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

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

Madisonville, KY had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 42 cities in 2022, at 9.3%. Berea, KY had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 5.1% and the figure for Kentucky was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest9.3Madisonville, KY
Lowest2.4Berea, KY
Median5.142 cities
Kentucky5.1History

All cities, 2022

Madisonville, KY: 9.3 %Madisonville, KY9.3Radcliff, KY: 9.1 %Radcliff, KY9.1Somerset, KY: 8.7 %Somerset, KY8.7Ashland, KY: 8.4 %Ashland, KY8.4Danville, KY: 8.2 %Danville, KY8.2Campbellsville, KY: 8.1 %Campbellsville, KY8.1Hopkinsville, KY: 7.8 %Hopkinsville, KY7.8Richmond, KY: 7.3 %Richmond, KY7.3Newport, KY: 6.1 %Newport, KY6.1Covington, KY: 6.1 %Covington, KY6.1Lawrenceburg, KY: 6 %Lawrenceburg, KY6Paris, KY: 5.9 %Paris, KY5.9Elizabethtown, KY: 5.8 %Elizabethtown, KY5.8Shively, KY: 5.7 %Shively, KY5.7Winchester, KY: 5.6 %Winchester, KY5.6Bowling Green, KY: 5.6 %Bowling Green, KY5.6Frankfort, KY: 5.4 %Frankfort, KY5.4Louisville, KY: 5.3 %Louisville, KY5.3Franklin, KY: 5.2 %Franklin, KY5.2Nicholasville, KY: 5.2 %Nicholasville, KY5.2Murray, KY: 5.1 %Murray, KY5.1Glasgow, KY: 5.1 %Glasgow, KY5.1Lexington, KY: 5 %Lexington, KY5La Grange, KY: 4.7 %La Grange, KY4.7Mount Washington, KY: 4.7 %Mount Washington, KY4.7Erlanger, KY: 4.5 %Erlanger, KY4.5Jeffersontown, KY: 4.5 %Jeffersontown, KY4.5Owensboro, KY: 4.2 %Owensboro, KY4.2Lyndon, KY: 4 %Lyndon, KY4Fort Thomas, KY: 3.8 %Fort Thomas, KY3.8Paducah, KY: 3.8 %Paducah, KY3.8St. Matthews, KY: 3.7 %St. Matthews, KY3.7Independence, KY: 3.6 %Independence, KY3.6Shepherdsville, KY: 3.6 %Shepherdsville, KY3.6Georgetown, KY: 3.6 %Georgetown, KY3.6Bardstown, KY: 3.4 %Bardstown, KY3.4Henderson, KY: 3.3 %Henderson, KY3.3Versailles, KY: 2.9 %Versailles, KY2.9Shelbyville, KY: 2.9 %Shelbyville, KY2.9Florence, KY: 2.9 %Florence, KY2.9Alexandria, KY: 2.7 %Alexandria, KY2.7Berea, KY: 2.4 %Berea, KY2.4Madisonville, KY: 9.3 %Madisonville, KY9.3Radcliff, KY: 9.1 %Radcliff, KY9.1Somerset, KY: 8.7 %Somerset, KY8.7Ashland, KY: 8.4 %Ashland, KY8.4Danville, KY: 8.2 %Danville, KY8.2Campbellsville, KY: 8.1 %Campbellsville, KY8.1Hopkinsville, KY: 7.8 %Hopkinsville, KY7.8Richmond, KY: 7.3 %Richmond, KY7.3Newport, KY: 6.1 %Newport, KY6.1Covington, KY: 6.1 %Covington, KY6.1Lawrenceburg, KY: 6 %Lawrenceburg, KY6Paris, KY: 5.9 %Paris, KY5.9Elizabethtown, KY: 5.8 %Elizabethtown, KY5.8Shively, KY: 5.7 %Shively, KY5.7Winchester, KY: 5.6 %Winchester, KY5.6Bowling Green, KY: 5.6 %Bowling Green, KY5.6Frankfort, KY: 5.4 %Frankfort, KY5.4Louisville, KY: 5.3 %Louisville, KY5.3Franklin, KY: 5.2 %Franklin, KY5.2Nicholasville, KY: 5.2 %Nicholasville, KY5.2Murray, KY: 5.1 %Murray, KY5.1Glasgow, KY: 5.1 %Glasgow, KY5.1Lexington, KY: 5 %Lexington, KY5La Grange, KY: 4.7 %La Grange, KY4.7Mount Washington, KY: 4.7 %Mount Washington, KY4.7Erlanger, KY: 4.5 %Erlanger, KY4.5Jeffersontown, KY: 4.5 %Jeffersontown, KY4.5Owensboro, KY: 4.2 %Owensboro, KY4.2Lyndon, KY: 4 %Lyndon, KY4Fort Thomas, KY: 3.8 %Fort Thomas, KY3.8Paducah, KY: 3.8 %Paducah, KY3.8St. Matthews, KY: 3.7 %St. Matthews, KY3.7Independence, KY: 3.6 %Independence, KY3.6Shepherdsville, KY: 3.6 %Shepherdsville, KY3.6Georgetown, KY: 3.6 %Georgetown, KY3.6Bardstown, KY: 3.4 %Bardstown, KY3.4Henderson, KY: 3.3 %Henderson, KY3.3Versailles, KY: 2.9 %Versailles, KY2.9Shelbyville, KY: 2.9 %Shelbyville, KY2.9Florence, KY: 2.9 %Florence, KY2.9Alexandria, KY: 2.7 %Alexandria, KY2.7Berea, KY: 2.4 %Berea, KY2.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Madisonville, KY9.3+0.9 pts
2Radcliff, KY9.1+0.3 pts
3Somerset, KY8.7-2.2 pts
4Ashland, KY8.4-0.3 pts
5Danville, KY8.2+0.3 pts
6Campbellsville, KY8.1-3.1 pts
7Hopkinsville, KY7.80 pts
8Richmond, KY7.3-0.6 pts
9Newport, KY6.1-0.9 pts
10Covington, KY6.1-0.8 pts
11Lawrenceburg, KY6+0.5 pts
12Paris, KY5.9+1.7 pts
13Elizabethtown, KY5.8+0.8 pts
14Shively, KY5.7-0.4 pts
15Winchester, KY5.6-0 pts
16Bowling Green, KY5.6+0.1 pts
17Frankfort, KY5.4+0.1 pts
18Louisville, KY5.3-0.3 pts
19Franklin, KY5.2-0.5 pts
19Nicholasville, KY5.2-0.4 pts
21Murray, KY5.1-0.2 pts
22Glasgow, KY5.1-3.2 pts
23Lexington, KY5+0.1 pts
24La Grange, KY4.7+1.5 pts
25Mount Washington, KY4.7-0.9 pts
26Erlanger, KY4.5+1 pts
27Jeffersontown, KY4.5+0.2 pts
28Owensboro, KY4.2-0.3 pts
29Lyndon, KY4+0.3 pts
30Fort Thomas, KY3.8-0.5 pts
31Paducah, KY3.8-0.4 pts
32St. Matthews, KY3.7-0.8 pts
33Independence, KY3.6+0.4 pts
34Shepherdsville, KY3.6+0.4 pts
35Georgetown, KY3.6+0.6 pts
36Bardstown, KY3.4-2.9 pts
37Henderson, KY3.3+0.1 pts
38Versailles, KY2.9+0.8 pts
39Shelbyville, KY2.9-0.8 pts
40Florence, KY2.9-0.6 pts
41Alexandria, KY2.7+0.2 pts
42Berea, KY2.4-1.7 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 cities 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Kentucky 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_kentucky_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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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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Rank Cities in Kentucky 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)?

Madisonville, KY, with 9.3% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Berea, KY, with 2.4% 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Cities in Kentucky: more rankings