Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in California

Cities in California by unemployment rate

Calexico, CA had the highest unemployment rate of 285 cities in March 2026, at 26.4%. Goleta, CA had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for California was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest26.4Calexico, CA
Lowest2.8Goleta, CA
Median4.6285 cities
California5.3History

Top 40 cities, March 2026

Calexico, CA: 26.4 %Calexico, CA26.4Delano, CA: 25.2 %Delano, CA25.2Reedley, CA: 22.3 %Reedley, CA22.3Dinuba, CA: 17.3 %Dinuba, CA17.3Watsonville, CA: 16.7 %Watsonville, CA16.7Brawley, CA: 15.6 %Brawley, CA15.6Corcoran, CA: 15.6 %Corcoran, CA15.6Porterville, CA: 15 %Porterville, CA15Wasco, CA: 14.6 %Wasco, CA14.6Soledad, CA: 14 %Soledad, CA14Los Banos, CA: 13.8 %Los Banos, CA13.8El Centro, CA: 13.6 %El Centro, CA13.6Salinas, CA: 13.4 %Salinas, CA13.4Paradise, CA: 10.1 %Paradise, CA10.1Patterson, CA: 10 %Patterson, CA10Sanger, CA: 9.7 %Sanger, CA9.7Yuba City, CA: 9.6 %Yuba City, CA9.6Madera, CA: 9.5 %Madera, CA9.5Hanford, CA: 8.9 %Hanford, CA8.9Atwater, CA: 8.8 %Atwater, CA8.8Riverbank, CA: 8.8 %Riverbank, CA8.8Ceres, CA: 8.4 %Ceres, CA8.4Santa Paula, CA: 8.1 %Santa Paula, CA8.1Merced, CA: 7.9 %Merced, CA7.9Coachella, CA: 7.7 %Coachella, CA7.7Santa Maria, CA: 7.7 %Santa Maria, CA7.7Hollister, CA: 7.5 %Hollister, CA7.5Lemoore, CA: 7.5 %Lemoore, CA7.5Adelanto, CA: 7.3 %Adelanto, CA7.3Hemet, CA: 7.1 %Hemet, CA7.1Tulare, CA: 7.1 %Tulare, CA7.1Woodland, CA: 7.1 %Woodland, CA7.1Stockton, CA: 7 %Stockton, CA7Barstow, CA: 6.8 %Barstow, CA6.8Lancaster, CA: 6.8 %Lancaster, CA6.8Lodi, CA: 6.5 %Lodi, CA6.5Victorville, CA: 6.4 %Victorville, CA6.4Apple Valley, CA: 6.3 %Apple Valley, CA6.3Banning, CA: 6.3 %Banning, CA6.3Bakersfield, CA: 6.2 %Bakersfield, CA6.2Calexico, CA: 26.4 %Calexico, CA26.4Delano, CA: 25.2 %Delano, CA25.2Reedley, CA: 22.3 %Reedley, CA22.3Dinuba, CA: 17.3 %Dinuba, CA17.3Watsonville, CA: 16.7 %Watsonville, CA16.7Brawley, CA: 15.6 %Brawley, CA15.6Corcoran, CA: 15.6 %Corcoran, CA15.6Porterville, CA: 15 %Porterville, CA15Wasco, CA: 14.6 %Wasco, CA14.6Soledad, CA: 14 %Soledad, CA14Los Banos, CA: 13.8 %Los Banos, CA13.8El Centro, CA: 13.6 %El Centro, CA13.6Salinas, CA: 13.4 %Salinas, CA13.4Paradise, CA: 10.1 %Paradise, CA10.1Patterson, CA: 10 %Patterson, CA10Sanger, CA: 9.7 %Sanger, CA9.7Yuba City, CA: 9.6 %Yuba City, CA9.6Madera, CA: 9.5 %Madera, CA9.5Hanford, CA: 8.9 %Hanford, CA8.9Atwater, CA: 8.8 %Atwater, CA8.8Riverbank, CA: 8.8 %Riverbank, CA8.8Ceres, CA: 8.4 %Ceres, CA8.4Santa Paula, CA: 8.1 %Santa Paula, CA8.1Merced, CA: 7.9 %Merced, CA7.9Coachella, CA: 7.7 %Coachella, CA7.7Santa Maria, CA: 7.7 %Santa Maria, CA7.7Hollister, CA: 7.5 %Hollister, CA7.5Lemoore, CA: 7.5 %Lemoore, CA7.5Adelanto, CA: 7.3 %Adelanto, CA7.3Hemet, CA: 7.1 %Hemet, CA7.1Tulare, CA: 7.1 %Tulare, CA7.1Woodland, CA: 7.1 %Woodland, CA7.1Stockton, CA: 7 %Stockton, CA7Barstow, CA: 6.8 %Barstow, CA6.8Lancaster, CA: 6.8 %Lancaster, CA6.8Lodi, CA: 6.5 %Lodi, CA6.5Victorville, CA: 6.4 %Victorville, CA6.4Apple Valley, CA: 6.3 %Apple Valley, CA6.3Banning, CA: 6.3 %Banning, CA6.3Bakersfield, CA: 6.2 %Bakersfield, CA6.2
