Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2020, at 4,364. Slope County had the lowest, at 11. The median was 119 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,505. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,364Cass County
Lowest11Slope County
Median11953 counties
North Dakota17,505History

Map of counties, 2020

Adams County: 84 countBarnes County: 313 countBenson County: 86 countBillings County: 42 countBottineau County: 203 countBowman County: 125 countBurke County: 64 countBurleigh County: 2,511 countCass County: 4,364 countCavalier County: 119 countDickey County: 166 countDivide County: 78 countDunn County: 151 countEddy County: 67 countEmmons County: 105 countFoster County: 123 countGolden Valley County: 57 countGrand Forks County: 1,508 countGrant County: 68 countGriggs County: 71 countHettinger County: 74 countKidder County: 68 countLaMoure County: 118 countLogan County: 61 countMcHenry County: 106 countMcIntosh County: 95 countMcKenzie County: 476 countMcLean County: 205 countMercer County: 200 countMorton County: 719 countMountrail County: 314 countNelson County: 89 countOliver County: 39 countPembina County: 214 countPierce County: 112 countRamsey County: 359 countRansom County: 162 countRenville County: 88 countRichland County: 440 countRolette County: 158 countSargent County: 95 countSheridan County: 30 countSioux County: 25 countSlope County: 11 countStark County: 1,012 countSteele County: 45 countStutsman County: 542 countTowner County: 58 countTraill County: 225 countWalsh County: 310 countWard County: 1,650 countWells County: 144 countWilliams County: 1,253 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 120
  • 120 to 200
  • 200 to 450
  • 450 and over
count, 2020. 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, 2020

Cass County: 4,364 countCass County4,364Burleigh County: 2,511 countBurleigh County2,511Ward County: 1,650 countWard County1,650Grand Forks County: 1,508 countGrand Forks County1,508Williams County: 1,253 countWilliams County1,253Stark County: 1,012 countStark County1,012Morton County: 719 countMorton County719Stutsman County: 542 countStutsman County542McKenzie County: 476 countMcKenzie County476Richland County: 440 countRichland County440Ramsey County: 359 countRamsey County359Mountrail County: 314 countMountrail County314Barnes County: 313 countBarnes County313Walsh County: 310 countWalsh County310Traill County: 225 countTraill County225Pembina County: 214 countPembina County214McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Bottineau County: 203 countBottineau County203Mercer County: 200 countMercer County200Dickey County: 166 countDickey County166Ransom County: 162 countRansom County162Rolette County: 158 countRolette County158Dunn County: 151 countDunn County151Wells County: 144 countWells County144Bowman County: 125 countBowman County125Foster County: 123 countFoster County123Cavalier County: 119 countCavalier County119LaMoure County: 118 countLaMoure County118Pierce County: 112 countPierce County112McHenry County: 106 countMcHenry County106Emmons County: 105 countEmmons County105McIntosh County: 95 countMcIntosh County95Sargent County: 95 countSargent County95Nelson County: 89 countNelson County89Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Benson County: 86 countBenson County86Adams County: 84 countAdams County84Divide County: 78 countDivide County78Hettinger County: 74 countHettinger County74Griggs County: 71 countGriggs County71Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Kidder County: 68 countKidder County68Eddy County: 67 countEddy County67Burke County: 64 countBurke County64Logan County: 61 countLogan County61Towner County: 58 countTowner County58Golden Valley County: 57 countGolden Valley County57Steele County: 45 countSteele County45Billings County: 42 countBillings County42Oliver County: 39 countOliver County39Sheridan County: 30 countSheridan County30Sioux County: 25 countSioux County25Slope County: 11 countSlope County11Cass County: 4,364 countCass County4,364Burleigh County: 2,511 countBurleigh County2,511Ward County: 1,650 countWard County1,650Grand Forks County: 1,508 countGrand Forks County1,508Williams County: 1,253 countWilliams County1,253Stark County: 1,012 countStark County1,012Morton County: 719 countMorton County719Stutsman County: 542 countStutsman County542McKenzie County: 476 countMcKenzie County476Richland County: 440 countRichland County440Ramsey County: 359 countRamsey County359Mountrail County: 314 countMountrail County314Barnes County: 313 countBarnes County313Walsh County: 310 countWalsh County310Traill County: 225 countTraill County225Pembina County: 214 countPembina County214McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Bottineau County: 203 countBottineau County203Mercer County: 200 countMercer County200Dickey County: 166 countDickey County166Ransom County: 162 countRansom County162Rolette County: 158 countRolette County158Dunn County: 151 countDunn County151Wells County: 144 countWells County144Bowman County: 125 countBowman County125Foster County: 123 countFoster County123Cavalier County: 119 countCavalier County119LaMoure County: 118 countLaMoure County118Pierce County: 112 countPierce County112McHenry County: 106 countMcHenry County106Emmons County: 105 countEmmons County105McIntosh County: 95 countMcIntosh County95Sargent County: 95 countSargent County95Nelson County: 89 countNelson County89Renville County: 88 countRenville County88Benson County: 86 countBenson County86Adams County: 84 countAdams County84Divide County: 78 countDivide County78Hettinger County: 74 countHettinger County74Griggs County: 71 countGriggs County71Grant County: 68 countGrant County68Kidder County: 68 countKidder County68Eddy County: 67 countEddy County67Burke County: 64 countBurke County64Logan County: 61 countLogan County61Towner County: 58 countTowner County58Golden Valley County: 57 countGolden Valley County57Steele County: 45 countSteele County45Billings County: 42 countBillings County42Oliver County: 39 countOliver County39Sheridan County: 30 countSheridan County30Sioux County: 25 countSioux County25Slope County: 11 countSlope County11
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
count
Change on 2019
1Cass County4,364+0.6%
2Burleigh County2,511+1.1%
3Ward County1,650+0.1%
4Grand Forks County1,508-1%
5Williams County1,253+2.9%
6Stark County1,0120%
7Morton County719-3%
8Stutsman County542-0.9%
9McKenzie County476+4.8%
10Richland County440-1.8%
11Ramsey County359-2.4%
12Mountrail County314-2.8%
13Barnes County313-1.3%
14Walsh County310-1.9%
15Traill County225-5.9%
16Pembina County214+0.9%
17McLean County2050%
18Bottineau County203-2.4%
19Mercer County200-1.5%
20Dickey County166-1.8%
21Ransom County162-3%
22Rolette County158-4.2%
23Dunn County151+8.6%
24Wells County144-2%
25Bowman County125-3.1%
26Foster County123+1.7%
27Cavalier County119-4%
28LaMoure County118-2.5%
29Pierce County112-4.3%
30McHenry County106+2.9%
31Emmons County105+5%
32McIntosh County95-5%
32Sargent County95-2.1%
34Nelson County89-6.3%
35Renville County88+2.3%
36Benson County86-8.5%
37Adams County84-2.3%
38Divide County78-4.9%
39Hettinger County74-7.5%
40Griggs County71-7.8%
41Grant County68+3%
41Kidder County680%
43Eddy County67+3.1%
44Burke County64+6.7%
45Logan County61+1.7%
46Towner County580%
47Golden Valley County57-1.7%
48Steele County45+2.3%
49Billings County42-8.7%
50Oliver County39+2.6%
51Sheridan County30-6.3%
52Sioux County25-13.8%
53Slope County11-8.3%

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, 2020) [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, 2020. 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=2020. 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, 2020. 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=2020.

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, 2020 [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=2020 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2020,
  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, 2020}},
  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=2020. 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, 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-counties?period=2020.
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 4,364 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 11 in 2020.

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