Counties in Montana by employer firms

Yellowstone County had the highest employer firms of 56 counties in 2012, at 4,356. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 9. The median was 161 and the figure for Montana was 26,782. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,356Yellowstone County
Median16156 counties
Montana26,782History

Map of counties, 2012

Beaverhead County: 289 countBig Horn County: 184 countBlaine County: 131 countBroadwater County: 116 countCarbon County: 319 countCarter County: 28 countCascade County: 1,963 countChouteau County: 118 countCuster County: 361 countDaniels County: 61 countDawson County: 271 countDeer Lodge County: 200 countFallon County: 135 countFergus County: 369 countFlathead County: 3,050 countGallatin County: 3,760 countGarfield County: 23 countGlacier County: 213 countGolden Valley County: 11 countGranite County: 81 countHill County: 455 countJefferson County: 224 countJudith Basin County: 43 countLake County: 668 countLewis and Clark County: 1,793 countLiberty County: 53 countLincoln County: 505 countMcCone County: 46 countMadison County: 254 countMeagher County: 51 countMineral County: 87 countMissoula County: 3,375 countMusselshell County: 101 countPark County: 591 countPetroleum County: 9 countPhillips County: 116 countPondera County: 151 countPowder River County: 71 countPowell County: 139 countPrairie County: 34 countRavalli County: 1,104 countRichland County: 453 countRoosevelt County: 181 countRosebud County: 159 countSanders County: 293 countSheridan County: 147 countSilver Bow County: 970 countStillwater County: 219 countSweet Grass County: 130 countTeton County: 147 countToole County: 162 countTreasure County: 15 countValley County: 240 countWheatland County: 51 countWibaux County: 29 countYellowstone County: 4,356 count
  • Under 50
  • 50 to 120
  • 120 to 160
  • 160 to 270
  • 270 to 580
  • 580 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.

