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

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

Wolfe County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 120 counties in 2022, at 20.3%. Washington County had the lowest, at 2.3%. The median was 5.3% and the figure for Kentucky was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest20.3Wolfe County
Lowest2.3Washington County
Median5.3120 counties
Kentucky5.1History

Map of counties, 2022

Adair County: 6.7 %Allen County: 7.3 %Anderson County: 5.4 %Ballard County: 5.2 %Barren County: 4.9 %Bath County: 2.9 %Bell County: 10 %Boone County: 2.8 %Bourbon County: 5.5 %Boyd County: 6.9 %Boyle County: 6.2 %Bracken County: 6.2 %Breathitt County: 8.9 %Breckinridge County: 7.7 %Bullitt County: 4.6 %Butler County: 5.4 %Caldwell County: 4.7 %Calloway County: 4.7 %Campbell County: 3.8 %Carlisle County: 4.2 %Carroll County: 6.7 %Carter County: 6 %Casey County: 10.4 %Christian County: 7.6 %Clark County: 5.2 %Clay County: 10 %Clinton County: 5.6 %Crittenden County: 3.4 %Cumberland County: 3.8 %Daviess County: 4.1 %Edmonson County: 6.8 %Elliott County: 6 %Estill County: 8.7 %Fayette County: 5 %Fleming County: 8.4 %Floyd County: 6.8 %Franklin County: 4.8 %Fulton County: 5.6 %Gallatin County: 3.7 %Garrard County: 5.3 %Grant County: 4.5 %Graves County: 3.7 %Grayson County: 4.9 %Green County: 9.5 %Greenup County: 6.2 %Hancock County: 4.5 %Hardin County: 6.8 %Harlan County: 10.8 %Harrison County: 2.8 %Hart County: 3.5 %Henderson County: 3.8 %Henry County: 4 %Hickman County: 4.1 %Hopkins County: 7.7 %Jackson County: 6 %Jefferson County: 5.1 %Jessamine County: 4.6 %Johnson County: 5.4 %Kenton County: 4.4 %Knott County: 10.6 %Knox County: 8.9 %Larue County: 2.8 %Laurel County: 3.6 %Lawrence County: 5.2 %Lee County: 8.1 %Leslie County: 10 %Letcher County: 7.8 %Lewis County: 7.4 %Lincoln County: 6.6 %Livingston County: 6.1 %Logan County: 5.6 %Lyon County: 3.6 %McCracken County: 3.6 %McCreary County: 5.6 %McLean County: 6.7 %Madison County: 5.4 %Magoffin County: 12.8 %Marion County: 6 %Marshall County: 3 %Martin County: 6.4 %Mason County: 4.7 %Meade County: 4.2 %Menifee County: 4.7 %Mercer County: 4.5 %Metcalfe County: 4.8 %Monroe County: 5.4 %Montgomery County: 6 %Morgan County: 3.1 %Muhlenberg County: 4.9 %Nelson County: 3 %Nicholas County: 5.6 %Ohio County: 4.5 %Oldham County: 3.9 %Owen County: 4.6 %Owsley County: 14.2 %Pendleton County: 5 %Perry County: 7.5 %Pike County: 7.3 %Powell County: 7.1 %Pulaski County: 4.9 %Robertson County: 7 %Rockcastle County: 6.6 %Rowan County: 4.6 %Russell County: 6.1 %Scott County: 3.8 %Shelby County: 3.3 %Simpson County: 3.5 %Spencer County: 6.2 %Taylor County: 4.9 %Todd County: 4.3 %Trigg County: 4 %Trimble County: 8.4 %Union County: 3.7 %Warren County: 4.7 %Washington County: 2.3 %Wayne County: 5.2 %Webster County: 5.9 %Whitley County: 6.4 %Wolfe County: 20.3 %Woodford County: 2.5 %
  • Under 3.8
  • 3.8 to 4.7
  • 4.7 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 6.2
  • 6.2 to 7.5
