Data / Rankings / Employer firms / Counties in Nebraska

Counties in Nebraska by employer firms, 2023

Douglas County had the highest employer firms of 93 counties in 2023, at 12,378. McPherson County had the lowest, at 5. The median was 159 and the figure for Nebraska was 40,134. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest12,378Douglas County
Lowest5McPherson County
Median15993 counties
Nebraska40,134History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 836 countAntelope County: 196 countArthur County: 10 countBanner County: 5 countBlaine County: 12 countBoone County: 159 countBox Butte County: 252 countBoyd County: 55 countBrown County: 132 countBuffalo County: 1,486 countBurt County: 165 countButler County: 189 countCass County: 516 countCedar County: 243 countChase County: 132 countCherry County: 191 countCheyenne County: 240 countClay County: 152 countColfax County: 235 countCuming County: 281 countCuster County: 312 countDakota County: 376 countDawes County: 208 countDawson County: 561 countDeuel County: 46 countDixon County: 96 countDodge County: 835 countDouglas County: 12,378 countDundy County: 54 countFillmore County: 175 countFranklin County: 64 countFrontier County: 59 countFurnas County: 116 countGage County: 541 countGarden County: 38 countGarfield County: 90 countGosper County: 52 countGrant County: 24 countGreeley County: 69 countHall County: 1,549 countHamilton County: 267 countHarlan County: 84 countHayes County: 15 countHitchcock County: 56 countHolt County: 377 countHooker County: 22 countHoward County: 150 countJefferson County: 189 countJohnson County: 87 countKearney County: 159 countKeith County: 287 countKeya Paha County: 16 countKimball County: 98 countKnox County: 202 countLancaster County: 6,934 countLincoln County: 840 countLogan County: 19 countLoup County: 10 countMcPherson County: 5 countMadison County: 1,065 countMerrick County: 202 countMorrill County: 100 countNance County: 80 countNemaha County: 158 countNuckolls County: 136 countOtoe County: 405 countPawnee County: 56 countPerkins County: 111 countPhelps County: 310 countPierce County: 194 countPlatte County: 883 countPolk County: 113 countRed Willow County: 342 countRichardson County: 227 countRock County: 44 countSaline County: 273 countSarpy County: 3,198 countSaunders County: 513 countScotts Bluff County: 857 countSeward County: 416 countSheridan County: 125 countSherman County: 70 countSioux County: 11 countStanton County: 89 countThayer County: 173 countThomas County: 20 countThurston County: 86 countValley County: 168 countWashington County: 551 countWayne County: 213 countWebster County: 75 countWheeler County: 14 countYork County: 449 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 200
  • 200 to 500
  • 500 and over
count, 2023. 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, 2023

