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

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

Chester, PA had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 68 cities in 2022, at 15.9%. Plum, PA had the lowest, at 2.1%. The median was 6.1% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 5.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest15.9Chester, PA
Lowest2.1Plum, PA
Median6.168 cities
Pennsylvania5.4History

Top 40 cities, 2022

Chester, PA: 15.9 %Chester, PA15.9New Castle, PA: 15.6 %New Castle, PA15.6Darby, PA: 14 %Darby, PA14York, PA: 12 %York, PA12Reading, PA: 11.4 %Reading, PA11.4Lebanon, PA: 10 %Lebanon, PA10Pottsville, PA: 9.6 %Pottsville, PA9.6Butler, PA: 9.4 %Butler, PA9.4Allentown, PA: 9.2 %Allentown, PA9.2St. Marys, PA: 9.1 %St. Marys, PA9.1Harrisburg, PA: 9 %Harrisburg, PA9West Mifflin, PA: 8.9 %West Mifflin, PA8.9Philadelphia, PA: 8.7 %Philadelphia, PA8.7Wilkinsburg, PA: 8.5 %Wilkinsburg, PA8.5Washington, PA: 8.5 %Washington, PA8.5Wilkes-Barre, PA: 8.4 %Wilkes-Barre, PA8.4Coatesville, PA: 8.3 %Coatesville, PA8.3Indiana, PA: 8.3 %Indiana, PA8.3McKeesport, PA: 7.8 %McKeesport, PA7.8Sharon, PA: 7.4 %Sharon, PA7.4Lancaster, PA: 7.4 %Lancaster, PA7.4West Chester, PA: 7.3 %West Chester, PA7.3Yeadon, PA: 7.2 %Yeadon, PA7.2Johnstown, PA: 7.1 %Johnstown, PA7.1New Kensington, PA: 7 %New Kensington, PA7Hazleton, PA: 7 %Hazleton, PA7Hanover, PA: 6.9 %Hanover, PA6.9Meadville, PA: 6.9 %Meadville, PA6.9Erie, PA: 6.8 %Erie, PA6.8Munhall, PA: 6.6 %Munhall, PA6.6Lansdowne, PA: 6.6 %Lansdowne, PA6.6Greensburg, PA: 6.5 %Greensburg, PA6.5Williamsport, PA: 6.5 %Williamsport, PA6.5Norristown, PA: 6.2 %Norristown, PA6.2Nanticoke, PA: 6.1 %Nanticoke, PA6.1Altoona, PA: 6 %Altoona, PA6Pottstown, PA: 6 %Pottstown, PA6Pittsburgh, PA: 5.7 %Pittsburgh, PA5.7Bethlehem, PA: 5.6 %Bethlehem, PA5.6Scranton, PA: 5.6 %Scranton, PA5.6Chester, PA: 15.9 %Chester, PA15.9New Castle, PA: 15.6 %New Castle, PA15.6Darby, PA: 14 %Darby, PA14York, PA: 12 %York, PA12Reading, PA: 11.4 %Reading, PA11.4Lebanon, PA: 10 %Lebanon, PA10Pottsville, PA: 9.6 %Pottsville, PA9.6Butler, PA: 9.4 %Butler, PA9.4Allentown, PA: 9.2 %Allentown, PA9.2St. Marys, PA: 9.1 %St. Marys, PA9.1Harrisburg, PA: 9 %Harrisburg, PA9West Mifflin, PA: 8.9 %West Mifflin, PA8.9Philadelphia, PA: 8.7 %Philadelphia, PA8.7Wilkinsburg, PA: 8.5 %Wilkinsburg, PA8.5Washington, PA: 8.5 %Washington, PA8.5Wilkes-Barre, PA: 8.4 %Wilkes-Barre, PA8.4Coatesville, PA: 8.3 %Coatesville, PA8.3Indiana, PA: 8.3 %Indiana, PA8.3McKeesport, PA: 7.8 %McKeesport, PA7.8Sharon, PA: 7.4 %Sharon, PA7.4Lancaster, PA: 7.4 %Lancaster, PA7.4West Chester, PA: 7.3 %West Chester, PA7.3Yeadon, PA: 7.2 %Yeadon, PA7.2Johnstown, PA: 7.1 %Johnstown, PA7.1New Kensington, PA: 7 %New Kensington, PA7Hazleton, PA: 7 %Hazleton, PA7Hanover, PA: 6.9 %Hanover, PA6.9Meadville, PA: 6.9 %Meadville, PA6.9Erie, PA: 6.8 %Erie, PA6.8Munhall, PA: 6.6 %Munhall, PA6.6Lansdowne, PA: 6.6 %Lansdowne, PA6.6Greensburg, PA: 6.5 %Greensburg, PA6.5Williamsport, PA: 6.5 %Williamsport, PA6.5Norristown, PA: 6.2 %Norristown, PA6.2Nanticoke, PA: 6.1 %Nanticoke, PA6.1Altoona, PA: 6 %Altoona, PA6Pottstown, PA: 6 %Pottstown, PA6Pittsburgh, PA: 5.7 %Pittsburgh, PA5.7Bethlehem, PA: 5.6 %Bethlehem, PA5.6Scranton, PA: 5.6 %Scranton, PA5.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Chester, PA15.9+0.1 pts
2New Castle, PA15.6+1.8 pts
3Darby, PA14+0.7 pts
4York, PA12+0.4 pts
5Reading, PA11.4-0.5 pts
6Lebanon, PA10-0.3 pts
7Pottsville, PA9.6+0.2 pts
8Butler, PA9.4-1 pts
9Allentown, PA9.2-0.4 pts
10St. Marys, PA9.1+1.2 pts
11Harrisburg, PA9+0.3 pts
12West Mifflin, PA8.9-0.3 pts
13Philadelphia, PA8.7-0.3 pts
14Wilkinsburg, PA8.5-0.4 pts
15Washington, PA8.5-0.9 pts
16Wilkes-Barre, PA8.4+0.3 pts
17Coatesville, PA8.3-0.8 pts
18Indiana, PA8.3-0.1 pts
19McKeesport, PA7.8-0.4 pts
20Sharon, PA7.4-2.7 pts
21Lancaster, PA7.4+0.3 pts
22West Chester, PA7.3-0.1 pts
23Yeadon, PA7.2-1.1 pts
24Johnstown, PA7.1-1.8 pts
25New Kensington, PA7+1.5 pts
26Hazleton, PA70 pts
27Hanover, PA6.90 pts
28Meadville, PA6.9-1.9 pts
29Erie, PA6.8-0.9 pts
30Munhall, PA6.6+0.1 pts
31Lansdowne, PA6.6-0.4 pts
32Greensburg, PA6.5-0.8 pts
33Williamsport, PA6.5+0.7 pts
34Norristown, PA6.20 pts
35Nanticoke, PA6.1-0.6 pts
36Altoona, PA6-0.8 pts
37Pottstown, PA6-0 pts
38Pittsburgh, PA5.7+0.3 pts
39Bethlehem, PA5.6-0 pts
39Scranton, PA5.6-0.2 pts
41Bloomsburg, PA5.4-2.7 pts
42Kingston, PA5.3-0.4 pts
43Hermitage, PA5.1-0.2 pts
44Whitehall, PA5-0.7 pts
45Monroeville, PA4.8-0.3 pts
46Chambersburg, PA4.80 pts
47Dunmore, PA4.8+1.1 pts
48Easton, PA4.4-0.9 pts
49Franklin Park, PA4.3-1 pts
50Columbia, PA4.2+0.2 pts
51Northampton, PA4.1-0.1 pts
52Carlisle, PA4.1+0.3 pts
53Jefferson Hills, PA4-0 pts
54Berwick, PA4-0 pts
55Emmaus, PA4-0.1 pts
56State College, PA3.9-1.5 pts
57Baldwin, PA3.8-0.3 pts
58Bethel Park, PA3.8-0.8 pts
59Wyomissing, PA3.6-0.4 pts
60Murrysville, PA3.50 pts
61Phoenixville, PA3.5-1.3 pts
62Waynesboro, PA3.4-0.3 pts
63Elizabethtown, PA3.3-0.9 pts
63Lansdale, PA3.3-0.6 pts
65Ephrata, PA3.2+0.2 pts
66Mechanicsburg, PA2.8+0.4 pts
67Lower Burrell, PA2.3-1 pts
68Plum, PA2.1-1.1 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_pennsylvania_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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unemployment_rate_acs","level":"municipality","within":"Pennsylvania","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Chester, PA, with 15.9% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Plum, PA, with 2.1% 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 Pennsylvania: more rankings