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

Big Horn County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 56 counties in 2021, at 13.5%. Wibaux County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for Montana was 4.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest13.5Big Horn County
Median3.456 counties
Montana4.1History

Map of counties, 2021

Beaverhead County: 2.5 %Big Horn County: 13.5 %Blaine County: 13.3 %Broadwater County: 8.3 %Carbon County: 4.6 %Carter County: 3 %Cascade County: 3.4 %Chouteau County: 5.3 %Custer County: 4 %Daniels County: 2.1 %Dawson County: 3.6 %Deer Lodge County: 4.4 %Fallon County: 0 %Fergus County: 2.2 %Flathead County: 3.4 %Gallatin County: 2.1 %Garfield County: 0 %Glacier County: 8 %Golden Valley County: 1.6 %Granite County: 3.7 %Hill County: 4.4 %Jefferson County: 3.3 %Judith Basin County: 3 %Lake County: 6.1 %Lewis and Clark County: 3.5 %Liberty County: 0 %Lincoln County: 7.3 %McCone County: 2.3 %Madison County: 2.6 %Meagher County: 1.2 %Mineral County: 5.2 %Missoula County: 4.7 %Musselshell County: 4.4 %Park County: 2.6 %Petroleum County: 3.1 %Phillips County: 5.2 %Pondera County: 6.7 %Powder River County: 0.9 %Powell County: 2.9 %Prairie County: 3.1 %Ravalli County: 5.2 %Richland County: 4.3 %Roosevelt County: 12.7 %Rosebud County: 6.5 %Sanders County: 5.3 %Sheridan County: 2.5 %Silver Bow County: 4.7 %Stillwater County: 3.4 %Sweet Grass County: 2.4 %Teton County: 2.1 %Toole County: 3 %Treasure County: 1.4 %Valley County: 4.2 %Wheatland County: 1.6 %Wibaux County: 0 %Yellowstone County: 3.9 %
  • Under 2.1
  • 2.1 to 2.7
  • 2.7 to 3.4
  • 3.4 to 4.4
  • 4.4 to 5.3
  • 5.3 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Big Horn County: 13.5 %Big Horn County13.5Blaine County: 13.3 %Blaine County13.3Roosevelt County: 12.7 %Roosevelt County12.7Broadwater County: 8.3 %Broadwater County8.3Glacier County: 8 %Glacier County8Lincoln County: 7.3 %Lincoln County7.3Pondera County: 6.7 %Pondera County6.7Rosebud County: 6.5 %Rosebud County6.5Lake County: 6.1 %Lake County6.1Sanders County: 5.3 %Sanders County5.3Chouteau County: 5.3 %Chouteau County5.3Ravalli County: 5.2 %Ravalli County5.2Mineral County: 5.2 %Mineral County5.2Phillips County: 5.2 %Phillips County5.2Missoula County: 4.7 %Missoula County4.7Silver Bow County: 4.7 %Silver Bow County4.7Carbon County: 4.6 %Carbon County4.6Musselshell County: 4.4 %Musselshell County4.4Deer Lodge County: 4.4 %Deer Lodge County4.4Hill County: 4.4 %Hill County4.4Richland County: 4.3 %Richland County4.3Valley County: 4.2 %Valley County4.2Custer County: 4 %Custer County4Yellowstone County: 3.9 %Yellowstone County3.9Granite County: 3.7 %Granite County3.7Dawson County: 3.6 %Dawson County3.6Lewis and Clark County: 3.5 %Lewis and Clark County3.5Cascade County: 3.4 %Cascade County3.4Flathead County: 3.4 %Flathead County3.4Stillwater County: 3.4 %Stillwater County3.4Jefferson County: 3.3 %Jefferson County3.3Petroleum County: 3.1 %Petroleum County3.1Prairie County: 3.1 %Prairie County3.1Toole County: 3 %Toole County3Carter County: 3 %Carter County3Judith Basin County: 3 %Judith Basin County3Powell County: 2.9 %Powell County2.9Park County: 2.6 %Park County2.6Madison County: 2.6 %Madison County2.6Sheridan County: 2.5 %Sheridan County2.5Beaverhead County: 2.5 %Beaverhead County2.5Sweet Grass County: 2.4 %Sweet Grass County2.4McCone County: 2.3 %McCone