  • 7.5 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Wolfe County: 20.3 %Wolfe County20.3Owsley County: 14.2 %Owsley County14.2Magoffin County: 12.8 %Magoffin County12.8Harlan County: 10.8 %Harlan County10.8Knott County: 10.6 %Knott County10.6Casey County: 10.4 %Casey County10.4Clay County: 10 %Clay County10Leslie County: 10 %Leslie County10Bell County: 10 %Bell County10Green County: 9.5 %Green County9.5Breathitt County: 8.9 %Breathitt County8.9Knox County: 8.9 %Knox County8.9Estill County: 8.7 %Estill County8.7Fleming County: 8.4 %Fleming County8.4Trimble County: 8.4 %Trimble County8.4Lee County: 8.1 %Lee County8.1Letcher County: 7.8 %Letcher County7.8Hopkins County: 7.7 %Hopkins County7.7Breckinridge County: 7.7 %Breckinridge County7.7Christian County: 7.6 %Christian County7.6Perry County: 7.5 %Perry County7.5Lewis County: 7.4 %Lewis County7.4Allen County: 7.3 %Allen County7.3Pike County: 7.3 %Pike County7.3Powell County: 7.1 %Powell County7.1Robertson County: 7 %Robertson County7Boyd County: 6.9 %Boyd County6.9Hardin County: 6.8 %Hardin County6.8Edmonson County: 6.8 %Edmonson County6.8Floyd County: 6.8 %Floyd County6.8McLean County: 6.7 %McLean County6.7Carroll County: 6.7 %Carroll County6.7Adair County: 6.7 %Adair County6.7Rockcastle County: 6.6 %Rockcastle County6.6Lincoln County: 6.6 %Lincoln County6.6Whitley County: 6.4 %Whitley County6.4Martin County: 6.4 %Martin County6.4Spencer County: 6.2 %Spencer County6.2Boyle County: 6.2 %Boyle County6.2Bracken County: 6.2 %Bracken County6.2Wolfe County: 20.3 %Wolfe County20.3Owsley County: 14.2 %Owsley County14.2Magoffin County: 12.8 %Magoffin County12.8Harlan County: 10.8 %Harlan County10.8Knott County: 10.6 %Knott County10.6Casey County: 10.4 %Casey County10.4Clay County: 10 %Clay County10Leslie County: 10 %Leslie County10Bell County: 10 %Bell County10Green County: 9.5 %Green County9.5Breathitt County: 8.9 %Breathitt County8.9Knox County: 8.9 %Knox County8.9Estill County: 8.7 %Estill County8.7Fleming County: 8.4 %Fleming County8.4Trimble County: 8.4 %Trimble County8.4Lee County: 8.1 %Lee County8.1Letcher County: 7.8 %Letcher County7.8Hopkins County: 7.7 %Hopkins County7.7Breckinridge County: 7.7 %Breckinridge County7.7Christian County: 7.6 %Christian County7.6Perry County: 7.5 %Perry County7.5Lewis County: 7.4 %Lewis County7.4Allen County: 7.3 %Allen County7.3Pike County: 7.3 %Pike County7.3Powell County: 7.1 %Powell County7.1Robertson County: 7 %Robertson County7Boyd County: 6.9 %Boyd County6.9Hardin County: 6.8 %Hardin County6.8Edmonson County: 6.8 %Edmonson County6.8Floyd County: 6.8 %Floyd County6.8McLean County: 6.7 %McLean County6.7Carroll County: 6.7 %Carroll County6.7Adair County: 6.7 %Adair County6.7Rockcastle County: 6.6 %Rockcastle County6.6Lincoln County: 6.6 %Lincoln County6.6Whitley County: 6.4 %Whitley County6.4Martin County: 6.4 %Martin County6.4Spencer County: 6.2 %Spencer County6.2Boyle County: 6.2 %Boyle County6.2Bracken County: 6.2 %Bracken County6.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Wolfe County20.3-6.7 pts
2Owsley County14.2-1.5 pts
3Magoffin County12.8+1.6 pts
4Harlan County10.8-1.8 pts
5Knott County10.6-0.7 pts
6Casey County10.4+0.7 pts
7Clay County10-0.2 pts
8Leslie County10+2.5 pts
9Bell County10+0.8 pts
10Green County9.5+0.8 pts
11Breathitt County8.9-0.5 pts
12Knox County8.9-0.1 pts
13Estill County8.7+1.6 pts
14Fleming County8.4+0.2 pts
15Trimble County8.4-1 pts
16Lee County8.1+0.6 pts
17Letcher County7.8-2.3 pts
18Hopkins County7.7+0.5 pts
19Breckinridge County7.7-0 pts
20Christian County7.6-0.3 pts
21Perry County7.5-3.1 pts
22Lewis County7.4-0.6 pts
23Allen County7.3-0.2 pts
24Pike County7.3-1.2 pts
25Powell County7.1-0.4 pts
26Robertson County7-1.6 pts
27Boyd County6.9-1.6 pts
