Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

King County had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 39 counties in 2021, at 70.3%. Wahkiakum County had the lowest, at 40.7%. The median was 57.6% and the figure for Washington was 64.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest70.3King County
Lowest40.7Wahkiakum County
Median57.639 counties
Washington64.7History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 62.9 %Asotin County: 56.2 %Benton County: 61.9 %Chelan County: 61.9 %Clallam County: 49 %Clark County: 63.9 %Columbia County: 59.2 %Cowlitz County: 55.7 %Douglas County: 63.4 %Ferry County: 44.5 %Franklin County: 66.2 %Garfield County: 52.5 %Grant County: 63.7 %Grays Harbor County: 50.2 %Island County: 57.6 %Jefferson County: 43.1 %King County: 70.3 %Kitsap County: 61.8 %Kittitas County: 62.7 %Klickitat County: 52.1 %Lewis County: 54.8 %Lincoln County: 52.7 %Mason County: 51.7 %Okanogan County: 53.8 %Pacific County: 45.2 %Pend Oreille County: 47.6 %Pierce County: 66.1 %San Juan County: 52.8 %Skagit County: 59.4 %Skamania County: 57.3 %Snohomish County: 67.5 %Spokane County: 61.8 %Stevens County: 50 %Thurston County: 62.5 %Wahkiakum County: 40.7 %Walla Walla County: 56.9 %Whatcom County: 62.6 %Whitman County: 59.8 %Yakima County: 61.9 %
  • Under 50
  • 50 to 53
  • 53 to 58
  • 58 to 62
  • 62 to 63
  • 63 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

King County: 70.3 %King County70.3Snohomish County: 67.5 %Snohomish County67.5Franklin County: 66.2 %Franklin County66.2Pierce County: 66.1 %Pierce County66.1Clark County: 63.9 %Clark County63.9Grant County: 63.7 %Grant County63.7Douglas County: 63.4 %Douglas County63.4Adams County: 62.9 %Adams County62.9Kittitas County: 62.7 %Kittitas County62.7Whatcom County: 62.6 %Whatcom County62.6Thurston County: 62.5 %Thurston County62.5Yakima County: 61.9 %Yakima County61.9Benton County: 61.9 %Benton County61.9Chelan County: 61.9 %Chelan County61.9Kitsap County: 61.8 %Kitsap County61.8Spokane County: 61.8 %Spokane County61.8Whitman County: 59.8 %Whitman County59.8Skagit County: 59.4 %Skagit County59.4Columbia County: 59.2 %Columbia County59.2Island County: 57.6 %Island County57.6Skamania County: 57.3 %Skamania County57.3Walla Walla County: 56.9 %Walla Walla County56.9Asotin County: 56.2 %Asotin County56.2Cowlitz County: 55.7 %Cowlitz County55.7Lewis County: 54.8 %Lewis County54.8Okanogan County: 53.8 %Okanogan County53.8San Juan County: 52.8 %San Juan County52.8Lincoln County: 52.7 %Lincoln County52.7Garfield County: 52.5 %Garfield County52.5Klickitat County: 52.1 %Klickitat County52.1Mason County: 51.7 %Mason County51.7Grays Harbor County: 50.2 %Grays Harbor County50.2Stevens County: 50 %Stevens County50Clallam County: 49 %Clallam County49Pend Oreille County: 47.6 %Pend Oreille County47.6Pacific County: 45.2 %Pacific County45.2Ferry County: 44.5 %Ferry County44.5Jefferson County: 43.1 %Jefferson County43.1Wahkiakum County: 40.7 %Wahkiakum County40.7King County: 70.3 %King County70.3Snohomish County: 67.5 %Snohomish County67.5Franklin County: 66.2 %Franklin County66.2Pierce County: 66.1 %Pierce County66.1Clark County: 63.9 %Clark County63.9Grant County: 63.7 %Grant County63.7Douglas County: 63.4 %Douglas County63.4Adams County: 62.9 %Adams County62.9Kittitas County: 62.7 %Kittitas County62.7Whatcom County: 62.6 %Whatcom County62.6Thurston County: 62.5 %Thurston County62.5Yakima County: 61.9 %Yakima County61.9Benton County: 61.9 %Benton County61.9Chelan County: 61.9 %Chelan County61.9Kitsap County: 61.8 %Kitsap County61.8Spokane County: 61.8 %Spokane County61.8Whitman County: 59.8 %Whitman County59.8Skagit County: 59.4 %Skagit County59.4Columbia County: 59.2 %Columbia County59.2Island County: 57.6 %Island County57.6Skamania County: 57.3 %Skamania County57.3Walla Walla County: 56.9 %Walla Walla County56.9Asotin County: 56.2 %Asotin County56.2Cowlitz County: 55.7 %Cowlitz County55.7Lewis County: 54.8 %Lewis County54.8Okanogan County: 53.8 %Okanogan County53.8San Juan County: 52.8 %San Juan County52.8Lincoln County: 52.7 %Lincoln County52.7Garfield County: 52.5 %Garfield County52.5Klickitat County: 52.1 %Klickitat County52.1Mason County: 51.7 %Mason County51.7Grays Harbor County: 50.2 %Grays Harbor County50.2Stevens County: 50 %Stevens County50Clallam County: 49 %Clallam County49Pend Oreille County: 47.6 %Pend Oreille County47.6Pacific County: 45.2 %Pacific County45.2Ferry County: 44.5 %Ferry County44.5Jefferson County: 43.1 %Jefferson County43.1Wahkiakum County: 40.7 %Wahkiakum County40.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1King County70.3
2Snohomish County67.5
3Franklin County66.2
4Pierce County66.1
5Clark County63.9
6Grant County63.7
7Douglas County63.4
8Adams County62.9
9Kittitas County62.7
10Whatcom County62.6
11Thurston County62.5
12Yakima County61.9
13Benton County61.9
14Chelan County61.9
15Kitsap County61.8
16Spokane County61.8
17Whitman County59.8
18Skagit County59.4
19Columbia County59.2
20Island County57.6
21Skamania County57.3
22Walla Walla County56.9
23Asotin County56.2
24Cowlitz County55.7
25Lewis County54.8
26Okanogan County53.8
27San Juan County52.8
28Lincoln County52.7
29Garfield County52.5
30Klickitat County52.1
31Mason County51.7
32Grays Harbor County50.2
33Stevens County50
34Clallam County49
35Pend Oreille County47.6
36Pacific County45.2
37Ferry County44.5
38Jefferson County43.1
39Wahkiakum County40.7

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. 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. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_washington_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Washington by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/washington-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

King County, with 70.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Wahkiakum County, with 40.7% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings