Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms

Milwaukee County had the highest employer firms of 72 counties in 2017, at 13,745. Menominee County had the lowest, at 20. The median was 788 and the figure for Wisconsin was 97,441. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest13,745Milwaukee County
Median78872 counties
Wisconsin97,441History

Map of counties, 2017

Adams County: 341 countAshland County: 419 countBarron County: 1,121 countBayfield County: 348 countBrown County: 4,994 countBuffalo County: 252 countBurnett County: 331 countCalumet County: 779 countChippewa County: 1,307 countClark County: 649 countColumbia County: 1,106 countCrawford County: 309 countDane County: 10,537 countDodge County: 1,428 countDoor County: 993 countDouglas County: 854 countDunn County: 754 countEau Claire County: 2,118 countFlorence County: 101 countFond du Lac County: 1,780 countForest County: 193 countGrant County: 991 countGreen County: 830 countGreen Lake County: 392 countIowa County: 498 countIron County: 169 countJackson County: 339 countJefferson County: 1,630 countJuneau County: 450 countKenosha County: 2,566 countKewaunee County: 385 countLa Crosse County: 2,402 countLafayette County: 292 countLanglade County: 484 countLincoln County: 567 countManitowoc County: 1,465 countMarathon County: 2,598 countMarinette County: 859 countMarquette County: 238 countMenominee County: 20 countMilwaukee County: 13,745 countMonroe County: 797 countOconto County: 621 countOneida County: 1,130 countOutagamie County: 3,988 countOzaukee County: 2,299 countPepin County: 189 countPierce County: 663 countPolk County: 935 countPortage County: 1,372 countPrice County: 347 countRacine County: 3,204 countRichland County: 342 countRock County: 2,594 countRusk County: 252 countSt. Croix County: 1,887 countSauk County: 1,440 countSawyer County: 521 countShawano County: 763 countSheboygan County: 2,101 countTaylor County: 425 countTrempealeau County: 535 countVernon County: 495 countVilas County: 750 countWalworth County: 2,265 countWashburn County: 413 countWashington County: 2,713 countWaukesha County: 9,795 countWaupaca County: 964 countWaushara County: 393 countWinnebago County: 2,700 countWood County: 1,477 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 500
  • 500 to 800
  • 800 to 1,300
  • 1,300 to 2,300
  • 2,300 and over
count, 2017. 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, 2017

Milwaukee County: 13,745 countMilwaukee County13,745Dane County: 10,537 countDane County10,537Waukesha County: 9,795 countWaukesha County9,795Brown County: 4,994 countBrown County4,994Outagamie County: 3,988 countOutagamie County3,988Racine County: 3,204 countRacine County3,204Washington County: 2,713 countWashington County2,713Winnebago County: 2,700 countWinnebago County2,700Marathon County: 2,598 countMarathon County2,598Rock County: 2,594 countRock County2,594Kenosha County: 2,566 countKenosha County2,566La Crosse County: 2,402 countLa Crosse County2,402Ozaukee County: 2,299 countOzaukee County2,299Walworth County: 2,265 countWalworth County2,265Eau Claire County: 2,118 countEau Claire County2,118Sheboygan County: 2,101 countSheboygan County2,101St. Croix County: 1,887 countSt. Croix County1,887Fond du Lac County: 1,780 countFond du Lac County1,780Jefferson County: 1,630 countJefferson County1,630Wood County: 1,477 countWood County1,477Manitowoc County: 1,465 countManitowoc County1,465Sauk County: 1,440 countSauk County1,440Dodge County: 1,428 countDodge County1,428Portage County: 1,372 countPortage County1,372Chippewa County: 1,307 countChippewa County1,307Oneida County: 1,130 countOneida County1,130Barron County: 1,121 countBarron County1,121Columbia County: 1,106 countColumbia County1,106Door County: 993 countDoor County993Grant County: 991 countGrant County991Waupaca County: 964 countWaupaca County964Polk County: 935 countPolk County935Marinette County: 859 countMarinette County859Douglas County: 854 countDouglas County854Green County: 830 countGreen County830Monroe County: 797 countMonroe County797Calumet County: 779 countCalumet County779Shawano County: 763 countShawano County763Dunn County: 754 countDunn County754Vilas County: 750 countVilas County750Milwaukee County: 13,745 countMilwaukee County13,745Dane County: 10,537 countDane County10,537Waukesha County: 9,795 countWaukesha County9,795Brown County: 4,994 countBrown County4,994Outagamie County: 3,988 countOutagamie County3,988Racine County: 3,204 countRacine County3,204Washington County: 2,713 countWashington County2,713Winnebago County: 2,700 countWinnebago County2,700Marathon County: 2,598 countMarathon County2,598Rock County: 2,594 countRock County2,594Kenosha County: 2,566 countKenosha County2,566La Crosse County: 2,402 countLa Crosse County2,402Ozaukee County: 2,299 countOzaukee County2,299Walworth County: 2,265 countWalworth County2,265Eau Claire County: 2,118 countEau Claire County2,118Sheboygan County: 2,101 countSheboygan County2,101St. Croix County: 1,887 countSt. Croix County1,887Fond du Lac County: 1,780 countFond du Lac County1,780Jefferson County: 1,630 countJefferson County1,630Wood County: 1,477 countWood County1,477Manitowoc County: 1,465 countManitowoc County1,465Sauk County: 1,440 countSauk County1,440Dodge County: 1,428 countDodge County1,428Portage County: 1,372 countPortage County1,372Chippewa County: 1,307 countChippewa County1,307Oneida County: 1,130 countOneida County1,130Barron County: 1,121 countBarron County1,121Columbia County: 1,106 countColumbia County1,106Door County: 993 countDoor County993Grant County: 991 countGrant County991Waupaca County: 964 countWaupaca County964Polk County: 935 countPolk County935Marinette County: 859 countMarinette County859Douglas County: 854 countDouglas County854Green County: 830 countGreen County830Monroe County: 797 countMonroe County797Calumet County: 779 countCalumet County779Shawano County: 763 countShawano County763Dunn County: 754 countDunn County754Vilas 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

