Data / Rankings / Establishment exit rate / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate

Pend Oreille County had the highest establishment exit rate of 39 counties in 2021, at 14.554%. Columbia County had the lowest, at 4.673%. The median was 10.025% and the figure for Washington was 10.369%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest14.554Pend Oreille County
Lowest4.673Columbia County
Median10.02539 counties
Washington10.369History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 8.081 %Asotin County: 8.5 %Benton County: 9.883 %Chelan County: 9.586 %Clallam County: 10.405 %Clark County: 9.711 %Columbia County: 4.673 %Cowlitz County: 10.174 %Douglas County: 10.162 %Ferry County: 11.354 %Franklin County: 9.404 %Garfield County: 10.256 %Grant County: 10.144 %Grays Harbor County: 10.415 %Island County: 9.535 %Jefferson County: 11.425 %King County: 11.178 %Kitsap County: 10.304 %Kittitas County: 9.835 %Klickitat County: 11.873 %Lewis County: 9.302 %Lincoln County: 5.172 %Mason County: 10.805 %Okanogan County: 10.564 %Pacific County: 11.637 %Pend Oreille County: 14.554 %Pierce County: 10.007 %San Juan County: 8.803 %Skagit County: 9.361 %Skamania County: 8.772 %Snohomish County: 10.07 %Spokane County: 9.758 %Stevens County: 11.99 %Thurston County: 10.025 %Wahkiakum County: 14.379 %Walla Walla County: 8.311 %Whatcom County: 10.429 %Whitman County: 9.097 %Yakima County: 9.519 %
  • Under 8.9
  • 8.9 to 9.6
  • 9.6 to 10
  • 10 to 11
  • 11 and over
%, 2021. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Pend Oreille County: 14.554 %Pend Oreille County14.554Wahkiakum County: 14.379 %Wahkiakum County14.379Stevens County: 11.99 %Stevens County11.99Klickitat County: 11.873 %Klickitat County11.873Pacific County: 11.637 %Pacific County11.637Jefferson County: 11.425 %Jefferson County11.425Ferry County: 11.354 %Ferry County11.354King County: 11.178 %King County11.178Mason County: 10.805 %Mason County10.805Okanogan County: 10.564 %Okanogan County10.564Whatcom County: 10.429 %Whatcom County10.429Grays Harbor County: 10.415 %Grays Harbor County10.415Clallam County: 10.405 %Clallam County10.405Kitsap County: 10.304 %Kitsap County10.304Garfield County: 10.256 %Garfield County10.256Cowlitz County: 10.174 %Cowlitz County10.174Douglas County: 10.162 %Douglas County10.162Grant County: 10.144 %Grant County10.144Snohomish County: 10.07 %Snohomish County10.07Thurston County: 10.025 %Thurston County10.025Pierce County: 10.007 %Pierce County10.007Benton County: 9.883 %Benton County9.883Kittitas County: 9.835 %Kittitas County9.835Spokane County: 9.758 %Spokane County9.758Clark County: 9.711 %Clark County9.711Chelan County: 9.586 %Chelan County9.586Island County: 9.535 %Island County9.535Yakima County: 9.519 %Yakima County9.519Franklin County: 9.404 %Franklin County9.404Skagit County: 9.361 %Skagit County9.361Lewis County: 9.302 %Lewis County9.302Whitman County: 9.097 %Whitman County9.097San Juan County: 8.803 %San Juan County8.803Skamania County: 8.772 %Skamania County8.772Asotin County: 8.5 %Asotin County8.5Walla Walla County: 8.311 %Walla Walla County8.311Adams County: 8.081 %Adams County8.081Lincoln County: 5.172 %Lincoln County5.172Columbia County: 4.673 %Columbia County4.673Pend Oreille County: 14.554 %Pend Oreille County14.554Wahkiakum County: 14.379 %Wahkiakum County14.379Stevens County: 11.99 %Stevens County11.99Klickitat County: 11.873 %Klickitat County11.873Pacific County: 11.637 %Pacific County11.637Jefferson County: 11.425 %Jefferson County11.425Ferry County: 11.354 %Ferry County11.354King County: 11.178 %King County11.178Mason County: 10.805 %Mason County10.805Okanogan County: 10.564 %Okanogan County10.564Whatcom County: 10.429 %Whatcom County10.429Grays Harbor County: 10.415 %Grays Harbor County10.415Clallam County: 10.405 %Clallam County10.405Kitsap County: 10.304 %Kitsap County10.304Garfield County: 