Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Perry County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 67 counties in 2021, at 19.6%. Autauga County had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 5.7% and the figure for Alabama was 5.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest19.6Perry County
Lowest2.8Autauga County
Median5.767 counties
Alabama5.4History

Map of counties, 2021

Autauga County: 2.8 %Baldwin County: 3.7 %Barbour County: 8.6 %Bibb County: 9.7 %Blount County: 6 %Bullock County: 3 %Butler County: 6.6 %Calhoun County: 7 %Chambers County: 3.2 %Cherokee County: 4.7 %Chilton County: 6.4 %Choctaw County: 6.1 %Clarke County: 12.2 %Clay County: 6.1 %Cleburne County: 4.5 %Coffee County: 5.1 %Colbert County: 3.8 %Conecuh County: 4.7 %Coosa County: 3.4 %Covington County: 7 %Crenshaw County: 4.7 %Cullman County: 4.4 %Dale County: 8.2 %Dallas County: 8.5 %DeKalb County: 4.3 %Elmore County: 4.8 %Escambia County: 9.8 %Etowah County: 6.1 %Fayette County: 9.3 %Franklin County: 4.6 %Geneva County: 3.5 %Greene County: 10 %Hale County: 7 %Henry County: 5 %Houston County: 5.2 %Jackson County: 5.7 %Jefferson County: 6.1 %Lamar County: 4.9 %Lauderdale County: 3.8 %Lawrence County: 3 %Lee County: 4.3 %Limestone County: 4.5 %Lowndes County: 8.9 %Macon County: 11 %Madison County: 4.4 %Marengo County: 5.4 %Marion County: 5.9 %Marshall County: 3.9 %Mobile County: 5.8 %Monroe County: 11.9 %Montgomery County: 6.6 %Morgan County: 4.7 %Perry County: 19.6 %Pickens County: 7 %Pike County: 4.4 %Randolph County: 4 %Russell County: 6.4 %St. Clair County: 4.8 %Shelby County: 3.3 %Sumter County: 7 %Talladega County: 7.9 %Tallapoosa County: 10 %Tuscaloosa County: 5.3 %Walker County: 7 %Washington County: 6.4 %Wilcox County: 14.1 %Winston County: 4.9 %
  • Under 4
  • 4 to 4.7
  • 4.7 to 5.7
  • 5.7 to 6.6
  • 6.6 to 8.6
  • 8.6 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Perry County: 19.6 %Perry County19.6Wilcox County: 14.1 %Wilcox County14.1Clarke County: 12.2 %Clarke County12.2Monroe County: 11.9 %Monroe County11.9Macon County: 11 %Macon County11Greene County: 10 %Greene County10Tallapoosa County: 10 %Tallapoosa County10Escambia County: 9.8 %Escambia County9.8Bibb County: 9.7 %Bibb County9.7Fayette County: 9.3 %Fayette County9.3Lowndes County: 8.9 %Lowndes County8.9Barbour County: 8.6 %Barbour County8.6Dallas County: 8.5 %Dallas County8.5Dale County: 8.2 %Dale County8.2Talladega County: 7.9 %Talladega County7.9Covington County: 7 %Covington County7Calhoun County: 7 %Calhoun County7Pickens County: 7 %Pickens County7Walker County: 7 %Walker County7Sumter County: 7 %Sumter County7Hale County: 7 %Hale County7Montgomery County: 6.6 %Montgomery County6.6Butler County: 6.6 %Butler County6.6Chilton County: 6.4 %Chilton County6.4Washington County: 6.4 %Washington County6.4Russell County: 6.4 %Russell County6.4Clay County: 6.1 %Clay County6.1Etowah County: 6.1 %Etowah County6.1Jefferson County: 6.1 %Jefferson County6.1Choctaw County: 6.1 %Choctaw County6.1Blount County: 6 %Blount County6Marion County: 5.9 %Marion County5.9Mobile County: 5.8 %Mobile County5.8Jackson County: 5.7 %Jackson County5.7Marengo County: 5.4 %Marengo County5.4Tuscaloosa County: 5.3 %Tuscaloosa County5.3Houston County: 5.2 %Houston County5.2Coffee County: 5.1 %Coffee County5.1Henry County: 5 %Henry County5Lamar County: 4.9 %Lamar County4.9Perry County: 19.6 %Perry County19.6Wilcox County: 14.1 %Wilcox County14.1Clarke County: 12.2 %Clarke County12.2Monroe County: 11.9 %Monroe County11.9Macon County: 11 %Macon County11Greene County: 