Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in California

Cities in California by unemployment rate

Calexico, CA had the highest unemployment rate of 285 cities in September 2025, at 33.8%. Goleta, CA had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 5.3% and the figure for California was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest33.8Calexico, CA
Lowest3.3Goleta, CA
Median5.3285 cities
California5.5History

Top 40 cities, September 2025

Calexico, CA: 33.8 %Calexico, CA33.8Brawley, CA: 18.6 %Brawley, CA18.6El Centro, CA: 17.1 %El Centro, CA17.1Porterville, CA: 13.2 %Porterville, CA13.2Delano, CA: 12.3 %Delano, CA12.3Corcoran, CA: 11.9 %Corcoran, CA11.9Coachella, CA: 11.8 %Coachella, CA11.8Reedley, CA: 11.5 %Reedley, CA11.5Wasco, CA: 11.2 %Wasco, CA11.2Dinuba, CA: 11.1 %Dinuba, CA11.1Paradise, CA: 10.6 %Paradise, CA10.6Sanger, CA: 9.3 %Sanger, CA9.3Los Banos, CA: 8.6 %Los Banos, CA8.6Atwater, CA: 8.3 %Atwater, CA8.3Palm Desert, CA: 8.3 %Palm Desert, CA8.3Merced, CA: 8.2 %Merced, CA8.2Adelanto, CA: 8.1 %Adelanto, CA8.1Indio, CA: 8.1 %Indio, CA8.1Barstow, CA: 7.9 %Barstow, CA7.9Patterson, CA: 7.9 %Patterson, CA7.9Hanford, CA: 7.8 %Hanford, CA7.8Lancaster, CA: 7.8 %Lancaster, CA7.8Ceres, CA: 7.7 %Ceres, CA7.7La Quinta, CA: 7.6 %La Quinta, CA7.6Twentynine Palms, CA: 7.6 %Twentynine Palms, CA7.6Cathedral City, CA: 7.5 %Cathedral City, CA7.5Hemet, CA: 7.5 %Hemet, CA7.5Victorville, CA: 7.5 %Victorville, CA7.5Tulare, CA: 7.4 %Tulare, CA7.4Yuba City, CA: 7.3 %Yuba City, CA7.3Banning, CA: 7.2 %Banning, CA7.2Desert Hot Springs, CA: 7.2 %Desert Hot Springs, CA7.2Riverbank, CA: 7.2 %Riverbank, CA7.2Soledad, CA: 7.2 %Soledad, CA7.2Stockton, CA: 7.2 %Stockton, CA7.2Apple Valley, CA: 7.1 %Apple Valley, CA7.1Bakersfield, CA: 7.1 %Bakersfield, CA7.1Fresno, CA: 7.1 %Fresno, CA7.1Lemoore, CA: 7.1 %Lemoore, CA7.1Madera, CA: 7.1 %Madera, CA7.1Calexico, CA: 33.8 %Calexico, CA33.8Brawley, CA: 18.6 %Brawley, CA18.6El Centro, CA: 17.1 %El Centro, CA17.1Porterville, CA: 13.2 %Porterville, CA13.2Delano, CA: 12.3 %Delano, CA12.3Corcoran, CA: 11.9 %Corcoran, CA11.9Coachella, CA: 11.8 %Coachella, CA11.8Reedley, CA: 11.5 %Reedley, CA11.5Wasco, CA: 11.2 %Wasco, CA11.2Dinuba, CA: 11.1 %Dinuba, CA11.1Paradise, CA: 10.6 %Paradise, CA10.6Sanger, CA: 9.3 %Sanger, CA9.3Los Banos, CA: 8.6 %Los Banos, CA8.6Atwater, CA: 8.3 %Atwater, CA8.3Palm Desert, CA: 8.3 %Palm Desert, CA8.3Merced, CA: 8.2 %Merced, CA8.2Adelanto, CA: 8.1 %Adelanto, CA8.1Indio, CA: 8.1 %Indio, CA8.1Barstow, CA: 7.9 %Barstow, CA7.9Patterson, CA: 7.9 %Patterson, CA7.9Hanford, CA: 7.8 %Hanford, CA7.8Lancaster, CA: 7.8 %Lancaster, CA7.8Ceres, CA: 7.7 %Ceres, CA7.7La Quinta, CA: 7.6 %La Quinta, CA7.6Twentynine Palms, CA: 7.6 %Twentynine Palms, CA7.6Cathedral City, CA: 7.5 %Cathedral City, CA7.5Hemet, CA: 7.5 %Hemet, CA7.5Victorville, CA: 7.5 %Victorville, CA7.5Tulare, CA: 7.4 %Tulare, CA7.4Yuba City, CA: 7.3 %Yuba City, CA7.3Banning, CA: 7.2 %Banning, CA7.2Desert Hot Springs, CA: 7.2 %Desert Hot Springs, CA7.2Riverbank, CA: 7.2 %Riverbank, CA7.2Soledad, CA: 7.2 %Soledad, CA7.2Stockton, CA: 7.2 %Stockton, CA7.2Apple Valley, CA: 7.1 %Apple Valley, CA7.1Bakersfield, CA: 7.1 %Bakersfield, CA7.1Fresno, CA: 7.1 %Fresno, CA7.1Lemoore, CA: 7.1 %Lemoore, CA7.1Madera, CA: 7.1 %Madera, CA7.1
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Calexico, CA33.8+1.9 pts
2Brawley, CA18.6+1.6 pts
3El Centro, CA17.1+1.7 pts
4Porterville, CA13.2+0.8 pts
