Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) / US states

US states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 51 states in 2024, at 7%. North Dakota had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 4.9% and the figure for the United States was 5.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest7Nevada
Lowest2.8North Dakota
Median4.951 states
United States5.2History

All states, 2024

Nevada: 7 %Nevada7California: 6.6 %California6.6New York: 6.4 %New York6.4District of Columbia: 6.4 %District of Columbia6.4New Jersey: 6.3 %New Jersey6.3Louisiana: 6.3 %Louisiana6.3New Mexico: 6 %New Mexico6Alaska: 5.9 %Alaska5.9Illinois: 5.8 %Illinois5.8Rhode Island: 5.8 %Rhode Island5.8Mississippi: 5.8 %Mississippi5.8Michigan: 5.7 %Michigan5.7Connecticut: 5.6 %Connecticut5.6West Virginia: 5.4 %West Virginia5.4Oregon: 5.4 %Oregon5.4Texas: 5.3 %Texas5.3Pennsylvania: 5.3 %Pennsylvania5.3Massachusetts: 5.2 %Massachusetts5.2Georgia: 5.1 %Georgia5.1Delaware: 5.1 %Delaware5.1Arizona: 5.1 %Arizona5.1Washington: 5.1 %Washington5.1Oklahoma: 5 %Oklahoma5Arkansas: 4.9 %Arkansas4.9Hawaii: 4.9 %Hawaii4.9Maryland: 4.9 %Maryland4.9South Carolina: 4.9 %South Carolina4.9Kentucky: 4.9 %Kentucky4.9Florida: 4.8 %Florida4.8Ohio: 4.8 %Ohio4.8North Carolina: 4.7 %North Carolina4.7Alabama: 4.7 %Alabama4.7Tennessee: 4.7 %Tennessee4.7Colorado: 4.6 %Colorado4.6Indiana: 4.3 %Indiana4.3Virginia: 4.3 %Virginia4.3Minnesota: 4.1 %Minnesota4.1Missouri: 4 %Missouri4Kansas: 3.9 %Kansas3.9Maine: 3.8 %Maine3.8Idaho: 3.7 %Idaho3.7Wyoming: 3.7 %Wyoming3.7Montana: 3.6 %Montana3.6Iowa: 3.6 %Iowa3.6Utah: 3.6 %Utah3.6Vermont: 3.6 %Vermont3.6New Hampshire: 3.4 %New Hampshire3.4Wisconsin: 3.3 %Wisconsin3.3Nebraska: 3 %Nebraska3South Dakota: 2.9 %South Dakota2.9North Dakota: 2.8 %North Dakota2.8
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Nevada7+0.2 pts
2California6.6+0.2 pts
3New York6.4+0.2 pts
4District of Columbia6.4-0.1 pts
5New Jersey6.3+0.1 pts
6Louisiana6.3-0 pts
7New Mexico6-0 pts
8Alaska5.9+0.1 pts
9Illinois5.80 pts
10Rhode Island5.8+0.1 pts
11Mississippi5.8-0.3 pts
12Michigan5.7-0.1 pts
13Connecticut5.6-0.1 pts
14West Virginia5.4-0.3 pts
15Oregon5.4-0 pts
16Texas5.3+0.1 pts
17Pennsylvania5.30 pts
18Massachusetts5.20 pts
19Georgia5.10 pts
20Delaware5.1+0.1 pts
21Arizona5.1-0.1 pts
21Washington5.1+0.1 pts
23Oklahoma5+0.1 pts
24Arkansas4.9-0.1 pts
25Hawaii4.9-0.1 pts
26Maryland4.9-0.1 pts
26South Carolina4.9-0.1 pts
28Kentucky4.90 pts
29Florida4.80 pts
30Ohio4.8-0.1 pts
31North Carolina4.7-0.1 pts
32Alabama4.7-0.1 pts
33Tennessee4.7-0.1 pts
34Colorado4.6+0.1 pts
35Indiana4.3-0 pts
36Virginia4.3-0 pts
37Minnesota4.1+0.1 pts
38Missouri4-0.1 pts
39Kansas3.9-0 pts
40Maine3.8-0.1 pts
41Idaho3.70 pts
42Wyoming3.7-0 pts
43Montana3.6-0.1 pts
44Iowa3.6-0 pts
45Utah3.6+0.1 pts
45Vermont3.6-0.1 pts
47New Hampshire3.4-0 pts
48Wisconsin3.3-0 pts
49Nebraska30 pts
50South Dakota2.9-0.1 pts
51North Dakota2.8-0.1 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 states 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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states. 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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states.

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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_unemployment_2024,
  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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states. 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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states.
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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Nevada, with 7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

North Dakota, with 2.8% in 2024.

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

US states: more rankings