Counties in Arkansas by employer firms

Pulaski County had the highest employer firms of 75 counties in 2021, at 8,959. Cleveland County had the lowest, at 65. The median was 278 and the figure for Arkansas was 46,777. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest8,959Pulaski County
Median27875 counties
Arkansas46,777History

Map of counties, 2021

Arkansas County: 410 countAshley County: 302 countBaxter County: 914 countBenton County: 4,906 countBoone County: 724 countBradley County: 203 countCalhoun County: 69 countCarroll County: 582 countChicot County: 159 countClark County: 459 countClay County: 228 countCleburne County: 509 countCleveland County: 65 countColumbia County: 467 countConway County: 357 countCraighead County: 2,081 countCrawford County: 883 countCrittenden County: 695 countCross County: 308 countDallas County: 161 countDesha County: 245 countDrew County: 350 countFaulkner County: 2,227 countFranklin County: 263 countFulton County: 145 countGarland County: 2,290 countGrant County: 256 countGreene County: 691 countHempstead County: 336 countHot Spring County: 423 countHoward County: 236 countIndependence County: 668 countIzard County: 174 countJackson County: 277 countJefferson County: 1,001 countJohnson County: 327 countLafayette County: 83 countLawrence County: 228 countLee County: 108 countLincoln County: 129 countLittle River County: 152 countLogan County: 302 countLonoke County: 890 countMadison County: 197 countMarion County: 199 countMiller County: 686 countMississippi County: 600 countMonroe County: 159 countMontgomery County: 118 countNevada County: 98 countNewton County: 70 countOuachita County: 401 countPerry County: 99 countPhillips County: 277 countPike County: 174 countPoinsett County: 278 countPolk County: 362 countPope County: 1,232 countPrairie County: 121 countPulaski County: 8,959 countRandolph County: 275 countSt. Francis County: 352 countSaline County: 1,800 countScott County: 121 countSearcy County: 106 countSebastian County: 2,625 countSevier County: 229 countSharp County: 257 countStone County: 213 countUnion County: 889 countVan Buren County: 262 countWashington County: 4,583 countWhite County: 1,287 countWoodruff County: 100 countYell County: 261 count
  • Under 130
  • 130 to 230
  • 230 to 280
  • 280 to 430
  • 430 to 890
  • 890 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

Pulaski County: 8,959 countPulaski County8,959Benton County: 4,906 countBenton County4,906Washington County: 4,583 countWashington County4,583Sebastian County: 2,625 countSebastian County2,625Garland County: 2,290 countGarland County2,290Faulkner County: 2,227 countFaulkner County2,227Craighead County: 2,081 countCraighead County2,081Saline County: 1,800 countSaline County1,800White County: 1,287 countWhite County1,287Pope County: 1,232 countPope County1,232Jefferson County: 1,001 countJefferson County1,001Baxter County: 914 countBaxter County914Lonoke County: 890 countLonoke County890Union County: 889 countUnion County889Crawford County: 883 countCrawford County883Boone County: 724 countBoone County724Crittenden County: 695 countCrittenden County695Greene County: 691 countGreene County691Miller County: 686 countMiller County686Independence County: 668 countIndependence County668Mississippi County: 600 countMississippi County600Carroll County: 582 countCarroll County582Cleburne County: 509 countCleburne County509Columbia County: 467 countColumbia County467Clark County: 459 countClark County459Hot Spring County: 423 countHot Spring County423Arkansas County: 410 countArkansas County410Ouachita County: 401 countOuachita County401Polk County: 362 countPolk County362Conway County: 357 countConway County357St. Francis County: 352 countSt. Francis County352Drew County: 350 countDrew County350Hempstead County: 336 countHempstead County336Johnson County: 327 countJohnson County327Cross County: 308 countCross County308Ashley County: 302 countAshley County302Logan County: 302 countLogan County302Poinsett County: 278 countPoinsett County278Jackson County: 277 countJackson County277Phillips County: 277 countPhillips County277Pulaski County: 8,959 countPulaski County8,959Benton County: 4,906 countBenton County4,906Washington County: 4,583 countWashington County4,583Sebastian County: 2,625 countSebastian County2,625Garland County: 2,290 countGarland County2,290Faulkner County: 2,227 countFaulkner County2,227Craighead County: 2,081 countCraighead County2,081Saline County: 1,800 countSaline County1,800White County: 1,287 countWhite County1,287Pope County: 1,232 countPope County1,232Jefferson County: 1,001 countJefferson County1,001Baxter County: 914 countBaxter County914Lonoke County: 890 countLonoke County890Union County: 889 countUnion County889Crawford County: 883 countCrawford County883Boone County: 724 countBoone County724Crittenden County: 695 countCrittenden County695Greene County: 691 countGreene County691Miller County: 686 countMiller County686Independence County: 668 countIndependence County668Mississippi County: 600 countMississippi County600Carroll County: 582 countCarroll County582Cleburne County: 509 countCleburne County509Columbia County: 467 countColumbia County467Clark County: 459 countClark County459Hot Spring County: 423 countHot Spring County423Arkansas County: 410 countArkansas County410Ouachita County: 401 countOuachita County401Polk County: 362 countPolk County362Conway County: 357 countConway County357St. Francis County: 352 countSt. Francis County352Drew County: 350 countDrew County350Hempstead County: 336 countHempstead County336Johnson County: 327 countJohnson County327Cross County: 308 countCross County308Ashley County: 302 countAshley County302Logan County: 302 countLogan County302Poinsett County: 278 countPoinsett County278Jackson County: 277 countJackson County277Phillips County: 277 countPhillips 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

