Counties in Minnesota by employer firms

Hennepin County had the highest employer firms of 87 counties in 2021, at 28,007. Red Lake County had the lowest, at 78. The median was 474 and the figure for Minnesota was 102,744. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest28,007Hennepin County
Median47487 counties
Minnesota102,744History

Map of counties, 2021

Aitkin County: 324 countAnoka County: 6,060 countBecker County: 775 countBeltrami County: 985 countBenton County: 748 countBig Stone County: 150 countBlue Earth County: 1,570 countBrown County: 631 countCarlton County: 534 countCarver County: 2,031 countCass County: 665 countChippewa County: 317 countChisago County: 1,036 countClay County: 1,062 countClearwater County: 163 countCook County: 222 countCottonwood County: 278 countCrow Wing County: 1,760 countDakota County: 7,677 countDodge County: 326 countDouglas County: 1,145 countFaribault County: 334 countFillmore County: 456 countFreeborn County: 633 countGoodhue County: 1,013 countGrant County: 169 countHennepin County: 28,007 countHouston County: 333 countHubbard County: 479 countIsanti County: 781 countItasca County: 928 countJackson County: 240 countKanabec County: 252 countKandiyohi County: 1,081 countKittson County: 118 countKoochiching County: 312 countLac qui Parle County: 168 countLake County: 253 countLake of the Woods County: 136 countLe Sueur County: 564 countLincoln County: 160 countLyon County: 645 countMcLeod County: 792 countMahnomen County: 93 countMarshall County: 208 countMartin County: 474 countMeeker County: 471 countMille Lacs County: 556 countMorrison County: 753 countMower County: 652 countMurray County: 223 countNicollet County: 558 countNobles County: 482 countNorman County: 154 countOlmsted County: 2,785 countOtter Tail County: 1,338 countPennington County: 298 countPine County: 497 countPipestone County: 275 countPolk County: 564 countPope County: 280 countRamsey County: 9,842 countRed Lake County: 78 countRedwood County: 423 countRenville County: 378 countRice County: 1,225 countRock County: 235 countRoseau County: 331 countSt. Louis County: 3,901 countScott County: 2,808 countSherburne County: 1,800 countSibley County: 286 countStearns County: 3,514 countSteele County: 816 countStevens County: 246 countSwift County: 267 countTodd County: 454 countTraverse County: 97 countWabasha County: 459 countWadena County: 327 countWaseca County: 364 countWashington County: 4,611 countWatonwan County: 259 countWilkin County: 129 countWinona County: 906 countWright County: 2,800 countYellow Medicine County: 264 count
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 700
  • 700 to 1,300
  • 1,300 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

