Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2018, at 4,333. Slope County had the lowest, at 14. The median was 123 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,411. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,333Cass County
Lowest14Slope County
Median12353 counties
North Dakota17,411History

Map of counties, 2018

Adams County: 89 countBarnes County: 319 countBenson County: 98 countBillings County: 44 countBottineau County: 191 countBowman County: 130 countBurke County: 64 countBurleigh County: 2,459 countCass County: 4,333 countCavalier County: 123 countDickey County: 176 countDivide County: 81 countDunn County: 124 countEddy County: 66 countEmmons County: 107 countFoster County: 126 countGolden Valley County: 60 countGrand Forks County: 1,531 countGrant County: 68 countGriggs County: 75 countHettinger County: 78 countKidder County: 65 countLaMoure County: 121 countLogan County: 57 countMcHenry County: 102 countMcIntosh County: 100 countMcKenzie County: 396 countMcLean County: 215 countMercer County: 198 countMorton County: 738 countMountrail County: 311 countNelson County: 100 countOliver County: 36 countPembina County: 213 countPierce County: 116 countRamsey County: 372 countRansom County: 170 countRenville County: 88 countRichland County: 451 countRolette County: 157 countSargent County: 94 countSheridan County: 33 countSioux County: 29 countSlope County: 14 countStark County: 988 countSteele County: 43 countStutsman County: 551 countTowner County: 61 countTraill County: 243 countWalsh County: 327 countWard County: 1,639 countWells County: 153 countWilliams County: 1,191 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 120
  • 120 to 200
  • 200 to 410
  • 410 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.

All counties, 2018

Cass County: 4,333 countCass County4,333Burleigh County: 2,459 countBurleigh County2,459Ward County: 1,639 countWard County1,639Grand Forks County: 1,531 countGrand Forks County1,531Williams County: 1,191 countWilliams County1,191Stark County: 988 countStark County988Morton County: 738 countMorton County738Stutsman County: 551 countStutsman County551Richland County: 451 countRichland County451McKenzie County: 396 countMcKenzie County396Ramsey County: 372 countRamsey County372Walsh County: 327 countWalsh County327Barnes County: 319 countBarnes County319Mountrail County: 311 countMountrail County311Traill County: 243 countTraill County243McLean County: 215 countMcLean County215Pembina County: 213 countPembina County213Mercer County: 198 countMercer County198Bottineau County: 191 countBottineau County191Dickey County: 176 countDickey County176Ransom County: 170 countRansom County170Rolette County: 157 countRolette County157Wells County: 153 countWells County153Bowman County: 130 countBowman County130Foster County: 126 countFoster County126Dunn County: 124 countDunn County124Cavalier County: 123 countCavalier County123LaMoure County: 121 countLaMoure County121Pierce County: 116 countPierce County116Emmons County: 107 countEmmons County107McHenry County: 102 countMcHenry County102McIntosh County: 100 countMcIntosh County100Nelson County: 100 countNelson County100Benson County: 98 countBenson County98Sargent County: 94 countSargent County94Adams County: 89 countAdams County89Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Divide County: 81 countDivide County81Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Griggs County: 75 countGriggs County75Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Eddy County: 66 countEddy County66Kidder County: 65 countKidder County65Burke County: 64 countBurke County64Towner County: 61 countTowner County61Golden Valley County: 60 countGolden Valley County60Logan County: 57 countLogan County57Billings County: 44 countBillings County44Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 36 countOliver County36Sheridan County: 33 countSheridan County33Sioux County: 29 countSioux County29Slope County: 14 countSlope County14Cass County: 4,333 countCass County4,333Burleigh County: 2,459 countBurleigh County2,459Ward County: 1,639 countWard County1,639Grand Forks County: 1,531 countGrand Forks County1,531Williams County: 1,191 countWilliams County1,191Stark County: 988 countStark County988Morton County: 738 countMorton County738Stutsman County: 551 countStutsman County551Richland County: 451 countRichland County451McKenzie County: 396 countMcKenzie County396Ramsey County: 372 countRamsey County372Walsh County: 327 countWalsh County327Barnes County: 319 countBarnes County319Mountrail County: 311 countMountrail County311Traill County: 243 countTraill County243McLean County: 215 countMcLean County215Pembina County: 213 countPembina County213Mercer County: 198 countMercer County198Bottineau County: 191 countBottineau County191Dickey County: 176 countDickey County176Ransom County: 170 countRansom County170Rolette County: 157 countRolette County157Wells County: 153 countWells County153Bowman County: 130 countBowman County130Foster County: 126 countFoster County126Dunn County: 124 countDunn County124Cavalier County: 123 countCavalier County123LaMoure County: 121 countLaMoure County121Pierce County: 116 countPierce County116Emmons County: 107 countEmmons County107McHenry County: 102 countMcHenry County102McIntosh County: 100 countMcIntosh County100Nelson County: 100 countNelson County100Benson County: 98 countBenson County98Sargent County: 94 countSargent County94Adams County: 89 countAdams County89Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Divide County: 81 countDivide County81Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Griggs County: 75 countGriggs County75Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Eddy County: 66 countEddy County66Kidder County: 65 countKidder County65Burke County: 64 countBurke County64Towner County: 61 countTowner County61Golden Valley County: 60 countGolden Valley County60Logan County: 57 countLogan County57Billings County: 44 countBillings County44Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 36 countOliver County36Sheridan County: 33 countSheridan County33Sioux County: 29 countSioux County29Slope County: 14 countSlope County14
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
1Cass County4,333-0.9%
2Burleigh County2,459-0.8%
3Ward County1,639-0.5%
4Grand Forks County1,531+0.3%
5Williams County1,191+2.8%
6Stark County988+2.1%
7Morton County738+0.7%
8Stutsman County551-0.2%
9Richland County451+1.1%
10McKenzie County396-2%
11Ramsey County372+2.8%
12Walsh County327-2.4%
13Barnes County3190%
14Mountrail County3110%
15Traill County243-0.8%
16McLean County215-2.7%
17Pembina County213-2.3%
18Mercer County198-3.4%
19Bottineau County191-7.3%
20Dickey County176-4.3%
21Ransom County170-0.6%
22Rolette County157-1.3%
23Wells County153-3.2%
24Bowman County130-0.8%
25Foster County126-3.8%
26Dunn County124+2.5%
27Cavalier County123-7.5%
28LaMoure County121-0.8%
29Pierce County1160%
30Emmons County107+0.9%
31McHenry County102-9.7%
32McIntosh County100+2%
32Nelson County100+3.1%
34Benson County98-1%
35Sargent County94-4.1%
36Adams County89+1.1%
37Renville County88-2.2%
38Divide County81-2.4%
39Hettinger County78-3.7%
40Griggs County75+2.7%
41Grant County68+4.6%
42Eddy County660%
43Kidder County65+4.8%
44Burke County64+1.6%
45Towner County61-4.7%
46Golden Valley County60-4.8%
47Logan County570%
48Billings County44-10.2%
49Steele County430%
50Oliver County36-10%
51Sheridan County33+6.5%
52Sioux County29+3.6%
53Slope County14+7.7%

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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2018.

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, 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2018,
  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, 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/north-dakota-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 North Dakota 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/north-dakota-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-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?

Cass County, with 4,333 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 14 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 North Dakota: more rankings