Counties in Minnesota by employer firms

Hennepin County had the highest employer firms of 87 counties in 2018, at 27,773. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 76. The median was 482 and the figure for Minnesota was 102,100. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest27,773Hennepin County
Median48287 counties
Minnesota102,100History

Map of counties, 2018

Aitkin County: 327 countAnoka County: 5,904 countBecker County: 748 countBeltrami County: 957 countBenton County: 735 countBig Stone County: 148 countBlue Earth County: 1,596 countBrown County: 627 countCarlton County: 526 countCarver County: 1,956 countCass County: 654 countChippewa County: 341 countChisago County: 967 countClay County: 1,055 countClearwater County: 181 countCook County: 230 countCottonwood County: 289 countCrow Wing County: 1,732 countDakota County: 7,702 countDodge County: 337 countDouglas County: 1,164 countFaribault County: 338 countFillmore County: 465 countFreeborn County: 662 countGoodhue County: 1,030 countGrant County: 164 countHennepin County: 27,773 countHouston County: 321 countHubbard County: 482 countIsanti County: 722 countItasca County: 949 countJackson County: 250 countKanabec County: 258 countKandiyohi County: 1,107 countKittson County: 120 countKoochiching County: 329 countLac qui Parle County: 169 countLake County: 253 countLake of the Woods County: 141 countLe Sueur County: 546 countLincoln County: 171 countLyon County: 635 countMcLeod County: 782 countMahnomen County: 95 countMarshall County: 193 countMartin County: 493 countMeeker County: 474 countMille Lacs County: 565 countMorrison County: 736 countMower County: 663 countMurray County: 247 countNicollet County: 552 countNobles County: 498 countNorman County: 156 countOlmsted County: 2,724 countOtter Tail County: 1,326 countPennington County: 311 countPine County: 499 countPipestone County: 289 countPolk County: 585 countPope County: 276 countRamsey County: 9,734 countRed Lake County: 76 countRedwood County: 453 countRenville County: 387 countRice County: 1,228 countRock County: 237 countRoseau County: 327 countSt. Louis County: 3,942 countScott County: 2,723 countSherburne County: 1,692 countSibley County: 298 countStearns County: 3,567 countSteele County: 827 countStevens County: 256 countSwift County: 263 countTodd County: 462 countTraverse County: 96 countWabasha County: 452 countWadena County: 347 countWaseca County: 357 countWashington County: 4,452 countWatonwan County: 254 countWilkin County: 127 countWinona County: 929 countWright County: 2,682 countYellow Medicine County: 274 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
count, 2018. 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, 2018