5Delano, CA12.3-0.2 pts
6Corcoran, CA11.9+2.2 pts
7Coachella, CA11.8+0.2 pts
8Reedley, CA11.5+1.3 pts
9Wasco, CA11.2+0.6 pts
10Dinuba, CA11.1+0.5 pts
11Paradise, CA10.6+2.4 pts
12Sanger, CA9.3+1.3 pts
13Los Banos, CA8.6-0.1 pts
14Atwater, CA8.3+1.2 pts
14Palm Desert, CA8.3+0.6 pts
16Merced, CA8.2+0.6 pts
17Adelanto, CA8.1+0.3 pts
17Indio, CA8.1+0.8 pts
19Barstow, CA7.9+1.6 pts
19Patterson, CA7.9+0.3 pts
21Hanford, CA7.8+1 pts
21Lancaster, CA7.80 pts
23Ceres, CA7.7+0.9 pts
24La Quinta, CA7.6+0.5 pts
24Twentynine Palms, CA7.6+1.2 pts
26Cathedral City, CA7.5+0.6 pts
26Hemet, CA7.5+1.1 pts
26Victorville, CA7.5+0.5 pts
29Tulare, CA7.4+0.6 pts
30Yuba City, CA7.3+0.4 pts
31Banning, CA7.2+0.9 pts
31Desert Hot Springs, CA7.2+0.7 pts
31Riverbank, CA7.2+0.7 pts
31Soledad, CA7.2+0.2 pts
31Stockton, CA7.2+0.5 pts
36Apple Valley, CA7.1+0.6 pts
36Bakersfield, CA7.1+0.9 pts
36Fresno, CA7.1+0.7 pts
36Lemoore, CA7.1+0.3 pts
36Madera, CA7.1+0.7 pts
41Palm Springs, CA7+0.7 pts
41Palmdale, CA7-0.1 pts
43Burbank, CA6.9-0.6 pts
44Hesperia, CA6.7+0.4 pts
44Modesto, CA6.7+0.5 pts
46Compton, CA6.6-0.2 pts
46Inglewood, CA6.6+0.1 pts
46San Jacinto, CA6.6+1.1 pts
46Santa Paula, CA6.6+0.3 pts
46Visalia, CA6.6+0.7 pts
46West Hollywood, CA6.6-0.1 pts
52San Bernardino, CA6.4+0.9 pts
52Turlock, CA6.4+1 pts
52Watsonville, CA6.4+0.6 pts
55Hollister, CA6.2+0.2 pts
56Cudahy, CA6.1-0.2 pts
56Hawthorne, CA6.1+0.3 pts
56Lynwood, CA6.1-0.1 pts
56Manteca, CA6.1+0.5 pts
56Oxnard, CA6.1+0.5 pts
56Perris, CA6.1+0.7 pts
56Pomona, CA6.1+0.2 pts
63La Verne, CA6+0.4 pts
63Lodi, CA6+0.6 pts
63Moreno Valley, CA6+0.5 pts
63Rialto, CA6+0.7 pts
63Vallejo, CA6+0.6 pts
63Wildomar, CA6+1.1 pts
69Bellflower, CA5.9-0.3 pts
69Carson, CA5.90 pts
69Gardena, CA5.9+0.2 pts
69Lathrop, CA5.9+0.4 pts
69Los Angeles, CA5.9-0.1 pts
69National City, CA5.9+0.8 pts
69Salinas, CA5.9+0.5 pts
69Whittier, CA5.9+0.2 pts
77Antioch, CA5.8+0.5 pts
77Baldwin Park, CA5.80 pts
77Long Beach, CA5.80 pts
77Maywood, CA5.8-0.3 pts
77Paramount, CA5.8-0.4 pts
77Pico Rivera, CA5.8-0.3 pts
83Agoura Hills, CA5.7-0.2 pts
83Bell Gardens, CA5.7-0.7 pts
83Bell, CA5.7-0.6 pts
83Colton, CA5.7+0.7 pts
83Glendale, CA5.7-0.4 pts
83Highland, CA5.7+0.7 pts
83Norwalk, CA5.7-0.3 pts
83Santa Monica, CA5.7-0.4 pts
83Walnut, CA5.7+0.2 pts
83Woodland, CA5.7+0.4 pts
93Azusa, CA5.6+0.2 pts
93Clovis, CA5.6+0.8 pts
93Culver City, CA5.6-0.4 pts
93Huntington Park, CA5.6-0.1 pts
93Montebello, CA5.6-0.2 pts
93Rancho Palos Verdes, CA5.6+0.4 pts
93South Gate, CA5.6+0.1 pts
93Suisun City, CA5.6+0.6 pts
101Beverly Hills, CA5.50 pts
101El Monte, CA5.50 pts
101La Puente, CA5.50 pts
101Monrovia, CA5.50 pts
101Ridgecrest, CA5.5+1 pts
101South Pasadena, CA5.5-0.3 pts
101Tracy, CA5.5+0.5 pts
108Alhambra, CA5.4+0.1 pts
108Cerritos, CA5.4-0.1 pts
108Chico, CA5.4+0.5 pts
108Claremont, CA5.4+0.1 pts
108Downey, CA5.40 pts
108El Cajon, CA5.4+0.6 pts
108Fontana, CA5.4+0.7 pts
108Glendora, CA5.40 pts
108Lompoc, CA5.4+1 pts
108Menifee, CA5.4+0.4 pts
108Montclair, CA5.4+0.5 pts
108Pittsburg, CA5.4+0.5 pts
108Sacramento, CA5.4+0.7 pts
108San Dimas, CA5.4+0.1 pts
108San Pablo, CA5.4+0.8 pts
108Santa Clarita, CA5.4-0.2 pts
108Santa Cruz, CA5.4+0.7 pts
108Temple City, CA5.4+0.1 pts
108West Sacramento, CA5.4+0.7 pts
127Arcadia, CA5.3+0.1 pts
127Chula Vista, CA5.3+0.8 pts
127Citrus Heights, CA5.3+0.7 pts
127Covina, CA5.3-0.3 pts
127Diamond Bar, CA5.3+0.2 pts
127Fairfield, CA5.3+0.6 pts
127Imperial Beach, CA5.3+0.8 pts
127La Mirada, CA5.3-0.3 pts
