Counties in Minnesota by employer firms

Hennepin County had the highest employer firms of 87 counties in 2012, at 26,886. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 80. The median was 486 and the figure for Minnesota was 100,262. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest26,886Hennepin County
Median48687 counties
Minnesota100,262History

Map of counties, 2012

Aitkin County: 324 countAnoka County: 5,486 countBecker County: 786 countBeltrami County: 924 countBenton County: 744 countBig Stone County: 154 countBlue Earth County: 1,590 countBrown County: 637 countCarlton County: 551 countCarver County: 1,823 countCass County: 626 countChippewa County: 358 countChisago County: 932 countClay County: 999 countClearwater County: 170 countCook County: 221 countCottonwood County: 300 countCrow Wing County: 1,618 countDakota County: 7,272 countDodge County: 343 countDouglas County: 1,125 countFaribault County: 369 countFillmore County: 486 countFreeborn County: 702 countGoodhue County: 1,084 countGrant County: 173 countHennepin County: 26,886 countHouston County: 350 countHubbard County: 486 countIsanti County: 683 countItasca County: 963 countJackson County: 272 countKanabec County: 254 countKandiyohi County: 1,131 countKittson County: 123 countKoochiching County: 342 countLac qui Parle County: 179 countLake County: 260 countLake of the Woods County: 140 countLe Sueur County: 523 countLincoln County: 194 countLyon County: 662 countMcLeod County: 829 countMahnomen County: 99 countMarshall County: 217 countMartin County: 510 countMeeker County: 471 countMille Lacs County: 539 countMorrison County: 739 countMower County: 715 countMurray County: 255 countNicollet County: 534 countNobles County: 517 countNorman County: 157 countOlmsted County: 2,625 countOtter Tail County: 1,339 countPennington County: 324 countPine County: 482 countPipestone County: 289 countPolk County: 621 countPope County: 277 countRamsey County: 9,620 countRed Lake County: 80 countRedwood County: 436 countRenville County: 398 countRice County: 1,196 countRock County: 232 countRoseau County: 333 countSt. Louis County: 4,098 countScott County: 2,529 countSherburne County: 1,531 countSibley County: 294 countStearns County: 3,510 countSteele County: 852 countStevens County: 269 countSwift County: 271 countTodd County: 464 countTraverse County: 112 countWabasha County: 492 countWadena County: 322 countWaseca County: 392 countWashington County: 4,110 countWatonwan County: 265 countWilkin County: 141 countWinona County: 975 countWright County: 2,401 countYellow Medicine County: 276 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
count, 2012. 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, 2012

