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

Imperial County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 58 counties in 2022, at 13.2%. Mono County had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 6.3% and the figure for California was 6.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest13.2Imperial County
Lowest1.9Mono County
Median6.358 counties
California6.4History

Map of counties, 2022

Alameda County: 5 %Alpine County: 4.9 %Amador County: 6 %Butte County: 7.2 %Calaveras County: 6.2 %Colusa County: 7.4 %Contra Costa County: 5.9 %Del Norte County: 6.3 %El Dorado County: 4.6 %Fresno County: 8.6 %Glenn County: 7.7 %Humboldt County: 9.3 %Imperial County: 13.2 %Inyo County: 4.9 %Kern County: 8.4 %Kings County: 9.2 %Lake County: 10.4 %Lassen County: 7.9 %Los Angeles County: 7 %Madera County: 11.1 %Marin County: 5.8 %Mariposa County: 6.2 %Mendocino County: 9.1 %Merced County: 10.7 %Modoc County: 7.7 %Mono County: 1.9 %Monterey County: 5.3 %Napa County: 5.2 %Nevada County: 4.4 %Orange County: 5.4 %Placer County: 4.3 %Plumas County: 8 %Riverside County: 6.7 %Sacramento County: 6.3 %San Benito County: 6.3 %San Bernardino County: 7.2 %San Diego County: 6.3 %San Francisco County: 5.4 %San Joaquin County: 7.2 %San Luis Obispo County: 5 %San Mateo County: 4.6 %Santa Barbara County: 6 %Santa Clara County: 4.4 %Santa Cruz County: 5.9 %Shasta County: 6.6 %Sierra County: 5.6 %Siskiyou County: 7.4 %Solano County: 5.9 %Sonoma County: 5.2 %Stanislaus County: 8.2 %Sutter County: 7.6 %Tehama County: 7.4 %Trinity County: 7.4 %Tulare County: 9 %Tuolumne County: 8.3 %Ventura County: 5.3 %Yolo County: 5.3 %Yuba County: 7.4 %
  • Under 5.1
  • 5.1 to 5.8
  • 5.8 to 6.3
  • 6.3 to 7.4
  • 7.4 to 8.4
  • 8.4 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2022

Imperial County: 13.2 %Imperial County13.2Madera County: 11.1 %Madera County11.1Merced County: 10.7 %Merced County10.7Lake County: 10.4 %Lake County10.4Humboldt County: 9.3 %Humboldt County9.3Kings County: 9.2 %Kings County9.2Mendocino County: 9.1 %Mendocino County9.1Tulare County: 9 %Tulare County9Fresno County: 8.6 %Fresno County8.6Kern County: 8.4 %Kern County8.4Tuolumne County: 8.3 %Tuolumne County8.3Stanislaus County: 8.2 %Stanislaus County8.2Plumas County: 8 %Plumas County8Lassen County: 7.9 %Lassen County7.9Glenn County: 7.7 %Glenn County7.7Modoc County: 7.7 %Modoc County7.7Sutter County: 7.6 %Sutter County7.6Siskiyou County: 7.4 %Siskiyou County7.4Yuba County: 7.4 %Yuba County7.4Tehama County: 7.4 %Tehama County7.4Colusa County: 7.4 %Colusa County7.4Trinity County: 7.4 %Trinity County7.4San Joaquin County: 7.2 %San Joaquin County7.2San Bernardino County: 7.2 %San Bernardino County7.2Butte County: 7.2 %Butte County7.2Los Angeles County: 7 %Los Angeles County7Riverside County: 6.7 %Riverside County6.7Shasta County: 6.6 %Shasta County6.6San Diego County: 6.3 %San Diego County6.3Sacramento County: 6.3 %Sacramento County6.3Del Norte County: 6.3 %Del Norte County6.3San Benito County: 6.3 %San Benito County6.3Mariposa County: 6.2 %Mariposa County6.2Calaveras County: 6.2 %Calaveras County6.2Santa Barbara County: 6 %Santa Barbara County6Amador County: 6 %Amador County6Santa Cruz County: 5.9 %Santa Cruz County5.9Solano County: 5.9 %Solano County5.9Contra Costa County: 5.9 %Contra Costa County5.9Marin County: 5.8 %Marin County5.8Sierra County: 5.6 %Sierra County5.6Orange County: 5.4 %Orange County5.4San Francisco County: 5.4 %San Francisco County5.4Ventura County: 5.3 %Ventura County5.3Monterey County: 5.3 %Monterey County5.3Yolo County: 5.3 %Yolo County5.3Napa County: 5.2 %Napa County5.2Sonoma County: 5.2 %Sonoma County5.2San Luis Obispo County: 5 %San Luis Obispo County5Alameda County: 5 %Alameda County5Inyo County: 4.9 %Inyo County4.9Alpine County: 4.9 %Alpine County4.9El Dorado County: 4.6 %El Dorado County4.6San Mateo County: 4.6 %San Mateo County4.6Santa Clara County: 4.4 %Santa Clara County4.4Nevada County: 4.4 %Nevada County4.4Placer County: 4.3 %Placer County4.3Mono County: 1.9 %Mono County1.9Imperial County: 13.2 %Imperial County13.2Madera County: 11.1 %Madera County11.1Merced County: 10.7 %Merced County10.7Lake County: 10.4 %Lake County10.4Humboldt County: 9.3 %Humboldt County9.3Kings County: 9.2 %Kings County9.2Mendocino County: 9.1 %Mendocino County9.1Tulare County: 9 %Tulare County9Fresno County: 8.6 %Fresno County8.6Kern County: 8.4 %Kern County8.4Tuolumne County: 8.3 %Tuolumne County8.3Stanislaus County: 8.2 %Stanislaus County8.2Plumas County: 8 %Plumas County8Lassen County: 7.9 %Lassen County7.9Glenn County: 7.7 %Glenn County7.7Modoc County: 7.7 %Modoc County7.7Sutter County: 7.6 %Sutter County7.6Siskiyou County: 7.4 %Siskiyou County7.4Yuba County: 7.4 %Yuba County7.4Tehama County: 7.4 %Tehama County7.4Colusa County: 7.4 %Colusa County7.4Trinity County: 7.4 %Trinity County7.4San Joaquin County: 7.2 %San Joaquin County7.2San Bernardino County: 7.2 %San Bernardino County7.2Butte County: 7.2 %Butte County7.2Los Angeles County: 7 %Los Angeles County7Riverside County: 6.7 %Riverside County6.7Shasta County: 6.6 %Shasta County6.6San Diego County: 6.3 %San Diego County6.3Sacramento County: 6.3 %Sacramento County6.3Del Norte County: 6.3 %Del Norte County6.3San Benito County: 6.3 %San Benito County6.3Mariposa County: 6.2 %Mariposa County6.2Calaveras County: 6.2 %Calaveras County6.2Santa Barbara County: 6 %Santa Barbara County6Amador County: 6 %Amador County6Santa Cruz County: 5.9 %Santa Cruz County5.9Solano County: 5.9 %Solano County5.9Contra Costa County: 5.9 %Contra Costa County5.9Marin County: 5.8 %Marin County5.8Sierra County: 5.6 %Sierra County5.6Orange County: 5.4 %Orange County5.4San Francisco County: 5.4 %San Francisco County5.4Ventura County: 5.3 %Ventura County5.3Monterey County: 5.3 %Monterey County5.3Yolo County: 5.3 %Yolo County5.3Napa County: 5.2 %Napa County5.2Sonoma County: 5.2 %Sonoma County5.2San Luis Obispo County: 5 %San Luis Obispo County5Alameda County: 5 %Alameda County5Inyo County: 4.9 %Inyo County4.9Alpine County: 4.9 %Alpine County4.9El Dorado County: 4.6 %El Dorado County4.6San Mateo County: 4.6 %San Mateo County4.6Santa Clara County: 4.4 %Santa Clara County4.4Nevada County: 4.4 %Nevada County4.4Placer County: 4.3 %Placer County4.3Mono County: 1.9 %Mono County1.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Imperial County13.2-0.7 pts
2Madera County11.1+0.7 pts
3Merced County10.7-0.4 pts
4Lake County10.4+0.3 pts
5Humboldt County9.3-0.1 pts
6Kings County9.2+0.1 pts
7Mendocino County9.1+0.6 pts
8Tulare County9-1.2 pts
9Fresno County8.6-0.2 pts
10Kern County8.4-0.5 pts
11Tuolumne County8.3+0.3 pts
12Stanislaus County8.2-0.3 pts
13Plumas County8-0.2 pts
14Lassen County7.9+1 pts
15Glenn County7.7+0.6 pts
16Modoc County7.7-2.2 pts
17Sutter County7.60 pts
18Siskiyou County7.4-0.4 pts
19Yuba County7.4+0.9 pts
20Tehama County7.4-0.7 pts
21Colusa County7.4+1.8 pts
21Trinity County7.4+1.6 pts
23San Joaquin County7.2-0.1 pts
24San Bernardino County7.2-0.3 pts
25Butte County7.2-0 pts
26Los Angeles County7-0 pts
27Riverside County6.7-0.5 pts
28Shasta County6.60 pts
29San Diego County6.3-0.2 pts
30Sacramento County6.3-0.3 pts
31Del Norte County6.3-1.2 pts
32San Benito County6.3-0.9 pts
33Mariposa County6.2-3.5 pts
34Calaveras County6.2-0.6 pts
35Santa Barbara County6-0.1 pts
36Amador County6-0.8 pts
37Santa Cruz County5.9-0.4 pts
38Solano County5.9-0.1 pts
39Contra Costa County5.90 pts
40Marin County5.8+0.6 pts
41Sierra County5.6-3.4 pts
42Orange County5.4-0 pts
43San Francisco County5.4+0.1 pts
44Ventura County5.3-0.3 pts
45Monterey County5.3-0.2 pts
46Yolo County5.3-0.3 pts
47Napa County5.2+0.3 pts
47Sonoma County5.2+0.1 pts
49San Luis Obispo County5-0.2 pts
50Alameda County5-0.1 pts
51Inyo County4.9+0.6 pts
52Alpine County4.9-4.4 pts
53El Dorado County4.6-0.1 pts
54San Mateo County4.6-0 pts
55Santa Clara County4.4-0 pts
56Nevada County4.4+0.2 pts
57Placer County4.3-0 pts
58Mono County1.9-0.5 pts

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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022. 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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022.

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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_california_by_2022,
  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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/california-counties?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Imperial County, with 13.2% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Mono County, with 1.9% in 2022.

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 California: more rankings