127Lakewood, CA5.30 pts
127Marina, CA5.3+1.2 pts
127Pasadena, CA5.3-0.1 pts
127Rancho Cordova, CA5.3+0.7 pts
127Rosemead, CA5.3-0.2 pts
127Santa Maria, CA5.3+0.6 pts
127Vacaville, CA5.3+0.8 pts
127West Covina, CA5.30 pts
127Westminster, CA5.3+0.9 pts
144Jurupa Valley, CA5.2+0.4 pts
144Lake Elsinore, CA5.2+0.5 pts
144Monterey Park, CA5.20 pts
144Oakland, CA5.2+0.4 pts
144Ontario, CA5.2+0.6 pts
144Redding, CA5.2+0.5 pts
144Redondo Beach, CA5.2-0.2 pts
144Richmond, CA5.2+0.5 pts
144Riverside, CA5.2+0.6 pts
144Seal Beach, CA5.2+0.3 pts
154Beaumont, CA5.1+0.6 pts
154Chino, CA5.1+0.7 pts
154Eureka, CA5.1+0.1 pts
154Galt, CA5.1+0.3 pts
154Hayward, CA5.1+0.5 pts
154Lawndale, CA5.1+0.2 pts
154Lemon Grove, CA5.1+0.5 pts
154Novato, CA5.1+1 pts
154Torrance, CA5.1-0.1 pts
163Alameda, CA5+0.5 pts
163Brentwood, CA5+0.4 pts
163Hercules, CA5+0.8 pts
163Manhattan Beach, CA5-0.1 pts
163Murrieta, CA5+0.3 pts
163Oakley, CA5+0.5 pts
163San Leandro, CA5+0.4 pts
163Saratoga, CA5+0.4 pts
171Berkeley, CA4.9+0.6 pts
171Coronado, CA4.9+0.8 pts
171Cypress, CA4.9+0.8 pts
171Davis, CA4.9+0.5 pts
171Elk Grove, CA4.9+0.5 pts
171Fountain Valley, CA4.9+0.6 pts
171Los Gatos, CA4.9+0.6 pts
171Morgan Hill, CA4.9+0.5 pts
171Oceanside, CA4.9+0.6 pts
171Pleasant Hill, CA4.9+0.7 pts
171San Gabriel, CA4.9+0.1 pts
171Yucaipa, CA4.9+0.3 pts
183Milpitas, CA4.8+0.6 pts
183Norco, CA4.8+0.4 pts
183Rancho Cucamonga, CA4.8+0.4 pts
183San Diego, CA4.8+0.6 pts
183San Ramon, CA4.8+0.5 pts
183Santee, CA4.8+0.7 pts
183Temecula, CA4.8+0.4 pts
183Union City, CA4.8+0.2 pts
183Walnut Creek, CA4.8+0.4 pts
192Brea, CA4.7+0.7 pts
192Danville, CA4.7+0.6 pts
192Fremont, CA4.7+0.4 pts
192Garden Grove, CA4.7+0.6 pts
192Gilroy, CA4.7+0.3 pts
192Lincoln, CA4.7+0.6 pts
192Los Altos, CA4.7+0.4 pts
192Martinez, CA4.7+0.7 pts
192Pleasanton, CA4.7+0.5 pts
192Redlands, CA4.7+0.5 pts
192Vista, CA4.7+0.5 pts
203Carlsbad, CA4.6+0.4 pts
203Corona, CA4.6+0.5 pts
203Dublin, CA4.6+0.5 pts
203El Cerrito, CA4.6+0.8 pts
203Fullerton, CA4.6+0.5 pts
203La Mesa, CA4.6+0.3 pts
203Mission Viejo, CA4.6+0.5 pts
203San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA4.6+0.5 pts
203San Jose, CA4.6+0.3 pts
203San Marcos, CA4.6+0.5 pts
203Santa Rosa, CA4.6+0.6 pts
203Simi Valley, CA4.6+0.6 pts
203Thousand Oaks, CA4.6+0.5 pts
216Anaheim, CA4.5+0.4 pts
216Belmont, CA4.5+0.4 pts
216Camarillo, CA4.5+0.4 pts
216Campbell, CA4.5+0.4 pts
216Concord, CA4.5+0.3 pts
216Cupertino, CA4.5+0.3 pts
216El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA4.5+0.3 pts
216Escondido, CA4.5+0.5 pts
216Folsom, CA4.5+0.8 pts
216Irvine, CA4.5+0.4 pts
216La Habra, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Loma Linda, CA4.5+0.5 pts
216Petaluma, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Rocklin, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Rohnert Park, CA4.5+0.7 pts
216San Clemente, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Stanton, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Tustin, CA4.5+0.6 pts
216Upland, CA4.5+0.2 pts
235Benicia, CA4.4+0.2 pts
235Buena Park, CA4.4+0.4 pts
235Huntington Beach, CA4.4+0.6 pts
235Laguna Niguel, CA4.4+0.4 pts
235Lake Forest, CA4.4+0.5 pts
235Monterey, CA4.4+0.3 pts
235Newark, CA4.4+0.2 pts
235Orange, CA4.4+0.5 pts
235Placentia, CA4.4+0.5 pts
235Poway, CA4.4+0.3 pts
235Roseville, CA4.4+0.6 pts
235Santa Ana, CA4.4+0.6 pts
235Seaside, CA4.4+0.4 pts
248Chino Hills, CA4.3+0.4 pts
248Dana Point, CA4.3+0.5 pts
248Foster City, CA4.3+0.4 pts

