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

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

Philadelphia County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 67 counties in 2021, at 8.9%. Snyder County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 5.2% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest8.9Philadelphia County
Lowest2.4Snyder County
Median5.267 counties
Pennsylvania5.5History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 3.5 %Allegheny County: 5.1 %Armstrong County: 5.7 %Beaver County: 5.7 %Bedford County: 4.7 %Berks County: 5.7 %Blair County: 4.8 %Bradford County: 5.2 %Bucks County: 4.6 %Butler County: 4.8 %Cambria County: 5.3 %Cameron County: 8.7 %Carbon County: 6.7 %Centre County: 4.3 %Chester County: 4.1 %Clarion County: 6.3 %Clearfield County: 6.4 %Clinton County: 5.5 %Columbia County: 4.9 %Crawford County: 6.2 %Cumberland County: 3.5 %Dauphin County: 4.5 %Delaware County: 6.6 %Elk County: 6.2 %Erie County: 5.9 %Fayette County: 7.2 %Forest County: 6.1 %Franklin County: 3.9 %Fulton County: 4.9 %Greene County: 4.6 %Huntingdon County: 5.6 %Indiana County: 6.7 %Jefferson County: 5.2 %Juniata County: 2.9 %Lackawanna County: 4.8 %Lancaster County: 3.5 %Lawrence County: 6.8 %Lebanon County: 4.7 %Lehigh County: 6.1 %Luzerne County: 5.9 %Lycoming County: 5.2 %McKean County: 6.2 %Mercer County: 5.9 %Mifflin County: 4.1 %Monroe County: 6.3 %Montgomery County: 4.5 %Montour County: 2.6 %Northampton County: 4.8 %Northumberland County: 4.7 %Perry County: 3.4 %Philadelphia County: 8.9 %Pike County: 8.4 %Potter County: 6.2 %Schuylkill County: 5.8 %Snyder County: 2.4 %Somerset County: 5.4 %Sullivan County: 5.6 %Susquehanna County: 6.4 %Tioga County: 4.7 %Union County: 3.2 %Venango County: 7 %Warren County: 5.2 %Washington County: 5.1 %Wayne County: 5.6 %Westmoreland County: 5 %Wyoming County: 5.4 %York County: 4.7 %
  • Under 4.3
  • 4.3 to 4.8
  • 4.8 to 5.2
  • 5.2 to 5.8
  • 5.8 to 6.3
  • 6.3 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

