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

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

Alexander County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 102 counties in 2021, at 10.6%. Brown County had the lowest, at 1.5%. The median was 5.1% and the figure for Illinois was 6.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest10.6Alexander County
Lowest1.5Brown County
Median5.1102 counties
Illinois6.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 4.2 %Alexander County: 10.6 %Bond County: 3.8 %Boone County: 8.2 %Brown County: 1.5 %Bureau County: 5.9 %Calhoun County: 4.1 %Carroll County: 5 %Cass County: 6.8 %Champaign County: 5.1 %Christian County: 5.4 %Clark County: 4.1 %Clay County: 5.6 %Clinton County: 3.4 %Coles County: 7.4 %Cook County: 7.3 %Crawford County: 3 %Cumberland County: 2.7 %DeKalb County: 7.4 %De Witt County: 5.4 %Douglas County: 3.3 %DuPage County: 4.8 %Edgar County: 5.4 %Edwards County: 8 %Effingham County: 2.6 %Fayette County: 4.2 %Ford County: 4.7 %Franklin County: 6.1 %Fulton County: 7.3 %Gallatin County: 8.1 %Greene County: 3.4 %Grundy County: 4.7 %Hamilton County: 5.4 %Hancock County: 4.7 %Hardin County: 6 %Henderson County: 7.3 %Henry County: 4.4 %Iroquois County: 5.6 %Jackson County: 8.6 %Jasper County: 4.7 %Jefferson County: 6.8 %Jersey County: 4.6 %Jo Daviess County: 3.1 %Johnson County: 3.9 %Kane County: 5.2 %Kankakee County: 5.4 %Kendall County: 4.3 %Knox County: 5.2 %Lake County: 5.5 %LaSalle County: 5.8 %Lawrence County: 6.4 %Lee County: 3.6 %Livingston County: 4.5 %Logan County: 5.6 %McDonough County: 8.6 %McHenry County: 5.1 %McLean County: 3.2 %Macon County: 8.1 %Macoupin County: 4.9 %Madison County: 5.3 %Marion County: 9 %Marshall County: 4.2 %Mason County: 5.2 %Massac County: 4.4 %Menard County: 5.1 %Mercer County: 4.2 %Monroe County: 2.4 %Montgomery County: 4.6 %Morgan County: 6.3 %Moultrie County: 3.8 %Ogle County: 6.6 %Peoria County: 7.3 %Perry County: 4.7 %Piatt County: 4.6 %Pike County: 5.9 %Pope County: 7.6 %Pulaski County: 6.3 %Putnam County: 4 %Randolph County: 4.7 %Richland County: 4.7 %Rock Island County: 6.6 %St. Clair County: 5.7 %Saline County: 7.4 %Sangamon County: 5.4 %Schuyler County: 6.5 %Scott County: 4.1 %Shelby County: 3.8 %Stark County: 3.6 %Stephenson County: 6.8 %Tazewell County: 4.3 %Union County: 7 %Vermilion County: 6.6 %Wabash County: 4.7 %Warren County: 8.4 %Washington County: 5 %Wayne County: 3.9 %White County: 3.6 %Whiteside County: 4.1 %Will County: 5.2 %Williamson County: 4.7 %Winnebago County: 7.9 %Woodford County: 3.5 %
  • Under 3.9
  • 3.9 to 4.6
  • 4.6 to 5.1
  • 5.1 to 5.8
  • 5.8 to 7.3
  • 7.3 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