Hennepin County: 27,773 countHennepin County27,773Ramsey County: 9,734 countRamsey County9,734Dakota County: 7,702 countDakota County7,702Anoka County: 5,904 countAnoka County5,904Washington County: 4,452 countWashington County4,452St. Louis County: 3,942 countSt. Louis County3,942Stearns County: 3,567 countStearns County3,567Olmsted County: 2,724 countOlmsted County2,724Scott County: 2,723 countScott County2,723Wright County: 2,682 countWright County2,682Carver County: 1,956 countCarver County1,956Crow Wing County: 1,732 countCrow Wing County1,732Sherburne County: 1,692 countSherburne County1,692Blue Earth County: 1,596 countBlue Earth County1,596Otter Tail County: 1,326 countOtter Tail County1,326Rice County: 1,228 countRice County1,228Douglas County: 1,164 countDouglas County1,164Kandiyohi County: 1,107 countKandiyohi County1,107Clay County: 1,055 countClay County1,055Goodhue County: 1,030 countGoodhue County1,030Chisago County: 967 countChisago County967Beltrami County: 957 countBeltrami County957Itasca County: 949 countItasca County949Winona County: 929 countWinona County929Steele County: 827 countSteele County827McLeod County: 782 countMcLeod County782Becker County: 748 countBecker County748Morrison County: 736 countMorrison County736Benton County: 735 countBenton County735Isanti County: 722 countIsanti County722Mower County: 663 countMower County663Freeborn County: 662 countFreeborn County662Cass County: 654 countCass County654Lyon County: 635 countLyon County635Brown County: 627 countBrown County627Polk County: 585 countPolk County585Mille Lacs County: 565 countMille Lacs County565Nicollet County: 552 countNicollet County552Le Sueur County: 546 countLe Sueur County546Carlton County: 526 countCarlton County526Hennepin County: 27,773 countHennepin County27,773Ramsey County: 9,734 countRamsey County9,734Dakota County: 7,702 countDakota County7,702Anoka County: 5,904 countAnoka County5,904Washington County: 4,452 countWashington County4,452St. Louis County: 3,942 countSt. Louis County3,942Stearns County: 3,567 countStearns County3,567Olmsted County: 2,724 countOlmsted County2,724Scott County: 2,723 countScott County2,723Wright County: 2,682 countWright County2,682Carver County: 1,956 countCarver County1,956Crow Wing County: 1,732 countCrow Wing County1,732Sherburne County: 1,692 countSherburne County1,692Blue Earth County: 1,596 countBlue Earth County1,596Otter Tail County: 1,326 countOtter Tail County1,326Rice County: 1,228 countRice County1,228Douglas County: 1,164 countDouglas County1,164Kandiyohi County: 1,107 countKandiyohi County1,107Clay County: 1,055 countClay County1,055Goodhue County: 1,030 countGoodhue County1,030Chisago County: 967 countChisago County967Beltrami County: 957 countBeltrami County957Itasca County: 949 countItasca County949Winona County: 929 countWinona County929Steele County: 827 countSteele County827McLeod County: 782 countMcLeod County782Becker County: 748 countBecker County748Morrison County: 736 countMorrison County736Benton County: 735 countBenton County735Isanti County: 722 countIsanti County722Mower County: 663 countMower County663Freeborn County: 662 countFreeborn County662Cass County: 654 countCass County654Lyon County: 635 countLyon County635Brown County: 627 countBrown County627Polk County: 585 countPolk County585Mille Lacs County: 565 countMille Lacs County565Nicollet County: 552 countNicollet County552Le Sueur County: 546 countLe Sueur County546Carlton County: 526 countCarlton County526
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018
count
Change on 2017
1Hennepin County27,773-0.5%
2Ramsey County9,734-0.6%
3Dakota County7,7020%
4Anoka County5,904+0.8%
5Washington County4,452+0.3%
6St. Louis County3,942-0.8%
7Stearns County3,567-0.5%
8Olmsted County2,724+0.1%
9Scott County2,723+0.6%
10Wright County2,682+0.5%
11Carver County1,956-1.5%
12Crow Wing County1,732+0.2%
13Sherburne County1,692+0.8%
14Blue Earth County1,596-1.3%
15Otter Tail County1,326-1.9%
16Rice County1,228-2.2%
17Douglas County1,164-1.8%
18Kandiyohi County1,107+0.7%
19Clay County1,055-0.8%
20Goodhue County1,030-1.7%
21Chisago County967-0.7%
22Beltrami County957+0.1%
23Itasca County949-1%
24Winona County929+0.2%
25Steele County827-0.4%
26McLeod County782-0.9%
27Becker County748-3.4%
28Morrison County736+1.9%
29Benton County735-0.4%
30Isanti County722+0.6%
31Mower County663-2.8%
32Freeborn County662-0.6%
33Cass County654-0.3%
34Lyon County635-0.9%
35Brown County627-2.6%
36Polk County585-2.5%
37Mille Lacs County565+0.9%
38Nicollet County552-0.9%
39Le Sueur County546-1.3%
40Carlton County526-1.9%
41Pine County499-0.8%
42Nobles County498+0.4%
43Martin County4930%
44Hubbard County482+3.2%
45Meeker County474+2.2%
46Fillmore County465-1.5%
47Todd County462-0.6%
48Redwood County453+2.5%
49Wabasha County452-1.1%
50Renville County387-3.5%
51Waseca County357-4.5%
52Wadena County347+1.2%
53Chippewa County341-4.5%
54Faribault County338-0.6%
55Dodge County337+1.8%
56Koochiching County329-1.2%
57Aitkin County327-1.2%
57Roseau County3270%
59Houston County321-1.2%
60Pennington County311-4%
61Sibley County298+1%
62Cottonwood County289+1.4%
62Pipestone County289-3%
64Pope County276-1.8%
65Yellow Medicine County274+0.4%
66Swift County263-1.9%
67Kanabec County258+1.6%
68Stevens County256+0.8%
69Watonwan County254-2.3%
70Lake County2530%
71Jackson County250-1.2%
72Murray County2470%
73Rock County237-1.3%
74Cook County230+4.1%
75Marshall County193-3%
76Clearwater County181-0.5%
77Lincoln County171-5%
78Lac qui Parle County169-2.9%
79Grant County164-6.8%
80Norman County156-1.9%
81Big Stone County148-6.3%
82Lake of the Woods County141+2.9%
83Wilkin County127-5.2%
84Kittson County120+3.4%
85Traverse County96-5.9%
86Mahnomen County95-2.1%
87Red Lake County76-7.3%

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, 2018) [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, 2018. 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=2018. 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, 2018. 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=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2018}},
  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=2018. 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, 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/minnesota-counties?period=2018.
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 27,773 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Red Lake County, with 76 in 2018.

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