Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2019, at 4,338. Slope County had the lowest, at 12. The median was 121 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,526. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,338Cass County
Lowest12Slope County
Median12153 counties
North Dakota17,526History

Map of counties, 2019

Adams County: 86 countBarnes County: 317 countBenson County: 94 countBillings County: 46 countBottineau County: 208 countBowman County: 129 countBurke County: 60 countBurleigh County: 2,483 countCass County: 4,338 countCavalier County: 124 countDickey County: 169 countDivide County: 82 countDunn County: 139 countEddy County: 65 countEmmons County: 100 countFoster County: 121 countGolden Valley County: 58 countGrand Forks County: 1,524 countGrant County: 66 countGriggs County: 77 countHettinger County: 80 countKidder County: 68 countLaMoure County: 121 countLogan County: 60 countMcHenry County: 103 countMcIntosh County: 100 countMcKenzie County: 454 countMcLean County: 205 countMercer County: 203 countMorton County: 741 countMountrail County: 323 countNelson County: 95 countOliver County: 38 countPembina County: 212 countPierce County: 117 countRamsey County: 368 countRansom County: 167 countRenville County: 86 countRichland County: 448 countRolette County: 165 countSargent County: 97 countSheridan County: 32 countSioux County: 29 countSlope County: 12 countStark County: 1,012 countSteele County: 44 countStutsman County: 547 countTowner County: 58 countTraill County: 239 countWalsh County: 316 countWard County: 1,648 countWells County: 147 countWilliams County: 1,218 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 120
  • 120 to 200
  • 200 to 450
  • 450 and over
count, 2019. 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, 2019

Cass County: 4,338 countCass County4,338Burleigh County: 2,483 countBurleigh County2,483Ward County: 1,648 countWard County1,648Grand Forks County: 1,524 countGrand Forks County1,524Williams County: 1,218 countWilliams County1,218Stark County: 1,012 countStark County1,012Morton County: 741 countMorton County741Stutsman County: 547 countStutsman County547McKenzie County: 454 countMcKenzie County454Richland County: 448 countRichland County448Ramsey County: 368 countRamsey County368Mountrail County: 323 countMountrail County323Barnes County: 317 countBarnes County317Walsh County: 316 countWalsh County316Traill County: 239 countTraill County239Pembina County: 212 countPembina County212Bottineau County: 208 countBottineau County208McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Mercer County: 203 countMercer County203Dickey County: 169 countDickey County169Ransom County: 167 countRansom County167Rolette County: 165 countRolette County165Wells County: 147 countWells County147Dunn County: 139 countDunn County139Bowman County: 129 countBowman County129Cavalier County: 124 countCavalier County124Foster County: 121 countFoster County121LaMoure County: 121 countLaMoure County121Pierce County: 117 countPierce County117McHenry County: 103 countMcHenry County103Emmons County: 100 countEmmons County100McIntosh County: 100 countMcIntosh County100Sargent County: 97 countSargent County97Nelson County: 95 countNelson County95Benson County: 94 countBenson County94Adams County: 86 countAdams County86Renville County: 86 countRenville County86Divide County: 82 countDivide County82Hettinger County: 80 countHettinger County80Griggs County: 77 countGriggs County77Kidder County: 68 countKidder County68Grant County: 66 countGrant County66Eddy County: 65 countEddy County65Burke County: 60 countBurke County60Logan County: 60 countLogan County60Golden Valley County: 58 countGolden Valley County58Towner County: 58 countTowner County58Billings County: 46 countBillings County46Steele County: 44 countSteele County44Oliver County: 38 countOliver County38Sheridan County: 32 countSheridan County32Sioux County: 29 countSioux County29Slope County: 12 countSlope County12Cass County: 4,338 countCass County4,338Burleigh County: 2,483 countBurleigh County2,483Ward County: 1,648 countWard County1,648Grand Forks County: 1,524 countGrand Forks County1,524Williams County: 1,218 countWilliams County1,218Stark County: 1,012 countStark County1,012Morton County: 741 countMorton County741Stutsman County: 547 countStutsman County547McKenzie County: 454 countMcKenzie County454Richland County: 448 countRichland County448Ramsey County: 368 countRamsey County368Mountrail County: 323 countMountrail County323Barnes County: 317 countBarnes County317Walsh County: 316 countWalsh County316Traill County: 239 countTraill County239Pembina County: 212 countPembina County212Bottineau County: 208 countBottineau County208McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Mercer County: 203 countMercer County203Dickey County: 169 countDickey County169Ransom County: 167 countRansom County167Rolette County: 165 countRolette County165Wells County: 147 countWells County147Dunn County: 139 countDunn County139Bowman County: 129 countBowman County129Cavalier County: 124 countCavalier County124Foster County: 121 countFoster County121LaMoure County: 121 countLaMoure County121Pierce County: 117 countPierce County117McHenry County: 103 countMcHenry County103Emmons County: 100 countEmmons County100McIntosh County: 100 countMcIntosh County100Sargent County: 97 countSargent County97Nelson County: 95 countNelson County95Benson County: 94 countBenson County94Adams County: 86 countAdams County86Renville County: 86 countRenville County86Divide County: 82 countDivide County82Hettinger County: 80 countHettinger County80Griggs County: 77 countGriggs County77Kidder County: 68 countKidder County68Grant County: 66 countGrant County66Eddy County: 65 countEddy County65Burke County: 60 countBurke County60Logan County: 60 countLogan County60Golden Valley County: 58 countGolden Valley County58Towner County: 58 countTowner County58Billings County: 46 countBillings County46Steele County: 44 countSteele County44Oliver County: 38 countOliver County38Sheridan County: 32 countSheridan County32Sioux County: 29 countSioux County29Slope 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

RankCounties2019
count
Change on 2018
1Cass County4,338+0.1%
2Burleigh County2,483+1%
3Ward County1,648+0.5%
4Grand Forks County1,524-0.5%
5Williams County1,218+2.3%
6Stark County1,012+2.4%
7Morton County741+0.4%
8Stutsman County547-0.7%
9McKenzie County454+14.6%
10Richland County448-0.7%
11Ramsey County368-1.1%
12Mountrail County323+3.9%
13Barnes County317-0.6%
14Walsh County316-3.4%
15Traill County239-1.6%
16Pembina County212-0.5%
17Bottineau County208+8.9%
18McLean County205-4.7%
19Mercer County203+2.5%
20Dickey County169-4%
21Ransom County167-1.8%
22Rolette County165+5.1%
23Wells County147-3.9%
24Dunn County139+12.1%
25Bowman County129-0.8%
26Cavalier County124+0.8%
27Foster County121-4%
27LaMoure County1210%
29Pierce County117+0.9%
30McHenry County103+1%
31Emmons County100-6.5%
31McIntosh County1000%
33Sargent County97+3.2%
34Nelson County95-5%
35Benson County94-4.1%
36Adams County86-3.4%
36Renville County86-2.3%
38Divide County82+1.2%
39Hettinger County80+2.6%
40Griggs County77+2.7%
41Kidder County68+4.6%
42Grant County66-2.9%
43Eddy County65-1.5%
44Burke County60-6.3%
44Logan County60+5.3%
46Golden Valley County58-3.3%
46Towner County58-4.9%
48Billings County46+4.5%
49Steele County44+2.3%
50Oliver County38+5.6%
51Sheridan County32-3%
52Sioux County290%
53Slope County12-14.3%

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, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

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, 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2019,
  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, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-counties?period=2019.
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 4,338 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 12 in 2019.

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