Hennepin County: 26,886 countHennepin County26,886Ramsey County: 9,620 countRamsey County9,620Dakota County: 7,272 countDakota County7,272Anoka County: 5,486 countAnoka County5,486Washington County: 4,110 countWashington County4,110St. Louis County: 4,098 countSt. Louis County4,098Stearns County: 3,510 countStearns County3,510Olmsted County: 2,625 countOlmsted County2,625Scott County: 2,529 countScott County2,529Wright County: 2,401 countWright County2,401Carver County: 1,823 countCarver County1,823Crow Wing County: 1,618 countCrow Wing County1,618Blue Earth County: 1,590 countBlue Earth County1,590Sherburne County: 1,531 countSherburne County1,531Otter Tail County: 1,339 countOtter Tail County1,339Rice County: 1,196 countRice County1,196Kandiyohi County: 1,131 countKandiyohi County1,131Douglas County: 1,125 countDouglas County1,125Goodhue County: 1,084 countGoodhue County1,084Clay County: 999 countClay County999Winona County: 975 countWinona County975Itasca County: 963 countItasca County963Chisago County: 932 countChisago County932Beltrami County: 924 countBeltrami County924Steele County: 852 countSteele County852McLeod County: 829 countMcLeod County829Becker County: 786 countBecker County786Benton County: 744 countBenton County744Morrison County: 739 countMorrison County739Mower County: 715 countMower County715Freeborn County: 702 countFreeborn County702Isanti County: 683 countIsanti County683Lyon County: 662 countLyon County662Brown County: 637 countBrown County637Cass County: 626 countCass County626Polk County: 621 countPolk County621Carlton County: 551 countCarlton County551Mille Lacs County: 539 countMille Lacs County539Nicollet County: 534 countNicollet County534Le Sueur County: 523 countLe Sueur County523Hennepin County: 26,886 countHennepin County26,886Ramsey County: 9,620 countRamsey County9,620Dakota County: 7,272 countDakota County7,272Anoka County: 5,486 countAnoka County5,486Washington County: 4,110 countWashington County4,110St. Louis County: 4,098 countSt. Louis County4,098Stearns County: 3,510 countStearns County3,510Olmsted County: 2,625 countOlmsted County2,625Scott County: 2,529 countScott County2,529Wright County: 2,401 countWright County2,401Carver County: 1,823 countCarver County1,823Crow Wing County: 1,618 countCrow Wing County1,618Blue Earth County: 1,590 countBlue Earth County1,590Sherburne County: 1,531 countSherburne County1,531Otter Tail County: 1,339 countOtter Tail County1,339Rice County: 1,196 countRice County1,196Kandiyohi County: 1,131 countKandiyohi County1,131Douglas County: 1,125 countDouglas County1,125Goodhue County: 1,084 countGoodhue County1,084Clay County: 999 countClay County999Winona County: 975 countWinona County975Itasca County: 963 countItasca County963Chisago County: 932 countChisago County932Beltrami County: 924 countBeltrami County924Steele County: 852 countSteele County852McLeod County: 829 countMcLeod County829Becker County: 786 countBecker County786Benton County: 744 countBenton County744Morrison County: 739 countMorrison County739Mower County: 715 countMower County715Freeborn County: 702 countFreeborn County702Isanti County: 683 countIsanti County683Lyon County: 662 countLyon County662Brown County: 637 countBrown County637Cass County: 626 countCass County626Polk County: 621 countPolk County621Carlton County: 551 countCarlton County551Mille Lacs County: 539 countMille Lacs County539Nicollet County: 534 countNicollet County534Le Sueur County: 523 countLe Sueur County523
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2012
count
Change on 2011
1Hennepin County26,886+0.8%
2Ramsey County9,6200%
3Dakota County7,272+0.4%
4Anoka County5,486+1.2%
5Washington County4,110+1.3%
6St. Louis County4,098-1.4%
7Stearns County3,510-0.4%
8Olmsted County2,625+0.7%
9Scott County2,529+2%
10Wright County2,401+2.5%
11Carver County1,823+1.1%
12Crow Wing County1,618-0.7%
13Blue Earth County1,590+1.7%
14Sherburne County1,531+1.2%
15Otter Tail County1,339-2.4%
16Rice County1,196+0.2%
17Kandiyohi County1,1310%
18Douglas County1,1250%
19Goodhue County1,084-1.5%
20Clay County999-2.2%
21Winona County975-0.7%
22Itasca County963+0.3%
23Chisago County932-3.3%
24Beltrami County924+0.4%
25Steele County852+1.4%
26McLeod County829-1%
27Becker County786+3.3%
28Benton County744+1.5%
29Morrison County739-1.3%
30Mower County715-0.7%
31Freeborn County702-0.6%
32Isanti County683+3.8%
33Lyon County662-0.2%
34Brown County637-2%
35Cass County626-1.1%
36Polk County621+1.5%
37Carlton County551+1.3%
38Mille Lacs County539+0.7%
39Nicollet County534+0.8%
40Le Sueur County523+0.4%
41Nobles County517+1.4%
42Martin County510-0.6%
43Wabasha County492+1.9%
44Fillmore County486-2%
44Hubbard County486+0.2%
46Pine County482+2.3%
47Meeker County471-2.3%
48Todd County464+1.8%
49Redwood County436-1.8%
50Renville County398-2.2%
51Waseca County392-1%
52Faribault County369-1.1%
53Chippewa County358-0.6%
54Houston County3500%
55Dodge County343+0.9%
56Koochiching County342-0.3%
57Roseau County333+2.5%
58Aitkin County324-5.8%
58Pennington County324-0.6%
60Wadena County322-1.8%
61Cottonwood County300-0.7%
62Sibley County294-4.9%
63Pipestone County289+0.3%
64Pope County2770%
65Yellow Medicine County2760%
66Jackson County272+1.1%
67Swift County271+1.1%
68Stevens County269-2.5%
69Watonwan County265-2.9%
70Lake County260+4.8%
71Murray County255+1.2%
72Kanabec County254-0.8%
73Rock County232+2.2%
74Cook County221-1.8%
75Marshall County217-1.8%
76Lincoln County194+2.6%
77Lac qui Parle County179+1.1%
78Grant County173+4.8%
79Clearwater County170-1.7%
80Norman County157+1.3%
81Big Stone County154+2.7%
82Wilkin County141+0.7%
83Lake of the Woods County140+7.7%
84Kittson County123+2.5%
85Traverse County112-1.8%
86Mahnomen County990%
87Red Lake County80-7%

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 Minnesota by employer firms, 2012) [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 Minnesota by employer firms, 2012. 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/minnesota-counties?period=2012. 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 Minnesota by employer firms, 2012. 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/minnesota-counties?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2012 [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/minnesota-counties?period=2012 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2012}},
  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/minnesota-counties?period=2012. 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 Minnesota by employer firms, 2012
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/minnesota-counties?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/minnesota-counties?period=2012.
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?

Hennepin County, with 26,886 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Red Lake County, with 80 in 2012.

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 Minnesota: more rankings