Alexander County: 10.6 %Alexander County10.6Marion County: 9 %Marion County9Jackson County: 8.6 %Jackson County8.6McDonough County: 8.6 %McDonough County8.6Warren County: 8.4 %Warren County8.4Boone County: 8.2 %Boone County8.2Macon County: 8.1 %Macon County8.1Gallatin County: 8.1 %Gallatin County8.1Edwards County: 8 %Edwards County8Winnebago County: 7.9 %Winnebago County7.9Pope County: 7.6 %Pope County7.6Saline County: 7.4 %Saline County7.4Coles County: 7.4 %Coles County7.4DeKalb County: 7.4 %DeKalb County7.4Fulton County: 7.3 %Fulton County7.3Peoria County: 7.3 %Peoria County7.3Henderson County: 7.3 %Henderson County7.3Cook County: 7.3 %Cook County7.3Union County: 7 %Union County7Stephenson County: 6.8 %Stephenson County6.8Cass County: 6.8 %Cass County6.8Jefferson County: 6.8 %Jefferson County6.8Vermilion County: 6.6 %Vermilion County6.6Rock Island County: 6.6 %Rock Island County6.6Ogle County: 6.6 %Ogle County6.6Schuyler County: 6.5 %Schuyler County6.5Lawrence County: 6.4 %Lawrence County6.4Morgan County: 6.3 %Morgan County6.3Pulaski County: 6.3 %Pulaski County6.3Franklin County: 6.1 %Franklin County6.1Hardin County: 6 %Hardin County6Pike County: 5.9 %Pike County5.9Bureau County: 5.9 %Bureau County5.9LaSalle County: 5.8 %LaSalle County5.8St. Clair County: 5.7 %St. Clair County5.7Logan County: 5.6 %Logan County5.6Clay County: 5.6 %Clay County5.6Iroquois County: 5.6 %Iroquois County5.6Lake County: 5.5 %Lake County5.5Christian County: 5.4 %Christian County5.4Alexander County: 10.6 %Alexander County10.6Marion County: 9 %Marion County9Jackson County: 8.6 %Jackson County8.6McDonough County: 8.6 %McDonough County8.6Warren County: 8.4 %Warren County8.4Boone County: 8.2 %Boone County8.2Macon County: 8.1 %Macon County8.1Gallatin County: 8.1 %Gallatin County8.1Edwards County: 8 %Edwards County8Winnebago County: 7.9 %Winnebago County7.9Pope County: 7.6 %Pope County7.6Saline County: 7.4 %Saline County7.4Coles County: 7.4 %Coles County7.4DeKalb County: 7.4 %DeKalb County7.4Fulton County: 7.3 %Fulton County7.3Peoria County: 7.3 %Peoria County7.3Henderson County: 7.3 %Henderson County7.3Cook County: 7.3 %Cook County7.3Union County: 7 %Union County7Stephenson County: 6.8 %Stephenson County6.8Cass County: 6.8 %Cass County6.8Jefferson County: 6.8 %Jefferson County6.8Vermilion County: 6.6 %Vermilion County6.6Rock Island County: 6.6 %Rock Island County6.6Ogle County: 6.6 %Ogle County6.6Schuyler County: 6.5 %Schuyler County6.5Lawrence County: 6.4 %Lawrence County6.4Morgan County: 6.3 %Morgan County6.3Pulaski County: 6.3 %Pulaski County6.3Franklin County: 6.1 %Franklin County6.1Hardin County: 6 %Hardin County6Pike County: 5.9 %Pike County5.9Bureau County: 5.9 %Bureau County5.9LaSalle County: 5.8 %LaSalle County5.8St. Clair County: 5.7 %St. Clair County5.7Logan County: 5.6 %Logan County5.6Clay County: 5.6 %Clay County5.6Iroquois County: 5.6 %Iroquois County5.6Lake County: 5.5 %Lake County5.5Christian County: 5.4 %Christian County5.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Alexander County10.6
2Marion County9
3Jackson County8.6
3McDonough County8.6
5Warren County8.4
6Boone County8.2
7Macon County8.1
8Gallatin County8.1
9Edwards County8
10Winnebago County7.9
11Pope County7.6
12Saline County7.4
13Coles County7.4
14DeKalb County7.4
15Fulton County7.3
16Peoria County7.3
17Henderson County7.3
18Cook County7.3
19Union County7
20Stephenson County6.8
21Cass County6.8
21Jefferson County6.8
23Vermilion County6.6
24Rock Island County6.6
25Ogle County6.6
26Schuyler County6.5
27Lawrence County6.4
28Morgan County6.3
29Pulaski County6.3
30Franklin County6.1
31Hardin County6
32Pike County5.9
33Bureau County5.9
34LaSalle County5.8
35St. Clair County5.7
36Logan County5.6
37Clay County5.6
38Iroquois County5.6
39Lake County5.5
40Christian County5.4
40Edgar County5.4
40Hamilton County5.4
43De Witt County5.4
44Kankakee County5.4
45Sangamon County5.4
46Madison County5.3
47Mason County5.2
48Knox County5.2
48Will County5.2
50Kane County5.2
51Menard County5.1
52McHenry County5.1
53Champaign County5.1
54Carroll County5
54Washington County5
56Macoupin County4.9
57DuPage County4.8
58Wabash County4.7
59Randolph County4.7
59Richland County4.7
61Grundy County4.7
62Williamson County4.7
63Hancock County4.7
63Perry County4.7
65Jasper County4.7
66Ford County4.7
67Jersey County4.6
68Montgomery County4.6
69Piatt County4.6
70Livingston County4.5
71Massac County4.4
72Henry County4.4
73Kendall County4.3
73Tazewell County4.3
75Fayette County4.2
76Marshall County4.2
77Adams County4.2
78Mercer County4.2
79Scott County4.1
80Calhoun County4.1
81Clark County4.1
81Whiteside County4.1
83Putnam County4
84Wayne County3.9
85Johnson County3.9
86Bond County3.8
87Moultrie County3.8
88Shelby County3.8
89Lee County3.6
90Stark County3.6
91White County3.6
92Woodford County3.5
93Greene County3.4
94Clinton County3.4
95Douglas County3.3
96McLean County3.2
97Jo Daviess County3.1
98Crawford County3
99Cumberland County2.7
100Effingham County2.6
101Monroe County2.4
102Brown County1.5

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 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, Counties 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-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 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-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 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-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-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 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-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/illinois-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)?

Alexander County, with 10.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Brown County, with 1.5% 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 Illinois: more rankings