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

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 39 counties in 2023, at 10.1%. Wahkiakum County had the lowest, at 2.6%. The median was 5.2% and the figure for Washington was 5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest10.1Ferry County
Median5.239 counties
Washington5History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 4.1 %Asotin County: 5.8 %Benton County: 5 %Chelan County: 4 %Clallam County: 6 %Clark County: 5.2 %Columbia County: 3.4 %Cowlitz County: 5.2 %Douglas County: 4.1 %Ferry County: 10.1 %Franklin County: 5.4 %Garfield County: 7.5 %Grant County: 6.3 %Grays Harbor County: 6.6 %Island County: 4.7 %Jefferson County: 7.7 %King County: 4.6 %Kitsap County: 4.8 %Kittitas County: 5.1 %Klickitat County: 4.8 %Lewis County: 5.9 %Lincoln County: 5.5 %Mason County: 6.6 %Okanogan County: 4.8 %Pacific County: 4.8 %Pend Oreille County: 6.7 %Pierce County: 5 %San Juan County: 3.1 %Skagit County: 4.9 %Skamania County: 5.7 %Snohomish County: 4.4 %Spokane County: 5.7 %Stevens County: 5.3 %Thurston County: 5.2 %Wahkiakum County: 2.6 %Walla Walla County: 5.7 %Whatcom County: 5.1 %Whitman County: 6.5 %Yakima County: 7.1 %
  • Under 4.4
  • 4.4 to 4.8
  • 4.8 to 5.2
  • 5.2 to 5.7
  • 5.7 to 6.6
  • 6.6 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2023

Ferry County: 10.1 %Ferry County10.1Jefferson County: 7.7 %Jefferson County7.7Garfield County: 7.5 %Garfield County7.5Yakima County: 7.1 %Yakima County7.1Pend Oreille County: 6.7 %Pend Oreille County6.7Grays Harbor County: 6.6 %Grays Harbor County6.6Mason County: 6.6 %Mason County6.6Whitman County: 6.5 %Whitman County6.5Grant County: 6.3 %Grant County6.3Clallam County: 6 %Clallam County6Lewis County: 5.9 %Lewis County5.9Asotin County: 5.8 %Asotin County5.8Spokane County: 5.7 %Spokane County5.7Skamania County: 5.7 %Skamania County5.7Walla Walla County: 5.7 %Walla Walla County5.7Lincoln County: 5.5 %Lincoln County5.5Franklin County: 5.4 %Franklin County5.4Stevens County: 5.3 %Stevens County5.3Thurston County: 5.2 %Thurston County5.2Clark County: 5.2 %Clark County5.2Cowlitz County: 5.2 %Cowlitz County5.2Kittitas County: 5.1 %Kittitas County5.1Whatcom County: 5.1 %Whatcom County5.1Pierce County: 5 %Pierce County5Benton County: 5 %Benton County5Skagit County: 4.9 %Skagit County4.9Kitsap County: 4.8 %Kitsap County4.8Klickitat County: 4.8 %Klickitat County4.8Okanogan County: 4.8 %Okanogan County4.8Pacific County: 4.8 %Pacific County4.8Island County: 4.7 %Island County4.7King County: 4.6 %King County4.6Snohomish County: 4.4 %Snohomish County4.4Adams County: 4.1 %Adams County4.1Douglas County: 4.1 %Douglas County4.1Chelan County: 4 %Chelan County4Columbia County: 3.4 %Columbia County3.4San Juan County: 3.1 %San Juan County3.1Wahkiakum County: 2.6 %Wahkiakum County2.6Ferry County: 10.1 %Ferry County10.1Jefferson County: 7.7 %Jefferson County7.7Garfield County: 7.5 %Garfield County7.5Yakima County: 7.1 %Yakima County7.1Pend Oreille County: 6.7 %Pend Oreille County6.7Grays Harbor County: 6.6 %Grays Harbor County6.6Mason County: 6.6 %Mason County6.6Whitman County: 6.5 %Whitman County6.5Grant County: 6.3 %Grant County6.3Clallam County: 6 %Clallam County6Lewis County: 5.9 %Lewis County5.9Asotin County: 5.8 %Asotin County5.8Spokane County: 5.7 %Spokane County5.7Skamania County: 5.7 %Skamania County5.7Walla Walla County: 5.7 %Walla Walla County5.7Lincoln County: 5.5 %Lincoln County5.5Franklin County: 5.4 %Franklin County5.4Stevens County: 5.3 %Stevens County5.3Thurston County: 5.2 %Thurston County5.2Clark County: 5.2 %Clark County5.2Cowlitz County: 5.2 %Cowlitz County5.2Kittitas County: 5.1 %Kittitas County5.1Whatcom County: 5.1 %Whatcom County5.1Pierce County: 5 %Pierce County5Benton County: 5 %Benton County5Skagit County: 4.9 %Skagit County4.9Kitsap County: 4.8 %Kitsap County4.8Klickitat County: 4.8 %Klickitat County4.8Okanogan County: 4.8 %Okanogan County4.8Pacific County: 4.8 %Pacific County4.8Island County: 4.7 %Island County4.7King County: 4.6 %King County4.6Snohomish County: 4.4 %Snohomish County4.4Adams County: 4.1 %Adams County4.1Douglas County: 4.1 %Douglas County4.1Chelan County: 4 %Chelan County4Columbia County: 3.4 %Columbia County3.4San Juan County: 3.1 %San Juan County3.1Wahkiakum County: 2.6 %Wahkiakum County2.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Ferry County10.1+2.5 pts
2Jefferson County7.7-0.8 pts
3Garfield County7.5+1 pts
4Yakima County7.1-0.1 pts
5Pend Oreille County6.7+0.6 pts
6Grays Harbor County6.6+0.2 pts
6Mason County6.6+0.4 pts
8Whitman County6.5-0.2 pts
9Grant County6.3+1 pts
10Clallam County6+0.5 pts
11Lewis County5.9-0.4 pts
12Asotin County5.8-0.1 pts
13Spokane County5.7-0 pts
14Skamania County5.7+0.5 pts
15Walla Walla County5.7-0.1 pts
16Lincoln County5.5+0.2 pts
17Franklin County5.4-0.4 pts
18Stevens County5.30 pts
19Thurston County5.2-0.3 pts
20Clark County5.20 pts
21Cowlitz County5.2-0.3 pts
22Kittitas County5.1-0.8 pts
23Whatcom County5.1+0.2 pts
24Pierce County5+0.1 pts
25Benton County5+0.2 pts
26Skagit County4.9-0.2 pts
27Kitsap County4.8+0.1 pts
27Klickitat County4.8-2.1 pts
29Okanogan County4.8-1 pts
30Pacific County4.8+0.5 pts
31Island County4.7-0.8 pts
32King County4.60 pts
33Snohomish County4.4-0.1 pts
34Adams County4.1-2.2 pts
35Douglas County4.1-0.2 pts
36Chelan County4+0.6 pts
37Columbia County3.4-0.1 pts
38San Juan County3.1-0.1 pts
39Wahkiakum County2.6-0.5 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 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/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 (Counties 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, Counties 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-counties?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. Counties 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-counties?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, Counties 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-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-counties?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. 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: Counties 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-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/washington-counties?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. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Ferry County, with 10.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Wahkiakum County, with 2.6% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in Washington: more rankings