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

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

Reynolds County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 115 counties in 2021, at 12.6%. Scotland County had the lowest, at 1.1%. The median was 4.5% and the figure for Missouri was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest12.6Reynolds County
Lowest1.1Scotland County
Median4.5115 counties
Missouri4.5History

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 5.2 %Andrew County: 4.7 %Atchison County: 3.1 %Audrain County: 4.7 %Barry County: 3.1 %Barton County: 6.6 %Bates County: 5.9 %Benton County: 7.3 %Bollinger County: 4.6 %Boone County: 3.8 %Buchanan County: 4.9 %Butler County: 6.6 %Caldwell County: 3.8 %Callaway County: 5.3 %Camden County: 5.1 %Cape Girardeau County: 3.8 %Carroll County: 4.9 %Carter County: 1.8 %Cass County: 4.7 %Cedar County: 3.8 %Chariton County: 4.7 %Christian County: 3.1 %Clark County: 1.7 %Clay County: 4.2 %Clinton County: 4.2 %Cole County: 3.3 %Cooper County: 5.2 %Crawford County: 7.7 %Dade County: 8.4 %Dallas County: 5 %Daviess County: 2.1 %DeKalb County: 2 %Dent County: 4.6 %Douglas County: 7.4 %Dunklin County: 7 %Franklin County: 4.5 %Gasconade County: 2.5 %Gentry County: 3.8 %Greene County: 4 %Grundy County: 4.1 %Harrison County: 2.7 %Henry County: 5.8 %Hickory County: 7.9 %Holt County: 3.4 %Howard County: 4.4 %Howell County: 5.2 %Iron County: 3.3 %Jackson County: 5 %Jasper County: 4.1 %Jefferson County: 4.2 %Johnson County: 4.6 %Knox County: 2.9 %Laclede County: 5.9 %Lafayette County: 2.6 %Lawrence County: 7.1 %Lewis County: 7 %Lincoln County: 3.3 %Linn County: 3 %Livingston County: 3.3 %McDonald County: 6.2 %Macon County: 3.7 %Madison County: 5 %Maries County: 5.3 %Marion County: 3.8 %Mercer County: 4.2 %Miller County: 5.7 %Mississippi County: 6.3 %Moniteau County: 4.2 %Monroe County: 1.7 %Montgomery County: 3 %Morgan County: 4.6 %New Madrid County: 4.5 %Newton County: 4.7 %Nodaway County: 2.4 %Oregon County: 5.5 %Osage County: 1.4 %Ozark County: 6.8 %Pemiscot County: 11.2 %Perry County: 4.7 %Pettis County: 4.3 %Phelps County: 5 %Pike County: 3.9 %Platte County: 3.8 %Polk County: 3.4 %Pulaski County: 5.4 %Putnam County: 5.4 %Ralls County: 5.1 %Randolph County: 4.8 %Ray County: 2.5 %Reynolds County: 12.6 %Ripley County: 5.1 %St. Charles County: 3.2 %St. Clair County: 3.2 %Ste. Genevieve County: 4.1 %St. Francois County: 5 %St. Louis County: 4.4 %Saline County: 2.4 %Schuyler County: 1.5 %Scotland County: 1.1 %Scott County: 4.1 %Shannon County: 3.6 %Shelby County: 1.2 %Stoddard County: 5.4 %Stone County: 9 %Sullivan County: 3 %Taney County: 5.2 %Texas County: 6.4 %Vernon County: 4.3 %Warren County: 4.9 %Washington County: 5.8 %Wayne County: 9.9 %Webster County: 4.7 %Worth County: 2.5 %Wright County: 4.5 %St. Louis city: 6 %
  • Under 3
  • 3 to 3.8
  • 3.8 to 4.5
  • 4.5 to 5
  • 5 to 5.9
  • 5.9 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