RankCounties2021
count
Change on 2020
1Pulaski County8,959+1.1%
2Benton County4,906+4.7%
3Washington County4,583+1.3%
4Sebastian County2,625+0.9%
5Garland County2,290+2.7%
6Faulkner County2,227+3.4%
7Craighead County2,081+0.7%
8Saline County1,800+2.8%
9White County1,287-0.4%
10Pope County1,232-0.6%
11Jefferson County1,001-0.9%
12Baxter County914+2%
13Lonoke County890+1.7%
14Union County889-1.1%
15Crawford County883-0.9%
16Boone County724+0.6%
17Crittenden County695-0.4%
18Greene County691+1.3%
19Miller County686+1.8%
20Independence County668+1.8%
21Mississippi County600-2%
22Carroll County582+0.5%
23Cleburne County509+0.4%
24Columbia County467+0.2%
25Clark County459+1.5%
26Hot Spring County423+2.2%
27Arkansas County410+5.4%
28Ouachita County401-0.2%
29Polk County362-1.6%
30Conway County357-3.3%
31St. Francis County352-3.8%
32Drew County350+2%
33Hempstead County336-1.5%
34Johnson County327+0.9%
35Cross County308-1%
36Ashley County302-1.9%
36Logan County302+0.7%
38Poinsett County278-1.1%
39Jackson County277-2.1%
39Phillips County277-4.2%
41Randolph County275+1.5%
42Franklin County263+4%
43Van Buren County262+4%
44Yell County261-1.5%
45Sharp County257-3.7%
46Grant County256+0.8%
47Desha County245-1.2%
48Howard County236+1.7%
49Sevier County229+0.4%
50Clay County228+1.3%
50Lawrence County228-0.9%
52Stone County213+2.4%
53Bradley County203-5.6%
54Marion County199+6.4%
55Madison County1970%
56Izard County174-0.6%
56Pike County174-1.1%
58Dallas County161+0.6%
59Chicot County159-4.2%
59Monroe County159+3.9%
61Little River County152-1.3%
62Fulton County145-0.7%
63Lincoln County129+2.4%
64Prairie County121-1.6%
64Scott County121-4%
66Montgomery County118+4.4%
67Lee County108-4.4%
68Searcy County106+1%
69Woodruff County100-7.4%
70Perry County99+12.5%
71Nevada County98+3.2%
72Lafayette County83-1.2%
73Newton County70+6.1%
74Calhoun County69+4.5%
75Cleveland County65-9.7%

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, 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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_arkansas_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/arkansas-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?

Pulaski County, with 8,959 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Cleveland County, with 65 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 Arkansas: more rankings