Data / Rankings / Employer firms / Counties in Nebraska

Counties in Nebraska by employer firms

Douglas County had the highest employer firms of 93 counties in 2018, at 11,372. McPherson County had the lowest, at 5. The median was 165 and the figure for Nebraska was 38,710. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest11,372Douglas County
Lowest5McPherson County
Median16593 counties
Nebraska38,710History

Map of counties, 2018

Adams County: 833 countAntelope County: 191 countArthur County: 10 countBanner County: 6 countBlaine County: 12 countBoone County: 165 countBox Butte County: 264 countBoyd County: 59 countBrown County: 126 countBuffalo County: 1,397 countBurt County: 166 countButler County: 184 countCass County: 485 countCedar County: 255 countChase County: 131 countCherry County: 201 countCheyenne County: 247 countClay County: 163 countColfax County: 230 countCuming County: 305 countCuster County: 322 countDakota County: 380 countDawes County: 235 countDawson County: 558 countDeuel County: 46 countDixon County: 92 countDodge County: 852 countDouglas County: 11,372 countDundy County: 51 countFillmore County: 198 countFranklin County: 57 countFrontier County: 59 countFurnas County: 121 countGage County: 559 countGarden County: 45 countGarfield County: 90 countGosper County: 49 countGrant County: 25 countGreeley County: 63 countHall County: 1,534 countHamilton County: 260 countHarlan County: 101 countHayes County: 16 countHitchcock County: 57 countHolt County: 373 countHooker County: 29 countHoward County: 145 countJefferson County: 201 countJohnson County: 98 countKearney County: 162 countKeith County: 293 countKeya Paha County: 17 countKimball County: 102 countKnox County: 221 countLancaster County: 6,587 countLincoln County: 878 countLogan County: 22 countLoup County: 13 countMcPherson County: 5 countMadison County: 1,104 countMerrick County: 205 countMorrill County: 85 countNance County: 82 countNemaha County: 169 countNuckolls County: 144 countOtoe County: 419 countPawnee County: 52 countPerkins County: 110 countPhelps County: 304 countPierce County: 206 countPlatte County: 891 countPolk County: 126 countRed Willow County: 333 countRichardson County: 231 countRock County: 42 countSaline County: 245 countSarpy County: 2,957 countSaunders County: 477 countScotts Bluff County: 887 countSeward County: 396 countSheridan County: 137 countSherman County: 72 countSioux County: 12 countStanton County: 91 countThayer County: 173 countThomas County: 24 countThurston County: 99 countValley County: 165 countWashington County: 521 countWayne County: 213 countWebster County: 74 countWheeler County: 15 countYork County: 420 count
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 200
  • 200 to 500
  • 500 and over
count, 2018. 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, 2018