Reynolds County: 12.6 %Reynolds County12.6Pemiscot County: 11.2 %Pemiscot County11.2Wayne County: 9.9 %Wayne County9.9Stone County: 9 %Stone County9Dade County: 8.4 %Dade County8.4Hickory County: 7.9 %Hickory County7.9Crawford County: 7.7 %Crawford County7.7Douglas County: 7.4 %Douglas County7.4Benton County: 7.3 %Benton County7.3Lawrence County: 7.1 %Lawrence County7.1Dunklin County: 7 %Dunklin County7Lewis County: 7 %Lewis County7Ozark County: 6.8 %Ozark County6.8Butler County: 6.6 %Butler County6.6Barton County: 6.6 %Barton County6.6Texas County: 6.4 %Texas County6.4Mississippi County: 6.3 %Mississippi County6.3McDonald County: 6.2 %McDonald County6.2St. Louis city: 6 %St. Louis city6Bates County: 5.9 %Bates County5.9Laclede County: 5.9 %Laclede County5.9Washington County: 5.8 %Washington County5.8Henry County: 5.8 %Henry County5.8Miller County: 5.7 %Miller County5.7Oregon County: 5.5 %Oregon County5.5Pulaski County: 5.4 %Pulaski County5.4Putnam County: 5.4 %Putnam County5.4Stoddard County: 5.4 %Stoddard County5.4Callaway County: 5.3 %Callaway County5.3Maries County: 5.3 %Maries County5.3Cooper County: 5.2 %Cooper County5.2Taney County: 5.2 %Taney County5.2Howell County: 5.2 %Howell County5.2Adair County: 5.2 %Adair County5.2Ralls County: 5.1 %Ralls County5.1Camden County: 5.1 %Camden County5.1Ripley County: 5.1 %Ripley County5.1Jackson County: 5 %Jackson County5St. Francois County: 5 %St. Francois County5Dallas County: 5 %Dallas County5Reynolds County: 12.6 %Reynolds County12.6Pemiscot County: 11.2 %Pemiscot County11.2Wayne County: 9.9 %Wayne County9.9Stone County: 9 %Stone County9Dade County: 8.4 %Dade County8.4Hickory County: 7.9 %Hickory County7.9Crawford County: 7.7 %Crawford County7.7Douglas County: 7.4 %Douglas County7.4Benton County: 7.3 %Benton County7.3Lawrence County: 7.1 %Lawrence County7.1Dunklin County: 7 %Dunklin County7Lewis County: 7 %Lewis County7Ozark County: 6.8 %Ozark County6.8Butler County: 6.6 %Butler County6.6Barton County: 6.6 %Barton County6.6Texas County: 6.4 %Texas County6.4Mississippi County: 6.3 %Mississippi County6.3McDonald County: 6.2 %McDonald County6.2St. Louis city: 6 %St. Louis city6Bates County: 5.9 %Bates County5.9Laclede County: 5.9 %Laclede County5.9Washington County: 5.8 %Washington County5.8Henry County: 5.8 %Henry County5.8Miller County: 5.7 %Miller County5.7Oregon County: 5.5 %Oregon County5.5Pulaski County: 5.4 %Pulaski County5.4Putnam County: 5.4 %Putnam County5.4Stoddard County: 5.4 %Stoddard County5.4Callaway County: 5.3 %Callaway County5.3Maries County: 5.3 %Maries County5.3Cooper County: 5.2 %Cooper County5.2Taney County: 5.2 %Taney County5.2Howell County: 5.2 %Howell County5.2Adair County: 5.2 %Adair County5.2Ralls County: 5.1 %Ralls County5.1Camden County: 5.1 %Camden County5.1Ripley County: 5.1 %Ripley County5.1Jackson County: 5 %Jackson County5St. Francois County: 5 %St. Francois County5Dallas County: 5 %Dallas County5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Reynolds County12.6
2Pemiscot County11.2
3Wayne County9.9
4Stone County9
5Dade County8.4
6Hickory County7.9
7Crawford County7.7
8Douglas County7.4
9Benton County7.3
10Lawrence County7.1
11Dunklin County7
12Lewis County7
13Ozark County6.8
14Butler County6.6
15Barton County6.6
16Texas County6.4
17Mississippi County6.3
18McDonald County6.2
19St. Louis city6
20Bates County5.9
21Laclede County5.9
22Washington County5.8
23Henry County5.8
24Miller County5.7
25Oregon County5.5
26Pulaski County5.4
27Putnam County5.4
27Stoddard County5.4
29Callaway County5.3
30Maries County5.3
31Cooper County5.2
32Taney County5.2
33Howell County5.2
34Adair County5.2
35Ralls County5.1
36Camden County5.1
37Ripley County5.1
38Jackson County5
39St. Francois County5
40Dallas County5
40Phelps County5
42Madison County5
43Warren County4.9
44Carroll County4.9
45Buchanan County4.9
46Randolph County4.8
47Newton County4.7
48Chariton County4.7
48Webster County4.7
50Audrain County4.7
51Andrew County4.7
51Cass County4.7
53Perry County4.7
54Morgan County4.6
55Johnson County4.6
56Bollinger County4.6
57Dent County4.6
58New Madrid County4.5
59Franklin County4.5
60Wright County4.5
61St. Louis County4.4
62Howard County4.4
63Pettis County4.3
64Vernon County4.3
65Clay County4.2
66Jefferson County4.2
66Mercer County4.2
68Clinton County4.2
68Moniteau County4.2
70Jasper County4.1
71Grundy County4.1
72Ste. Genevieve County4.1
73Scott County4.1
74Greene County4
75Pike County3.9
76Platte County3.8
77Boone County3.8
77Cape Girardeau County3.8
79Marion County3.8
80Cedar County3.8
80Gentry County3.8
82Caldwell County3.8
83Macon County3.7
84Shannon County3.6
85Polk County3.4
86Holt County3.4
87Iron County3.3
88Livingston County3.3
89Lincoln County3.3
90Cole County3.3
91St. Charles County3.2
92St. Clair County3.2
93Barry County3.1
94Atchison County3.1
94Christian County3.1
96Sullivan County3
97Linn County3
97Montgomery County3
99Knox County2.9
100Harrison County2.7
101Lafayette County2.6
102Ray County2.5
103Gasconade County2.5
104Worth County2.5
105Nodaway County2.4
106Saline County2.4
107Daviess County2.1
108DeKalb County2
109Carter County1.8
110Monroe County1.7
111Clark County1.7
112Schuyler County1.5
113Osage County1.4
114Shelby County1.2
115Scotland County1.1

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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_missouri_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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/missouri-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  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Missouri by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unemployment_rate_acs","level":"province","within":"Missouri","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=unemployment_rate_acs&level=province&within=Missouri&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Reynolds County, with 12.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Scotland County, with 1.1% 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 Missouri: more rankings