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

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

Page County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 99 counties in 2021, at 7.1%. Mitchell County had the lowest, at 1.2%. The median was 3.5% and the figure for Iowa was 3.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest7.1Page County
Lowest1.2Mitchell County
Median3.599 counties
Iowa3.9History

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 4.7 %Adams County: 3.9 %Allamakee County: 3.6 %Appanoose County: 6.2 %Audubon County: 1.9 %Benton County: 2.6 %Black Hawk County: 5.2 %Boone County: 2.1 %Bremer County: 3.4 %Buchanan County: 2.5 %Buena Vista County: 5.9 %Butler County: 4.7 %Calhoun County: 2.4 %Carroll County: 2.3 %Cass County: 1.7 %Cedar County: 3.4 %Cerro Gordo County: 3.4 %Cherokee County: 2.8 %Chickasaw County: 2.1 %Clarke County: 3.3 %Clay County: 4.7 %Clayton County: 2.4 %Clinton County: 4.8 %Crawford County: 6.9 %Dallas County: 2.8 %Davis County: 3.1 %Decatur County: 4.2 %Delaware County: 2 %Des Moines County: 3.9 %Dickinson County: 2.5 %Dubuque County: 4.1 %Emmet County: 2.2 %Fayette County: 2.6 %Floyd County: 2.7 %Franklin County: 3.5 %Fremont County: 2.4 %Greene County: 4.6 %Grundy County: 2.7 %Guthrie County: 3.6 %Hamilton County: 3.8 %Hancock County: 2.4 %Hardin County: 2.9 %Harrison County: 2.6 %Henry County: 4.6 %Howard County: 1.8 %Humboldt County: 3.7 %Ida County: 1.6 %Iowa County: 3.9 %Jackson County: 4.3 %Jasper County: 4.6 %Jefferson County: 5 %Johnson County: 3.8 %Jones County: 4 %Keokuk County: 4.5 %Kossuth County: 3.9 %Lee County: 4.9 %Linn County: 3.9 %Louisa County: 4.5 %Lucas County: 3.9 %Lyon County: 2.9 %Madison County: 2.8 %Mahaska County: 3.5 %Marion County: 2.5 %Marshall County: 5.5 %Mills County: 3.3 %Mitchell County: 1.2 %Monona County: 2.6 %Monroe County: 3.2 %Montgomery County: 4.1 %Muscatine County: 3.7 %O'Brien County: 2.5 %Osceola County: 4.2 %Page County: 7.1 %Palo Alto County: 2.8 %Plymouth County: 2.3 %Pocahontas County: 5.6 %Polk County: 4.4 %Pottawattamie County: 3.9 %Poweshiek County: 5.5 %Ringgold County: 1.9 %Sac County: 3.2 %Scott County: 4.1 %Shelby County: 3.5 %Sioux County: 2.2 %Story County: 5.4 %Tama County: 4.6 %Taylor County: 3.3 %Union County: 6 %Van Buren County: 5.5 %Wapello County: 5 %Warren County: 3 %Washington County: 2.6 %Wayne County: 2.2 %Webster County: 3.1 %Winnebago County: 2.1 %Winneshiek County: 2.1 %Woodbury County: 4.4 %Worth County: 3.6 %Wright County: 2 %
  • Under 2.3
  • 2.3 to 2.8
  • 2.8 to 3.5
  • 3.5 to 3.9
  • 3.9 to 4.7
  • 4.7 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

