Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firms of 72 counties in 2023, at 14,184. Menominee County had the lowest, at 23. The median was 806 and the figure for Wisconsin was 98,413. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest14,184Milwaukee County
Median80672 counties
Wisconsin98,413History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 331 countAshland County: 416 countBarron County: 1,106 countBayfield County: 380 countBrown County: 5,001 countBuffalo County: 259 countBurnett County: 338 countCalumet County: 807 countChippewa County: 1,314 countClark County: 668 countColumbia County: 1,121 countCrawford County: 311 countDane County: 10,900 countDodge County: 1,410 countDoor County: 1,020 countDouglas County: 823 countDunn County: 759 countEau Claire County: 2,195 countFlorence County: 95 countFond du Lac County: 1,767 countForest County: 185 countGrant County: 948 countGreen County: 846 countGreen Lake County: 384 countIowa County: 493 countIron County: 161 countJackson County: 331 countJefferson County: 1,682 countJuneau County: 444 countKenosha County: 2,682 countKewaunee County: 388 countLa Crosse County: 2,421 countLafayette County: 296 countLanglade County: 482 countLincoln County: 564 countManitowoc County: 1,414 countMarathon County: 2,636 countMarinette County: 820 countMarquette County: 233 countMenominee County: 23 countMilwaukee County: 14,184 countMonroe County: 804 countOconto County: 616 countOneida County: 1,103 countOutagamie County: 4,101 countOzaukee County: 2,288 countPepin County: 175 countPierce County: 636 countPolk County: 952 countPortage County: 1,347 countPrice County: 308 countRacine County: 3,210 countRichland County: 333 countRock County: 2,637 countRusk County: 259 countSt. Croix County: 1,977 countSauk County: 1,446 countSawyer County: 505 countShawano County: 757 countSheboygan County: 2,090 countTaylor County: 413 countTrempealeau County: 538 countVernon County: 552 countVilas County: 750 countWalworth County: 2,279 countWashburn County: 392 countWashington County: 2,800 countWaukesha County: 9,769 countWaupaca County: 959 countWaushara County: 418 countWinnebago County: 2,834 countWood County: 1,392 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,300
  • 1,300 to 2,300
  • 2,300 and over
count, 2023. 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.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Milwaukee County: 14,184 countMilwaukee County14,184Dane County: 10,900 countDane County10,900Waukesha County: 9,769 countWaukesha County9,769Brown County: 5,001 countBrown County5,001Outagamie County: 4,101 countOutagamie County4,101Racine County: 3,210 countRacine County3,210Winnebago County: 2,834 countWinnebago County2,834Washington County: 2,800 countWashington County2,800Kenosha County: 2,682 countKenosha County2,682Rock County: 2,637 countRock County2,637Marathon County: 2,636 countMarathon County2,636La Crosse County: 2,421 countLa Crosse County2,421Ozaukee County: 2,288 countOzaukee County2,288Walworth County: 2,279 countWalworth County2,279Eau Claire County: 2,195 countEau Claire County2,195Sheboygan County: 2,090 countSheboygan County2,090St. Croix County: 1,977 countSt. Croix County1,977Fond du Lac County: 1,767 countFond du Lac County1,767Jefferson County: 1,682 countJefferson County1,682Sauk County: 1,446 countSauk County1,446Manitowoc County: 1,414 countManitowoc County1,414Dodge County: 1,410 countDodge County1,410Wood County: 1,392 countWood County1,392Portage County: 1,347 countPortage County1,347Chippewa County: 1,314 countChippewa County1,314Columbia County: 1,121 countColumbia County1,121Barron County: 1,106 countBarron County1,106Oneida County: 1,103 countOneida County1,103Door County: 1,020 countDoor County1,020Waupaca County: 959 countWaupaca County959Polk County: 952 countPolk County952Grant County: 948 countGrant County948Green County: 846 countGreen County846Douglas County: 823 countDouglas County823Marinette County: 820 countMarinette County820Calumet County: 807 countCalumet County807Monroe County: 804 countMonroe County804Dunn County: 759 countDunn County759Shawano County: 757 countShawano County757Vilas County: 750 countVilas County750Milwaukee County: 14,184 countMilwaukee County14,184Dane County: 10,900 countDane County10,900Waukesha County: 9,769 countWaukesha County9,769Brown County: 5,001 countBrown County5,001Outagamie County: 4,101 countOutagamie County4,101Racine County: 3,210 countRacine County3,210Winnebago County: 2,834 countWinnebago County2,834Washington County: 2,800 