Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2016, at 4,328. Slope County had the lowest, at 13. The median was 134 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,724. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,328Cass County
Lowest13Slope County
Median13453 counties
North Dakota17,724History

Map of counties, 2016

Adams County: 86 countBarnes County: 322 countBenson County: 99 countBillings County: 50 countBottineau County: 221 countBowman County: 134 countBurke County: 66 countBurleigh County: 2,490 countCass County: 4,328 countCavalier County: 134 countDickey County: 180 countDivide County: 88 countDunn County: 139 countEddy County: 70 countEmmons County: 108 countFoster County: 134 countGolden Valley County: 66 countGrand Forks County: 1,543 countGrant County: 68 countGriggs County: 78 countHettinger County: 78 countKidder County: 62 countLaMoure County: 124 countLogan County: 61 countMcHenry County: 107 countMcIntosh County: 95 countMcKenzie County: 414 countMcLean County: 214 countMercer County: 204 countMorton County: 729 countMountrail County: 320 countNelson County: 102 countOliver County: 38 countPembina County: 228 countPierce County: 112 countRamsey County: 365 countRansom County: 166 countRenville County: 97 countRichland County: 463 countRolette County: 163 countSargent County: 99 countSheridan County: 33 countSioux County: 24 countSlope County: 13 countStark County: 996 countSteele County: 43 countStutsman County: 568 countTowner County: 60 countTraill County: 250 countWalsh County: 332 countWard County: 1,672 countWells County: 156 countWilliams County: 1,217 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 100
  • 100 to 130
  • 130 to 210
  • 210 to 430
  • 430 and over
count, 2016. 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, 2016

Cass County: 4,328 countCass County4,328Burleigh County: 2,490 countBurleigh County2,490Ward County: 1,672 countWard County1,672Grand Forks County: 1,543 countGrand Forks County1,543Williams County: 1,217 countWilliams County1,217Stark County: 996 countStark County996Morton County: 729 countMorton County729Stutsman County: 568 countStutsman County568Richland County: 463 countRichland County463McKenzie County: 414 countMcKenzie County414Ramsey County: 365 countRamsey County365Walsh County: 332 countWalsh County332Barnes County: 322 countBarnes County322Mountrail County: 320 countMountrail County320Traill County: 250 countTraill County250Pembina County: 228 countPembina County228Bottineau County: 221 countBottineau County221McLean County: 214 countMcLean County214Mercer County: 204 countMercer County204Dickey County: 180 countDickey County180Ransom County: 166 countRansom County166Rolette County: 163 countRolette County163Wells County: 156 countWells County156Dunn County: 139 countDunn County139Bowman County: 134 countBowman County134Cavalier County: 134 countCavalier County134Foster County: 134 countFoster County134LaMoure County: 124 countLaMoure County124Pierce County: 112 countPierce County112Emmons County: 108 countEmmons County108McHenry County: 107 countMcHenry County107Nelson County: 102 countNelson County102Benson County: 99 countBenson County99Sargent County: 99 countSargent County99Renville County: 97 countRenville County97McIntosh County: 95 countMcIntosh County95Divide County: 88 countDivide County88Adams County: 86 countAdams County86Griggs County: 78 countGriggs County78Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Eddy County: 70 countEddy County70Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Burke County: 66 countBurke County66Golden Valley County: 66 countGolden Valley County66Kidder County: 62 countKidder County62Logan County: 61 countLogan County61Towner County: 60 countTowner County60Billings County: 50 countBillings County50Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 38 countOliver County38Sheridan County: 33 countSheridan County33Sioux County: 24 countSioux County24Slope County: 13 countSlope County13Cass County: 4,328 countCass County4,328Burleigh County: 2,490 countBurleigh County2,490Ward County: 1,672 countWard County1,672Grand Forks County: 1,543 countGrand Forks County1,543Williams County: 1,217 countWilliams County1,217Stark County: 996 countStark County996Morton County: 729 countMorton County729Stutsman County: 568 countStutsman County568Richland County: 463 countRichland County463McKenzie County: 414 countMcKenzie County414Ramsey County: 365 countRamsey County365Walsh County: 332 countWalsh County332Barnes County: 322 countBarnes County322Mountrail County: 320 countMountrail County320Traill County: 250 countTraill County250Pembina County: 228 countPembina County228Bottineau County: 221 countBottineau County221McLean County: 214 countMcLean County214Mercer County: 204 countMercer County204Dickey County: 180 countDickey County180Ransom County: 166 countRansom County166Rolette County: 163 countRolette County163Wells County: 156 countWells County156Dunn County: 139 countDunn County139Bowman County: 134 countBowman County134Cavalier County: 134 countCavalier County134Foster County: 134 countFoster County134LaMoure County: 124 countLaMoure County124Pierce County: 112 countPierce County112Emmons County: 108 countEmmons County108McHenry County: 107 countMcHenry County107Nelson County: 102 countNelson County102Benson County: 99 countBenson County99Sargent County: 99 countSargent County99Renville County: 97 countRenville County97McIntosh County: 95 countMcIntosh County95Divide County: 88 countDivide County88Adams County: 86 countAdams County86Griggs County: 78 countGriggs County78Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Eddy County: 70 countEddy County70Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Burke County: 66 countBurke County66Golden Valley County: 66 countGolden Valley County66Kidder County: 62 countKidder County62Logan County: 61 countLogan County61Towner County: 60 countTowner County60Billings County: 50 countBillings County50Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 38 countOliver County38Sheridan County: 33 countSheridan County33Sioux County: 24 countSioux County24Slope County: 13 countSlope County13
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016
count
Change on 2015
1Cass County4,328+1.4%
2Burleigh County2,4900%
3Ward County1,672-2.6%
4Grand Forks County1,543+1.3%
5Williams County1,217-4.2%
6Stark County996-4%
7Morton County729-0.7%
8Stutsman County568+1.4%
9Richland County463+1.1%
10McKenzie County414-6.1%
11Ramsey County365+3.1%
12Walsh County332-0.9%
13Barnes County322-0.9%
14Mountrail County320-4.8%
15Traill County250+1.6%
16Pembina County228-3%
17Bottineau County221-4.7%
18McLean County214+2.9%
19Mercer County204-1.4%
20Dickey County180-2.2%
21Ransom County166+1.2%
22Rolette County163-3%
23Wells County156-1.3%
24Dunn County139-7.9%
25Bowman County1340%
25Cavalier County1340%
25Foster County134+4.7%
28LaMoure County124-1.6%
29Pierce County112+2.8%
30Emmons County1080%
31McHenry County107-0.9%
32Nelson County102+2%
33Benson County99-3.9%
33Sargent County99-5.7%
35Renville County97+5.4%
36McIntosh County95-4%
37Divide County88-10.2%
38Adams County86+1.2%
39Griggs County78-4.9%
39Hettinger County78+1.3%
41Eddy County70-2.8%
42Grant County68-1.4%
43Burke County66-1.5%
43Golden Valley County66-7%
45Kidder County62+3.3%
46Logan County61+3.4%
47Towner County600%
48Billings County500%
49Steele County430%
50Oliver County380%
51Sheridan County33-5.7%
52Sioux County24-4%
53Slope County130%

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, 2016) [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, 2016. 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=2016. 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, 2016. 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=2016.

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, 2016 [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=2016 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  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=2016. 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, 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-counties?period=2016.
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 4,328 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 13 in 2016.

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