County2.3Fergus County: 2.2 %Fergus County2.2Teton County: 2.1 %Teton County2.1Gallatin County: 2.1 %Gallatin County2.1Daniels County: 2.1 %Daniels County2.1Wheatland County: 1.6 %Wheatland County1.6Golden Valley County: 1.6 %Golden Valley County1.6Treasure County: 1.4 %Treasure County1.4Meagher County: 1.2 %Meagher County1.2Powder River County: 0.9 %Powder River County0.9Fallon County: 0 %Fallon County0Garfield County: 0 %Garfield County0Liberty County: 0 %Liberty County0Wibaux County: 0 %Wibaux County0Big Horn County: 13.5 %Big Horn County13.5Blaine County: 13.3 %Blaine County13.3Roosevelt County: 12.7 %Roosevelt County12.7Broadwater County: 8.3 %Broadwater County8.3Glacier County: 8 %Glacier County8Lincoln County: 7.3 %Lincoln County7.3Pondera County: 6.7 %Pondera County6.7Rosebud County: 6.5 %Rosebud County6.5Lake County: 6.1 %Lake County6.1Sanders County: 5.3 %Sanders County5.3Chouteau County: 5.3 %Chouteau County5.3Ravalli County: 5.2 %Ravalli County5.2Mineral County: 5.2 %Mineral County5.2Phillips County: 5.2 %Phillips County5.2Missoula County: 4.7 %Missoula County4.7Silver Bow County: 4.7 %Silver Bow County4.7Carbon County: 4.6 %Carbon County4.6Musselshell County: 4.4 %Musselshell County4.4Deer Lodge County: 4.4 %Deer Lodge County4.4Hill County: 4.4 %Hill County4.4Richland County: 4.3 %Richland County4.3Valley County: 4.2 %Valley County4.2Custer County: 4 %Custer County4Yellowstone County: 3.9 %Yellowstone County3.9Granite County: 3.7 %Granite County3.7Dawson County: 3.6 %Dawson County3.6Lewis and Clark County: 3.5 %Lewis and Clark County3.5Cascade County: 3.4 %Cascade County3.4Flathead County: 3.4 %Flathead County3.4Stillwater County: 3.4 %Stillwater County3.4Jefferson County: 3.3 %Jefferson County3.3Petroleum County: 3.1 %Petroleum County3.1Prairie County: 3.1 %Prairie County3.1Toole County: 3 %Toole County3Carter County: 3 %Carter County3Judith Basin County: 3 %Judith Basin County3Powell County: 2.9 %Powell County2.9Park County: 2.6 %Park County2.6Madison County: 2.6 %Madison County2.6Sheridan County: 2.5 %Sheridan County2.5Beaverhead County: 2.5 %Beaverhead County2.5Sweet Grass County: 2.4 %Sweet Grass County2.4McCone County: 2.3 %McCone County2.3Fergus County: 2.2 %Fergus County2.2Teton County: 2.1 %Teton County2.1Gallatin County: 2.1 %Gallatin County2.1Daniels County: 2.1 %Daniels County2.1Wheatland County: 1.6 %Wheatland County1.6Golden Valley County: 1.6 %Golden Valley County1.6Treasure County: 1.4 %Treasure County1.4Meagher County: 1.2 %Meagher County1.2Powder River County: 0.9 %Powder River County0.9Fallon County: 0 %Fallon County0Garfield County: 0 %Garfield County0Liberty County: 0 %Liberty County0Wibaux County: 0 %Wibaux County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

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 Montana 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 Montana 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/montana-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 Montana 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/montana-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 Montana 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/montana-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Big Horn County, with 13.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Wibaux County, with 0% 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 Montana: more rankings