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

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

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 51 states in 2021, at 7.1%. North Dakota had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 5.3% and the figure for the United States was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest7.1Nevada
Lowest3.2North Dakota
Median5.351 states
United States5.5History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 5.4 %Alaska: 6.9 %Arizona: 5.6 %Arkansas: 5.3 %California: 6.5 %Colorado: 4.7 %Connecticut: 6.1 %Delaware: 5.7 %District of Columbia: 7.1 %Florida: 5.3 %Georgia: 5.5 %Hawaii: 5.2 %Idaho: 4 %Illinois: 6.2 %Indiana: 4.7 %Iowa: 3.9 %Kansas: 4.1 %Kentucky: 5.3 %Louisiana: 6.8 %Maine: 4.2 %Maryland: 5.3 %Massachusetts: 5.4 %Michigan: 6.2 %Minnesota: 4 %Mississippi: 6.9 %Missouri: 4.5 %Montana: 4.1 %Nebraska: 3.3 %Nevada: 7.1 %New Hampshire: 3.8 %New Jersey: 6.2 %New Mexico: 6.6 %New York: 6.2 %North Carolina: 5.3 %North Dakota: 3.2 %Ohio: 5.3 %Oklahoma: 5 %Oregon: 5.6 %Pennsylvania: 5.5 %Rhode Island: 6 %South Carolina: 5.3 %South Dakota: 3.2 %Tennessee: 5.3 %Texas: 5.4 %Utah: 3.5 %Vermont: 3.9 %Virginia: 4.6 %Washington: 5.1 %West Virginia: 6.4 %Wisconsin: 3.5 %Wyoming: 4.2 %
  • Under 4
  • 4 to 4.7
  • 4.7 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 5.5
  • 5.5 to 6.2
  • 6.2 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2021

Nevada: 7.1 %Nevada7.1District of Columbia: 7.1 %District of Columbia7.1Alaska: 6.9 %Alaska6.9Mississippi: 6.9 %Mississippi6.9Louisiana: 6.8 %Louisiana6.8New Mexico: 6.6 %New Mexico6.6California: 6.5 %California6.5West Virginia: 6.4 %West Virginia6.4New York: 6.2 %New York6.2New Jersey: 6.2 %New Jersey6.2Michigan: 6.2 %Michigan6.2Illinois: 6.2 %Illinois6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1Rhode Island: 6 %Rhode Island6Delaware: 5.7 %Delaware5.7Arizona: 5.6 %Arizona5.6Oregon: 5.6 %Oregon5.6Georgia: 5.5 %Georgia5.5Pennsylvania: 5.5 %Pennsylvania5.5Massachusetts: 5.4 %Massachusetts5.4Alabama: 5.4 %Alabama5.4Texas: 5.4 %Texas5.4North Carolina: 5.3 %North Carolina5.3South Carolina: 5.3 %South Carolina5.3Arkansas: 5.3 %Arkansas5.3Florida: 5.3 %Florida5.3Maryland: 5.3 %Maryland5.3Kentucky: 5.3 %Kentucky5.3Tennessee: 5.3 %Tennessee5.3Ohio: 5.3 %Ohio5.3Hawaii: 5.2 %Hawaii5.2Washington: 5.1 %Washington5.1Oklahoma: 5 %Oklahoma5Indiana: 4.7 %Indiana4.7Colorado: 4.7 %Colorado4.7Virginia: 4.6 %Virginia4.6Missouri: 4.5 %Missouri4.5Maine: 4.2 %Maine4.2Wyoming: 4.2 %Wyoming4.2Kansas: 4.1 %Kansas4.1Montana: 4.1 %Montana4.1Idaho: 4 %Idaho4Minnesota: 4 %Minnesota4Vermont: 3.9 %Vermont3.9Iowa: 3.9 %Iowa3.9New Hampshire: 3.8 %New Hampshire3.8Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5Wisconsin: 3.5 %Wisconsin3.5Nebraska: 3.3 %Nebraska3.3South Dakota: 3.2 %South Dakota3.2North Dakota: 3.2 %North Dakota3.2Nevada: 7.1 %Nevada7.1District of Columbia: 7.1 %District of Columbia7.1Alaska: 6.9 %Alaska6.9Mississippi: 6.9 %Mississippi6.9Louisiana: 6.8 %Louisiana6.8New Mexico: 6.6 %New Mexico6.6California: 6.5 %California6.5West Virginia: 6.4 %West Virginia6.4New York: 6.2 %New York6.2New Jersey: 6.2 %New Jersey6.2Michigan: 6.2 %Michigan6.2Illinois: 6.2 %Illinois6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1Rhode Island: 6 %Rhode Island6Delaware: 5.7 %Delaware5.7Arizona: 5.6 %Arizona5.6Oregon: 5.6 %Oregon5.6Georgia: 5.5 %Georgia5.5Pennsylvania: 5.5 %Pennsylvania5.5Massachusetts: 5.4 %Massachusetts5.4Alabama: 5.4 %Alabama5.4Texas: 5.4 %Texas5.4North Carolina: 5.3 %North Carolina5.3South Carolina: 5.3 %South Carolina5.3Arkansas: 5.3 %Arkansas5.3Florida: 5.3 %Florida5.3Maryland: 5.3 %Maryland5.3Kentucky: 5.3 %Kentucky5.3Tennessee: 5.3 %Tennessee5.3Ohio: 5.3 %Ohio5.3Hawaii: 5.2 %Hawaii5.2Washington: 5.1 %Washington5.1Oklahoma: 5 %Oklahoma5Indiana: 4.7 %Indiana4.7Colorado: 4.7 %Colorado4.7Virginia: 4.6 %Virginia4.6Missouri: 4.5 %Missouri4.5Maine: 4.2 %Maine4.2Wyoming: 4.2 %Wyoming4.2Kansas: 4.1 %Kansas4.1Montana: 4.1 %Montana4.1Idaho: 4 %Idaho4Minnesota: 4 %Minnesota4Vermont: 3.9 %Vermont3.9Iowa: 3.9 %Iowa3.9New Hampshire: 3.8 %New Hampshire3.8Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5Wisconsin: 3.5 %Wisconsin3.5Nebraska: 3.3 %Nebraska3.3South Dakota: 3.2 %South Dakota3.2North Dakota: 3.2 %North Dakota3.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2021 (%)
1Nevada7.1
2District of Columbia7.1
3Alaska6.9
4Mississippi6.9
5Louisiana6.8
6New Mexico6.6
7California6.5
8West Virginia6.4
9New York6.2
10New Jersey6.2
11Michigan6.2
12Illinois6.2
13Connecticut6.1
14Rhode Island6
15Delaware5.7
16Arizona5.6
16Oregon5.6
18Georgia5.5
18Pennsylvania5.5
20Massachusetts5.4
21Alabama5.4
22Texas5.4
23North Carolina5.3
23South Carolina5.3
25Arkansas5.3
26Florida5.3
26Maryland5.3
28Kentucky5.3
28Tennessee5.3
30Ohio5.3
31Hawaii5.2
32Washington5.1
33Oklahoma5
34Indiana4.7
35Colorado4.7
36Virginia4.6
37Missouri4.5
38Maine4.2
39Wyoming4.2
40Kansas4.1
41Montana4.1
42Idaho4
43Minnesota4
44Vermont3.9
45Iowa3.9
46New Hampshire3.8
47Utah3.5
48Wisconsin3.5
49Nebraska3.3
50South Dakota3.2
51North Dakota3.2

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/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 (US states 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, US states 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/us-states?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. US states 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/us-states?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, US states 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/us-states?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_unemployment_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: US states 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/us-states?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: US states 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/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/us-states?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  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank US states by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unemployment_rate_acs","level":"region","within":"United States","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=unemployment_rate_acs&level=region&within=United%20States&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Nevada, with 7.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

North Dakota, with 3.2% 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

US states: more rankings