Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in California

Cities in California by unemployment rate

Calexico, CA had the highest unemployment rate of 285 cities in December 2025, at 28.6%. Goleta, CA had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for California was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest28.6Calexico, CA
Lowest2.7Goleta, CA
Median4.6285 cities
California5.5History

Top 40 cities, December 2025

Calexico, CA: 28.6 %Calexico, CA28.6Reedley, CA: 18.6 %Reedley, CA18.6Delano, CA: 17.8 %Delano, CA17.8Brawley, CA: 16.8 %Brawley, CA16.8Dinuba, CA: 15.3 %Dinuba, CA15.3El Centro, CA: 14.8 %El Centro, CA14.8Watsonville, CA: 14.5 %Watsonville, CA14.5Corcoran, CA: 13.7 %Corcoran, CA13.7Soledad, CA: 13.5 %Soledad, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 12.9 %Porterville, CA12.9Salinas, CA: 12 %Salinas, CA12Wasco, CA: 11.8 %Wasco, CA11.8Los Banos, CA: 11.2 %Los Banos, CA11.2Paradise, CA: 10.1 %Paradise, CA10.1Santa Paula, CA: 10.1 %Santa Paula, CA10.1Atwater, CA: 9.2 %Atwater, CA9.2Coachella, CA: 9.2 %Coachella, CA9.2Patterson, CA: 9.1 %Patterson, CA9.1Yuba City, CA: 9.1 %Yuba City, CA9.1Sanger, CA: 9 %Sanger, CA9Madera, CA: 8.7 %Madera, CA8.7Ceres, CA: 8.2 %Ceres, CA8.2Hanford, CA: 8.2 %Hanford, CA8.2Riverbank, CA: 8.2 %Riverbank, CA8.2Santa Maria, CA: 7.7 %Santa Maria, CA7.7Merced, CA: 7.6 %Merced, CA7.6Adelanto, CA: 7.2 %Adelanto, CA7.2Barstow, CA: 7.1 %Barstow, CA7.1Lemoore, CA: 7.1 %Lemoore, CA7.1Woodland, CA: 7.1 %Woodland, CA7.1Hemet, CA: 6.9 %Hemet, CA6.9Stockton, CA: 6.9 %Stockton, CA6.9Hollister, CA: 6.8 %Hollister, CA6.8Lancaster, CA: 6.8 %Lancaster, CA6.8Tulare, CA: 6.8 %Tulare, CA6.8Victorville, CA: 6.8 %Victorville, CA6.8Lodi, CA: 6.6 %Lodi, CA6.6Twentynine Palms, CA: 6.6 %Twentynine Palms, CA6.6Banning, CA: 6.4 %Banning, CA6.4Galt, CA: 6.4 %Galt, CA6.4Calexico, CA: 28.6 %Calexico, CA28.6Reedley, CA: 18.6 %Reedley, CA18.6Delano, CA: 17.8 %Delano, CA17.8Brawley, CA: 16.8 %Brawley, CA16.8Dinuba, CA: 15.3 %Dinuba, CA15.3El Centro, CA: 14.8 %El Centro, CA14.8Watsonville, CA: 14.5 %Watsonville, CA14.5Corcoran, CA: 13.7 %Corcoran, CA13.7Soledad, CA: 13.5 %Soledad, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 12.9 %Porterville, CA12.9Salinas, CA: 12 %Salinas, CA12Wasco, CA: 11.8 %Wasco, CA11.8Los Banos, CA: 11.2 %Los Banos, CA11.2Paradise, CA: 10.1 %Paradise, CA10.1Santa Paula, CA: 10.1 %Santa Paula, CA10.1Atwater, CA: 9.2 %Atwater, CA9.2Coachella, CA: 9.2 %Coachella, CA9.2Patterson, CA: 9.1 %Patterson, CA9.1Yuba City, CA: 9.1 %Yuba City, CA9.1Sanger, CA: 9 %Sanger, CA9Madera, CA: 8.7 %Madera, CA8.7Ceres, CA: 8.2 %Ceres, CA8.2Hanford, CA: 8.2 %Hanford, CA8.2Riverbank, CA: 8.2 %Riverbank, CA8.2Santa Maria, CA: 7.7 %Santa Maria, CA7.7Merced, CA: 7.6 %Merced, CA7.6Adelanto, CA: 7.2 %Adelanto, CA7.2Barstow, CA: 7.1 %Barstow, CA7.1Lemoore, CA: 7.1 %Lemoore, CA7.1Woodland, CA: 7.1 %Woodland, CA7.1Hemet, CA: 6.9 %Hemet, CA6.9Stockton, CA: 6.9 %Stockton, CA6.9Hollister, CA: 6.8 %Hollister, CA6.8Lancaster, CA: 6.8 %Lancaster, CA6.8Tulare, CA: 6.8 %Tulare, CA6.8Victorville, CA: 6.8 %Victorville, CA6.8Lodi, CA: 6.6 %Lodi, CA6.6Twentynine Palms, CA: 6.6 %Twentynine Palms, CA6.6Banning, CA: 6.4 %Banning, CA6.4Galt, CA: 6.4 %Galt, CA6.4
