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

Darby, PA had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 68 cities in 2023, at 20.1%. Ephrata, PA had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 6.1% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest20.1Darby, PA
Lowest1.9Ephrata, PA
Median6.168 cities
Pennsylvania5.3History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Darby, PA: 20.1 %Darby, PA20.1Chester, PA: 17.6 %Chester, PA17.6New Castle, PA: 13.8 %New Castle, PA13.8Reading, PA: 12.1 %Reading, PA12.1York, PA: 11 %York, PA11McKeesport, PA: 10.1 %McKeesport, PA10.1Lebanon, PA: 9.7 %Lebanon, PA9.7Wilkinsburg, PA: 9.4 %Wilkinsburg, PA9.4Harrisburg, PA: 9.4 %Harrisburg, PA9.4Butler, PA: 9.1 %Butler, PA9.1Sharon, PA: 9 %Sharon, PA9Allentown, PA: 8.8 %Allentown, PA8.8Nanticoke, PA: 8.7 %Nanticoke, PA8.7St. Marys, PA: 8.5 %St. Marys, PA8.5Philadelphia, PA: 8.4 %Philadelphia, PA8.4Bloomsburg, PA: 8.4 %Bloomsburg, PA8.4West Mifflin, PA: 8.3 %West Mifflin, PA8.3Wilkes-Barre, PA: 8.3 %Wilkes-Barre, PA8.3Hanover, PA: 8.2 %Hanover, PA8.2Coatesville, PA: 8.2 %Coatesville, PA8.2Indiana, PA: 8 %Indiana, PA8Lancaster, PA: 7.9 %Lancaster, PA7.9Washington, PA: 7.9 %Washington, PA7.9Lansdowne, PA: 7.7 %Lansdowne, PA7.7Pottsville, PA: 7.3 %Pottsville, PA7.3Bethlehem, PA: 7.2 %Bethlehem, PA7.2West Chester, PA: 7.1 %West Chester, PA7.1Erie, PA: 7 %Erie, PA7Altoona, PA: 6.8 %Altoona, PA6.8Johnstown, PA: 6.6 %Johnstown, PA6.6Yeadon, PA: 6.6 %Yeadon, PA6.6Munhall, PA: 6.5 %Munhall, PA6.5Hazleton, PA: 6.3 %Hazleton, PA6.3Williamsport, PA: 6.1 %Williamsport, PA6.1Pottstown, PA: 6.1 %Pottstown, PA6.1Pittsburgh, PA: 5.9 %Pittsburgh, PA5.9Kingston, PA: 5.8 %Kingston, PA5.8Greensburg, PA: 5.8 %Greensburg, PA5.8Whitehall, PA: 5.7 %Whitehall, PA5.7Meadville, PA: 5.5 %Meadville, PA5.5Darby, PA: 20.1 %Darby, PA20.1Chester, PA: 17.6 %Chester, PA17.6New Castle, PA: 13.8 %New Castle, PA13.8Reading, PA: 12.1 %Reading, PA12.1York, PA: 11 %York, PA11McKeesport, PA: 10.1 %McKeesport, PA10.1Lebanon, PA: 9.7 %Lebanon, PA9.7Wilkinsburg, PA: 9.4 %Wilkinsburg, PA9.4Harrisburg, PA: 9.4 %Harrisburg, PA9.4Butler, PA: 9.1 %Butler, PA9.1Sharon, PA: 9 %Sharon, PA9Allentown, PA: 8.8 %Allentown, PA8.8Nanticoke, PA: 8.7 %Nanticoke, PA8.7St. Marys, PA: 8.5 %St. Marys, PA8.5Philadelphia, PA: 8.4 %Philadelphia, PA8.4Bloomsburg, PA: 8.4 %Bloomsburg, PA8.4West Mifflin, PA: 8.3 %West Mifflin, PA8.3Wilkes-Barre, PA: 8.3 %Wilkes-Barre, PA8.3Hanover, PA: 8.2 %Hanover, PA8.2Coatesville, PA: 8.2 %Coatesville, PA8.2Indiana, PA: 8 %Indiana, PA8Lancaster, PA: 7.9 %Lancaster, PA7.9Washington, PA: 7.9 %Washington, PA7.9Lansdowne, PA: 7.7 %Lansdowne, PA7.7Pottsville, PA: 7.3 %Pottsville, PA7.3Bethlehem, PA: 7.2 %Bethlehem, PA7.2West Chester, PA: 7.1 %West Chester, PA7.1Erie, PA: 7 %Erie, PA7Altoona, PA: 6.8 %Altoona, PA6.8Johnstown, PA: 6.6 %Johnstown, PA6.6Yeadon, PA: 6.6 %Yeadon, PA6.6Munhall, PA: 6.5 %Munhall, PA6.5Hazleton, PA: 6.3 %Hazleton, PA6.3Williamsport, PA: 6.1 %Williamsport, PA6.1Pottstown, PA: 6.1 %Pottstown, PA6.1Pittsburgh, PA: 5.9 %Pittsburgh, PA5.9Kingston, PA: 5.8 %Kingston, PA5.8Greensburg, PA: 5.8 %Greensburg, PA5.8Whitehall, PA: 5.7 %Whitehall, PA5.7Meadville, PA: 5.5 %Meadville, PA5.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Darby, PA20.1+6.1 pts
2Chester, PA17.6+1.7 pts
3New Castle, PA13.8-1.7 pts
4Reading, PA12.1+0.8 pts
5York, PA11-1 pts
6McKeesport, PA10.1+2.3 pts
7Lebanon, PA9.7-0.3 pts
8Wilkinsburg, PA9.4+0.9 pts
9Harrisburg, PA9.4+0.4 pts
10Butler, PA9.1-0.3 pts
11Sharon, PA9+1.6 pts
12Allentown, PA8.8-0.4 pts
13Nanticoke, PA8.7+2.6 pts
14St. Marys, PA8.5-0.6 pts
15Philadelphia, PA8.4-0.3 pts
16Bloomsburg, PA8.4+3 pts
17West Mifflin, PA8.3-0.5 pts
18Wilkes-Barre, PA8.3-0.1 pts
19Hanover, PA8.2+1.3 pts
20Coatesville, PA8.2-0.1 pts
21Indiana, PA8-0.3 pts
22Lancaster, PA7.9+0.5 pts
23Washington, PA7.9-0.6 pts
24Lansdowne, PA7.7+1.2 pts
25Pottsville, PA7.3-2.3 pts
26Bethlehem, PA7.2+1.6 pts
27West Chester, PA7.1-0.2 pts
28Erie, PA7+0.1 pts
29Altoona, PA6.8+0.7 pts
30Johnstown, PA6.6-0.5 pts
30Yeadon, PA6.6-0.7 pts
32Munhall, PA6.5-0.1 pts
33Hazleton, PA6.3-0.6 pts
34Williamsport, PA6.1-0.4 pts
35Pottstown, PA6.1+0.1 pts
36Pittsburgh, PA5.9+0.3 pts
37Kingston, PA5.8+0.5 pts
38Greensburg, PA5.8-0.8 pts
39Whitehall, PA5.7+0.8 pts
40Meadville, PA5.5-1.4 pts
41Chambersburg, PA5.5+0.7 pts
42Scranton, PA5.5-0.2 pts
43Norristown, PA5.3-0.9 pts
44Monroeville, PA5.3+0.4 pts
45New Kensington, PA5-1.9 pts
46Easton, PA5+0.6 pts
47Hermitage, PA4.6-0.5 pts
48State College, PA4.5+0.5 pts
49Carlisle, PA4.1+0.1 pts
50Franklin Park, PA4.1-0.2 pts
51Dunmore, PA4-0.8 pts
52Columbia, PA3.9-0.3 pts
53Berwick, PA3.9-0.1 pts
54Lansdale, PA3.9+0.5 pts
55Phoenixville, PA3.8+0.3 pts
56Jefferson Hills, PA3.8-0.2 pts
57Bethel Park, PA3.5-0.4 pts
58Northampton, PA3.4-0.7 pts
59Murrysville, PA3.3-0.2 pts
60Emmaus, PA3.3-0.7 pts
61Waynesboro, PA3.2-0.2 pts
62Lower Burrell, PA3.1+0.9 pts
63Wyomissing, PA3-0.5 pts
64Elizabethtown, PA3-0.4 pts
65Plum, PA2.9+0.8 pts
66Baldwin, PA2.6-1.2 pts
67Mechanicsburg, PA2.4-0.5 pts
68Ephrata, PA1.9-1.3 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_pennsylvania_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Darby, PA, with 20.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Ephrata, PA, with 1.9% in 2023.

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