Counties in Minnesota by employer firms

Hennepin County had the highest employer firms of 87 counties in 2019, at 27,711. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 78. The median was 485 and the figure for Minnesota was 102,019. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27,711Hennepin County
Median48587 counties
Minnesota102,019History

Map of counties, 2019

Aitkin County: 327 countAnoka County: 5,941 countBecker County: 746 countBeltrami County: 965 countBenton County: 739 countBig Stone County: 150 countBlue Earth County: 1,592 countBrown County: 634 countCarlton County: 542 countCarver County: 1,967 countCass County: 650 countChippewa County: 341 countChisago County: 991 countClay County: 1,063 countClearwater County: 177 countCook County: 237 countCottonwood County: 288 countCrow Wing County: 1,744 countDakota County: 7,638 countDodge County: 332 countDouglas County: 1,159 countFaribault County: 336 countFillmore County: 462 countFreeborn County: 653 countGoodhue County: 1,031 countGrant County: 164 countHennepin County: 27,711 countHouston County: 324 countHubbard County: 485 countIsanti County: 757 countItasca County: 941 countJackson County: 244 countKanabec County: 264 countKandiyohi County: 1,089 countKittson County: 117 countKoochiching County: 330 countLac qui Parle County: 174 countLake County: 257 countLake of the Woods County: 139 countLe Sueur County: 553 countLincoln County: 175 countLyon County: 621 countMcLeod County: 795 countMahnomen County: 96 countMarshall County: 197 countMartin County: 486 countMeeker County: 470 countMille Lacs County: 568 countMorrison County: 732 countMower County: 666 countMurray County: 236 countNicollet County: 548 countNobles County: 488 countNorman County: 154 countOlmsted County: 2,738 countOtter Tail County: 1,349 countPennington County: 311 countPine County: 502 countPipestone County: 291 countPolk County: 577 countPope County: 276 countRamsey County: 9,757 countRed Lake County: 78 countRedwood County: 442 countRenville County: 387 countRice County: 1,235 countRock County: 234 countRoseau County: 332 countSt. Louis County: 3,965 countScott County: 2,725 countSherburne County: 1,718 countSibley County: 287 countStearns County: 3,517 countSteele County: 814 countStevens County: 251 countSwift County: 268 countTodd County: 453 countTraverse County: 97 countWabasha County: 454 countWadena County: 339 countWaseca County: 382 countWashington County: 4,456 countWatonwan County: 260 countWilkin County: 123 countWinona County: 923 countWright County: 2,725 countYellow Medicine County: 273 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
count, 2019. 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, 2019