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Calexico, CA28.6-0.4 pts
2Reedley, CA18.6+0.4 pts
3Delano, CA17.8-0.3 pts
4Brawley, CA16.8+0.3 pts
5Dinuba, CA15.3-0.6 pts
6El Centro, CA14.8-0.3 pts
7Watsonville, CA14.5+0.9 pts
8Corcoran, CA13.7+1 pts
9Soledad, CA13.5-0.1 pts
10Porterville, CA12.9-0.2 pts
11Salinas, CA12+0.4 pts
12Wasco, CA11.8-1.2 pts
13Los Banos, CA11.2-0.4 pts
14Paradise, CA10.1+2.5 pts
14Santa Paula, CA10.1+0.1 pts
16Atwater, CA9.2-0.4 pts
16Coachella, CA9.2-0.4 pts
18Patterson, CA9.1+0.2 pts
18Yuba City, CA9.1-0.1 pts
20Sanger, CA9+0.3 pts
21Madera, CA8.7+0.2 pts
22Ceres, CA8.2-0.4 pts
22Hanford, CA8.20 pts
22Riverbank, CA8.2+0.4 pts
25Santa Maria, CA7.7+0.5 pts
26Merced, CA7.6-0.3 pts
27Adelanto, CA7.2-0.4 pts
28Barstow, CA7.1+0.8 pts
28Lemoore, CA7.1+0.3 pts
28Woodland, CA7.1+0.3 pts
31Hemet, CA6.9+0.5 pts
31Stockton, CA6.9-0.2 pts
33Hollister, CA6.8-0.3 pts
33Lancaster, CA6.8-0.3 pts
33Tulare, CA6.8+0.3 pts
33Victorville, CA6.8+0.2 pts
37Lodi, CA6.60 pts
37Twentynine Palms, CA6.6+0.6 pts
39Banning, CA6.4+0.3 pts
39Galt, CA6.4+0.2 pts
41Apple Valley, CA6.30 pts
41Bakersfield, CA6.3+0.4 pts
41Fresno, CA6.3+0.2 pts
44Modesto, CA6.2-0.3 pts
44Palmdale, CA6.2-0.4 pts
46West Hollywood, CA6.1-0.4 pts
47Hesperia, CA6-0.1 pts
48Burbank, CA5.9-1.4 pts
49Compton, CA5.8-0.6 pts
49San Jacinto, CA5.8+0.5 pts
49Visalia, CA5.8+0.3 pts
52Desert Hot Springs, CA5.7-0.1 pts
52Indio, CA5.70 pts
52Perris, CA5.7+0.6 pts
55Oxnard, CA5.6-0.1 pts
56Inglewood, CA5.5-0.3 pts
56Turlock, CA5.5+0.3 pts
58Lompoc, CA5.4+0.5 pts
58Moreno Valley, CA5.4+0.3 pts
58Rialto, CA5.4+0.4 pts
58San Bernardino, CA5.4+0.2 pts
58Vallejo, CA5.4+0.4 pts
63Bell Gardens, CA5.3-0.3 pts
63Lynwood, CA5.3-0.5 pts
63Manteca, CA5.3-0.1 pts
63Palm Desert, CA5.3+0.2 pts
63Whittier, CA5.30 pts
63Wildomar, CA5.3+0.2 pts
69Antioch, CA5.20 pts
69Bell, CA5.2-0.4 pts
69Cudahy, CA5.2-0.4 pts
69Hawthorne, CA5.2-0.3 pts
69Lathrop, CA5.20 pts
69Menifee, CA5.2+0.4 pts
69National City, CA5.2+0.4 pts
69Pomona, CA5.2-0.5 pts
77Baldwin Park, CA5.1-0.1 pts
77Bellflower, CA5.1-0.8 pts
77Colton, CA5.1+0.4 pts
77Los Angeles, CA5.1-0.5 pts
77Pico Rivera, CA5.1-0.5 pts
82Carson, CA5-0.4 pts
82Culver City, CA5-0.5 pts
82El Cajon, CA5+0.4 pts
82Fairfield, CA5+0.3 pts
82Gardena, CA5-0.2 pts
82Glendale, CA5-0.7 pts
82Highland, CA5+0.2 pts
82La Quinta, CA50 pts
82La Verne, CA50 pts
82Lemon Grove, CA5+0.4 pts
82Palm Springs, CA5-0.2 pts
82Paramount, CA5-0.9 pts
82West Sacramento, CA5+0.6 pts
95Citrus Heights, CA4.9+0.6 pts
95La Puente, CA4.9-0.4 pts
