Counties in Minnesota by employer firms

Hennepin County had the highest employer firms of 87 counties in 2013, at 27,116. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 81. The median was 482 and the figure for Minnesota was 100,279. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest27,116Hennepin County
Median48287 counties
Minnesota100,279History

Map of counties, 2013

Aitkin County: 331 countAnoka County: 5,470 countBecker County: 778 countBeltrami County: 932 countBenton County: 741 countBig Stone County: 155 countBlue Earth County: 1,572 countBrown County: 631 countCarlton County: 545 countCarver County: 1,839 countCass County: 622 countChippewa County: 358 countChisago County: 935 countClay County: 997 countClearwater County: 171 countCook County: 215 countCottonwood County: 293 countCrow Wing County: 1,622 countDakota County: 7,298 countDodge County: 339 countDouglas County: 1,146 countFaribault County: 366 countFillmore County: 473 countFreeborn County: 688 countGoodhue County: 1,057 countGrant County: 172 countHennepin County: 27,116 countHouston County: 345 countHubbard County: 492 countIsanti County: 692 countItasca County: 933 countJackson County: 271 countKanabec County: 248 countKandiyohi County: 1,140 countKittson County: 118 countKoochiching County: 329 countLac qui Parle County: 173 countLake County: 250 countLake of the Woods County: 136 countLe Sueur County: 532 countLincoln County: 187 countLyon County: 654 countMcLeod County: 818 countMahnomen County: 95 countMarshall County: 209 countMartin County: 498 countMeeker County: 463 countMille Lacs County: 538 countMorrison County: 743 countMower County: 711 countMurray County: 251 countNicollet County: 530 countNobles County: 520 countNorman County: 152 countOlmsted County: 2,672 countOtter Tail County: 1,353 countPennington County: 330 countPine County: 482 countPipestone County: 279 countPolk County: 609 countPope County: 271 countRamsey County: 9,618 countRed Lake County: 81 countRedwood County: 439 countRenville County: 401 countRice County: 1,188 countRock County: 232 countRoseau County: 330 countSt. Louis County: 4,027 countScott County: 2,543 countSherburne County: 1,549 countSibley County: 297 countStearns County: 3,530 countSteele County: 845 countStevens County: 271 countSwift County: 272 countTodd County: 460 countTraverse County: 111 countWabasha County: 479 countWadena County: 315 countWaseca County: 381 countWashington County: 4,190 countWatonwan County: 263 countWilkin County: 140 countWinona County: 969 countWright County: 2,444 countYellow Medicine County: 268 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
count, 2013. 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, 2013