Douglas County: 12,378 countDouglas County12,378Lancaster County: 6,934 countLancaster County6,934Sarpy County: 3,198 countSarpy County3,198Hall County: 1,549 countHall County1,549Buffalo County: 1,486 countBuffalo County1,486Madison County: 1,065 countMadison County1,065Platte County: 883 countPlatte County883Scotts Bluff County: 857 countScotts Bluff County857Lincoln County: 840 countLincoln County840Adams County: 836 countAdams County836Dodge County: 835 countDodge County835Dawson County: 561 countDawson County561Washington County: 551 countWashington County551Gage County: 541 countGage County541Cass County: 516 countCass County516Saunders County: 513 countSaunders County513York County: 449 countYork County449Seward County: 416 countSeward County416Otoe County: 405 countOtoe County405Holt County: 377 countHolt County377Dakota County: 376 countDakota County376Red Willow County: 342 countRed Willow County342Custer County: 312 countCuster County312Phelps County: 310 countPhelps County310Keith County: 287 countKeith County287Cuming County: 281 countCuming County281Saline County: 273 countSaline County273Hamilton County: 267 countHamilton County267Box Butte County: 252 countBox Butte County252Cedar County: 243 countCedar County243Cheyenne County: 240 countCheyenne County240Colfax County: 235 countColfax County235Richardson County: 227 countRichardson County227Wayne County: 213 countWayne County213Dawes County: 208 countDawes County208Knox County: 202 countKnox County202Merrick County: 202 countMerrick County202Antelope County: 196 countAntelope County196Pierce County: 194 countPierce County194Cherry County: 191 countCherry County191Douglas County: 12,378 countDouglas County12,378Lancaster County: 6,934 countLancaster County6,934Sarpy County: 3,198 countSarpy County3,198Hall County: 1,549 countHall County1,549Buffalo County: 1,486 countBuffalo County1,486Madison County: 1,065 countMadison County1,065Platte County: 883 countPlatte County883Scotts Bluff County: 857 countScotts Bluff County857Lincoln County: 840 countLincoln County840Adams County: 836 countAdams County836Dodge County: 835 countDodge County835Dawson County: 561 countDawson County561Washington County: 551 countWashington County551Gage County: 541 countGage County541Cass County: 516 countCass County516Saunders County: 513 countSaunders County513York County: 449 countYork County449Seward County: 416 countSeward County416Otoe County: 405 countOtoe County405Holt County: 377 countHolt County377Dakota County: 376 countDakota County376Red Willow County: 342 countRed Willow County342Custer County: 312 countCuster County312Phelps County: 310 countPhelps County310Keith County: 287 countKeith County287Cuming County: 281 countCuming County281Saline County: 273 countSaline County273Hamilton County: 267 countHamilton County267Box Butte County: 252 countBox Butte County252Cedar County: 243 countCedar County243Cheyenne County: 240 countCheyenne County240Colfax County: 235 countColfax County235Richardson County: 227 countRichardson County227Wayne County: 213 countWayne County213Dawes County: 208 countDawes County208Knox County: 202 countKnox County202Merrick County: 202 countMerrick County202Antelope County: 196 countAntelope County196Pierce County: 194 countPierce County194Cherry County: 191 countCherry County191
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count		Change on 2022
1Douglas County12,378+1%
2Lancaster County6,934+0.8%
3Sarpy County3,198+1.1%
4Hall County1,549+1.2%
5Buffalo County1,486+1%
6Madison County1,065+1.5%
7Platte County883+1.3%
8Scotts Bluff County857-2.1%
9Lincoln County840-0.2%
10Adams County836+0.2%
11Dodge County835+0.4%
12Dawson County561-1.6%
13Washington County551+1.1%
14Gage County541-1.1%
15Cass County516+3.6%
16Saunders County513+4.5%
17York County449+2.3%
18Seward County4160%
19Otoe County405+1.8%
20Holt County377-0.3%
21Dakota County376+1.6%
22Red Willow County342+2.1%
23Custer County312+2%
24Phelps County310+3%
25Keith County287+1.8%
26Cuming County2810%
27Saline County273+1.5%
28Hamilton County267+1.9%
29Box Butte County252-3.4%
30Cedar County243-0.8%
31Cheyenne County240+2.6%
32Colfax County235-0.4%
33Richardson County227+0.4%
34Wayne County213-2.7%
35Dawes County208+2.5%
36Knox County202-5.6%
36Merrick County2020%
38Antelope County196+0.5%
39Pierce County194-6.3%
40Cherry County191-1%
41Butler County189+2.2%
41Jefferson County189+0.5%
43Fillmore County175-5.4%
44Thayer County1730%
45Valley County168-1.8%
46Burt County165+5.1%
47Boone County159-3%
47Kearney County159-1.9%
49Nemaha County158+6%
50Clay County152-1.9%
51Howard County150+2%
52Nuckolls County136-4.9%
53Brown County132+3.1%
53Chase County132-3.6%
55Sheridan County125-3.8%
56Furnas County116-3.3%
57Polk County113-6.6%
58Perkins County111+5.7%
59Morrill County100-2%
60Kimball County98-10.1%
61Dixon County96+4.3%
62Garfield County90-1.1%
63Stanton County89-5.3%
64Johnson County87-8.4%
65Thurston County86-1.1%
66Harlan County84-2.3%
67Nance County80-7%
68Webster County75+1.4%
69Sherman County70+1.4%
70Greeley County69+9.5%
71Franklin County64-8.6%
72Frontier County59-3.3%
73Hitchcock County56-3.4%
73Pawnee County56-5.1%
75Boyd County55+5.8%
76Dundy County54-6.9%
77Gosper County52+4%
78Deuel County46+7%
79Rock County44+10%
80Garden County38-7.3%
81Grant County24+4.3%
82Hooker County22-4.3%
83Thomas County20-9.1%
84Logan County19-5%
85Keya Paha County16+6.7%
86Hayes County15-11.8%
87Wheeler County14+7.7%
88Blaine County12+20%
89Sioux County11-8.3%
90Arthur County10-9.1%
90Loup County10-16.7%
92Banner County50%
92McPherson County50%

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 Nebraska by employer firms, 2023) [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 Nebraska by employer firms, 2023. 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/nebraska-counties. 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 Nebraska by employer firms, 2023. 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/nebraska-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Nebraska by employer firms, 2023 [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/nebraska-counties (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_nebraska_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Nebraska by employer firms, 2023}},
  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/nebraska-counties. 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 Nebraska by employer firms, 2023
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/nebraska-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/nebraska-counties.
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?

Douglas County, with 12,378 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

McPherson County, with 5 in 2023.

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 Nebraska: more rankings