Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2013, at 4,049. Slope County had the lowest, at 12. The median was 127 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,345. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,049Cass County
Lowest12Slope County
Median12753 counties
North Dakota17,345History

Map of counties, 2013

Adams County: 85 countBarnes County: 319 countBenson County: 97 countBillings County: 49 countBottineau County: 224 countBowman County: 135 countBurke County: 81 countBurleigh County: 2,416 countCass County: 4,049 countCavalier County: 140 countDickey County: 188 countDivide County: 96 countDunn County: 141 countEddy County: 68 countEmmons County: 108 countFoster County: 127 countGolden Valley County: 69 countGrand Forks County: 1,515 countGrant County: 67 countGriggs County: 89 countHettinger County: 76 countKidder County: 55 countLaMoure County: 120 countLogan County: 59 countMcHenry County: 104 countMcIntosh County: 94 countMcKenzie County: 354 countMcLean County: 212 countMercer County: 208 countMorton County: 710 countMountrail County: 286 countNelson County: 104 countOliver County: 42 countPembina County: 231 countPierce County: 114 countRamsey County: 347 countRansom County: 165 countRenville County: 93 countRichland County: 457 countRolette County: 168 countSargent County: 104 countSheridan County: 35 countSioux County: 23 countSlope County: 12 countStark County: 976 countSteele County: 43 countStutsman County: 552 countTowner County: 66 countTraill County: 254 countWalsh County: 338 countWard County: 1,658 countWells County: 154 countWilliams County: 1,131 count
  • Under 70
  • 70 to 90
  • 90 to 130
  • 130 to 210
  • 210 to 390
  • 390 and over
count, 2013. 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, 2013