10.256 %Garfield County10.256Cowlitz County: 10.174 %Cowlitz County10.174Douglas County: 10.162 %Douglas County10.162Grant County: 10.144 %Grant County10.144Snohomish County: 10.07 %Snohomish County10.07Thurston County: 10.025 %Thurston County10.025Pierce County: 10.007 %Pierce County10.007Benton County: 9.883 %Benton County9.883Kittitas County: 9.835 %Kittitas County9.835Spokane County: 9.758 %Spokane County9.758Clark County: 9.711 %Clark County9.711Chelan County: 9.586 %Chelan County9.586Island County: 9.535 %Island County9.535Yakima County: 9.519 %Yakima County9.519Franklin County: 9.404 %Franklin County9.404Skagit County: 9.361 %Skagit County9.361Lewis County: 9.302 %Lewis County9.302Whitman County: 9.097 %Whitman County9.097San Juan County: 8.803 %San Juan County8.803Skamania County: 8.772 %Skamania County8.772Asotin County: 8.5 %Asotin County8.5Walla Walla County: 8.311 %Walla Walla County8.311Adams County: 8.081 %Adams County8.081Lincoln County: 5.172 %Lincoln County5.172Columbia County: 4.673 %Columbia County4.673
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Pend Oreille County14.554+6.5 pts
2Wahkiakum County14.379+5.17 pts
3Stevens County11.99+2.34 pts
4Klickitat County11.873+3.19 pts
5Pacific County11.637+0.88 pts
6Jefferson County11.425-0.42 pts
7Ferry County11.354-3.05 pts
8King County11.178+0.88 pts
9Mason County10.805-1.79 pts
10Okanogan County10.564+0.36 pts
11Whatcom County10.429-0.18 pts
12Grays Harbor County10.415+0.94 pts
13Clallam County10.405-0.43 pts
14Kitsap County10.304-0.18 pts
15Garfield County10.256-2.24 pts
16Cowlitz County10.174+0.91 pts
17Douglas County10.162+1.19 pts
18Grant County10.144+1.6 pts
19Snohomish County10.07-0.36 pts
20Thurston County10.025+0.89 pts
21Pierce County10.007-0.01 pts
22Benton County9.883-0.08 pts
23Kittitas County9.835-0.95 pts
24Spokane County9.758+0.72 pts
25Clark County9.711-0.3 pts
26Chelan County9.586+0.63 pts
27Island County9.535-0.44 pts
28Yakima County9.519-0.07 pts
29Franklin County9.404-0.37 pts
30Skagit County9.361-1.62 pts
31Lewis County9.302-0.63 pts
32Whitman County9.097-0.94 pts
33San Juan County8.803-3.8 pts
34Skamania County8.772-6.29 pts
35Asotin County8.5+0.57 pts
36Walla Walla County8.311+0.16 pts
37Adams County8.081-2.08 pts
38Lincoln County5.172-5.45 pts
39Columbia County4.673-4.76 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Establishments that closed during the year (employees a year earlier and none in March of the year), as a percentage of the average number of establishments in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

Counts closed locations, including branches of firms that keep operating elsewhere, so it is not a firm failure rate. Not comparable with enterprise_death_rate, which counts enterprise deaths in Europe. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021. 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/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_washington_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate, 2021
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/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/washington-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Washington by establishment exit rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"establishment_exit_rate","level":"province","within":"Washington","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=establishment_exit_rate&level=province&within=Washington&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest establishment exit rate?

Pend Oreille County, with 14.554% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest establishment exit rate?

Columbia County, with 4.673% in 2021.

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: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Establishment exit rate: other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings