Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Illinois

Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Riverdale, IL had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 224 cities in 2021, at 16.8%. Pingree Grove, IL had the lowest, at 0.7%. The median was 5% and the figure for Illinois was 6.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest16.8Riverdale, IL
Lowest0.7Pingree Grove, IL
Median5224 cities
Illinois6.2History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Riverdale, IL: 16.8 %Riverdale, IL16.8Markham, IL: 16.8 %Markham, IL16.8Dolton, IL: 16.2 %Dolton, IL16.2Richton Park, IL: 15.4 %Richton Park, IL15.4Hazel Crest, IL: 14.2 %Hazel Crest, IL14.2South Holland, IL: 14 %South Holland, IL14Harvey, IL: 13.9 %Harvey, IL13.9Chicago Heights, IL: 13.4 %Chicago Heights, IL13.4Centralia, IL: 12.8 %Centralia, IL12.8East St. Louis, IL: 12.8 %East St. Louis, IL12.8Blue Island, IL: 12.2 %Blue Island, IL12.2Calumet City, IL: 12 %Calumet City, IL12Macomb, IL: 11.9 %Macomb, IL11.9Country Club Hills, IL: 11.7 %Country Club Hills, IL11.7DeKalb, IL: 11.3 %DeKalb, IL11.3Lansing, IL: 11 %Lansing, IL11Beach Park, IL: 10.6 %Beach Park, IL10.6Carbondale, IL: 10.5 %Carbondale, IL10.5West Chicago, IL: 10.4 %West Chicago, IL10.4Worth, IL: 10.3 %Worth, IL10.3Decatur, IL: 9.9 %Decatur, IL9.9Matteson, IL: 9.7 %Matteson, IL9.7Rockford, IL: 9.6 %Rockford, IL9.6Mattoon, IL: 9.4 %Mattoon, IL9.4Peoria, IL: 9.3 %Peoria, IL9.3Freeport, IL: 9.3 %Freeport, IL9.3Zion, IL: 9.2 %Zion, IL9.2Danville, IL: 9.1 %Danville, IL9.1Maywood, IL: 9.1 %Maywood, IL9.1North Chicago, IL: 9 %North Chicago, IL9Streator, IL: 8.6 %Streator, IL8.6Plano, IL: 8.6 %Plano, IL8.6Channahon, IL: 8.5 %Channahon, IL8.5Mount Vernon, IL: 8.5 %Mount Vernon, IL8.5Chicago, IL: 8.4 %Chicago, IL8.4Taylorville, IL: 8.2 %Taylorville, IL8.2Bellwood, IL: 8.2 %Bellwood, IL8.2Rock Island, IL: 8.1 %Rock Island, IL8.1Lincolnwood, IL: 7.9 %Lincolnwood, IL7.9Kankakee, IL: 7.8 %Kankakee, IL7.8Riverdale, IL: 16.8 %Riverdale, IL16.8Markham, IL: 16.8 %Markham, IL16.8Dolton, IL: 16.2 %Dolton, IL16.2Richton Park, IL: 15.4 %Richton Park, IL15.4Hazel Crest, IL: 14.2 %Hazel Crest, IL14.2South Holland, IL: 14 %South Holland, IL14Harvey, IL: 13.9 %Harvey, IL13.9Chicago Heights, IL: 13.4 %Chicago Heights, IL13.4Centralia, IL: 12.8 %Centralia, IL12.8East St. Louis, IL: 12.8 %East St. Louis, IL12.8Blue Island, IL: 12.2 %Blue Island, IL12.2Calumet City, IL: 12 %Calumet City, IL12Macomb, IL: 11.9 %Macomb, IL11.9Country Club Hills, IL: 11.7 %Country Club Hills, IL11.7DeKalb, IL: 11.3 %DeKalb, IL11.3Lansing, IL: 11 %Lansing, IL11Beach Park, IL: 10.6 %Beach Park, IL10.6Carbondale, IL: 10.5 %Carbondale, IL10.5West Chicago, IL: 10.4 %West Chicago, IL10.4Worth, IL: 10.3 %Worth, IL10.3Decatur, IL: 9.9 %Decatur, IL9.9Matteson, IL: 9.7 %Matteson, IL9.7Rockford, IL: 9.6 %Rockford, IL9.6Mattoon, IL: 9.4 %Mattoon, IL9.4Peoria, IL: 9.3 %Peoria, IL9.3Freeport, IL: 9.3 %Freeport, IL9.3Zion, IL: 9.2 %Zion, IL9.2Danville, IL: 9.1 %Danville, IL9.1Maywood, IL: 9.1 %Maywood, IL9.1North Chicago, IL: 9 %North Chicago, IL9Streator, IL: 8.6 %Streator, IL8.6Plano, IL: 8.6 %Plano, IL8.6Channahon, IL: 8.5 %Channahon, IL8.5Mount Vernon, IL: 8.5 %Mount Vernon, IL8.5Chicago, IL: 8.4 %Chicago, IL8.4Taylorville, IL: 8.2 %Taylorville, IL8.2Bellwood, IL: 8.2 %Bellwood, IL8.2Rock Island, IL: 8.1 %Rock Island, IL8.1Lincolnwood, IL: 7.9 %Lincolnwood, IL7.9Kankakee, IL: 7.8 %Kankakee, IL7.8
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Riverdale, IL16.8
2Markham, IL16.8
3Dolton, IL16.2
4Richton Park, IL15.4
5Hazel Crest, IL14.2
6South Holland, IL14
7Harvey, IL13.9
8Chicago Heights, IL13.4
9Centralia, IL12.8
10East St. Louis, IL12.8
11Blue Island, IL12.2
12Calumet City, IL12
13Macomb, IL11.9
14Country Club Hills, IL11.7
15DeKalb, IL11.3
16Lansing, IL11
17Beach Park, IL10.6
18Carbondale, IL10.5
19West Chicago, IL10.4
20Worth, IL10.3
21Decatur, IL9.9
22Matteson, IL9.7
23Rockford, IL9.6
24Mattoon, IL9.4
25Peoria, IL9.3
26Freeport, IL9.3
27Zion, IL9.2
28Danville, IL9.1
28Maywood, IL9.1
30North Chicago, IL9
31Streator, IL8.6
32Plano, IL8.6
33Channahon, IL8.5
34Mount Vernon, IL8.5
35Chicago, IL8.4
36Taylorville, IL8.2
37Bellwood, IL8.2
38Rock Island, IL8.1
39Lincolnwood, IL7.9
40Kankakee, IL7.8
41Jacksonville, IL7.8
42Canton, IL7.8
43Park Forest, IL7.8
44Grayslake, IL7.6
45Burbank, IL7.6
46Alsip, IL7.6
47Carpentersville, IL7.5
48Granite City, IL7.5
49Belvidere, IL7.3
50Norridge, IL7.2
51Montgomery, IL7.2
51Roselle, IL7.2
53Antioch, IL7.2
54Alton, IL7.2
55Crest Hill, IL7.1
56Charleston, IL7
56Lindenhurst, IL7
58Loves Park, IL6.9
59Moline, IL6.9
60North Aurora, IL6.8
61Bridgeview, IL6.8
62Machesney Park, IL6.8
63Edwardsville, IL6.7
64Springfield, IL6.5
65Oak Lawn, IL6.4
66Waukegan, IL6.4
67Lincoln, IL6.3
68Pekin, IL6.3
69River Forest, IL6.3
70Urbana, IL6.2
71Kewanee, IL6.2
72Cary, IL6.2
72Elmwood Park, IL6.2
74Joliet, IL6.1
75Elgin, IL6.1
76Round Lake Beach, IL6
76Skokie, IL6
78Ottawa, IL6
79Melrose Park, IL6
80Northlake, IL6
81Justice, IL5.9
82East Moline, IL5.7
82Tinley Park, IL5.7
84Aurora, IL5.7
85Evanston, IL5.6
86Summit, IL5.5
87Forest Park, IL5.5
88Crestwood, IL5.4
88Fairview Heights, IL5.4
90Bradley, IL5.4
91Algonquin, IL5.4
92Rantoul, IL5.4
93Belleville, IL5.4
93Homewood, IL5.4
95Berwyn, IL5.3
95Champaign, IL5.3
97Galesburg, IL5.3
98Gurnee, IL5.2
99Quincy, IL5.2
100Niles, IL5.2
101Elmhurst, IL5.2
102River Grove, IL5.2
103McHenry, IL5.1
104Wood Dale, IL5.1
105Homer Glen, IL5.1
106Warrenville, IL5.1
107Bolingbrook, IL5
108Hickory Hills, IL5
108Romeoville, IL5
110Hanover Park, IL5
110Lyons, IL5
112Lombard, IL5
113Orland Park, IL5
113Round Lake, IL5
115Minooka, IL5
116Rolling Meadows, IL5
116Wheeling, IL5
118Bloomingdale, IL4.9
119Campton Hills, IL4.9
119Midlothian, IL4.9
119Oak Park, IL4.9
122Lake in the Hills, IL4.9
122Lisle, IL4.9
124Palos Hills, IL4.9
125Collinsville, IL4.8
126Carol Stream, IL4.8
127Des Plaines, IL4.8
128Crystal Lake, IL4.7
128Franklin Park, IL4.7
130Plainfield, IL4.7
131Westchester, IL4.7
132Shorewood, IL4.7
133Sterling, IL4.7
134Bourbonnais, IL4.7
135Bensenville, IL4.7
135Prospect Heights, IL4.7
137Swansea, IL4.6
138Palatine, IL4.6
139Glen Ellyn, IL4.5
