North Dakota Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown
North Dakota has 157,871 business records in Factur’s directory — the 51st-most of any U.S. state, or 0.2% of the national total. Fargo leads its cities with 17.9% of the state’s records, Industrial & mechanical is the largest sector at 24.7%, and North Dakota ranks 48th for large employers (500+ employees).
Data as of July 2026. The figures come from Factur’s U.S. business directory, spanning 4 North Dakota cities and 3 industry sectors. They count records, not unique companies: one company can have more than one record (see the methodology). Every number links to the browsable list behind it. Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these figures with a link back to this page.
Key findings
- North Dakota ranks 51st nationally with 157,871 business records — 0.2% of all 64,799,929 U.S. records in the directory.
- A national-average share of large employers. North Dakota is 48th for records of companies with 500+ employees (197), with 12.5 per 10,000 records against 14.0 nationally (33rd of 52 states).
- Fargo is the state’s largest business hub, with 17.9% of all North Dakota records.
- Business is concentrated in a few metros: Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks together hold 36.3% of the state’s records.
How North Dakota ranks nationally
North Dakota and its closest neighbours by total business records. Select a state to open its own study.
Top North Dakota cities by number of business records
These 4 cities account for 39.9% of all records in North Dakota. Select any city to browse its full company list.
North Dakota businesses by industry
Every record is classified by its primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes; the shares are of all North Dakota records. Select a sector to see those North Dakota companies.
North Dakota businesses by size
Most records in every state are small businesses. In North Dakota, 1.64% of records with a known size have 51 or more employees, against 1.77% nationally. 46 records belong to companies with $1 billion or more in revenue.
| Employees | Records | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-50 | 154,169 | 98.36% | 98.23% |
| 51-200 | 1,995 | 1.27% | 1.37% |
| 201-1000 | 476 | 0.30% | 0.33% |
| 1001-5000 | 73 | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| 5001+ | 23 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
What the numbers show
North Dakota’s 157,871 records place it 51st nationally, 0.2% of the U.S. total, and 48th for large employers. Activity clusters in its largest metros — Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks alone account for 36.3% of the state’s records — and its industry mix is close to the national average. For buyers and sellers, that means the deepest pools of suppliers sit in a handful of cities and sectors; the charts above link straight into each so you can shortlist by capability and region.
Frequently asked questions
How many businesses are in North Dakota?
Factur’s directory has 157,871 business records for North Dakota, the 51st-most of any U.S. state. That counts records rather than unique companies: a company can have more than one record, so the number of distinct businesses is lower.
How many large companies are in North Dakota?
197 North Dakota records belong to companies with 500 or more employees, 48th among U.S. states, or 12.5 per 10,000 records against 14.0 nationally. Large companies often have several records (one per department or location), so this overstates the number of distinct large employers.
Which North Dakota city has the most businesses?
Fargo has the most, with 17.9% of the state’s records.
What is the largest industry in North Dakota?
Industrial & mechanical is the largest sector, at 24.7% of North Dakota records.
Where does this data come from?
From Factur’s U.S. business directory as of July 2026, classified by city and by primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes. Every figure on this page links to the list behind it.
Cite this data
Free to use with attribution — please credit Factur and link back to this page.
Factur. (2026). North Dakota Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown. data.facturmfg.com. https://data.facturmfg.com/insights/north-dakota<a href="https://data.facturmfg.com/insights/north-dakota">North Dakota Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown</a> — data by FacturMethodology
Figures count records in Factur’s U.S. business directory as of July 2026, classified by city and primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes. Records cover manufacturers, suppliers and businesses of all sizes. They are not a count of unique companies: one company can have several records (for example one per department or location), and some records are duplicates. That affects large companies most, so treat raw totals as an upper bound and rely on the ranks, shares and comparisons, which it affects much less. These are directory totals, not official census figures. Percentages are computed against the North Dakota directory total; size shares use records with a known employee count. Data compiled by Factur, a sales and marketing firm for B2B manufacturers.
Looking for a specific industry in North Dakota? Browse the North Dakota directory → or contact us for a custom data pull.