Counties in North Dakota by employer firms

Cass County had the highest employer firms of 53 counties in 2022, at 4,575. Slope County had the lowest, at 9. The median was 122 and the figure for North Dakota was 17,717. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest4,575Cass County
Median12253 counties
North Dakota17,717History

Map of counties, 2022

Adams County: 72 countBarnes County: 300 countBenson County: 91 countBillings County: 47 countBottineau County: 205 countBowman County: 122 countBurke County: 68 countBurleigh County: 2,580 countCass County: 4,575 countCavalier County: 113 countDickey County: 168 countDivide County: 72 countDunn County: 140 countEddy County: 64 countEmmons County: 93 countFoster County: 122 countGolden Valley County: 54 countGrand Forks County: 1,507 countGrant County: 70 countGriggs County: 67 countHettinger County: 78 countKidder County: 72 countLaMoure County: 122 countLogan County: 59 countMcHenry County: 117 countMcIntosh County: 93 countMcKenzie County: 464 countMcLean County: 205 countMercer County: 204 countMorton County: 743 countMountrail County: 307 countNelson County: 96 countOliver County: 40 countPembina County: 207 countPierce County: 108 countRamsey County: 341 countRansom County: 166 countRenville County: 84 countRichland County: 428 countRolette County: 170 countSargent County: 93 countSheridan County: 32 countSioux County: 27 countSlope County: 9 countStark County: 1,020 countSteele County: 43 countStutsman County: 526 countTowner County: 57 countTraill County: 227 countWalsh County: 294 countWard County: 1,647 countWells County: 144 countWilliams County: 1,254 count
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 120
  • 120 to 200
  • 200 to 440
  • 440 and over
count, 2022. 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, 2022

Cass County: 4,575 countCass County4,575Burleigh County: 2,580 countBurleigh County2,580Ward County: 1,647 countWard County1,647Grand Forks County: 1,507 countGrand Forks County1,507Williams County: 1,254 countWilliams County1,254Stark County: 1,020 countStark County1,020Morton County: 743 countMorton County743Stutsman County: 526 countStutsman County526McKenzie County: 464 countMcKenzie County464Richland County: 428 countRichland County428Ramsey County: 341 countRamsey County341Mountrail County: 307 countMountrail County307Barnes County: 300 countBarnes County300Walsh County: 294 countWalsh County294Traill County: 227 countTraill County227Pembina County: 207 countPembina County207Bottineau County: 205 countBottineau County205McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Mercer County: 204 countMercer County204Rolette County: 170 countRolette County170Dickey County: 168 countDickey County168Ransom County: 166 countRansom County166Wells County: 144 countWells County144Dunn County: 140 countDunn County140Bowman County: 122 countBowman County122Foster County: 122 countFoster County122LaMoure County: 122 countLaMoure County122McHenry County: 117 countMcHenry County117Cavalier County: 113 countCavalier County113Pierce County: 108 countPierce County108Nelson County: 96 countNelson County96Emmons County: 93 countEmmons County93McIntosh County: 93 countMcIntosh County93Sargent County: 93 countSargent County93Benson County: 91 countBenson County91Renville County: 84 countRenville County84Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Adams County: 72 countAdams County72Divide County: 72 countDivide County72Kidder County: 72 countKidder County72Grant County: 70 countGrant County70Burke County: 68 countBurke County68Griggs County: 67 countGriggs County67Eddy County: 64 countEddy County64Logan County: 59 countLogan County59Towner County: 57 countTowner County57Golden Valley County: 54 countGolden Valley County54Billings County: 47 countBillings County47Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 40 countOliver County40Sheridan County: 32 countSheridan County32Sioux County: 27 countSioux County27Slope County: 9 countSlope County9Cass County: 4,575 countCass County4,575Burleigh County: 2,580 countBurleigh County2,580Ward County: 1,647 countWard County1,647Grand Forks County: 1,507 countGrand Forks County1,507Williams County: 1,254 countWilliams County1,254Stark County: 1,020 countStark County1,020Morton County: 743 countMorton County743Stutsman County: 526 countStutsman County526McKenzie County: 464 countMcKenzie County464Richland County: 428 countRichland County428Ramsey County: 341 countRamsey County341Mountrail County: 307 countMountrail County307Barnes County: 300 countBarnes County300Walsh County: 294 countWalsh County294Traill County: 227 countTraill County227Pembina County: 207 countPembina County207Bottineau County: 205 countBottineau County205McLean County: 205 countMcLean County205Mercer County: 204 countMercer County204Rolette County: 170 countRolette County170Dickey County: 168 countDickey County168Ransom County: 166 countRansom County166Wells County: 144 countWells County144Dunn County: 140 countDunn County140Bowman County: 122 countBowman County122Foster County: 122 countFoster County122LaMoure County: 122 countLaMoure County122McHenry County: 117 countMcHenry County117Cavalier County: 113 countCavalier County113Pierce County: 108 countPierce County108Nelson County: 96 countNelson County96Emmons County: 93 countEmmons County93McIntosh County: 93 countMcIntosh County93Sargent County: 93 countSargent County93Benson County: 91 countBenson County91Renville County: 84 countRenville County84Hettinger County: 78 countHettinger County78Adams County: 72 countAdams County72Divide County: 72 countDivide County72Kidder County: 72 countKidder County72Grant County: 70 countGrant County70Burke County: 68 countBurke County68Griggs County: 67 countGriggs County67Eddy County: 64 countEddy County64Logan County: 59 countLogan County59Towner County: 57 countTowner County57Golden Valley County: 54 countGolden Valley County54Billings County: 47 countBillings County47Steele County: 43 countSteele County43Oliver County: 40 countOliver County40Sheridan County: 32 countSheridan County32Sioux County: 27 countSioux County27Slope County: 9 countSlope County9
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
count
Change on 2021
1Cass County4,575+2.4%
2Burleigh County2,580+1.7%
3Ward County1,647+1.9%
4Grand Forks County1,507-0.4%
5Williams County1,254+2%
6Stark County1,020+0.4%
7Morton County743-0.4%
8Stutsman County526-0.2%
9McKenzie County464-1.5%
10Richland County428-3.6%
11Ramsey County341-3.4%
12Mountrail County307-1.3%
13Barnes County300-1%
14Walsh County294-3.6%
15Traill County227-5.8%
16Pembina County207+0.5%
17Bottineau County205-3.8%
17McLean County205-2.8%
19Mercer County204+1%
20Rolette County170+3%
21Dickey County168+4.3%
22Ransom County166-3.5%
23Wells County144+2.9%
24Dunn County140+1.4%
25Bowman County122-3.9%
25Foster County122+0.8%
25LaMoure County122+2.5%
28McHenry County117-5.6%
29Cavalier County113-0.9%
30Pierce County108+3.8%
31Nelson County96+7.9%
32Emmons County93-3.1%
32McIntosh County93-1.1%
32Sargent County93-4.1%
35Benson County91+4.6%
36Renville County84-1.2%
37Hettinger County78-2.5%
38Adams County72-7.7%
38Divide County72-2.7%
38Kidder County72+5.9%
41Grant County70-2.8%
42Burke County68+6.3%
43Griggs County67-4.3%
44Eddy County64+4.9%
45Logan County59+3.5%
46Towner County57-1.7%
47Golden Valley County54-3.6%
48Billings County47-2.1%
49Steele County43+2.4%
50Oliver County40-4.8%
51Sheridan County32+3.2%
52Sioux County270%
53Slope County9-30.8%

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, 2022) [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, 2022. 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=2022. 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, 2022. 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=2022.

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, 2022 [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=2022 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_dakota_2022,
  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, 2022}},
  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=2022. 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, 2022
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=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/north-dakota-counties?period=2022.
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 4,575 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Slope County, with 9 in 2022.

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