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

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

Phillips County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 75 counties in 2021, at 15.3%. Cleveland County had the lowest, at 2%. The median was 5.6% and the figure for Arkansas was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest15.3Phillips County
Lowest2Cleveland County
Median5.675 counties
Arkansas5.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Arkansas County: 4.3 %Ashley County: 5 %Baxter County: 5.4 %Benton County: 3 %Boone County: 4.6 %Bradley County: 5.5 %Calhoun County: 8.7 %Carroll County: 4.1 %Chicot County: 14.1 %Clark County: 3.7 %Clay County: 6.4 %Cleburne County: 6.3 %Cleveland County: 2 %Columbia County: 4.4 %Conway County: 6.7 %Craighead County: 5.7 %Crawford County: 4.7 %Crittenden County: 9.9 %Cross County: 8.2 %Dallas County: 8.2 %Desha County: 5.7 %Drew County: 2.5 %Faulkner County: 3.3 %Franklin County: 5.1 %Fulton County: 5.9 %Garland County: 6.2 %Grant County: 3.4 %Greene County: 7.4 %Hempstead County: 4.9 %Hot Spring County: 5.6 %Howard County: 5.7 %Independence County: 5.4 %Izard County: 6.9 %Jackson County: 10.3 %Jefferson County: 9.3 %Johnson County: 3.8 %Lafayette County: 8 %Lawrence County: 7.2 %Lee County: 14.3 %Lincoln County: 3.2 %Little River County: 8.4 %Logan County: 4.8 %Lonoke County: 5.2 %Madison County: 5.1 %Marion County: 7.8 %Miller County: 7.5 %Mississippi County: 9.6 %Monroe County: 10.3 %Montgomery County: 8.7 %Nevada County: 7.4 %Newton County: 4.6 %Ouachita County: 6.3 %Perry County: 4.3 %Phillips County: 15.3 %Pike County: 3.7 %Poinsett County: 4.2 %Polk County: 10.4 %Pope County: 5.9 %Prairie County: 6 %Pulaski County: 5.3 %Randolph County: 7.3 %St. Francis County: 6.6 %Saline County: 3.8 %Scott County: 5.9 %Searcy County: 4.3 %Sebastian County: 5 %Sevier County: 4.8 %Sharp County: 5.5 %Stone County: 7.5 %Union County: 4.4 %Van Buren County: 5.4 %Washington County: 4.7 %White County: 5.4 %Woodruff County: 7.6 %Yell County: 3.6 %
  • Under 4.2
  • 4.2 to 4.9
  • 4.9 to 5.5
  • 5.5 to 6.6
  • 6.6 to 8.2
  • 8.2 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

