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

Port Townsend, WA had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 91 cities in 2023, at 12.8%. Edgewood, WA had the lowest, at 1.4%. The median was 5% and the figure for Washington was 5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Lowest1.4Edgewood, WA
Median591 cities
Washington5History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Port Townsend, WA: 12.8 %Port Townsend, WA12.8Cheney, WA: 12.7 %Cheney, WA12.7Sunnyside, WA: 10.2 %Sunnyside, WA10.2Aberdeen, WA: 8.6 %Aberdeen, WA8.6Airway Heights, WA: 8.5 %Airway Heights, WA8.5SeaTac, WA: 8.3 %SeaTac, WA8.3Snohomish, WA: 8.1 %Snohomish, WA8.1Yakima, WA: 8 %Yakima, WA8Washougal, WA: 7.8 %Washougal, WA7.8Ellensburg, WA: 7.6 %Ellensburg, WA7.6Pullman, WA: 7.5 %Pullman, WA7.5Ridgefield, WA: 7.4 %Ridgefield, WA7.4Kent, WA: 7.3 %Kent, WA7.3Des Moines, WA: 7.2 %Des Moines, WA7.2Olympia, WA: 6.9 %Olympia, WA6.9Walla Walla, WA: 6.6 %Walla Walla, WA6.6Tukwila, WA: 6.4 %Tukwila, WA6.4Burlington, WA: 6.4 %Burlington, WA6.4Oak Harbor, WA: 6.2 %Oak Harbor, WA6.2Moses Lake, WA: 6.2 %Moses Lake, WA6.2Port Angeles, WA: 6 %Port Angeles, WA6Spokane, WA: 6 %Spokane, WA6Sumner, WA: 5.9 %Sumner, WA5.9Federal Way, WA: 5.9 %Federal Way, WA5.9Spokane Valley, WA: 5.9 %Spokane Valley, WA5.9Sedro-Woolley, WA: 5.8 %Sedro-Woolley, WA5.8Bellingham, WA: 5.6 %Bellingham, WA5.6Vancouver, WA: 5.6 %Vancouver, WA5.6Burien, WA: 5.5 %Burien, WA5.5Lakewood, WA: 5.5 %Lakewood, WA5.5Everett, WA: 5.4 %Everett, WA5.4Fife, WA: 5.4 %Fife, WA5.4Tacoma, WA: 5.4 %Tacoma, WA5.4Puyallup, WA: 5.3 %Puyallup, WA5.3Shelton, WA: 5.3 %Shelton, WA5.3Auburn, WA: 5.3 %Auburn, WA5.3Port Orchard, WA: 5.3 %Port Orchard, WA5.3Pasco, WA: 5.2 %Pasco, WA5.2Bremerton, WA: 5.2 %Bremerton, WA5.2East Wenatchee, WA: 5.2 %East Wenatchee, WA5.2Port Townsend, WA: 12.8 %Port Townsend, WA12.8Cheney, WA: 12.7 %Cheney, WA12.7Sunnyside, WA: 10.2 %Sunnyside, WA10.2Aberdeen, WA: 8.6 %Aberdeen, WA8.6Airway Heights, WA: 8.5 %Airway Heights, WA8.5SeaTac, WA: 8.3 %SeaTac, WA8.3Snohomish, WA: 8.1 %Snohomish, WA8.1Yakima, WA: 8 %Yakima, WA8Washougal, WA: 7.8 %Washougal, WA7.8Ellensburg, WA: 7.6 %Ellensburg, WA7.6Pullman, WA: 7.5 %Pullman, WA7.5Ridgefield, WA: 7.4 %Ridgefield, WA7.4Kent, WA: 7.3 %Kent, WA7.3Des Moines, WA: 7.2 %Des Moines, WA7.2Olympia, WA: 6.9 %Olympia, WA6.9Walla Walla, WA: 6.6 %Walla Walla, WA6.6Tukwila, WA: 6.4 %Tukwila, WA6.4Burlington, WA: 6.4 %Burlington, WA6.4Oak Harbor, WA: 6.2 %Oak Harbor, WA6.2Moses Lake, WA: 6.2 %Moses Lake, WA6.2Port Angeles, WA: 6 %Port Angeles, WA6Spokane, WA: 6 %Spokane, WA6Sumner, WA: 5.9 %Sumner, WA5.9Federal Way, WA: 5.9 %Federal Way, WA5.9Spokane Valley, WA: 5.9 %Spokane Valley, WA5.9Sedro-Woolley, WA: 5.8 %Sedro-Woolley, WA5.8Bellingham, WA: 5.6 %Bellingham, WA5.6Vancouver, WA: 5.6 %Vancouver, WA5.6Burien, WA: 5.5 %Burien, WA5.5Lakewood, WA: 5.5 %Lakewood, WA5.5Everett, WA: 5.4 %Everett, WA5.4Fife, WA: 5.4 %Fife, WA5.4Tacoma, WA: 5.4 %Tacoma, WA5.4Puyallup, WA: 5.3 %Puyallup, WA5.3Shelton, WA: 5.3 %Shelton, WA5.3Auburn, WA: 5.3 %Auburn, WA5.3Port Orchard, WA: 5.3 %Port Orchard, WA5.3Pasco, WA: 5.2 %Pasco, WA5.2Bremerton, WA: 5.2 %Bremerton, WA5.2East Wenatchee, WA: 5.2 %East Wenatchee, WA5.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Port Townsend, WA12.8-0.9 pts