Philadelphia County: 8.9 %Philadelphia County8.9Cameron County: 8.7 %Cameron County8.7Pike County: 8.4 %Pike County8.4Fayette County: 7.2 %Fayette County7.2Venango County: 7 %Venango County7Lawrence County: 6.8 %Lawrence County6.8Indiana County: 6.7 %Indiana County6.7Carbon County: 6.7 %Carbon County6.7Delaware County: 6.6 %Delaware County6.6Clearfield County: 6.4 %Clearfield County6.4Susquehanna County: 6.4 %Susquehanna County6.4Monroe County: 6.3 %Monroe County6.3Clarion County: 6.3 %Clarion County6.3Crawford County: 6.2 %Crawford County6.2Elk County: 6.2 %Elk County6.2McKean County: 6.2 %McKean County6.2Potter County: 6.2 %Potter County6.2Lehigh County: 6.1 %Lehigh County6.1Forest County: 6.1 %Forest County6.1Luzerne County: 5.9 %Luzerne County5.9Erie County: 5.9 %Erie County5.9Mercer County: 5.9 %Mercer County5.9Schuylkill County: 5.8 %Schuylkill County5.8Armstrong County: 5.7 %Armstrong County5.7Berks County: 5.7 %Berks County5.7Beaver County: 5.7 %Beaver County5.7Wayne County: 5.6 %Wayne County5.6Sullivan County: 5.6 %Sullivan County5.6Huntingdon County: 5.6 %Huntingdon County5.6Clinton County: 5.5 %Clinton County5.5Wyoming County: 5.4 %Wyoming County5.4Somerset County: 5.4 %Somerset County5.4Cambria County: 5.3 %Cambria County5.3Lycoming County: 5.2 %Lycoming County5.2Warren County: 5.2 %Warren County5.2Bradford County: 5.2 %Bradford County5.2Jefferson County: 5.2 %Jefferson County5.2Allegheny County: 5.1 %Allegheny County5.1Washington County: 5.1 %Washington County5.1Westmoreland County: 5 %Westmoreland County5Philadelphia County: 8.9 %Philadelphia County8.9Cameron County: 8.7 %Cameron County8.7Pike County: 8.4 %Pike County8.4Fayette County: 7.2 %Fayette County7.2Venango County: 7 %Venango County7Lawrence County: 6.8 %Lawrence County6.8Indiana County: 6.7 %Indiana County6.7Carbon County: 6.7 %Carbon County6.7Delaware County: 6.6 %Delaware County6.6Clearfield County: 6.4 %Clearfield County6.4Susquehanna County: 6.4 %Susquehanna County6.4Monroe County: 6.3 %Monroe County6.3Clarion County: 6.3 %Clarion County6.3Crawford County: 6.2 %Crawford County6.2Elk County: 6.2 %Elk County6.2McKean County: 6.2 %McKean County6.2Potter County: 6.2 %Potter County6.2Lehigh County: 6.1 %Lehigh County6.1Forest County: 6.1 %Forest County6.1Luzerne County: 5.9 %Luzerne County5.9Erie County: 5.9 %Erie County5.9Mercer County: 5.9 %Mercer County5.9Schuylkill County: 5.8 %Schuylkill County5.8Armstrong County: 5.7 %Armstrong County5.7Berks County: 5.7 %Berks County5.7Beaver County: 5.7 %Beaver County5.7Wayne County: 5.6 %Wayne County5.6Sullivan County: 5.6 %Sullivan County5.6Huntingdon County: 5.6 %Huntingdon County5.6Clinton County: 5.5 %Clinton County5.5Wyoming County: 5.4 %Wyoming County5.4Somerset County: 5.4 %Somerset County5.4Cambria County: 5.3 %Cambria County5.3Lycoming County: 5.2 %Lycoming County5.2Warren County: 5.2 %Warren County5.2Bradford County: 5.2 %Bradford County5.2Jefferson County: 5.2 %Jefferson County5.2Allegheny County: 5.1 %Allegheny County5.1Washington County: 5.1 %Washington County5.1Westmoreland County: 5 %Westmoreland County5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Philadelphia County8.9
2Cameron County8.7
3Pike County8.4
4Fayette County7.2
5Venango County7
6Lawrence County6.8
7Indiana County6.7
8Carbon County6.7
9Delaware County6.6
10Clearfield County6.4
11Susquehanna County6.4
12Monroe County6.3
13Clarion County6.3
14Crawford County6.2
14Elk County6.2
16McKean County6.2
17Potter County6.2
18Lehigh County6.1
19Forest County6.1
20Luzerne County5.9
21Erie County5.9
21Mercer County5.9
23Schuylkill County5.8
24Armstrong County5.7
25Berks County5.7
26Beaver County5.7
27Wayne County5.6
28Sullivan County5.6
29Huntingdon County5.6
30Clinton County5.5
31Wyoming County5.4
32Somerset County5.4
33Cambria County5.3
34Lycoming County5.2
34Warren County5.2
36Bradford County5.2
37Jefferson County5.2
38Allegheny County5.1
39Washington County5.1
40Westmoreland County5
41Fulton County4.9
42Columbia County4.9
43Blair County4.8
44Butler County4.8
45Lackawanna County4.8
46Northampton County4.8
47Bedford County4.7
47Tioga County4.7
49Northumberland County4.7
50Lebanon County4.7
50York County4.7
52Greene County4.6
53Bucks County4.6
54Montgomery County4.5
55Dauphin County4.5
56Centre County4.3
57Chester County4.1
58Mifflin County4.1
59Franklin County3.9
60Adams County3.5
60Cumberland County3.5
62Lancaster County3.5
63Perry County3.4
64Union County3.2
65Juniata County2.9
66Montour County2.6
67Snyder County2.4

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania 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/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Philadelphia County, with 8.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Snyder County, with 2.4% 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 Pennsylvania: more rankings