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

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

Hardeman County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 95 counties in 2021, at 12.3%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 2.3%. The median was 5.4% and the figure for Tennessee was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest12.3Hardeman County
Lowest2.3Williamson County
Median5.495 counties
Tennessee5.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Anderson County: 5.2 %Bedford County: 5.2 %Benton County: 5.4 %Bledsoe County: 7.4 %Blount County: 4.5 %Bradley County: 5.7 %Campbell County: 10.6 %Cannon County: 3.5 %Carroll County: 4.3 %Carter County: 7 %Cheatham County: 4.4 %Chester County: 7.2 %Claiborne County: 6.7 %Clay County: 4.1 %Cocke County: 7.8 %Coffee County: 4.2 %Crockett County: 3.9 %Cumberland County: 6 %Davidson County: 4.8 %Decatur County: 10.6 %DeKalb County: 4.7 %Dickson County: 4.5 %Dyer County: 5.8 %Fayette County: 6 %Fentress County: 7.4 %Franklin County: 3.7 %Gibson County: 5.1 %Giles County: 5.3 %Grainger County: 5.9 %Greene County: 5.4 %Grundy County: 7.8 %Hamblen County: 7.3 %Hamilton County: 4.6 %Hancock County: 8.8 %Hardeman County: 12.3 %Hardin County: 4.1 %Hawkins County: 8.5 %Haywood County: 8 %Henderson County: 5.7 %Henry County: 4.7 %Hickman County: 3.6 %Houston County: 5.6 %Humphreys County: 9.9 %Jackson County: 8.3 %Jefferson County: 6 %Johnson County: 4.6 %Knox County: 4.1 %Lake County: 7.6 %Lauderdale County: 6.7 %Lawrence County: 7.9 %Lewis County: 5.4 %Lincoln County: 4.9 %Loudon County: 3.3 %McMinn County: 5.5 %McNairy County: 6 %Macon County: 5.1 %Madison County: 7 %Marion County: 5.6 %Marshall County: 5.9 %Maury County: 2.9 %Meigs County: 8.6 %Monroe County: 6.2 %Montgomery County: 5.8 %Moore County: 4 %Morgan County: 8.6 %Obion County: 4.9 %Overton County: 3.5 %Perry County: 9.1 %Pickett County: 4.9 %Polk County: 6.6 %Putnam County: 4.9 %Rhea County: 8.4 %Roane County: 5.3 %Robertson County: 4.9 %Rutherford County: 4 %Scott County: 9.9 %Sequatchie County: 4.5 %Sevier County: 4.4 %Shelby County: 7.6 %Smith County: 4.5 %Stewart County: 4.6 %Sullivan County: 6.7 %Sumner County: 3.7 %Tipton County: 5.2 %Trousdale County: 3 %Unicoi County: 5.2 %Union County: 5.8 %Van Buren County: 3.9 %Warren County: 3.5 %Washington County: 5.1 %Wayne County: 5.6 %Weakley County: 3.8 %White County: 5.8 %Williamson County: 2.3 %Wilson County: 3.8 %
  • Under 4
  • 4 to 4.7
  • 4.7 to 5.4
  • 5.4 to 6
  • 6 to 7.7
  • 7.7 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

Hardeman County: 12.3 %Hardeman County12.3Decatur County: 10.6 %Decatur County10.6Campbell County: 10.6 %Campbell County10.6Humphreys County: 9.9 %Humphreys County9.9Scott County: 9.9 %Scott County9.9Perry County: 9.1 %Perry County9.1Hancock County: 8.8 %Hancock County8.8Morgan County: 8.6 %Morgan County8.6Meigs County: 8.6 %Meigs County8.6Hawkins County: 8.5 %Hawkins County8.5Rhea County: 8.4 %Rhea County8.4Jackson County: 8.3 %Jackson County8.3Haywood County: 8 %Haywood County8Lawrence County: 7.9 %Lawrence County7.9Grundy County: 7.8 %Grundy County7.8Cocke County: 7.8 %Cocke County7.8Shelby County: 7.6 %Shelby County7.6Lake County: 7.6 %Lake County7.6Bledsoe County: 7.4 %Bledsoe County7.4Fentress County: 7.4 %Fentress County7.4Hamblen County: 7.3 %Hamblen County7.3Chester County: 7.2 %Chester County7.2Madison County: 7 %Madison County7Carter County: 7 %Carter County7Lauderdale County: 6.7 %Lauderdale County6.7Sullivan County: 6.7 %Sullivan County6.7Claiborne County: 6.7 %Claiborne County6.7Polk County: 6.6 %Polk County6.6Monroe County: 6.2 %Monroe County6.2Jefferson County: 6 %Jefferson County6McNairy County: 6 %McNairy County6Cumberland County: 6 %Cumberland County6Fayette County: 6 %Fayette County6Marshall County: 5.9 %Marshall County5.9Grainger County: 5.9 %Grainger County5.9Union County: 5.8 %Union County5.8Montgomery County: 5.8 %Montgomery County5.8White County: 5.8 %White County5.8Dyer County: 5.8 %Dyer County5.8Henderson County: 5.7 %Henderson County5.7Hardeman County: 12.3 %Hardeman County12.3Decatur County: 10.6 %Decatur County10.6Campbell County: 10.6 %Campbell County10.6Humphreys County: 9.9 %Humphreys County9.9Scott County: 9.9 %Scott County9.9Perry County: 9.1 %Perry County9.1Hancock County: 8.8 %Hancock County8.8Morgan County: 8.6 %Morgan County8.6Meigs County: 8.6 %Meigs County8.6Hawkins County: 8.5 %Hawkins County8.5Rhea County: 8.4 %Rhea County8.4Jackson County: 8.3 %Jackson County8.3Haywood County: 8 %Haywood County8Lawrence County: 7.9 %Lawrence County7.9Grundy County: 7.8 %Grundy County7.8Cocke County: 7.8 %Cocke County7.8Shelby County: 7.6 %Shelby County7.6Lake County: 7.6 %Lake County7.6Bledsoe County: 7.4 %Bledsoe County7.4Fentress County: 7.4 %Fentress County7.4Hamblen County: 7.3 %Hamblen County7.3Chester County: 7.2 %Chester County7.2Madison County: 7 %Madison County7Carter County: 7 %Carter County7Lauderdale County: 6.7 %Lauderdale County6.7Sullivan County: 6.7 %Sullivan County6.7Claiborne County: 6.7 %Claiborne County6.7Polk County: 6.6 %Polk County6.6Monroe County: 6.2 %Monroe County6.2Jefferson County: 6 %Jefferson County6McNairy County: 6 %McNairy County6Cumberland County: 6 %Cumberland County6Fayette County: 6 %Fayette County6Marshall County: 5.9 %Marshall County5.9Grainger County: 5.9 %Grainger County5.9Union County: 5.8 %Union County5.8Montgomery County: 5.8 %Montgomery County5.8White County: 5.8 %White County5.8Dyer County: 5.8 %Dyer County5.8Henderson County: 5.7 %Henderson County5.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Hardeman County12.3
2Decatur County10.6
3Campbell County10.6
4Humphreys County9.9
5Scott County9.9
6Perry County9.1
7Hancock County8.8
8Morgan County8.6
9Meigs County8.6
10Hawkins County8.5
11Rhea County8.4
12Jackson County8.3
13Haywood County8
14Lawrence County7.9
15Grundy County7.8
16Cocke County7.8
17Shelby County7.6
18Lake County7.6
19Bledsoe County7.4
20Fentress County7.4
21Hamblen County7.3
22Chester County7.2
23Madison County7
24Carter County7
25Lauderdale County6.7
26Sullivan County6.7
27Claiborne County6.7
28Polk County6.6
29Monroe County6.2
30Jefferson County6
31McNairy County6
32Cumberland County6
33Fayette County6
34Marshall County5.9
35Grainger County5.9
36Union County5.8
37Montgomery County5.8
37White County5.8
39Dyer County5.8
40Henderson County5.7
41Bradley County5.7
42Houston County5.6
43Wayne County5.6
44Marion County5.6
45McMinn County5.5
46Benton County5.4
47Greene County5.4
47Lewis County5.4
49Roane County5.3
50Giles County5.3
51Anderson County5.2
52Unicoi County5.2
53Bedford County5.2
54Tipton County5.2
55Gibson County5.1
56Washington County5.1
57Macon County5.1
58Obion County4.9
59Pickett County4.9
59Robertson County4.9
61Lincoln County4.9
62Putnam County4.9
63Davidson County4.8
64DeKalb County4.7
65Henry County4.7
66Hamilton County4.6
66Johnson County4.6
68Stewart County4.6
69Dickson County4.5
70Blount County4.5
70Smith County4.5
72Sequatchie County4.5
73Sevier County4.4
74Cheatham County4.4
75Carroll County4.3
76Coffee County4.2
77Clay County4.1
77Hardin County4.1
79Knox County4.1
80Moore County4
81Rutherford County4
82Crockett County3.9
83Van Buren County3.9
84Weakley County3.8
85Wilson County3.8
86Franklin County3.7
87Sumner County3.7
88Hickman County3.6
89Warren County3.5
90Overton County3.5
91Cannon County3.5
92Loudon County3.3
93Trousdale County3
94Maury County2.9
95Williamson County2.3

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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Hardeman County, with 12.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Williamson County, with 2.3% 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 Tennessee: more rankings