Hennepin County: 28,007 countHennepin County28,007Ramsey County: 9,842 countRamsey County9,842Dakota County: 7,677 countDakota County7,677Anoka County: 6,060 countAnoka County6,060Washington County: 4,611 countWashington County4,611St. Louis County: 3,901 countSt. Louis County3,901Stearns County: 3,514 countStearns County3,514Scott County: 2,808 countScott County2,808Wright County: 2,800 countWright County2,800Olmsted County: 2,785 countOlmsted County2,785Carver County: 2,031 countCarver County2,031Sherburne County: 1,800 countSherburne County1,800Crow Wing County: 1,760 countCrow Wing County1,760Blue Earth County: 1,570 countBlue Earth County1,570Otter Tail County: 1,338 countOtter Tail County1,338Rice County: 1,225 countRice County1,225Douglas County: 1,145 countDouglas County1,145Kandiyohi County: 1,081 countKandiyohi County1,081Clay County: 1,062 countClay County1,062Chisago County: 1,036 countChisago County1,036Goodhue County: 1,013 countGoodhue County1,013Beltrami County: 985 countBeltrami County985Itasca County: 928 countItasca County928Winona County: 906 countWinona County906Steele County: 816 countSteele County816McLeod County: 792 countMcLeod County792Isanti County: 781 countIsanti County781Becker County: 775 countBecker County775Morrison County: 753 countMorrison County753Benton County: 748 countBenton County748Cass County: 665 countCass County665Mower County: 652 countMower County652Lyon County: 645 countLyon County645Freeborn County: 633 countFreeborn County633Brown County: 631 countBrown County631Le Sueur County: 564 countLe Sueur County564Polk County: 564 countPolk County564Nicollet County: 558 countNicollet County558Mille Lacs County: 556 countMille Lacs County556Carlton County: 534 countCarlton County534Hennepin County: 28,007 countHennepin County28,007Ramsey County: 9,842 countRamsey County9,842Dakota County: 7,677 countDakota County7,677Anoka County: 6,060 countAnoka County6,060Washington County: 4,611 countWashington County4,611St. Louis County: 3,901 countSt. Louis County3,901Stearns County: 3,514 countStearns County3,514Scott County: 2,808 countScott County2,808Wright County: 2,800 countWright County2,800Olmsted County: 2,785 countOlmsted County2,785Carver County: 2,031 countCarver County2,031Sherburne County: 1,800 countSherburne County1,800Crow Wing County: 1,760 countCrow Wing County1,760Blue Earth County: 1,570 countBlue Earth County1,570Otter Tail County: 1,338 countOtter Tail County1,338Rice County: 1,225 countRice County1,225Douglas County: 1,145 countDouglas County1,145Kandiyohi County: 1,081 countKandiyohi County1,081Clay County: 1,062 countClay County1,062Chisago County: 1,036 countChisago County1,036Goodhue County: 1,013 countGoodhue County1,013Beltrami County: 985 countBeltrami County985Itasca County: 928 countItasca County928Winona County: 906 countWinona County906Steele County: 816 countSteele County816McLeod County: 792 countMcLeod County792Isanti County: 781 countIsanti County781Becker County: 775 countBecker County775Morrison County: 753 countMorrison County753Benton County: 748 countBenton County748Cass County: 665 countCass County665Mower County: 652 countMower County652Lyon County: 645 countLyon County645Freeborn County: 633 countFreeborn County633Brown County: 631 countBrown County631Le Sueur County: 564 countLe Sueur County564Polk County: 564 countPolk County564Nicollet County: 558 countNicollet County558Mille Lacs County: 556 countMille Lacs County556Carlton County: 534 countCarlton County534
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
1Hennepin County28,007+1.3%
2Ramsey County9,842+0.8%
3Dakota County7,677+1.1%
4Anoka County6,060+1.5%
5Washington County4,611+2.1%
6St. Louis County3,901-0.5%
7Stearns County3,514+0.1%
8Scott County2,808+2.9%
9Wright County2,800+1.9%
10Olmsted County2,785+0.2%
11Carver County2,031+3.9%
12Sherburne County1,800+4.5%
13Crow Wing County1,760+0.7%
14Blue Earth County1,570-1.1%
15Otter Tail County1,338-0.7%
16Rice County1,225+1%
17Douglas County1,145-0.7%
18Kandiyohi County1,081+1.9%
19Clay County1,062+1.2%
20Chisago County1,036+3.2%
21Goodhue County1,013-0.7%
22Beltrami County985+2.9%
23Itasca County928-0.7%
24Winona County906-1.3%
25Steele County816+0.7%
26McLeod County792+2.1%
27Isanti County781+1.6%
28Becker County775+2.9%
29Morrison County753+2.3%
30Benton County748+0.1%
31Cass County665+3.3%
32Mower County652-2.2%
33Lyon County645+3.7%
34Freeborn County633-2.3%
35Brown County631-0.3%
36Le Sueur County564+2.5%
36Polk County564-1.6%
38Nicollet County558+0.2%
39Mille Lacs County556-0.2%
40Carlton County534+0.6%
41Pine County497+1.8%
42Nobles County4820%
43Hubbard County479+1.1%
44Martin County474-1.5%
45Meeker County471-0.8%
46Wabasha County459+0.7%
47Fillmore County456+0.9%
48Todd County454-0.4%
49Redwood County423-1.9%
50Renville County378+1.3%
51Waseca County364-3.2%
52Faribault County3340%
53Houston County333+0.3%
54Roseau County331-0.6%
55Wadena County327-0.9%
56Dodge County3260%
57Aitkin County324-1.2%
58Chippewa County317-3.6%
59Koochiching County312-2.5%
60Pennington County298-4.2%
61Sibley County286+1.4%
62Pope County280-0.7%
63Cottonwood County278+0.4%
64Pipestone County275-5.2%
65Swift County2670%
66Yellow Medicine County264-1.1%
67Watonwan County259+0.8%
68Lake County253-2.3%
69Kanabec County2520%
70Stevens County246-2%
71Jackson County240+0.4%
72Rock County235+2.2%
73Murray County223-5.5%
74Cook County222+3.3%
75Marshall County208+2%
76Grant County169-0.6%
77Lac qui Parle County168-1.8%
78Clearwater County163+0.6%
79Lincoln County160-3%
80Norman County154-0.6%
81Big Stone County1500%
82Lake of the Woods County136+0.7%
83Wilkin County129+1.6%
84Kittson County118+2.6%
85Traverse County97+1%
86Mahnomen County93+1.1%
87Red Lake County780%

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, 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 Minnesota 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/minnesota-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 Minnesota 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/minnesota-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

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

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota 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/minnesota-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 Minnesota 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/minnesota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/minnesota-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?

Hennepin County, with 28,007 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Red Lake County, with 78 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 Minnesota: more rankings