Showing the top 250 of 285. The Excel download has every row.

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work.

More on how it is measured
  • Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over.
  • EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74.
  • United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states, counties and cities.
  • United Kingdom regions: Labour Force Survey, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted.
  • Canada: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the country and the provinces.
  • Australia: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the nation and the six states; the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
  • New Zealand: Household Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted for the country and not seasonally adjusted for regional council areas.
  • Norway: Statistics Norway Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted monthly figures.
  • Sweden: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted and smoothed (the series Statistics Sweden gives in its monthly release), national.
  • Switzerland: Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), ILO definition, permanent resident population aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, national.
  • For other countries, the source may be OECD survey-based rates, annual survey-based rates compiled by the ILO in ILOSTAT, or annual ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank.
  • ILO modelled estimates cover ages 15 and over.
  • The World series uses those ILO modelled estimates.

Survey-based for national and Eurostat series. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states, US counties, US cities (those of 25,000 or more and smaller New England cities), United Kingdom regions, Canadian provinces, Australia and its six states, New Zealand with 10 of its regions, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (national), not Spanish municipalities. For Spanish municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. 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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03) (Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_cities_in_california_by_2026,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in California by unemployment rate, 2025-09
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-09.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Calexico, CA, with 33.8% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Goleta, CA, with 3.3% in September 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Cities in California: more rankings