Hennepin County: 27,711 countHennepin County27,711Ramsey County: 9,757 countRamsey County9,757Dakota County: 7,638 countDakota County7,638Anoka County: 5,941 countAnoka County5,941Washington County: 4,456 countWashington County4,456St. Louis County: 3,965 countSt. Louis County3,965Stearns County: 3,517 countStearns County3,517Olmsted County: 2,738 countOlmsted County2,738Scott County: 2,725 countScott County2,725Wright County: 2,725 countWright County2,725Carver County: 1,967 countCarver County1,967Crow Wing County: 1,744 countCrow Wing County1,744Sherburne County: 1,718 countSherburne County1,718Blue Earth County: 1,592 countBlue Earth County1,592Otter Tail County: 1,349 countOtter Tail County1,349Rice County: 1,235 countRice County1,235Douglas County: 1,159 countDouglas County1,159Kandiyohi County: 1,089 countKandiyohi County1,089Clay County: 1,063 countClay County1,063Goodhue County: 1,031 countGoodhue County1,031Chisago County: 991 countChisago County991Beltrami County: 965 countBeltrami County965Itasca County: 941 countItasca County941Winona County: 923 countWinona County923Steele County: 814 countSteele County814McLeod County: 795 countMcLeod County795Isanti County: 757 countIsanti County757Becker County: 746 countBecker County746Benton County: 739 countBenton County739Morrison County: 732 countMorrison County732Mower County: 666 countMower County666Freeborn County: 653 countFreeborn County653Cass County: 650 countCass County650Brown County: 634 countBrown County634Lyon County: 621 countLyon County621Polk County: 577 countPolk County577Mille Lacs County: 568 countMille Lacs County568Le Sueur County: 553 countLe Sueur County553Nicollet County: 548 countNicollet County548Carlton County: 542 countCarlton County542Hennepin County: 27,711 countHennepin County27,711Ramsey County: 9,757 countRamsey County9,757Dakota County: 7,638 countDakota County7,638Anoka County: 5,941 countAnoka County5,941Washington County: 4,456 countWashington County4,456St. Louis County: 3,965 countSt. Louis County3,965Stearns County: 3,517 countStearns County3,517Olmsted County: 2,738 countOlmsted County2,738Scott County: 2,725 countScott County2,725Wright County: 2,725 countWright County2,725Carver County: 1,967 countCarver County1,967Crow Wing County: 1,744 countCrow Wing County1,744Sherburne County: 1,718 countSherburne County1,718Blue Earth County: 1,592 countBlue Earth County1,592Otter Tail County: 1,349 countOtter Tail County1,349Rice County: 1,235 countRice County1,235Douglas County: 1,159 countDouglas County1,159Kandiyohi County: 1,089 countKandiyohi County1,089Clay County: 1,063 countClay County1,063Goodhue County: 1,031 countGoodhue County1,031Chisago County: 991 countChisago County991Beltrami County: 965 countBeltrami County965Itasca County: 941 countItasca County941Winona County: 923 countWinona County923Steele County: 814 countSteele County814McLeod County: 795 countMcLeod County795Isanti County: 757 countIsanti County757Becker County: 746 countBecker County746Benton County: 739 countBenton County739Morrison County: 732 countMorrison County732Mower County: 666 countMower County666Freeborn County: 653 countFreeborn County653Cass County: 650 countCass County650Brown County: 634 countBrown County634Lyon County: 621 countLyon County621Polk County: 577 countPolk County577Mille Lacs County: 568 countMille Lacs County568Le Sueur County: 553 countLe Sueur County553Nicollet County: 548 countNicollet County548Carlton County: 542 countCarlton County542
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019
count
Change on 2018
1Hennepin County27,711-0.2%
2Ramsey County9,757+0.2%
3Dakota County7,638-0.8%
4Anoka County5,941+0.6%
5Washington County4,456+0.1%
6St. Louis County3,965+0.6%
7Stearns County3,517-1.4%
8Olmsted County2,738+0.5%
9Scott County2,725+0.1%
9Wright County2,725+1.6%
11Carver County1,967+0.6%
12Crow Wing County1,744+0.7%
13Sherburne County1,718+1.5%
14Blue Earth County1,592-0.3%
15Otter Tail County1,349+1.7%
16Rice County1,235+0.6%
17Douglas County1,159-0.4%
18Kandiyohi County1,089-1.6%
19Clay County1,063+0.8%
20Goodhue County1,031+0.1%
21Chisago County991+2.5%
22Beltrami County965+0.8%
23Itasca County941-0.8%
24Winona County923-0.6%
25Steele County814-1.6%
26McLeod County795+1.7%
27Isanti County757+4.8%
28Becker County746-0.3%
29Benton County739+0.5%
30Morrison County732-0.5%
31Mower County666+0.5%
32Freeborn County653-1.4%
33Cass County650-0.6%
34Brown County634+1.1%
35Lyon County621-2.2%
36Polk County577-1.4%
37Mille Lacs County568+0.5%
38Le Sueur County553+1.3%
39Nicollet County548-0.7%
40Carlton County542+3%
41Pine County502+0.6%
42Nobles County488-2%
43Martin County486-1.4%
44Hubbard County485+0.6%
45Meeker County470-0.8%
46Fillmore County462-0.6%
47Wabasha County454+0.4%
48Todd County453-1.9%
49Redwood County442-2.4%
50Renville County3870%
51Waseca County382+7%
52Chippewa County3410%
53Wadena County339-2.3%
54Faribault County336-0.6%
55Dodge County332-1.5%
55Roseau County332+1.5%
57Koochiching County330+0.3%
58Aitkin County3270%
59Houston County324+0.9%
60Pennington County3110%
61Pipestone County291+0.7%
62Cottonwood County288-0.3%
63Sibley County287-3.7%
64Pope County2760%
65Yellow Medicine County273-0.4%
66Swift County268+1.9%
67Kanabec County264+2.3%
68Watonwan County260+2.4%
69Lake County257+1.6%
70Stevens County251-2%
71Jackson County244-2.4%
72Cook County237+3%
73Murray County236-4.5%
74Rock County234-1.3%
75Marshall County197+2.1%
76Clearwater County177-2.2%
77Lincoln County175+2.3%
78Lac qui Parle County174+3%
79Grant County1640%
80Norman County154-1.3%
81Big Stone County150+1.4%
82Lake of the Woods County139-1.4%
83Wilkin County123-3.1%
84Kittson County117-2.5%
85Traverse County97+1%
86Mahnomen County96+1.1%
87Red Lake County78+2.6%

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 Minnesota by employer firms, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by employer firms, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/minnesota-counties?period=2019.
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 27,711 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Red Lake County, with 78 in 2019.

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