28Hardin County6.8+0.2 pts
29Edmonson County6.8-0.7 pts
30Floyd County6.8-2.3 pts
31McLean County6.7+0.6 pts
32Carroll County6.7-1.1 pts
33Adair County6.7-0.1 pts
34Rockcastle County6.6-0.7 pts
35Lincoln County6.6+0.6 pts
36Whitley County6.4-0.2 pts
37Martin County6.4-1.1 pts
38Spencer County6.2+0.5 pts
39Boyle County6.20 pts
40Bracken County6.2+1.5 pts
41Greenup County6.2+0.5 pts
42Livingston County6.1-0.7 pts
43Russell County6.1-0.7 pts
44Elliott County6+0.8 pts
45Jackson County6-1.2 pts
45Montgomery County6-0.8 pts
47Marion County6+0.3 pts
48Carter County6+0.7 pts
49Webster County5.9+0.6 pts
50Nicholas County5.6+1.5 pts
51McCreary County5.6-1.3 pts
52Clinton County5.6+1 pts
52Fulton County5.6-1.1 pts
54Logan County5.6+0.2 pts
55Bourbon County5.5+0.4 pts
56Madison County5.4-0.6 pts
57Anderson County5.4+0.3 pts
57Butler County5.4-0.1 pts
59Johnson County5.4-1.3 pts
59Monroe County5.4+1 pts
61Garrard County5.3+1.2 pts
62Ballard County5.2-0.3 pts
63Clark County5.2+0.6 pts
63Lawrence County5.2-0.1 pts
65Wayne County5.2-0.9 pts
66Jefferson County5.1-0.2 pts
67Pendleton County5-0 pts
68Fayette County5+0.1 pts
69Barren County4.9-1.5 pts
70Taylor County4.9-1.4 pts
71Muhlenberg County4.9-1 pts
71Pulaski County4.9-0.8 pts
73Grayson County4.9+0.4 pts
74Metcalfe County4.8+1.5 pts
75Franklin County4.8-0 pts
76Warren County4.70 pts
77Calloway County4.7+0.2 pts
77Mason County4.7+1 pts
79Caldwell County4.7-0.4 pts
80Menifee County4.7-0.8 pts
81Bullitt County4.6-0.1 pts
82Owen County4.6+0.6 pts
82Rowan County4.6+0.6 pts
84Jessamine County4.6-0.1 pts
85Ohio County4.5-0 pts
86Mercer County4.5-0.8 pts
87Grant County4.5+0.2 pts
87Hancock County4.5-0.6 pts
89Kenton County4.4+0.2 pts
90Todd County4.3+0.9 pts
91Carlisle County4.2+1.1 pts
92Meade County4.2-0.9 pts
93Daviess County4.1-0.1 pts
93Hickman County4.1-1.9 pts
95Trigg County4-0.9 pts
96Henry County4-1.5 pts
97Oldham County3.9+0.1 pts
98Henderson County3.8+0.6 pts
99Cumberland County3.8-0 pts
100Campbell County3.8-0.3 pts
101Scott County3.8+0.5 pts
102Gallatin County3.7-0.6 pts
103Graves County3.7-1.1 pts
104Union County3.7-0.2 pts
105Laurel County3.6-1.5 pts
106Lyon County3.6+0.3 pts
107McCracken County3.6-0.3 pts
108Hart County3.5-1.5 pts
108Simpson County3.5-0.6 pts
110Crittenden County3.4+0.3 pts
111Shelby County3.3-0.4 pts
112Morgan County3.1-1.1 pts
113Marshall County3-0.5 pts
114Nelson County3-0.8 pts
115Bath County2.9-0 pts
116Boone County2.8-0.6 pts
117Larue County2.8-0.2 pts
118Harrison County2.8-0.6 pts
119Woodford County2.5-0.2 pts
120Washington County2.3-2.2 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 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, Counties 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-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 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-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 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-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-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 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-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/kentucky-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)?

Wolfe County, with 20.3% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Washington County, with 2.3% 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 Kentucky: more rankings