Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firms of 72 counties in 2015, at 13,645. Menominee County had the lowest, at 21. The median was 788 and the figure for Wisconsin was 96,669. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest13,645Milwaukee County
Median78872 counties
Wisconsin96,669History

Map of counties, 2015

Adams County: 337 countAshland County: 438 countBarron County: 1,105 countBayfield County: 347 countBrown County: 4,977 countBuffalo County: 256 countBurnett County: 329 countCalumet County: 798 countChippewa County: 1,274 countClark County: 635 countColumbia County: 1,086 countCrawford County: 317 countDane County: 10,280 countDodge County: 1,424 countDoor County: 977 countDouglas County: 855 countDunn County: 745 countEau Claire County: 2,148 countFlorence County: 106 countFond du Lac County: 1,847 countForest County: 196 countGrant County: 991 countGreen County: 812 countGreen Lake County: 407 countIowa County: 471 countIron County: 170 countJackson County: 338 countJefferson County: 1,580 countJuneau County: 441 countKenosha County: 2,530 countKewaunee County: 388 countLa Crosse County: 2,342 countLafayette County: 297 countLanglade County: 482 countLincoln County: 576 countManitowoc County: 1,487 countMarathon County: 2,603 countMarinette County: 839 countMarquette County: 241 countMenominee County: 21 countMilwaukee County: 13,645 countMonroe County: 778 countOconto County: 618 countOneida County: 1,091 countOutagamie County: 3,931 countOzaukee County: 2,289 countPepin County: 178 countPierce County: 647 countPolk County: 922 countPortage County: 1,359 countPrice County: 354 countRacine County: 3,154 countRichland County: 334 countRock County: 2,580 countRusk County: 257 countSt. Croix County: 1,858 countSauk County: 1,421 countSawyer County: 538 countShawano County: 759 countSheboygan County: 2,090 countTaylor County: 411 countTrempealeau County: 526 countVernon County: 498 countVilas County: 741 countWalworth County: 2,180 countWashburn County: 410 countWashington County: 2,674 countWaukesha County: 9,751 countWaupaca County: 985 countWaushara County: 392 countWinnebago County: 2,687 countWood County: 1,467 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,300
  • 1,300 to 2,300
  • 2,300 and over
count, 2015. 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, 2015

