Counties in Montana by employer firms

Gallatin County had the highest employer firms of 56 counties in 2020, at 4,742. Petroleum County had the lowest, at 6. The median was 154 and the figure for Montana was 28,744. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,742Gallatin County
Median15456 counties
Montana28,744History

Map of counties, 2020

Beaverhead County: 318 countBig Horn County: 156 countBlaine County: 109 countBroadwater County: 152 countCarbon County: 340 countCarter County: 20 countCascade County: 1,942 countChouteau County: 110 countCuster County: 353 countDaniels County: 59 countDawson County: 256 countDeer Lodge County: 195 countFallon County: 109 countFergus County: 363 countFlathead County: 3,452 countGallatin County: 4,742 countGarfield County: 21 countGlacier County: 176 countGolden Valley County: 9 countGranite County: 95 countHill County: 413 countJefferson County: 254 countJudith Basin County: 48 countLake County: 717 countLewis and Clark County: 2,017 countLiberty County: 51 countLincoln County: 513 countMcCone County: 40 countMadison County: 277 countMeagher County: 55 countMineral County: 96 countMissoula County: 3,753 countMusselshell County: 99 countPark County: 660 countPetroleum County: 6 countPhillips County: 104 countPondera County: 147 countPowder River County: 59 countPowell County: 139 countPrairie County: 27 countRavalli County: 1,274 countRichland County: 434 countRoosevelt County: 177 countRosebud County: 144 countSanders County: 305 countSheridan County: 140 countSilver Bow County: 944 countStillwater County: 210 countSweet Grass County: 134 countTeton County: 156 countToole County: 133 countTreasure County: 11 countValley County: 228 countWheatland County: 55 countWibaux County: 20 countYellowstone County: 4,459 count
  • Under 50
  • 50 to 110
  • 110 to 150
  • 150 to 270
  • 270 to 640
  • 640 and over
count, 2020. 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, 2020