Hennepin County: 27,116 countHennepin County27,116Ramsey County: 9,618 countRamsey County9,618Dakota County: 7,298 countDakota County7,298Anoka County: 5,470 countAnoka County5,470Washington County: 4,190 countWashington County4,190St. Louis County: 4,027 countSt. Louis County4,027Stearns County: 3,530 countStearns County3,530Olmsted County: 2,672 countOlmsted County2,672Scott County: 2,543 countScott County2,543Wright County: 2,444 countWright County2,444Carver County: 1,839 countCarver County1,839Crow Wing County: 1,622 countCrow Wing County1,622Blue Earth County: 1,572 countBlue Earth County1,572Sherburne County: 1,549 countSherburne County1,549Otter Tail County: 1,353 countOtter Tail County1,353Rice County: 1,188 countRice County1,188Douglas County: 1,146 countDouglas County1,146Kandiyohi County: 1,140 countKandiyohi County1,140Goodhue County: 1,057 countGoodhue County1,057Clay County: 997 countClay County997Winona County: 969 countWinona County969Chisago County: 935 countChisago County935Itasca County: 933 countItasca County933Beltrami County: 932 countBeltrami County932Steele County: 845 countSteele County845McLeod County: 818 countMcLeod County818Becker County: 778 countBecker County778Morrison County: 743 countMorrison County743Benton County: 741 countBenton County741Mower County: 711 countMower County711Isanti County: 692 countIsanti County692Freeborn County: 688 countFreeborn County688Lyon County: 654 countLyon County654Brown County: 631 countBrown County631Cass County: 622 countCass County622Polk County: 609 countPolk County609Carlton County: 545 countCarlton County545Mille Lacs County: 538 countMille Lacs County538Le Sueur County: 532 countLe Sueur County532Nicollet County: 530 countNicollet County530Hennepin County: 27,116 countHennepin County27,116Ramsey County: 9,618 countRamsey County9,618Dakota County: 7,298 countDakota County7,298Anoka County: 5,470 countAnoka County5,470Washington County: 4,190 countWashington County4,190St. Louis County: 4,027 countSt. Louis County4,027Stearns County: 3,530 countStearns County3,530Olmsted County: 2,672 countOlmsted County2,672Scott County: 2,543 countScott County2,543Wright County: 2,444 countWright County2,444Carver County: 1,839 countCarver County1,839Crow Wing County: 1,622 countCrow Wing County1,622Blue Earth County: 1,572 countBlue Earth County1,572Sherburne County: 1,549 countSherburne County1,549Otter Tail County: 1,353 countOtter Tail County1,353Rice County: 1,188 countRice County1,188Douglas County: 1,146 countDouglas County1,146Kandiyohi County: 1,140 countKandiyohi County1,140Goodhue County: 1,057 countGoodhue County1,057Clay County: 997 countClay County997Winona County: 969 countWinona County969Chisago County: 935 countChisago County935Itasca County: 933 countItasca County933Beltrami County: 932 countBeltrami County932Steele County: 845 countSteele County845McLeod County: 818 countMcLeod County818Becker County: 778 countBecker County778Morrison County: 743 countMorrison County743Benton County: 741 countBenton County741Mower County: 711 countMower County711Isanti County: 692 countIsanti County692Freeborn County: 688 countFreeborn County688Lyon County: 654 countLyon County654Brown County: 631 countBrown County631Cass County: 622 countCass County622Polk County: 609 countPolk County609Carlton County: 545 countCarlton County545Mille Lacs County: 538 countMille Lacs County538Le Sueur County: 532 countLe Sueur County532Nicollet County: 530 countNicollet County530
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2013
count
Change on 2012
1Hennepin County27,116+0.9%
2Ramsey County9,618-0%
3Dakota County7,298+0.4%
4Anoka County5,470-0.3%
5Washington County4,190+1.9%
6St. Louis County4,027-1.7%
7Stearns County3,530+0.6%
8Olmsted County2,672+1.8%
9Scott County2,543+0.6%
10Wright County2,444+1.8%
11Carver County1,839+0.9%
12Crow Wing County1,622+0.2%
13Blue Earth County1,572-1.1%
14Sherburne County1,549+1.2%
15Otter Tail County1,353+1%
16Rice County1,188-0.7%
17Douglas County1,146+1.9%
18Kandiyohi County1,140+0.8%
19Goodhue County1,057-2.5%
20Clay County997-0.2%
21Winona County969-0.6%
22Chisago County935+0.3%
23Itasca County933-3.1%
24Beltrami County932+0.9%
25Steele County845-0.8%
26McLeod County818-1.3%
27Becker County778-1%
28Morrison County743+0.5%
29Benton County741-0.4%
30Mower County711-0.6%
31Isanti County692+1.3%
32Freeborn County688-2%
33Lyon County654-1.2%
34Brown County631-0.9%
35Cass County622-0.6%
36Polk County609-1.9%
37Carlton County545-1.1%
38Mille Lacs County538-0.2%
39Le Sueur County532+1.7%
40Nicollet County530-0.7%
41Nobles County520+0.6%
42Martin County498-2.4%
43Hubbard County492+1.2%
44Pine County4820%
45Wabasha County479-2.6%
46Fillmore County473-2.7%
47Meeker County463-1.7%
48Todd County460-0.9%
49Redwood County439+0.7%
50Renville County401+0.8%
51Waseca County381-2.8%
52Faribault County366-0.8%
53Chippewa County3580%
54Houston County345-1.4%
55Dodge County339-1.2%
56Aitkin County331+2.2%
57Pennington County330+1.9%
57Roseau County330-0.9%
59Koochiching County329-3.8%
60Wadena County315-2.2%
61Sibley County297+1%
62Cottonwood County293-2.3%
63Pipestone County279-3.5%
64Swift County272+0.4%
65Jackson County271-0.4%
65Pope County271-2.2%
65Stevens County271+0.7%
68Yellow Medicine County268-2.9%
69Watonwan County263-0.8%
70Murray County251-1.6%
71Lake County250-3.8%
72Kanabec County248-2.4%
73Rock County2320%
74Cook County215-2.7%
75Marshall County209-3.7%
76Lincoln County187-3.6%
77Lac qui Parle County173-3.4%
78Grant County172-0.6%
79Clearwater County171+0.6%
80Big Stone County155+0.6%
81Norman County152-3.2%
82Wilkin County140-0.7%
83Lake of the Woods County136-2.9%
84Kittson County118-4.1%
85Traverse County111-0.9%
86Mahnomen County95-4%
87Red Lake County81+1.3%

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, 2013) [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, 2013. 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=2013. 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, 2013. 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=2013.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2013 [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=2013 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2013,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2013}},
  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=2013. 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, 2013
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=2013
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/minnesota-counties?period=2013.
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 27,116 in 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Red Lake County, with 81 in 2013.

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