Page County: 7.1 %Page County7.1Crawford County: 6.9 %Crawford County6.9Appanoose County: 6.2 %Appanoose County6.2Union County: 6 %Union County6Buena Vista County: 5.9 %Buena Vista County5.9Pocahontas County: 5.6 %Pocahontas County5.6Van Buren County: 5.5 %Van Buren County5.5Marshall County: 5.5 %Marshall County5.5Poweshiek County: 5.5 %Poweshiek County5.5Story County: 5.4 %Story County5.4Black Hawk County: 5.2 %Black Hawk County5.2Jefferson County: 5 %Jefferson County5Wapello County: 5 %Wapello County5Lee County: 4.9 %Lee County4.9Clinton County: 4.8 %Clinton County4.8Butler County: 4.7 %Butler County4.7Adair County: 4.7 %Adair County4.7Clay County: 4.7 %Clay County4.7Greene County: 4.6 %Greene County4.6Henry County: 4.6 %Henry County4.6Jasper County: 4.6 %Jasper County4.6Tama County: 4.6 %Tama County4.6Louisa County: 4.5 %Louisa County4.5Keokuk County: 4.5 %Keokuk County4.5Polk County: 4.4 %Polk County4.4Woodbury County: 4.4 %Woodbury County4.4Jackson County: 4.3 %Jackson County4.3Osceola County: 4.2 %Osceola County4.2Decatur County: 4.2 %Decatur County4.2Montgomery County: 4.1 %Montgomery County4.1Scott County: 4.1 %Scott County4.1Dubuque County: 4.1 %Dubuque County4.1Jones County: 4 %Jones County4Iowa County: 3.9 %Iowa County3.9Adams County: 3.9 %Adams County3.9Linn County: 3.9 %Linn County3.9Lucas County: 3.9 %Lucas County3.9Des Moines County: 3.9 %Des Moines County3.9Kossuth County: 3.9 %Kossuth County3.9Pottawattamie County: 3.9 %Pottawattamie County3.9Page County: 7.1 %Page County7.1Crawford County: 6.9 %Crawford County6.9Appanoose County: 6.2 %Appanoose County6.2Union County: 6 %Union County6Buena Vista County: 5.9 %Buena Vista County5.9Pocahontas County: 5.6 %Pocahontas County5.6Van Buren County: 5.5 %Van Buren County5.5Marshall County: 5.5 %Marshall County5.5Poweshiek County: 5.5 %Poweshiek County5.5Story County: 5.4 %Story County5.4Black Hawk County: 5.2 %Black Hawk County5.2Jefferson County: 5 %Jefferson County5Wapello County: 5 %Wapello County5Lee County: 4.9 %Lee County4.9Clinton County: 4.8 %Clinton County4.8Butler County: 4.7 %Butler County4.7Adair County: 4.7 %Adair County4.7Clay County: 4.7 %Clay County4.7Greene County: 4.6 %Greene County4.6Henry County: 4.6 %Henry County4.6Jasper County: 4.6 %Jasper County4.6Tama County: 4.6 %Tama County4.6Louisa County: 4.5 %Louisa County4.5Keokuk County: 4.5 %Keokuk County4.5Polk County: 4.4 %Polk County4.4Woodbury County: 4.4 %Woodbury County4.4Jackson County: 4.3 %Jackson County4.3Osceola County: 4.2 %Osceola County4.2Decatur County: 4.2 %Decatur County4.2Montgomery County: 4.1 %Montgomery County4.1Scott County: 4.1 %Scott County4.1Dubuque County: 4.1 %Dubuque County4.1Jones County: 4 %Jones County4Iowa County: 3.9 %Iowa County3.9Adams County: 3.9 %Adams County3.9Linn County: 3.9 %Linn County3.9Lucas County: 3.9 %Lucas County3.9Des Moines County: 3.9 %Des Moines County3.9Kossuth County: 3.9 %Kossuth County3.9Pottawattamie County: 3.9 %Pottawattamie County3.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Page County7.1
2Crawford County6.9
3Appanoose County6.2
4Union County6
5Buena Vista County5.9
6Pocahontas County5.6
7Van Buren County5.5
8Marshall County5.5
9Poweshiek County5.5
10Story County5.4
11Black Hawk County5.2
12Jefferson County5
13Wapello County5
14Lee County4.9
15Clinton County4.8
16Butler County4.7
17Adair County4.7
18Clay County4.7
19Greene County4.6
20Henry County4.6
21Jasper County4.6
22Tama County4.6
23Louisa County4.5
24Keokuk County4.5
25Polk County4.4
26Woodbury County4.4
27Jackson County4.3
28Osceola County4.2
29Decatur County4.2
30Montgomery County4.1
31Scott County4.1
32Dubuque County4.1
33Jones County4
34Iowa County3.9
35Adams County3.9
35Linn County3.9
35Lucas County3.9
38Des Moines County3.9
39Kossuth County3.9
40Pottawattamie County3.9
41Hamilton County3.8
42Johnson County3.8
43Humboldt County3.7
44Muscatine County3.7
45Guthrie County3.6
46Worth County3.6
47Allamakee County3.6
48Mahaska County3.5
49Shelby County3.5
50Franklin County3.5
51Bremer County3.4
52Cedar County3.4
53Cerro Gordo County3.4
54Clarke County3.3
55Mills County3.3
56Taylor County3.3
57Sac County3.2
58Monroe County3.2
59Davis County3.1
59Webster County3.1
61Warren County3
62Lyon County2.9
63Hardin County2.9
64Palo Alto County2.8
65Cherokee County2.8
66Dallas County2.8
67Madison County2.8
68Grundy County2.7
69Floyd County2.7
70Harrison County2.6
71Benton County2.6
71Fayette County2.6
73Washington County2.6
74Monona County2.6
75O'Brien County2.5
76Buchanan County2.5
77Marion County2.5
78Dickinson County2.5
79Calhoun County2.4
79Hancock County2.4
81Fremont County2.4
82Clayton County2.4
83Plymouth County2.3
84Carroll County2.3
85Emmet County2.2
85Sioux County2.2
87Wayne County2.2
88Chickasaw County2.1
89Winneshiek County2.1
90Winnebago County2.1
91Boone County2.1
92Delaware County2
92Wright County2
94Ringgold County1.9
95Audubon County1.9
96Howard County1.8
97Cass County1.7
98Ida County1.6
99Mitchell County1.2

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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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/iowa-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 Iowa 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/iowa-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 Iowa 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/iowa-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Page County, with 7.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Mitchell County, with 1.2% 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 Iowa: more rankings