Phillips County: 15.3 %Phillips County15.3Lee County: 14.3 %Lee County14.3Chicot County: 14.1 %Chicot County14.1Polk County: 10.4 %Polk County10.4Monroe County: 10.3 %Monroe County10.3Jackson County: 10.3 %Jackson County10.3Crittenden County: 9.9 %Crittenden County9.9Mississippi County: 9.6 %Mississippi County9.6Jefferson County: 9.3 %Jefferson County9.3Montgomery County: 8.7 %Montgomery County8.7Calhoun County: 8.7 %Calhoun County8.7Little River County: 8.4 %Little River County8.4Cross County: 8.2 %Cross County8.2Dallas County: 8.2 %Dallas County8.2Lafayette County: 8 %Lafayette County8Marion County: 7.8 %Marion County7.8Woodruff County: 7.6 %Woodruff County7.6Miller County: 7.5 %Miller County7.5Stone County: 7.5 %Stone County7.5Greene County: 7.4 %Greene County7.4Nevada County: 7.4 %Nevada County7.4Randolph County: 7.3 %Randolph County7.3Lawrence County: 7.2 %Lawrence County7.2Izard County: 6.9 %Izard County6.9Conway County: 6.7 %Conway County6.7St. Francis County: 6.6 %St. Francis County6.6Clay County: 6.4 %Clay County6.4Cleburne County: 6.3 %Cleburne County6.3Ouachita County: 6.3 %Ouachita County6.3Garland County: 6.2 %Garland County6.2Prairie County: 6 %Prairie County6Fulton County: 5.9 %Fulton County5.9Pope County: 5.9 %Pope County5.9Scott County: 5.9 %Scott County5.9Howard County: 5.7 %Howard County5.7Craighead County: 5.7 %Craighead County5.7Desha County: 5.7 %Desha County5.7Hot Spring County: 5.6 %Hot Spring County5.6Sharp County: 5.5 %Sharp County5.5Bradley County: 5.5 %Bradley County5.5Phillips County: 15.3 %Phillips County15.3Lee County: 14.3 %Lee County14.3Chicot County: 14.1 %Chicot County14.1Polk County: 10.4 %Polk County10.4Monroe County: 10.3 %Monroe County10.3Jackson County: 10.3 %Jackson County10.3Crittenden County: 9.9 %Crittenden County9.9Mississippi County: 9.6 %Mississippi County9.6Jefferson County: 9.3 %Jefferson County9.3Montgomery County: 8.7 %Montgomery County8.7Calhoun County: 8.7 %Calhoun County8.7Little River County: 8.4 %Little River County8.4Cross County: 8.2 %Cross County8.2Dallas County: 8.2 %Dallas County8.2Lafayette County: 8 %Lafayette County8Marion County: 7.8 %Marion County7.8Woodruff County: 7.6 %Woodruff County7.6Miller County: 7.5 %Miller County7.5Stone County: 7.5 %Stone County7.5Greene County: 7.4 %Greene County7.4Nevada County: 7.4 %Nevada County7.4Randolph County: 7.3 %Randolph County7.3Lawrence County: 7.2 %Lawrence County7.2Izard County: 6.9 %Izard County6.9Conway County: 6.7 %Conway County6.7St. Francis County: 6.6 %St. Francis County6.6Clay County: 6.4 %Clay County6.4Cleburne County: 6.3 %Cleburne County6.3Ouachita County: 6.3 %Ouachita County6.3Garland County: 6.2 %Garland County6.2Prairie County: 6 %Prairie County6Fulton County: 5.9 %Fulton County5.9Pope County: 5.9 %Pope County5.9Scott County: 5.9 %Scott County5.9Howard County: 5.7 %Howard County5.7Craighead County: 5.7 %Craighead County5.7Desha County: 5.7 %Desha County5.7Hot Spring County: 5.6 %Hot Spring County5.6Sharp County: 5.5 %Sharp County5.5Bradley County: 5.5 %Bradley County5.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Phillips County15.3
2Lee County14.3
3Chicot County14.1
4Polk County10.4
5Monroe County10.3
6Jackson County10.3
7Crittenden County9.9
8Mississippi County9.6
9Jefferson County9.3
10Montgomery County8.7
11Calhoun County8.7
12Little River County8.4
13Cross County8.2
14Dallas County8.2
15Lafayette County8
16Marion County7.8
17Woodruff County7.6
18Miller County7.5
19Stone County7.5
20Greene County7.4
21Nevada County7.4
22Randolph County7.3
23Lawrence County7.2
24Izard County6.9
25Conway County6.7
26St. Francis County6.6
27Clay County6.4
28Cleburne County6.3
29Ouachita County6.3
30Garland County6.2
31Prairie County6
32Fulton County5.9
32Pope County5.9
34Scott County5.9
35Howard County5.7
36Craighead County5.7
37Desha County5.7
38Hot Spring County5.6
39Sharp County5.5
40Bradley County5.5
41Independence County5.4
42Baxter County5.4
42Van Buren County5.4
44White County5.4
45Pulaski County5.3
46Lonoke County5.2
47Franklin County5.1
48Madison County5.1
49Ashley County5
50Sebastian County5
51Hempstead County4.9
52Logan County4.8
52Sevier County4.8
54Washington County4.7
55Crawford County4.7
56Boone County4.6
57Newton County4.6
58Union County4.4
59Columbia County4.4
60Arkansas County4.3
60Perry County4.3
60Searcy County4.3
63Poinsett County4.2
64Carroll County4.1
65Saline County3.8
66Johnson County3.8
67Pike County3.7
68Clark County3.7
69Yell County3.6
70Grant County3.4
71Faulkner County3.3
72Lincoln County3.2
73Benton County3
74Drew County2.5
75Cleveland County2

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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_arkansas_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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-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 Arkansas 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/arkansas-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/arkansas-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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Rank Counties in Arkansas by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Phillips County, with 15.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Cleveland County, with 2% 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 Arkansas: more rankings