95Montebello, CA4.9-0.4 pts
95Norwalk, CA4.9-0.3 pts
95Rancho Cordova, CA4.9+0.5 pts
95Sacramento, CA4.9+0.3 pts
95Santa Monica, CA4.9-0.8 pts
95Suisun City, CA4.9+0.1 pts
103Brentwood, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Cathedral City, CA4.8+0.2 pts
103Chula Vista, CA4.8+0.4 pts
103Covina, CA4.8-0.5 pts
103Downey, CA4.8-0.2 pts
103El Monte, CA4.8-0.3 pts
103Huntington Park, CA4.8-0.4 pts
103Imperial Beach, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Long Beach, CA4.8-0.5 pts
103Montclair, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Oakland, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Pittsburg, CA4.8-0.1 pts
103Tracy, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Walnut, CA4.8-0.1 pts
117Agoura Hills, CA4.7-0.8 pts
117Alhambra, CA4.7-0.2 pts
117Chico, CA4.7+0.2 pts
117Eureka, CA4.7+0.2 pts
117Fontana, CA4.7+0.3 pts
117Glendora, CA4.7-0.5 pts
117Jurupa Valley, CA4.7+0.1 pts
117Lake Elsinore, CA4.7+0.2 pts
117Maywood, CA4.7-0.7 pts
117Redding, CA4.70 pts
117Santa Clarita, CA4.7-0.5 pts
117West Covina, CA4.7-0.3 pts
129Azusa, CA4.6-0.7 pts
129Beaumont, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Beverly Hills, CA4.6-0.3 pts
129Cerritos, CA4.6-0.4 pts
129Chino, CA4.6+0.4 pts
129Clovis, CA4.6+0.4 pts
129Diamond Bar, CA4.6-0.4 pts
129Gilroy, CA4.6-0.5 pts
129La Mirada, CA4.6-0.5 pts
129Monrovia, CA4.6-0.5 pts
129Monterey Park, CA4.6-0.3 pts
129Murrieta, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Napa, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Oakley, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Ontario, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Richmond, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Riverside, CA4.6+0.2 pts
129Seal Beach, CA4.6+0.1 pts
129South Gate, CA4.6-0.5 pts
129South Pasadena, CA4.6-0.6 pts
149Alameda, CA4.50 pts
149Arcadia, CA4.5-0.3 pts
149Hayward, CA4.5+0.1 pts
149Lakewood, CA4.5-0.4 pts
149Pasadena, CA4.5-0.6 pts
149Rancho Palos Verdes, CA4.50 pts
149Redondo Beach, CA4.5-0.2 pts
149Ridgecrest, CA4.5+0.4 pts
149San Dimas, CA4.5-0.1 pts
149Temecula, CA4.5+0.1 pts
149Temple City, CA4.5-0.5 pts
149Vacaville, CA4.5+0.2 pts
149Westminster, CA4.5+0.2 pts
162Claremont, CA4.4-0.2 pts
162Elk Grove, CA4.4+0.2 pts
162Hercules, CA4.4+0.2 pts
162Los Gatos, CA4.4+0.4 pts
162Martinez, CA4.4+0.5 pts
162Morgan Hill, CA4.4-0.1 pts
162San Leandro, CA4.40 pts
162San Pablo, CA4.40 pts
162Torrance, CA4.4-0.3 pts
171Berkeley, CA4.3+0.3 pts
171La Mesa, CA4.3+0.2 pts
171Manhattan Beach, CA4.3-0.2 pts
171Oceanside, CA4.3+0.3 pts
171Pleasant Hill, CA4.3+0.1 pts
171Rosemead, CA4.3-0.4 pts
171San Diego, CA4.3+0.3 pts
171San Gabriel, CA4.30 pts
171San Ramon, CA4.3+0.2 pts
171Santa Cruz, CA4.3+0.3 pts
171Santa Rosa, CA4.3+0.3 pts
171Saratoga, CA4.3+0.1 pts
171Union City, CA4.30 pts
171Yucaipa, CA4.3+0.1 pts
185Belmont, CA4.2+0.2 pts
185Concord, CA4.20 pts