140Downers Grove, IL4.5
141Naperville, IL4.5
141Wilmette, IL4.5
143Frankfort, IL4.5
144Pontiac, IL4.4
145Glendale Heights, IL4.4
146Darien, IL4.4
147Winfield, IL4.4
147Woodstock, IL4.4
149Marion, IL4.3
150Yorkville, IL4.3
151Woodridge, IL4.3
152East Peoria, IL4.2
153Lockport, IL4.2
153Mount Prospect, IL4.2
155Wheaton, IL4.2
156Herrin, IL4.1
157Addison, IL4.1
157Lemont, IL4.1
159Cicero, IL4.1
159Glen Carbon, IL4.1
161Elk Grove Village, IL4.1
162Oak Forest, IL4
162Schaumburg, IL4
164St. Charles, IL4
165Palos Heights, IL4
166Wood River, IL4
167Burr Ridge, IL3.9
168Hoffman Estates, IL3.9
169Waterloo, IL3.9
170La Grange Park, IL3.9
171Manhattan, IL3.9
172Sycamore, IL3.8
173Chicago Ridge, IL3.8
173Schiller Park, IL3.8
175Highland Park, IL3.8
176Winnetka, IL3.8
177Villa Park, IL3.8
178South Elgin, IL3.7
179Morton Grove, IL3.7
179New Lenox, IL3.7
181Normal, IL3.7
182Highland, IL3.7
182Troy, IL3.7
184Batavia, IL3.6
185Streamwood, IL3.5
186Godfrey, IL3.5
186Vernon Hills, IL3.5
188Arlington Heights, IL3.5
189Evergreen Park, IL3.4
189Lake Forest, IL3.4
189Mokena, IL3.4
189O'Fallon, IL3.4
189Park Ridge, IL3.4
194Glenview, IL3.4
195Lake Zurich, IL3.4
195Roscoe, IL3.4
197Effingham, IL3.3
198Chatham, IL3.2
199La Grange, IL3.2
200Buffalo Grove, IL3.2
201Bloomington, IL3.1
202Huntley, IL3.1
203Westmont, IL3
204Deerfield, IL3
205Libertyville, IL2.9
206Wauconda, IL2.9
207Fox Lake, IL2.9
208Bartlett, IL2.9
209Western Springs, IL2.8
210Barrington, IL2.8
210Brookfield, IL2.8
212Geneva, IL2.8
213Dixon, IL2.7
214Mundelein, IL2.7
215Oswego, IL2.7
216Northbrook, IL2.7
217Morton, IL2.6
218Hinsdale, IL2.2
219Washington, IL2.1
220Shiloh, IL1.9
221Morris, IL1.9
222Columbia, IL1.4
223Mahomet, IL1.4
224Pingree Grove, IL0.7

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 cities are compared on one definition. 1 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Illinois 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Illinois 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/illinois-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Illinois 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/illinois-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Illinois 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/illinois-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Illinois 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/illinois-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Illinois 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/illinois-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/illinois-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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 Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Riverdale, IL, with 16.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Pingree Grove, IL, with 0.7% 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: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 cities have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

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

Cities in Illinois: more rankings