Counties in North Dakota by employer firms, 2023

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2023, at 4,610. Slope County had the lowest, at 9. The median was 118 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,941. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,610Cass County
Median11853 counties
North Dakota17,941History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 73 countBarnes County: 301 countBenson County: 92 countBillings County: 41 countBottineau County: 212 countBowman County: 118 countBurke County: 69 countBurleigh County: 2,601 countCass County: 4,610 countCavalier County: 119 countDickey County: 157 countDivide County: 70 countDunn County: 146 countEddy County: 60 countEmmons County: 92 countFoster County: 122 countGolden Valley County: 52 countGrand Forks County: 1,518 countGrant County: 69 countGriggs County: 70 countHettinger County: 75 countKidder County: 77 countLaMoure County: 117 countLogan County: 64 countMcHenry County: 113 countMcIntosh County: 101 countMcKenzie County: 474 countMcLean County: 206 countMercer County: 202 countMorton County: 763 countMountrail County: 304 countNelson County: 97 countOliver County: 42 countPembina County: 206 countPierce County: 108 countRamsey County: 341 countRansom County: 160 countRenville County: 88 countRichland County: 438 countRolette County: 181 countSargent County: 96 countSheridan County: 31 countSioux County: 28 countSlope County: 9 countStark County: 1,029 countSteele County: 41 countStutsman County: 532 countTowner County: 56 countTraill County: 235 countWalsh County: 291 countWard County: 1,670 countWells County: 144 countWilliams County: 1,311 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 120
  • 120 to 200
  • 200 to 450
  • 450 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.

All counties, 2023

Cass County: 4,610 countCass County4,610Burleigh County: 2,601 countBurleigh County2,601Ward County: 1,670 countWard County1,670Grand Forks County: 1,518 countGrand Forks County1,518Williams County: 1,311 countWilliams County1,311Stark County: 1,029 countStark County1,029Morton County: 763 countMorton County763Stutsman County: 532 countStutsman County532McKenzie County: 474 countMcKenzie County474Richland County: 438 countRichland County438Ramsey County: 341 countRamsey County341Mountrail County: 304 countMountrail County304Barnes County: 301 countBarnes County301Walsh County: 291 countWalsh County291Traill County: 235 countTraill County235Bottineau County: 212 countBottineau County212McLean County: 206 countMcLean County206Pembina County: 206 countPembina County206Mercer County: 202 countMercer County202Rolette County: 181 countRolette County181Ransom County: 160 countRansom County160Dickey County: 157 countDickey County157Dunn County: 146 countDunn County146Wells County: 144 countWells County144Foster County: 122 countFoster County122Cavalier County: 119 countCavalier County119Bowman County: 118 countBowman County118LaMoure County: 117 countLaMoure County117McHenry County: 113 countMcHenry County113Pierce County: 108 countPierce County108McIntosh County: 101 countMcIntosh County101Nelson County: 97 countNelson County97Sargent County: 96 countSargent County96Benson County: 92 countBenson County92Emmons County: 92 countEmmons County92Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Kidder County: 77 countKidder County77Hettinger County: 75 countHettinger County75Adams County: 73 countAdams County73Divide County: 70 countDivide County70Griggs County: 70 countGriggs County70Burke County: 69 countBurke County69Grant County: 69 countGrant County69Logan County: 64 countLogan County64Eddy County: 60 countEddy County60Towner County: 56 countTowner County56Golden Valley County: 52 countGolden Valley County52Oliver County: 42 countOliver County42Billings County: 41 countBillings County41Steele County: 41 countSteele County41Sheridan County: 31 countSheridan County31Sioux County: 28 countSioux County28Slope County: 9 countSlope County9Cass County: 4,610 countCass County4,610Burleigh County: 2,601 countBurleigh County2,601Ward County: 1,670 countWard County1,670Grand Forks County: 1,518 countGrand Forks County1,518Williams County: 1,311 countWilliams County1,311Stark County: 1,029 countStark County1,029Morton County: 763 countMorton County763Stutsman County: 532 countStutsman County532McKenzie County: 474 countMcKenzie County474Richland County: 438 countRichland County438Ramsey County: 341 countRamsey County341Mountrail County: 304 countMountrail County304Barnes County: 301 countBarnes County301Walsh County: 291 countWalsh County291Traill County: 235 countTraill County235Bottineau County: 212 countBottineau County212McLean County: 206 countMcLean County206Pembina County: 206 countPembina County206Mercer County: 202 countMercer County202Rolette County: 181 countRolette County181Ransom County: 160 countRansom County160Dickey County: 157 countDickey County157Dunn County: 146 countDunn County146Wells County: 144 countWells County144Foster County: 122 countFoster County122Cavalier County: 119 countCavalier County119Bowman County: 118 countBowman County118LaMoure County: 117 countLaMoure County117McHenry County: 113 countMcHenry County113Pierce County: 108 countPierce County108McIntosh County: 101 countMcIntosh County101Nelson County: 97 countNelson County97Sargent County: 96 countSargent County96Benson County: 92 countBenson County92Emmons County: 92 countEmmons County92Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Kidder County: 77 countKidder County77Hettinger County: 75 countHettinger County75Adams County: 73 countAdams County73Divide County: 70 countDivide County70Griggs County: 70 countGriggs County70Burke County: 69 countBurke County69Grant County: 69 countGrant County69Logan County: 64 countLogan County64Eddy County: 60 countEddy County60Towner County: 56 countTowner County56Golden Valley County: 52 countGolden Valley County52Oliver County: 42 countOliver County42Billings County: 41 countBillings County41Steele County: 41 countSteele County41Sheridan County: 31 countSheridan County31Sioux County: 28 countSioux County28Slope County: 9 countSlope 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

RankCounties2023
count
Change on 2022
1Cass County4,610+0.8%
2Burleigh County2,601+0.8%
3Ward County1,670+1.4%
4Grand Forks County1,518+0.7%
5Williams County1,311+4.5%
6Stark County1,029+0.9%
7Morton County763+2.7%
8Stutsman County532+1.1%
9McKenzie County474+2.2%
10Richland County438+2.3%
11Ramsey County3410%
12Mountrail County304-1%
13Barnes County301+0.3%
14Walsh County291-1%
15Traill County235+3.5%
16Bottineau County212+3.4%
17McLean County206+0.5%
17Pembina County206-0.5%
19Mercer County202-1%
20Rolette County181+6.5%
21Ransom County160-3.6%
22Dickey County157-6.5%
23Dunn County146+4.3%
24Wells County1440%
25Foster County1220%
26Cavalier County119+5.3%
27Bowman County118-3.3%
28LaMoure County117-4.1%
29McHenry County113-3.4%
30Pierce County1080%
31McIntosh County101+8.6%
32Nelson County97+1%
33Sargent County96+3.2%
34Benson County92+1.1%
34Emmons County92-1.1%
36Renville County88+4.8%
37Kidder County77+6.9%
38Hettinger County75-3.8%
39Adams County73+1.4%
40Divide County70-2.8%
40Griggs County70+4.5%
42Burke County69+1.5%
42Grant County69-1.4%
44Logan County64+8.5%
45Eddy County60-6.3%
46Towner County56-1.8%
47Golden Valley County52-3.7%
48Oliver County42+5%
49Billings County41-12.8%
49Steele County41-4.7%
51Sheridan County31-3.1%
52Sioux County28+3.7%
53Slope County90%

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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-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?

Cass County, with 4,610 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 9 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 North Dakota: more rankings