countWashington County2,800Kenosha County: 2,682 countKenosha County2,682Rock County: 2,637 countRock County2,637Marathon County: 2,636 countMarathon County2,636La Crosse County: 2,421 countLa Crosse County2,421Ozaukee County: 2,288 countOzaukee County2,288Walworth County: 2,279 countWalworth County2,279Eau Claire County: 2,195 countEau Claire County2,195Sheboygan County: 2,090 countSheboygan County2,090St. Croix County: 1,977 countSt. Croix County1,977Fond du Lac County: 1,767 countFond du Lac County1,767Jefferson County: 1,682 countJefferson County1,682Sauk County: 1,446 countSauk County1,446Manitowoc County: 1,414 countManitowoc County1,414Dodge County: 1,410 countDodge County1,410Wood County: 1,392 countWood County1,392Portage County: 1,347 countPortage County1,347Chippewa County: 1,314 countChippewa County1,314Columbia County: 1,121 countColumbia County1,121Barron County: 1,106 countBarron County1,106Oneida County: 1,103 countOneida County1,103Door County: 1,020 countDoor County1,020Waupaca County: 959 countWaupaca County959Polk County: 952 countPolk County952Grant County: 948 countGrant County948Green County: 846 countGreen County846Douglas County: 823 countDouglas County823Marinette County: 820 countMarinette County820Calumet County: 807 countCalumet County807Monroe County: 804 countMonroe County804Dunn County: 759 countDunn County759Shawano County: 757 countShawano County757Vilas County: 750 countVilas County750
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
count
Change on 2022
1Milwaukee County14,184+0.9%
2Dane County10,900+1.3%
3Waukesha County9,7690%
4Brown County5,001+1.2%
5Outagamie County4,101+1.6%
6Racine County3,210-0.3%
7Winnebago County2,834+1.1%
8Washington County2,800+1.6%
9Kenosha County2,682-0.5%
10Rock County2,637-0.5%
11Marathon County2,636+0.4%
12La Crosse County2,421+1.7%
13Ozaukee County2,288+0.7%
14Walworth County2,279+0.4%
15Eau Claire County2,195+2.9%
16Sheboygan County2,090-0.4%
17St. Croix County1,977+2.2%
18Fond du Lac County1,767+0.2%
19Jefferson County1,682+0.9%
20Sauk County1,446+0.8%
21Manitowoc County1,414-1.3%
22Dodge County1,410-0.2%
23Wood County1,392-1.6%
24Portage County1,347+1.1%
25Chippewa County1,314+0.9%
26Columbia County1,121-0.3%
27Barron County1,106-0.9%
28Oneida County1,103+0.9%
29Door County1,020-0.8%
30Waupaca County959-0.4%
31Polk County952+0.5%
32Grant County948-1.1%
33Green County846+0.8%
34Douglas County823-0.8%
35Marinette County820+0.9%
36Calumet County807+2%
37Monroe County804-0.9%
38Dunn County759+0.7%
39Shawano County757+0.8%
40Vilas County750+0.1%
41Clark County668+2.8%
42Pierce County636-0.9%
43Oconto County616+0.5%
44Lincoln County564+0.9%
45Vernon County552+4.9%
46Trempealeau County538+1.3%
47Sawyer County505-0.8%
48Iowa County493-0.2%
49Langlade County482+1.9%
50Juneau County444-1.1%
51Waushara County418+3.5%
52Ashland County416+3.2%
53Taylor County413-0.2%
54Washburn County392-3.4%
55Kewaunee County388+0.8%
56Green Lake County384+0.8%
57Bayfield County380+1.6%
58Burnett County338+0.6%
59Richland County333+0.3%
60Adams County331-2.6%
60Jackson County331+0.3%
62Crawford County311+1.3%
63Price County3080%
64Lafayette County296+0.7%
65Buffalo County259+4%
65Rusk County259+2.8%
67Marquette County233+1.7%
68Forest County185+0.5%
69Pepin County175-2.8%
70Iron County161+1.3%
71Florence County950%
72Menominee County23+15%

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 Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023) [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 Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023. 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/wisconsin-counties. 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 Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023. 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/wisconsin-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023 [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/wisconsin-counties (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023}},
  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/wisconsin-counties. 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 Wisconsin by employer firms, 2023
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/wisconsin-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/wisconsin-counties.
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?

Milwaukee County, with 14,184 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Menominee County, with 23 in 2023.

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 Wisconsin: more rankings