Douglas County: 11,372 countDouglas County11,372Lancaster County: 6,587 countLancaster County6,587Sarpy County: 2,957 countSarpy County2,957Hall County: 1,534 countHall County1,534Buffalo County: 1,397 countBuffalo County1,397Madison County: 1,104 countMadison County1,104Platte County: 891 countPlatte County891Scotts Bluff County: 887 countScotts Bluff County887Lincoln County: 878 countLincoln County878Dodge County: 852 countDodge County852Adams County: 833 countAdams County833Gage County: 559 countGage County559Dawson County: 558 countDawson County558Washington County: 521 countWashington County521Cass County: 485 countCass County485Saunders County: 477 countSaunders County477York County: 420 countYork County420Otoe County: 419 countOtoe County419Seward County: 396 countSeward County396Dakota County: 380 countDakota County380Holt County: 373 countHolt County373Red Willow County: 333 countRed Willow County333Custer County: 322 countCuster County322Cuming County: 305 countCuming County305Phelps County: 304 countPhelps County304Keith County: 293 countKeith County293Box Butte County: 264 countBox Butte County264Hamilton County: 260 countHamilton County260Cedar County: 255 countCedar County255Cheyenne County: 247 countCheyenne County247Saline County: 245 countSaline County245Dawes County: 235 countDawes County235Richardson County: 231 countRichardson County231Colfax County: 230 countColfax County230Knox County: 221 countKnox County221Wayne County: 213 countWayne County213Pierce County: 206 countPierce County206Merrick County: 205 countMerrick County205Cherry County: 201 countCherry County201Jefferson County: 201 countJefferson County201Douglas County: 11,372 countDouglas County11,372Lancaster County: 6,587 countLancaster County6,587Sarpy County: 2,957 countSarpy County2,957Hall County: 1,534 countHall County1,534Buffalo County: 1,397 countBuffalo County1,397Madison County: 1,104 countMadison County1,104Platte County: 891 countPlatte County891Scotts Bluff County: 887 countScotts Bluff County887Lincoln County: 878 countLincoln County878Dodge County: 852 countDodge County852Adams County: 833 countAdams County833Gage County: 559 countGage County559Dawson County: 558 countDawson County558Washington County: 521 countWashington County521Cass County: 485 countCass County485Saunders County: 477 countSaunders County477York County: 420 countYork County420Otoe County: 419 countOtoe County419Seward County: 396 countSeward County396Dakota County: 380 countDakota County380Holt County: 373 countHolt County373Red Willow County: 333 countRed Willow County333Custer County: 322 countCuster County322Cuming County: 305 countCuming County305Phelps County: 304 countPhelps County304Keith County: 293 countKeith County293Box Butte County: 264 countBox Butte County264Hamilton County: 260 countHamilton County260Cedar County: 255 countCedar County255Cheyenne County: 247 countCheyenne County247Saline County: 245 countSaline County245Dawes County: 235 countDawes County235Richardson County: 231 countRichardson County231Colfax County: 230 countColfax County230Knox County: 221 countKnox County221Wayne County: 213 countWayne County213Pierce County: 206 countPierce County206Merrick County: 205 countMerrick County205Cherry County: 201 countCherry County201Jefferson County: 201 countJefferson County201
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018
count		Change on 2017
1Douglas County11,372+0.5%
2Lancaster County6,587+1.6%
3Sarpy County2,957+0.9%
4Hall County1,534-1%
5Buffalo County1,397+0.8%
6Madison County1,104-2.1%
7Platte County891+0.8%
8Scotts Bluff County887-2.2%
9Lincoln County878-0.5%
10Dodge County852-1.7%
11Adams County833+0.2%
12Gage County559-4%
13Dawson County558-1.4%
14Washington County521-2.8%
15Cass County485+1.3%
16Saunders County477-1.9%
17York County420-1.4%
18Otoe County419+3.5%
19Seward County396-2.2%
20Dakota County380-4.3%
21Holt County373+0.3%
22Red Willow County333-3.8%
23Custer County322-2.1%
24Cuming County305-0.3%
25Phelps County304-2.6%
26Keith County293-3.6%
27Box Butte County264-1.5%
28Hamilton County260+2.4%
29Cedar County255+0.8%
30Cheyenne County247-3.5%
31Saline County245-2.8%
32Dawes County235+1.3%
33Richardson County231-5.7%
34Colfax County230-5%
35Knox County221-1.8%
36Wayne County213-2.7%
37Pierce County2060%
38Merrick County205+1.5%
39Cherry County201-1%
39Jefferson County201-2.4%
41Fillmore County198-1.5%
42Antelope County191-5.9%
43Butler County184+1.7%
44Thayer County173-2.8%
45Nemaha County169+1.8%
46Burt County166-6.2%
47Boone County165-2.9%
47Valley County165-0.6%
49Clay County163-3%
50Kearney County162-0.6%
51Howard County145+3.6%
52Nuckolls County144+0.7%
53Sheridan County137-2.8%
54Chase County131+3.1%
55Brown County126-2.3%
55Polk County126-3.1%
57Furnas County121-4%
58Perkins County110-0.9%
59Kimball County102-4.7%
60Harlan County101-4.7%
61Thurston County99+4.2%
62Johnson County98-2%
63Dixon County92+3.4%
64Stanton County91-1.1%
65Garfield County900%
66Morrill County85-9.6%
67Nance County82+5.1%
68Webster County74-3.9%
69Sherman County72-1.4%
70Greeley County63+6.8%
71Boyd County59+9.3%
71Frontier County59-3.3%
73Franklin County57-1.7%
73Hitchcock County570%
75Pawnee County52-8.8%
76Dundy County51+2%
77Gosper County49-3.9%
78Deuel County460%
79Garden County45-8.2%
80Rock County420%
81Hooker County29+7.4%
82Grant County25-3.8%
83Thomas County240%
84Logan County220%
85Keya Paha County17-15%
86Hayes County16+14.3%
87Wheeler County150%
88Loup County13+8.3%
89Blaine County12+20%
89Sioux County12-7.7%
91Arthur County10+25%
92Banner County60%
93McPherson County5-16.7%

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, 2018) [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, 2018. 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?period=2018. 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, 2018. 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?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Nebraska by employer firms, 2018 [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?period=2018 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_nebraska_by_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Nebraska by employer firms, 2018}},
  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?period=2018. 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, 2018
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?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/nebraska-counties?period=2018.
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 11,372 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

McPherson County, with 5 in 2018.

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