2Cheney, WA12.7-0.3 pts
3Sunnyside, WA10.2+1.3 pts
4Aberdeen, WA8.6+2.2 pts
5Airway Heights, WA8.5-1.2 pts
6SeaTac, WA8.3+0.9 pts
7Snohomish, WA8.1+0.8 pts
8Yakima, WA8-0.1 pts
9Washougal, WA7.8-0.3 pts
10Ellensburg, WA7.6-1.4 pts
11Pullman, WA7.5-0.3 pts
12Ridgefield, WA7.4+0.6 pts
13Kent, WA7.3-0.3 pts
14Des Moines, WA7.2-1 pts
15Olympia, WA6.9+0.1 pts
16Walla Walla, WA6.6+0.5 pts
17Tukwila, WA6.4+0.2 pts
18Burlington, WA6.4+1 pts
19Oak Harbor, WA6.2-0.6 pts
20Moses Lake, WA6.2+1.1 pts
21Port Angeles, WA6+0.3 pts
22Spokane, WA6-0.2 pts
23Sumner, WA5.9+1.5 pts
24Federal Way, WA5.9+0.3 pts
25Spokane Valley, WA5.9+0.1 pts
26Sedro-Woolley, WA5.8+1.2 pts
27Bellingham, WA5.6+0.8 pts
28Vancouver, WA5.6-0 pts
29Burien, WA5.5+0.7 pts
29Lakewood, WA5.5+0.4 pts
31Everett, WA5.4-0.4 pts
32Fife, WA5.4+1.6 pts
33Tacoma, WA5.40 pts
34Puyallup, WA5.3-0.9 pts
34Shelton, WA5.3+0.1 pts
36Auburn, WA5.3+0.6 pts
37Port Orchard, WA5.3+0.5 pts
38Pasco, WA5.2-0.6 pts
39Bremerton, WA5.2-0.2 pts
40East Wenatchee, WA5.2+0.8 pts
41Lacey, WA5.1-0.3 pts
42Newcastle, WA5.1+0.2 pts
43Mount Vernon, WA5.1-1.2 pts
44Kelso, WA5-1 pts
45Richland, WA5-0 pts
46Tumwater, WA5-0.8 pts
47Mountlake Terrace, WA4.9+0.8 pts
48Kennewick, WA4.9+0.4 pts
49Centralia, WA4.8-1.6 pts
50Maple Valley, WA4.8-0.1 pts
51Longview, WA4.8+0.3 pts
52Lake Stevens, WA4.8-0.4 pts
53Kirkland, WA4.6-0.1 pts
54West Richland, WA4.6+0.7 pts
55Lynnwood, WA4.6+0.4 pts
56Grandview, WA4.5+0.2 pts
56Mill Creek, WA4.5+0.4 pts
58Renton, WA4.5+0.3 pts
59Monroe, WA4.4+0.1 pts
60Shoreline, WA4.40 pts
61Battle Ground, WA4.3-0.1 pts
61Lynden, WA4.3-0.3 pts
63Woodinville, WA4.3+0.5 pts
64Seattle, WA4.20 pts
65Edmonds, WA4.2+0.1 pts
66Redmond, WA4.1+0.4 pts
67University Place, WA4.1+0.4 pts
68Ferndale, WA4+0.7 pts
69Bellevue, WA4-0 pts
70Bothell, WA3.90 pts
70Lake Forest Park, WA3.9+1 pts
72Anacortes, WA3.8-0.4 pts
72Marysville, WA3.8-0.4 pts
74Yelm, WA3.8-0.9 pts
75Wenatchee, WA3.7+0.5 pts
76Enumclaw, WA3.7-0.5 pts
76Liberty Lake, WA3.7-1 pts
78Arlington, WA3.7-0.2 pts
79Camas, WA3.6+1.2 pts
80Covington, WA3.6+0.1 pts
81Poulsbo, WA3.3-0.9 pts
82Bainbridge Island, WA3.2+0.2 pts
83Issaquah, WA3.1-0.1 pts
84Mukilteo, WA3.1+0.6 pts
85Bonney Lake, WA3.1+0.3 pts
86Kenmore, WA3-0.7 pts
87Sammamish, WA2.7-0.1 pts
88Gig Harbor, WA2.6+0.8 pts
89Snoqualmie, WA2.5-0.2 pts
90Mercer Island, WA2.5-0.1 pts
91Edgewood, WA1.4+0.5 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 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_washington_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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)?

Port Townsend, WA, with 12.8% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Edgewood, WA, with 1.4% in 2023.

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