185Corona, CA4.2+0.2 pts
185El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA4.2+0.3 pts
185Escondido, CA4.2+0.3 pts
185Fountain Valley, CA4.2+0.2 pts
185Lawndale, CA4.2-0.4 pts
185Norco, CA4.2+0.3 pts
185Novato, CA4.2+0.3 pts
185Pleasanton, CA4.2+0.2 pts
185Poway, CA4.2+0.6 pts
185Rancho Cucamonga, CA4.2+0.1 pts
185Santee, CA4.2+0.2 pts
185Vista, CA4.2+0.1 pts
185Walnut Creek, CA4.2+0.1 pts
200Anaheim, CA4.1+0.2 pts
200Brea, CA4.1+0.4 pts
200Coronado, CA4.1+0.3 pts
200Cupertino, CA4.1+0.3 pts
200Cypress, CA4.1+0.1 pts
200Danville, CA4.1+0.3 pts
200Dublin, CA4.10 pts
200Fremont, CA4.10 pts
200Garden Grove, CA4.1+0.1 pts
200Lincoln, CA4.1+0.2 pts
200Loma Linda, CA4.1+0.6 pts
211Buena Park, CA4+0.3 pts
211Campbell, CA4+0.1 pts
211Carlsbad, CA4+0.1 pts
211Davis, CA4+0.2 pts
211Fullerton, CA4+0.1 pts
211Irvine, CA4+0.2 pts
211Los Altos, CA40 pts
211Milpitas, CA4+0.1 pts
211Orange, CA4+0.5 pts
211Placentia, CA4+0.2 pts
211Rocklin, CA4+0.2 pts
211Rohnert Park, CA4+0.2 pts
211San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA4+0.3 pts
211San Carlos, CA4+0.5 pts
211San Jose, CA4-0.1 pts
211San Marcos, CA4+0.2 pts
211Upland, CA40 pts
211Windsor, CA40 pts
229Camarillo, CA3.9+0.1 pts
229Folsom, CA3.9+0.2 pts
229Huntington Beach, CA3.9+0.3 pts
229La Habra, CA3.9+0.3 pts
229Livermore, CA3.9+0.1 pts
229Mission Viejo, CA3.9-0.1 pts
229Newark, CA3.9+0.1 pts
229Pacifica, CA3.9+0.1 pts
229Petaluma, CA3.9+0.2 pts
229Redlands, CA3.9+0.1 pts
229Roseville, CA3.9+0.2 pts
229San Clemente, CA3.9+0.4 pts
229Santa Ana, CA3.9+0.3 pts
229Stanton, CA3.90 pts
229Tustin, CA3.9+0.2 pts
244Benicia, CA3.8-0.4 pts
244Chino Hills, CA3.8+0.1 pts
244Eastvale, CA3.8+0.1 pts
244Foster City, CA3.8-0.1 pts
244Lafayette, CA3.80 pts
244Lake Forest, CA3.8+0.2 pts
244San Francisco, CA3.80 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, 2025-12) [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, 2025-12. 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=2025-12. 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, 2025-12. 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=2025-12.

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, 2025-12 [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=2025-12 (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, 2025-12}},
  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=2025-12. 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, 2025-12
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=2025-12
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2025-12.
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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Rank Cities in California by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Calexico, CA, with 28.6% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Goleta, CA, with 2.7% in December 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