Cass County: 4,049 countCass County4,049Burleigh County: 2,416 countBurleigh County2,416Ward County: 1,658 countWard County1,658Grand Forks County: 1,515 countGrand Forks County1,515Williams County: 1,131 countWilliams County1,131Stark County: 976 countStark County976Morton County: 710 countMorton County710Stutsman County: 552 countStutsman County552Richland County: 457 countRichland County457McKenzie County: 354 countMcKenzie County354Ramsey County: 347 countRamsey County347Walsh County: 338 countWalsh County338Barnes County: 319 countBarnes County319Mountrail County: 286 countMountrail County286Traill County: 254 countTraill County254Pembina County: 231 countPembina County231Bottineau County: 224 countBottineau County224McLean County: 212 countMcLean County212Mercer County: 208 countMercer County208Dickey County: 188 countDickey County188Rolette County: 168 countRolette County168Ransom County: 165 countRansom County165Wells County: 154 countWells County154Dunn County: 141 countDunn County141Cavalier County: 140 countCavalier County140Bowman County: 135 countBowman County135Foster County: 127 countFoster County127LaMoure County: 120 countLaMoure County120Pierce County: 114 countPierce County114Emmons County: 108 countEmmons County108McHenry County: 104 countMcHenry County104Nelson County: 104 countNelson County104Sargent County: 104 countSargent County104Benson County: 97 countBenson County97Divide County: 96 countDivide County96McIntosh County: 94 countMcIntosh County94Renville County: 93 countRenville County93Griggs County: 89 countGriggs County89Adams County: 85 countAdams County85Burke County: 81 countBurke County81Hettinger County: 76 countHettinger County76Golden Valley County: 69 countGolden Valley County69Eddy County: 68 countEddy County68Grant County: 67 countGrant County67Towner County: 66 countTowner County66Logan County: 59 countLogan County59Kidder County: 55 countKidder County55Billings County: 49 countBillings County49Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 42 countOliver County42Sheridan County: 35 countSheridan County35Sioux County: 23 countSioux County23Slope County: 12 countSlope County12Cass County: 4,049 countCass County4,049Burleigh County: 2,416 countBurleigh County2,416Ward County: 1,658 countWard County1,658Grand Forks County: 1,515 countGrand Forks County1,515Williams County: 1,131 countWilliams County1,131Stark County: 976 countStark County976Morton County: 710 countMorton County710Stutsman County: 552 countStutsman County552Richland County: 457 countRichland County457McKenzie County: 354 countMcKenzie County354Ramsey County: 347 countRamsey County347Walsh County: 338 countWalsh County338Barnes County: 319 countBarnes County319Mountrail County: 286 countMountrail County286Traill County: 254 countTraill County254Pembina County: 231 countPembina County231Bottineau County: 224 countBottineau County224McLean County: 212 countMcLean County212Mercer County: 208 countMercer County208Dickey County: 188 countDickey County188Rolette County: 168 countRolette County168Ransom County: 165 countRansom County165Wells County: 154 countWells County154Dunn County: 141 countDunn County141Cavalier County: 140 countCavalier County140Bowman County: 135 countBowman County135Foster County: 127 countFoster County127LaMoure County: 120 countLaMoure County120Pierce County: 114 countPierce County114Emmons County: 108 countEmmons County108McHenry County: 104 countMcHenry County104Nelson County: 104 countNelson County104Sargent County: 104 countSargent County104Benson County: 97 countBenson County97Divide County: 96 countDivide County96McIntosh County: 94 countMcIntosh County94Renville County: 93 countRenville County93Griggs County: 89 countGriggs County89Adams County: 85 countAdams County85Burke County: 81 countBurke County81Hettinger County: 76 countHettinger County76Golden Valley County: 69 countGolden Valley County69Eddy County: 68 countEddy County68Grant County: 67 countGrant County67Towner County: 66 countTowner County66Logan County: 59 countLogan County59Kidder County: 55 countKidder County55Billings County: 49 countBillings County49Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 42 countOliver County42Sheridan County: 35 countSheridan County35Sioux County: 23 countSioux County23Slope County: 12 countSlope County12
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2013
count
Change on 2012
1Cass County4,049+1.4%
2Burleigh County2,416+3.1%
3Ward County1,658+3.4%
4Grand Forks County1,515-0.4%
5Williams County1,131+8.6%
6Stark County976+3.5%
7Morton County710+5.8%
8Stutsman County552+2.2%
9Richland County457-0.7%
10McKenzie County354+15.7%
11Ramsey County3470%
12Walsh County338-4.2%
13Barnes County319+1.3%
14Mountrail County286+14.9%
15Traill County254+0.8%
16Pembina County231-2.1%
17Bottineau County224-0.4%
18McLean County2120%
19Mercer County208+1%
20Dickey County188-0.5%
21Rolette County168+0.6%
22Ransom County165-1.2%
23Wells County154-0.6%
24Dunn County141+17.5%
25Cavalier County140+2.9%
26Bowman County1350%
27Foster County127-3.1%
28LaMoure County120-5.5%
29Pierce County114+2.7%
30Emmons County108-3.6%
31McHenry County104+4%
31Nelson County104-1%
31Sargent County104-3.7%
34Benson County97-12.6%
35Divide County96+4.3%
36McIntosh County94-4.1%
37Renville County93+2.2%
38Griggs County89+11.3%
39Adams County85-8.6%
40Burke County81+15.7%
41Hettinger County76+1.3%
42Golden Valley County69+6.2%
43Eddy County68+7.9%
44Grant County67+3.1%
45Towner County66-4.3%
46Logan County59-3.3%
47Kidder County55+7.8%
48Billings County49+8.9%
49Steele County43-4.4%
50Oliver County42-6.7%
51Sheridan County35-7.9%
52Sioux County23+4.5%
53Slope County12+20%

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, 2013) [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, 2013. 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?period=2013. 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, 2013. 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?period=2013.

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, 2013 [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?period=2013 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2013,
  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, 2013}},
  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?period=2013. 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, 2013
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?period=2013
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-counties?period=2013.
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 4,049 in 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 12 in 2013.

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