Milwaukee County: 13,645 countMilwaukee County13,645Dane County: 10,280 countDane County10,280Waukesha County: 9,751 countWaukesha County9,751Brown County: 4,977 countBrown County4,977Outagamie County: 3,931 countOutagamie County3,931Racine County: 3,154 countRacine County3,154Winnebago County: 2,687 countWinnebago County2,687Washington County: 2,674 countWashington County2,674Marathon County: 2,603 countMarathon County2,603Rock County: 2,580 countRock County2,580Kenosha County: 2,530 countKenosha County2,530La Crosse County: 2,342 countLa Crosse County2,342Ozaukee County: 2,289 countOzaukee County2,289Walworth County: 2,180 countWalworth County2,180Eau Claire County: 2,148 countEau Claire County2,148Sheboygan County: 2,090 countSheboygan County2,090St. Croix County: 1,858 countSt. Croix County1,858Fond du Lac County: 1,847 countFond du Lac County1,847Jefferson County: 1,580 countJefferson County1,580Manitowoc County: 1,487 countManitowoc County1,487Wood County: 1,467 countWood County1,467Dodge County: 1,424 countDodge County1,424Sauk County: 1,421 countSauk County1,421Portage County: 1,359 countPortage County1,359Chippewa County: 1,274 countChippewa County1,274Barron County: 1,105 countBarron County1,105Oneida County: 1,091 countOneida County1,091Columbia County: 1,086 countColumbia County1,086Grant County: 991 countGrant County991Waupaca County: 985 countWaupaca County985Door County: 977 countDoor County977Polk County: 922 countPolk County922Douglas County: 855 countDouglas County855Marinette County: 839 countMarinette County839Green County: 812 countGreen County812Calumet County: 798 countCalumet County798Monroe County: 778 countMonroe County778Shawano County: 759 countShawano County759Dunn County: 745 countDunn County745Vilas County: 741 countVilas County741Milwaukee County: 13,645 countMilwaukee County13,645Dane County: 10,280 countDane County10,280Waukesha County: 9,751 countWaukesha County9,751Brown County: 4,977 countBrown County4,977Outagamie County: 3,931 countOutagamie County3,931Racine County: 3,154 countRacine County3,154Winnebago County: 2,687 countWinnebago County2,687Washington County: 2,674 countWashington County2,674Marathon County: 2,603 countMarathon County2,603Rock County: 2,580 countRock County2,580Kenosha County: 2,530 countKenosha County2,530La Crosse County: 2,342 countLa Crosse County2,342Ozaukee County: 2,289 countOzaukee County2,289Walworth County: 2,180 countWalworth County2,180Eau Claire County: 2,148 countEau Claire County2,148Sheboygan County: 2,090 countSheboygan County2,090St. Croix County: 1,858 countSt. Croix County1,858Fond du Lac County: 1,847 countFond du Lac County1,847Jefferson County: 1,580 countJefferson County1,580Manitowoc County: 1,487 countManitowoc County1,487Wood County: 1,467 countWood County1,467Dodge County: 1,424 countDodge County1,424Sauk County: 1,421 countSauk County1,421Portage County: 1,359 countPortage County1,359Chippewa County: 1,274 countChippewa County1,274Barron County: 1,105 countBarron County1,105Oneida County: 1,091 countOneida County1,091Columbia County: 1,086 countColumbia County1,086Grant County: 991 countGrant County991Waupaca County: 985 countWaupaca County985Door County: 977 countDoor County977Polk County: 922 countPolk County922Douglas County: 855 countDouglas County855Marinette County: 839 countMarinette County839Green County: 812 countGreen County812Calumet County: 798 countCalumet County798Monroe County: 778 countMonroe County778Shawano County: 759 countShawano County759Dunn County: 745 countDunn County745Vilas County: 741 countVilas County741
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015
count
Change on 2014
1Milwaukee County13,645+0.7%
2Dane County10,280+1.3%
3Waukesha County9,751+0.9%
4Brown County4,977+0.5%
5Outagamie County3,931+1.1%
6Racine County3,154+0.1%
7Winnebago County2,687-0.8%
8Washington County2,674-0.1%
9Marathon County2,603+0.4%
10Rock County2,580+1.8%
11Kenosha County2,530+2.2%
12La Crosse County2,342+0.7%
13Ozaukee County2,289+0.8%
14Walworth County2,180+0.7%
15Eau Claire County2,148+2.5%
16Sheboygan County2,090-0.1%
17St. Croix County1,858+2%
18Fond du Lac County1,847+1.3%
19Jefferson County1,580+0.9%
20Manitowoc County1,487+0.2%
21Wood County1,467+0.9%
22Dodge County1,424+1.2%
23Sauk County1,421-0.4%
24Portage County1,359+0.4%
25Chippewa County1,274-0.6%
26Barron County1,105+1.9%
27Oneida County1,091+0.2%
28Columbia County1,086-0.6%
29Grant County991+0.9%
30Waupaca County985+1%
31Door County977-0.6%
32Polk County922+0.5%
33Douglas County855+0.2%
34Marinette County839-1.1%
35Green County812+0.7%
36Calumet County798-0.7%
37Monroe County778-2.3%
38Shawano County759+1.9%
39Dunn County745+0.1%
40Vilas County741+1.5%
41Pierce County647+2.1%
42Clark County635+1.4%
43Oconto County618-0.3%
44Lincoln County576-0.7%
45Sawyer County538+5.7%
46Trempealeau County526-1.3%
47Vernon County498+0.4%
48Langlade County482-0.8%
49Iowa County471-1.9%
50Juneau County441+4%
51Ashland County438+1.6%
52Taylor County411-1.4%
53Washburn County410+1.5%
54Green Lake County407-1.5%
55Waushara County392-2%
56Kewaunee County388+3.5%
57Price County354+2.6%
58Bayfield County347+1.8%
59Jackson County338-2%
60Adams County337+2.1%
61Richland County3340%
62Burnett County329+2.5%
63Crawford County317-0.9%
64Lafayette County297+4.9%
65Rusk County257+1.2%
66Buffalo County256-0.4%
67Marquette County241+2.1%
68Forest County196-5.8%
69Pepin County178-3.3%
70Iron County170-4%
71Florence County106+1.9%
72Menominee County21+10.5%

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, 2015) [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, 2015. 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?period=2015. 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, 2015. 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?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2015 [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?period=2015 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2015}},
  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?period=2015. 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, 2015
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?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/wisconsin-counties?period=2015.
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 13,645 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Menominee County, with 21 in 2015.

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