All counties, 2012

Yellowstone County: 4,356 countYellowstone County4,356Gallatin County: 3,760 countGallatin County3,760Missoula County: 3,375 countMissoula County3,375Flathead County: 3,050 countFlathead County3,050Cascade County: 1,963 countCascade County1,963Lewis and Clark County: 1,793 countLewis and Clark County1,793Ravalli County: 1,104 countRavalli County1,104Silver Bow County: 970 countSilver Bow County970Lake County: 668 countLake County668Park County: 591 countPark County591Lincoln County: 505 countLincoln County505Hill County: 455 countHill County455Richland County: 453 countRichland County453Fergus County: 369 countFergus County369Custer County: 361 countCuster County361Carbon County: 319 countCarbon County319Sanders County: 293 countSanders County293Beaverhead County: 289 countBeaverhead County289Dawson County: 271 countDawson County271Madison County: 254 countMadison County254Valley County: 240 countValley County240Jefferson County: 224 countJefferson County224Stillwater County: 219 countStillwater County219Glacier County: 213 countGlacier County213Deer Lodge County: 200 countDeer Lodge County200Big Horn County: 184 countBig Horn County184Roosevelt County: 181 countRoosevelt County181Toole County: 162 countToole County162Rosebud County: 159 countRosebud County159Pondera County: 151 countPondera County151Sheridan County: 147 countSheridan County147Teton County: 147 countTeton County147Powell County: 139 countPowell County139Fallon County: 135 countFallon County135Blaine County: 131 countBlaine County131Sweet Grass County: 130 countSweet Grass County130Chouteau County: 118 countChouteau County118Broadwater County: 116 countBroadwater County116Phillips County: 116 countPhillips County116Musselshell County: 101 countMusselshell County101Mineral County: 87 countMineral County87Granite County: 81 countGranite County81Powder River County: 71 countPowder River County71Daniels County: 61 countDaniels County61Liberty County: 53 countLiberty County53Meagher County: 51 countMeagher County51Wheatland County: 51 countWheatland County51McCone County: 46 countMcCone County46Judith Basin County: 43 countJudith Basin County43Prairie County: 34 countPrairie County34Wibaux County: 29 countWibaux County29Carter County: 28 countCarter County28Garfield County: 23 countGarfield County23Treasure County: 15 countTreasure County15Golden Valley County: 11 countGolden Valley County11Petroleum County: 9 countPetroleum County9Yellowstone County: 4,356 countYellowstone County4,356Gallatin County: 3,760 countGallatin County3,760Missoula County: 3,375 countMissoula County3,375Flathead County: 3,050 countFlathead County3,050Cascade County: 1,963 countCascade County1,963Lewis and Clark County: 1,793 countLewis and Clark County1,793Ravalli County: 1,104 countRavalli County1,104Silver Bow County: 970 countSilver Bow County970Lake County: 668 countLake County668Park County: 591 countPark County591Lincoln County: 505 countLincoln County505Hill County: 455 countHill County455Richland County: 453 countRichland County453Fergus County: 369 countFergus County369Custer County: 361 countCuster County361Carbon County: 319 countCarbon County319Sanders County: 293 countSanders County293Beaverhead County: 289 countBeaverhead County289Dawson County: 271 countDawson County271Madison County: 254 countMadison County254Valley County: 240 countValley County240Jefferson County: 224 countJefferson County224Stillwater County: 219 countStillwater County219Glacier County: 213 countGlacier County213Deer Lodge County: 200 countDeer Lodge County200Big Horn County: 184 countBig Horn County184Roosevelt County: 181 countRoosevelt County181Toole County: 162 countToole County162Rosebud County: 159 countRosebud County159Pondera County: 151 countPondera County151Sheridan County: 147 countSheridan County147Teton County: 147 countTeton County147Powell County: 139 countPowell County139Fallon County: 135 countFallon County135Blaine County: 131 countBlaine County131Sweet Grass County: 130 countSweet Grass County130Chouteau County: 118 countChouteau County118Broadwater County: 116 countBroadwater County116Phillips County: 116 countPhillips County116Musselshell County: 101 countMusselshell County101Mineral County: 87 countMineral County87Granite County: 81 countGranite County81Powder River County: 71 countPowder River County71Daniels County: 61 countDaniels County61Liberty County: 53 countLiberty County53Meagher County: 51 countMeagher County51Wheatland County: 51 countWheatland County51McCone County: 46 countMcCone County46Judith Basin County: 43 countJudith Basin County43Prairie County: 34 countPrairie County34Wibaux County: 29 countWibaux County29Carter County: 28 countCarter County28Garfield County: 23 countGarfield County23Treasure County: 15 countTreasure County15Golden Valley County: 11 countGolden Valley County11Petroleum County: 9 countPetroleum County9
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
1Yellowstone County4,356+1.3%
2Gallatin County3,760+2%
3Missoula County3,375-0.4%
4Flathead County3,050+1.1%
5Cascade County1,963-0.6%
6Lewis and Clark County1,793-0.6%
7Ravalli County1,104+3%
8Silver Bow County970+2%
9Lake County668-4%
10Park County591+0.5%
11Lincoln County505-1.8%
12Hill County455+1.3%
13Richland County453+10%
14Fergus County3690%
15Custer County361+2%
16Carbon County319+2.9%
17Sanders County293+0.7%
18Beaverhead County289-2.4%
19Dawson County271+3.4%
20Madison County254-4.5%
21Valley County240+4.3%
22Jefferson County224+2.3%
23Stillwater County219+4.8%
24Glacier County213+7%
25Deer Lodge County200-2.4%
26Big Horn County184+3.4%
27Roosevelt County181+9%
28Toole County162-1.2%
29Rosebud County159-0.6%
30Pondera County151+2%
31Sheridan County147+11.4%
31Teton County147+2.8%
33Powell County139+0.7%
34Fallon County135+3.8%
35Blaine County131+6.5%
36Sweet Grass County130+4%
37Chouteau County118+1.7%
38Broadwater County116-6.5%
38Phillips County1160%
40Musselshell County101-1.9%
41Mineral County87-6.5%
42Granite County81+1.3%
43Powder River County71+4.4%
44Daniels County61+13%
45Liberty County53+3.9%
46Meagher County51+10.9%
46Wheatland County51-3.8%
48McCone County46-6.1%
49Judith Basin County43+2.4%
50Prairie County34+3%
51Wibaux County29-6.5%
52Carter County28+16.7%
53Garfield County23+4.5%
54Treasure County15+7.1%
55Golden Valley County11+10%
56Petroleum County9-18.2%

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 Montana 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 Montana 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/montana-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 Montana 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/montana-counties?period=2012.

Harvard

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

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_montana_by_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Montana 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/montana-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 Montana 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/montana-counties?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/montana-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?

Yellowstone County, with 4,356 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Petroleum County, with 9 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 Montana: more rankings