RankCounties2017
count
Change on 2016
1Milwaukee County13,7450%
2Dane County10,537+0.7%
3Waukesha County9,795-0.4%
4Brown County4,994-0.5%
5Outagamie County3,988+0.5%
6Racine County3,204+0.2%
7Washington County2,713-0.3%
8Winnebago County2,700-1.1%
9Marathon County2,598-0.2%
10Rock County2,594-0.3%
11Kenosha County2,566+0.4%
12La Crosse County2,402+1.5%
13Ozaukee County2,299+0.1%
14Walworth County2,265+1.5%
15Eau Claire County2,118-1.2%
16Sheboygan County2,101-1.6%
17St. Croix County1,887+1%
18Fond du Lac County1,780-2.9%
19Jefferson County1,630+0.7%
20Wood County1,477-0.6%
21Manitowoc County1,465-0.6%
22Sauk County1,440-1.4%
23Dodge County1,428-0.4%
24Portage County1,372-0.7%
25Chippewa County1,307+0.6%
26Oneida County1,130-0.1%
27Barron County1,121-1.1%
28Columbia County1,106-1.5%
29Door County993-0.7%
30Grant County991-1.1%
31Waupaca County964-2.5%
32Polk County935+1.6%
33Marinette County859+1.2%
34Douglas County854-1.2%
35Green County830-0.1%
36Monroe County797-0.4%
37Calumet County779-3.2%
38Shawano County7630%
39Dunn County754+0.7%
40Vilas County750-2.3%
41Pierce County663+0.5%
42Clark County649-0.6%
43Oconto County621-0.6%
44Lincoln County567-1.4%
45Trempealeau County535-0.2%
46Sawyer County521-2.8%
47Iowa County498+2.3%
48Vernon County495-2.2%
49Langlade County484+0.2%
50Juneau County450-0.9%
51Taylor County425-0.7%
52Ashland County419-5.8%
53Washburn County413-1%
54Waushara County393-1%
55Green Lake County392-5.1%
56Kewaunee County385-1%
57Bayfield County348-2%
58Price County347-3.1%
59Richland County342+1.8%
60Adams County341-0.3%
61Jackson County339-1.5%
62Burnett County331+0.3%
63Crawford County309-4.6%
64Lafayette County292-2.7%
65Buffalo County252-3.1%
65Rusk County252-3.4%
67Marquette County238+3%
68Forest County193-3.5%
69Pepin County189+1.1%
70Iron County169+1.2%
71Florence County101+3.1%
72Menominee County200%

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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2017 [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=2017 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_wisconsin_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in Wisconsin by employer firms, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/wisconsin-counties?period=2017.
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 13,745 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Menominee County, with 20 in 2017.

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