10 %Greene County10Tallapoosa County: 10 %Tallapoosa County10Escambia County: 9.8 %Escambia County9.8Bibb County: 9.7 %Bibb County9.7Fayette County: 9.3 %Fayette County9.3Lowndes County: 8.9 %Lowndes County8.9Barbour County: 8.6 %Barbour County8.6Dallas County: 8.5 %Dallas County8.5Dale County: 8.2 %Dale County8.2Talladega County: 7.9 %Talladega County7.9Covington County: 7 %Covington County7Calhoun County: 7 %Calhoun County7Pickens County: 7 %Pickens County7Walker County: 7 %Walker County7Sumter County: 7 %Sumter County7Hale County: 7 %Hale County7Montgomery County: 6.6 %Montgomery County6.6Butler County: 6.6 %Butler County6.6Chilton County: 6.4 %Chilton County6.4Washington County: 6.4 %Washington County6.4Russell County: 6.4 %Russell County6.4Clay County: 6.1 %Clay County6.1Etowah County: 6.1 %Etowah County6.1Jefferson County: 6.1 %Jefferson County6.1Choctaw County: 6.1 %Choctaw County6.1Blount County: 6 %Blount County6Marion County: 5.9 %Marion County5.9Mobile County: 5.8 %Mobile County5.8Jackson County: 5.7 %Jackson County5.7Marengo County: 5.4 %Marengo County5.4Tuscaloosa County: 5.3 %Tuscaloosa County5.3Houston County: 5.2 %Houston County5.2Coffee County: 5.1 %Coffee County5.1Henry County: 5 %Henry County5Lamar County: 4.9 %Lamar County4.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Perry County19.6
2Wilcox County14.1
3Clarke County12.2
4Monroe County11.9
5Macon County11
6Greene County10
7Tallapoosa County10
8Escambia County9.8
9Bibb County9.7
10Fayette County9.3
11Lowndes County8.9
12Barbour County8.6
13Dallas County8.5
14Dale County8.2
15Talladega County7.9
16Covington County7
17Calhoun County7
18Pickens County7
18Walker County7
20Sumter County7
21Hale County7
22Montgomery County6.6
23Butler County6.6
24Chilton County6.4
25Washington County6.4
26Russell County6.4
27Clay County6.1
27Etowah County6.1
29Jefferson County6.1
30Choctaw County6.1
31Blount County6
32Marion County5.9
33Mobile County5.8
34Jackson County5.7
35Marengo County5.4
36Tuscaloosa County5.3
37Houston County5.2
38Coffee County5.1
39Henry County5
40Lamar County4.9
41Winston County4.9
42St. Clair County4.8
43Elmore County4.8
44Crenshaw County4.7
44Morgan County4.7
46Cherokee County4.7
47Conecuh County4.7
48Franklin County4.6
49Limestone County4.5
50Cleburne County4.5
51Pike County4.4
52Cullman County4.4
53Madison County4.4
54Lee County4.3
55DeKalb County4.3
56Randolph County4
57Marshall County3.9
58Lauderdale County3.8
59Colbert County3.8
60Baldwin County3.7
61Geneva County3.5
62Coosa County3.4
63Shelby County3.3
64Chambers County3.2
65Bullock County3
66Lawrence County3
67Autauga County2.8

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed civilians aged 16 and over as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

An average over five years of survey responses, so it moves slowly. The official monthly and annual rates for states and counties are unemployment_rate, from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.

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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_alabama_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by unemployment 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/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 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 unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Perry County, with 19.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Autauga County, with 2.8% 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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings