Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Washington

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

Sunnyside, WA had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 91 cities in 2021, at 12.7%. Edgewood, WA had the lowest, at 1%. The median was 4.9% and the figure for Washington was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest12.7Sunnyside, WA
Lowest1Edgewood, WA
Median4.991 cities
Washington5.1History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Sunnyside, WA: 12.7 %Sunnyside, WA12.7Cheney, WA: 12 %Cheney, WA12Port Townsend, WA: 11.5 %Port Townsend, WA11.5Ellensburg, WA: 10.4 %Ellensburg, WA10.4Pullman, WA: 8.9 %Pullman, WA8.9Washougal, WA: 8.4 %Washougal, WA8.4Des Moines, WA: 8.3 %Des Moines, WA8.3SeaTac, WA: 8.2 %SeaTac, WA8.2Centralia, WA: 8.1 %Centralia, WA8.1Snohomish, WA: 7.9 %Snohomish, WA7.9Liberty Lake, WA: 7.6 %Liberty Lake, WA7.6Kent, WA: 7.5 %Kent, WA7.5Yakima, WA: 7.3 %Yakima, WA7.3Oak Harbor, WA: 7.2 %Oak Harbor, WA7.2Tukwila, WA: 7.1 %Tukwila, WA7.1Aberdeen, WA: 7.1 %Aberdeen, WA7.1Tumwater, WA: 7 %Tumwater, WA7Shelton, WA: 6.8 %Shelton, WA6.8Walla Walla, WA: 6.7 %Walla Walla, WA6.7Kelso, WA: 6.5 %Kelso, WA6.5Airway Heights, WA: 6.5 %Airway Heights, WA6.5Maple Valley, WA: 6.5 %Maple Valley, WA6.5Olympia, WA: 6.5 %Olympia, WA6.5Spokane, WA: 6.2 %Spokane, WA6.2Port Angeles, WA: 6 %Port Angeles, WA6Puyallup, WA: 6 %Puyallup, WA6Pasco, WA: 5.9 %Pasco, WA5.9Lacey, WA: 5.8 %Lacey, WA5.8Burien, WA: 5.8 %Burien, WA5.8Bremerton, WA: 5.7 %Bremerton, WA5.7Spokane Valley, WA: 5.6 %Spokane Valley, WA5.6Lakewood, WA: 5.6 %Lakewood, WA5.6Vancouver, WA: 5.5 %Vancouver, WA5.5Federal Way, WA: 5.4 %Federal Way, WA5.4Burlington, WA: 5.3 %Burlington, WA5.3Lake Stevens, WA: 5.3 %Lake Stevens, WA5.3Lynden, WA: 5.3 %Lynden, WA5.3Ridgefield, WA: 5.2 %Ridgefield, WA5.2Longview, WA: 5.2 %Longview, WA5.2Bellingham, WA: 5.1 %Bellingham, WA5.1Sunnyside, WA: 12.7 %Sunnyside, WA12.7Cheney, WA: 12 %Cheney, WA12Port Townsend, WA: 11.5 %Port Townsend, WA11.5Ellensburg, WA: 10.4 %Ellensburg, WA10.4Pullman, WA: 8.9 %Pullman, WA8.9Washougal, WA: 8.4 %Washougal, WA8.4Des Moines, WA: 8.3 %Des Moines, WA8.3SeaTac, WA: 8.2 %SeaTac, WA8.2Centralia, WA: 8.1 %Centralia, WA8.1Snohomish, WA: 7.9 %Snohomish, WA7.9Liberty Lake, WA: 7.6 %Liberty Lake, WA7.6Kent, WA: 7.5 %Kent, WA7.5Yakima, WA: 7.3 %Yakima, WA7.3Oak Harbor, WA: 7.2 %Oak Harbor, WA7.2Tukwila, WA: 7.1 %Tukwila, WA7.1Aberdeen, WA: 7.1 %Aberdeen, WA7.1Tumwater, WA: 7 %Tumwater, WA7Shelton, WA: 6.8 %Shelton, WA6.8Walla Walla, WA: 6.7 %Walla Walla, WA6.7Kelso, WA: 6.5 %Kelso, WA6.5Airway Heights, WA: 6.5 %Airway Heights, WA6.5Maple Valley, WA: 6.5 %Maple Valley, WA6.5Olympia, WA: 6.5 %Olympia, WA6.5Spokane, WA: 6.2 %Spokane, WA6.2Port Angeles, WA: 6 %Port Angeles, WA6Puyallup, WA: 6 %Puyallup, WA6Pasco, WA: 5.9 %Pasco, WA5.9Lacey, WA: 5.8 %Lacey, WA5.8Burien, WA: 5.8 %Burien, WA5.8Bremerton, WA: 5.7 %Bremerton, WA5.7Spokane Valley, WA: 5.6 %Spokane Valley, WA5.6Lakewood, WA: 5.6 %Lakewood, WA5.6Vancouver, WA: 5.5 %Vancouver, WA5.5Federal Way, WA: 5.4 %Federal Way, WA5.4Burlington, WA: 5.3 %Burlington, WA5.3Lake Stevens, WA: 5.3 %Lake Stevens, WA5.3Lynden, WA: 5.3 %Lynden, WA5.3Ridgefield, WA: 5.2 %Ridgefield, WA5.2Longview, WA: 5.2 %Longview, WA5.2Bellingham, WA: 5.1 %Bellingham, WA5.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Sunnyside, WA12.7
2Cheney, WA12
3Port Townsend, WA11.5
4Ellensburg, WA10.4
5Pullman, WA8.9
6Washougal, WA8.4
7Des Moines, WA8.3
8SeaTac, WA8.2
9Centralia, WA8.1
10Snohomish, WA7.9
11Liberty Lake, WA7.6
12Kent, WA7.5
13Yakima, WA7.3
14Oak Harbor, WA7.2
15Tukwila, WA7.1
16Aberdeen, WA7.1
17Tumwater, WA7
18Shelton, WA6.8
19Walla Walla, WA6.7
20Kelso, WA6.5
21Airway Heights, WA6.5
22Maple Valley, WA6.5
23Olympia, WA6.5
24Spokane, WA6.2
25Port Angeles, WA6
25Puyallup, WA6
27Pasco, WA5.9
28Lacey, WA5.8
29Burien, WA5.8
30Bremerton, WA5.7
31Spokane Valley, WA5.6
32Lakewood, WA5.6
33Vancouver, WA5.5
34Federal Way, WA5.4
35Burlington, WA5.3
36Lake Stevens, WA5.3
37Lynden, WA5.3
38Ridgefield, WA5.2
39Longview, WA5.2
40Bellingham, WA5.1
41Tacoma, WA5
42Auburn, WA5
42Sumner, WA5
44Everett, WA5
45Grandview, WA4.9
46Enumclaw, WA4.9
47Mount Vernon, WA4.9
47Newcastle, WA4.9
47Yelm, WA4.9
50Poulsbo, WA4.9
51Fife, WA4.9
51Kirkland, WA4.9
53Kennewick, WA4.8
54Richland, WA4.7
55Bothell, WA4.6
56Marysville, WA4.6
57Moses Lake, WA4.5
58Sedro-Woolley, WA4.5
59Kenmore, WA4.4
60Edmonds, WA4.4
61Seattle, WA4.3
62Anacortes, WA4.3
63East Wenatchee, WA4.3
64Battle Ground, WA4.2
65West Richland, WA4.1
66University Place, WA4.1
67Lynnwood, WA4
68Bellevue, WA4
69Shoreline, WA4
69Woodinville, WA4
71Renton, WA3.9
72Port Orchard, WA3.9
73Ferndale, WA3.8
74Mill Creek, WA3.8
75Redmond, WA3.7
76Arlington, WA3.7
77Issaquah, WA3.5
78Covington, WA3.3
79Bainbridge Island, WA3.3
80Mountlake Terrace, WA3.2
81Monroe, WA3.2
82Wenatchee, WA3.1
83Camas, WA2.9
84Lake Forest Park, WA2.7
85Mukilteo, WA2.6
85Sammamish, WA2.6
87Mercer Island, WA2.3
88Snoqualmie, WA2.3
89Bonney Lake, WA2.1
90Gig Harbor, WA1.3
91Edgewood, WA1

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/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 cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Washington 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 cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Washington 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/washington-cities?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 cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Washington 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/washington-cities?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 cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Washington 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/washington-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_washington_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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Washington 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/washington-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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 cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Washington 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/washington-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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 Cities in Washington by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unemployment_rate_acs","level":"municipality","within":"Washington","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=unemployment_rate_acs&level=municipality&within=Washington&limit=10

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

Questions

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

Sunnyside, WA, with 12.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Edgewood, WA, with 1% 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Washington: more rankings