Gallatin County: 4,742 countGallatin County4,742Yellowstone County: 4,459 countYellowstone County4,459Missoula County: 3,753 countMissoula County3,753Flathead County: 3,452 countFlathead County3,452Lewis and Clark County: 2,017 countLewis and Clark County2,017Cascade County: 1,942 countCascade County1,942Ravalli County: 1,274 countRavalli County1,274Silver Bow County: 944 countSilver Bow County944Lake County: 717 countLake County717Park County: 660 countPark County660Lincoln County: 513 countLincoln County513Richland County: 434 countRichland County434Hill County: 413 countHill County413Fergus County: 363 countFergus County363Custer County: 353 countCuster County353Carbon County: 340 countCarbon County340Beaverhead County: 318 countBeaverhead County318Sanders County: 305 countSanders County305Madison County: 277 countMadison County277Dawson County: 256 countDawson County256Jefferson County: 254 countJefferson County254Valley County: 228 countValley County228Stillwater County: 210 countStillwater County210Deer Lodge County: 195 countDeer Lodge County195Roosevelt County: 177 countRoosevelt County177Glacier County: 176 countGlacier County176Big Horn County: 156 countBig Horn County156Teton County: 156 countTeton County156Broadwater County: 152 countBroadwater County152Pondera County: 147 countPondera County147Rosebud County: 144 countRosebud County144Sheridan County: 140 countSheridan County140Powell County: 139 countPowell County139Sweet Grass County: 134 countSweet Grass County134Toole County: 133 countToole County133Chouteau County: 110 countChouteau County110Blaine County: 109 countBlaine County109Fallon County: 109 countFallon County109Phillips County: 104 countPhillips County104Musselshell County: 99 countMusselshell County99Mineral County: 96 countMineral County96Granite County: 95 countGranite County95Daniels County: 59 countDaniels County59Powder River County: 59 countPowder River County59Meagher County: 55 countMeagher County55Wheatland County: 55 countWheatland County55Liberty County: 51 countLiberty County51Judith Basin County: 48 countJudith Basin County48McCone County: 40 countMcCone County40Prairie County: 27 countPrairie County27Garfield County: 21 countGarfield County21Carter County: 20 countCarter County20Wibaux County: 20 countWibaux County20Treasure County: 11 countTreasure County11Golden Valley County: 9 countGolden Valley County9Petroleum County: 6 countPetroleum County6Gallatin County: 4,742 countGallatin County4,742Yellowstone County: 4,459 countYellowstone County4,459Missoula County: 3,753 countMissoula County3,753Flathead County: 3,452 countFlathead County3,452Lewis and Clark County: 2,017 countLewis and Clark County2,017Cascade County: 1,942 countCascade County1,942Ravalli County: 1,274 countRavalli County1,274Silver Bow County: 944 countSilver Bow County944Lake County: 717 countLake County717Park County: 660 countPark County660Lincoln County: 513 countLincoln County513Richland County: 434 countRichland County434Hill County: 413 countHill County413Fergus County: 363 countFergus County363Custer County: 353 countCuster County353Carbon County: 340 countCarbon County340Beaverhead County: 318 countBeaverhead County318Sanders County: 305 countSanders County305Madison County: 277 countMadison County277Dawson County: 256 countDawson County256Jefferson County: 254 countJefferson County254Valley County: 228 countValley County228Stillwater County: 210 countStillwater County210Deer Lodge County: 195 countDeer Lodge County195Roosevelt County: 177 countRoosevelt County177Glacier County: 176 countGlacier County176Big Horn County: 156 countBig Horn County156Teton County: 156 countTeton County156Broadwater County: 152 countBroadwater County152Pondera County: 147 countPondera County147Rosebud County: 144 countRosebud County144Sheridan County: 140 countSheridan County140Powell County: 139 countPowell County139Sweet Grass County: 134 countSweet Grass County134Toole County: 133 countToole County133Chouteau County: 110 countChouteau County110Blaine County: 109 countBlaine County109Fallon County: 109 countFallon County109Phillips County: 104 countPhillips County104Musselshell County: 99 countMusselshell County99Mineral County: 96 countMineral County96Granite County: 95 countGranite County95Daniels County: 59 countDaniels County59Powder River County: 59 countPowder River County59Meagher County: 55 countMeagher County55Wheatland County: 55 countWheatland County55Liberty County: 51 countLiberty County51Judith Basin County: 48 countJudith Basin County48McCone County: 40 countMcCone County40Prairie County: 27 countPrairie County27Garfield County: 21 countGarfield County21Carter County: 20 countCarter County20Wibaux County: 20 countWibaux County20Treasure County: 11 countTreasure County11Golden Valley County: 9 countGolden Valley County9Petroleum County: 6 countPetroleum County6
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
count
Change on 2019
1Gallatin County4,742+2.6%
2Yellowstone County4,459-0.2%
3Missoula County3,753+1.2%
4Flathead County3,452+3.1%
5Lewis and Clark County2,017+2.4%
6Cascade County1,942-1.3%
7Ravalli County1,274+1.9%
8Silver Bow County944-0.2%
9Lake County717+2.3%
10Park County660+3%
11Lincoln County513+0.6%
12Richland County434+0.5%
13Hill County413-2.1%
14Fergus County363-1.6%
15Custer County353-1.1%
16Carbon County340+3.7%
17Beaverhead County318-2.8%
18Sanders County305+3%
19Madison County277-4.5%
20Dawson County256-1.2%
21Jefferson County254+3.3%
22Valley County2280%
23Stillwater County210+3.4%
24Deer Lodge County195-3.9%
25Roosevelt County177+2.9%
26Glacier County176+2.3%
27Big Horn County156+1.3%
27Teton County156+6.8%
29Broadwater County152+13.4%
30Pondera County147-2.6%
31Rosebud County144-2%
32Sheridan County140-1.4%
33Powell County139-2.8%
34Sweet Grass County134+0.8%
35Toole County133-5%
36Chouteau County110-0.9%
37Blaine County109-0.9%
37Fallon County109-6.8%
39Phillips County104-3.7%
40Musselshell County99+3.1%
41Mineral County96-4%
42Granite County95+4.4%
43Daniels County590%
43Powder River County59+11.3%
45Meagher County55+7.8%
45Wheatland County55-5.2%
47Liberty County51-10.5%
48Judith Basin County48+4.3%
49McCone County40-4.8%
50Prairie County27-10%
51Garfield County21+5%
52Carter County20-9.1%
52Wibaux County20-4.8%
54Treasure County110%
55Golden Valley County9+12.5%
56Petroleum County6-14.3%

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 Montana by employer firms, 2020) [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, 2020. 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=2020. 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, 2020. 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=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Montana by employer firms, 2020 [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=2020 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_montana_by_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Montana by employer firms, 2020}},
  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=2020. 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, 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/montana-counties?period=2020.
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?

Gallatin County, with 4,742 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Petroleum County, with 6 in 2020.

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