 countHempstead County: 346 countHot Spring County: 433 countHoward County: 247 countIndependence County: 666 countIzard County: 187 countJackson County: 273 countJefferson County: 1,049 countJohnson County: 338 countLafayette County: 89 countLawrence County: 230 countLee County: 113 countLincoln County: 134 countLittle River County: 154 countLogan County: 303 countLonoke County: 858 countMadison County: 184 countMarion County: 181 countMiller County: 692 countMississippi County: 633 countMonroe County: 161 countMontgomery County: 112 countNevada County: 104 countNewton County: 69 countOuachita County: 420 countPerry County: 82 countPhillips County: 307 countPike County: 161 countPoinsett County: 298 countPolk County: 388 countPope County: 1,243 countPrairie County: 128 countPulaski County: 9,048 countRandolph County: 277 countSt. Francis County: 375 countSaline County: 1,611 countScott County: 129 countSearcy County: 100 countSebastian County: 2,643 countSevier County: 224 countSharp County: 273 countStone County: 199 countUnion County: 930 countVan Buren County: 263 countWashington County: 4,245 countWhite County: 1,299 countWoodruff County: 108 countYell County: 255 count
  • Under 140
  • 140 to 230
  • 230 to 300
  • 300 to 440
  • 440 to 900
  • 900 and over
count, 2017. 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, 2017

Pulaski County: 9,048 countPulaski County9,048Washington County: 4,245 countWashington County4,245Benton County: 4,218 countBenton County4,218Sebastian County: 2,643 countSebastian County2,643Garland County: 2,225 countGarland County2,225Faulkner County: 2,042 countFaulkner County2,042Craighead County: 1,992 countCraighead County1,992Saline County: 1,611 countSaline County1,611White County: 1,299 countWhite County1,299Pope County: 1,243 countPope County1,243Jefferson County: 1,049 countJefferson County1,049Union County: 930 countUnion County930Baxter County: 897 countBaxter County897Crawford County: 892 countCrawford County892Lonoke County: 858 countLonoke County858Boone County: 747 countBoone County747Crittenden County: 713 countCrittenden County713Miller County: 692 countMiller County692Greene County: 678 countGreene County678Independence County: 666 countIndependence County666Mississippi County: 633 countMississippi County633Carroll County: 582 countCarroll County582Cleburne County: 508 countCleburne County508Columbia County: 469 countColumbia County469Clark County: 443 countClark County443Hot Spring County: 433 countHot Spring County433Arkansas County: 421 countArkansas County421Ouachita County: 420 countOuachita County420Polk County: 388 countPolk County388St. Francis County: 375 countSt. Francis County375Conway County: 359 countConway County359Hempstead County: 346 countHempstead County346Drew County: 340 countDrew County340Johnson County: 338 countJohnson County338Ashley County: 328 countAshley County328Cross County: 308 countCross County308Phillips County: 307 countPhillips County307Logan County: 303 countLogan County303Poinsett County: 298 countPoinsett County298Randolph County: 277 countRandolph County277Pulaski County: 9,048 countPulaski County9,048Washington County: 4,245 countWashington County4,245Benton County: 4,218 countBenton County4,218Sebastian County: 2,643 countSebastian County2,643Garland County: 2,225 countGarland County2,225Faulkner County: 2,042 countFaulkner County2,042Craighead County: 1,992 countCraighead County1,992Saline County: 1,611 countSaline County1,611White County: 1,299 countWhite County1,299Pope County: 1,243 countPope County1,243Jefferson County: 1,049 countJefferson County1,049Union County: 930 countUnion County930Baxter County: 897 countBaxter County897Crawford County: 892 countCrawford County892Lonoke County: 858 countLonoke County858Boone County: 747 countBoone County747Crittenden County: 713 countCrittenden County713Miller County: 692 countMiller County692Greene County: 678 countGreene County678Independence County: 666 countIndependence County666Mississippi County: 633 countMississippi County633Carroll County: 582 countCarroll County582Cleburne County: 508 countCleburne County508Columbia County: 469 countColumbia County469Clark County: 443 countClark County443Hot Spring County: 433 countHot Spring County433Arkansas County: 421 countArkansas County421Ouachita County: 420 countOuachita County420Polk County: 388 countPolk County388St. Francis County: 375 countSt. Francis County375Conway County: 359 countConway County359Hempstead County: 346 countHempstead County346Drew County: 340 countDrew County340Johnson County: 338 countJohnson County338Ashley County: 328 countAshley County328Cross County: 308 countCross County308Phillips County: 307 countPhillips County307Logan County: 303 countLogan County303Poinsett County: 298 countPoinsett County298Randolph County: 277 countRandolph County277
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017
count
Change on 2016
1Pulaski County9,048+0.5%
2Washington County4,245+2.1%
3Benton County4,218+3.3%
4Sebastian County2,643+0.6%
5Garland County2,225-0.6%
6Faulkner County2,042-0.8%
7Craighead County1,992+0.5%
8Saline County1,611+2.2%
9White County1,299+1.4%
10Pope County1,243-0.7%
11Jefferson County1,049-2.6%
12Union County930-1.1%
13Baxter County897-0.6%
14Crawford County892+1.7%
15Lonoke County858+0.7%
16Boone County747-1.3%
17Crittenden County713+0.8%
18Miller County692+0.3%
19Greene County678-1.6%
20Independence County666-2.2%
21Mississippi County633-1.1%
22Carroll County582+1.6%
23Cleburne County508+2%
24Columbia County469-0.4%
25Clark County443+1.1%
26Hot Spring County433+1.2%
27Arkansas County421-2.1%
28Ouachita County420-0.5%
29Polk County388-0.5%
30St. Francis County375-0.5%
31Conway County359-1.1%
32Hempstead County346+1.2%
33Drew County340-1.4%
34Johnson County338-0.9%
35Ashley County328-0.6%
36Cross County308+4.4%
37Phillips County307-4.4%
38Logan County303-0.7%
39Poinsett County298-2.9%
40Randolph County277+0.4%
41Jackson County273-1.1%
41Sharp County273-1.8%
43Van Buren County263-4.4%
44Desha County257+1.2%
45Franklin County256+2%
46Yell County255+0.4%
47Howard County247-2%
48Clay County2440%
49Grant County243+3%
50Lawrence County230-0.9%
51Sevier County224-1.8%
52Bradley County2220%
53Stone County199-4.8%
54Izard County187+1.1%
55Madison County184+6.4%
56Chicot County181+2.3%
56Marion County1810%
58Dallas County173-1.1%
59Monroe County161+3.9%
59Pike County161-1.2%
61Little River County154+2%
62Fulton County144-1.4%
63Lincoln County134-0.7%
64Scott County129+2.4%
65Prairie County128-3.8%
66Lee County113-5.8%
67Montgomery County112-5.1%
68Woodruff County108-0.9%
69Nevada County104-1.9%
70Searcy County100-6.5%
71Lafayette County89+1.1%
72Perry County82-4.7%
73Calhoun County70-1.4%
74Newton County69-2.8%
75Cleveland County68-5.6%

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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Arkansas by employer firms, 2017 [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=2017 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_arkansas_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Arkansas by employer firms, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/arkansas-counties?period=2017.
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 9,048 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Cleveland County, with 68 in 2017.

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