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Calexico, CA26.4-0.1 pts
2Delano, CA25.2-1.2 pts
3Reedley, CA22.3-0.3 pts
4Dinuba, CA17.3-1.2 pts
5Watsonville, CA16.7-1.1 pts
6Brawley, CA15.6+1.3 pts
6Corcoran, CA15.6-1.4 pts
8Porterville, CA15-0.3 pts
9Wasco, CA14.6-2 pts
10Soledad, CA14-1.5 pts
11Los Banos, CA13.8-1.2 pts
12El Centro, CA13.60 pts
13Salinas, CA13.4-1 pts
14Paradise, CA10.10 pts
15Patterson, CA10-0.7 pts
16Sanger, CA9.7-0.9 pts
17Yuba City, CA9.6-0.5 pts
18Madera, CA9.5-0.2 pts
19Hanford, CA8.9-0.4 pts
20Atwater, CA8.8-1.4 pts
20Riverbank, CA8.8-0.5 pts
22Ceres, CA8.4-0.7 pts
23Santa Paula, CA8.10 pts
24Merced, CA7.9-0.9 pts
25Coachella, CA7.7-0.3 pts
25Santa Maria, CA7.7-0.8 pts
27Hollister, CA7.5-0.9 pts
27Lemoore, CA7.5-0.3 pts
29Adelanto, CA7.3-0.9 pts
30Hemet, CA7.1+0.1 pts
30Tulare, CA7.1-0.4 pts
30Woodland, CA7.10 pts
33Stockton, CA7-0.5 pts
34Barstow, CA6.8+0.3 pts
34Lancaster, CA6.8-0.2 pts
36Lodi, CA6.5-0.6 pts
37Victorville, CA6.4-0.6 pts
38Apple Valley, CA6.3-0.4 pts
38Banning, CA6.3-0.3 pts
40Bakersfield, CA6.2-0.2 pts
40Burbank, CA6.2-0.9 pts
40Fresno, CA6.2-0.4 pts
40Galt, CA6.20 pts
40Modesto, CA6.2-0.5 pts
40Perris, CA6.2+0.6 pts
46Hesperia, CA6.1-0.3 pts
46Twentynine Palms, CA6.1-0.4 pts
48Palmdale, CA6-0.5 pts
48San Jacinto, CA6-0.3 pts
48West Hollywood, CA6-0.8 pts
51Compton, CA5.9-0.4 pts
52Moreno Valley, CA5.70 pts
52Visalia, CA5.7-0.1 pts
54Manteca, CA5.60 pts
54Turlock, CA5.6-0.2 pts
56Bell Gardens, CA5.50 pts
56Cudahy, CA5.50 pts
56Inglewood, CA5.5-0.3 pts
59Bell, CA5.40 pts
59Lynwood, CA5.4-0.5 pts
59Menifee, CA5.40 pts
59San Bernardino, CA5.4-0.2 pts
59Wildomar, CA5.4-0.2 pts
64Baldwin Park, CA5.30 pts
64Pomona, CA5.3-0.3 pts
66Colton, CA5.2-0.2 pts
66Lathrop, CA5.2-0.3 pts
66Pico Rivera, CA5.2-0.3 pts
66Rialto, CA5.2-0.1 pts
66Suisun City, CA5.2+0.1 pts
71Agoura Hills, CA5.1-0.4 pts
71Antioch, CA5.1-0.3 pts
71Bellflower, CA5.1-0.4 pts
71Carson, CA5.1-0.2 pts
71Culver City, CA5.1-0.4 pts
71Hawthorne, CA5.1-0.2 pts
71Highland, CA5.10 pts
71Lompoc, CA5.1-0.3 pts
71Los Angeles, CA5.1-0.6 pts
71Montebello, CA5.1+0.1 pts
71Vallejo, CA5.10 pts
82Desert Hot Springs, CA5-0.3 pts
82Glendale, CA5-0.7 pts
82Indio, CA50 pts
82La Verne, CA5-0.5 pts
82Lemon Grove, CA5+0.3 pts
82Monterey Park, CA5+0.2 pts
82Paramount, CA5-0.5 pts
82Redding, CA5-0.4 pts
82Santa Monica, CA5-0.8 pts
82West Sacramento, CA5+0.1 pts
82Whittier, CA5-0.5 pts
93Beverly Hills, CA4.9-0.5 pts
93Covina, CA4.9-0.4 pts
93El Cajon, CA4.9+0.1 pts
93El Monte, CA4.9-0.1 pts
93Gardena, CA4.9-0.2 pts
93Huntington Park, CA4.9+0.1 pts
93Imperial Beach, CA4.9-0.1 pts
93Lake Elsinore, CA4.9-0.1 pts
93Long Beach, CA4.9-0.3 pts
93Montclair, CA4.9-0.2 pts
93National City, CA4.9-0.2 pts
93Norwalk, CA4.9-0.2 pts
93Oxnard, CA4.9-0.3 pts
93Sacramento, CA4.90 pts
107Alhambra, CA4.8-0.2 pts
107Brentwood, CA4.8+0.1 pts
107Cerritos, CA4.8-0.3 pts
107Chico, CA4.80 pts
107Diamond Bar, CA4.8+0.1 pts
107Fairfield, CA4.8-0.2 pts
107Gilroy, CA4.8-0.6 pts
107Glendora, CA4.8-0.3 pts
107Jurupa Valley, CA4.80 pts
107Maywood, CA4.8-0.5 pts
107Murrieta, CA4.80 pts
107Palm Springs, CA4.8-0.2 pts
107Rancho Cordova, CA4.80 pts
107Tracy, CA4.8-0.2 pts
107West Covina, CA4.8-0.1 pts
122Azusa, CA4.7-0.5 pts
122Downey, CA4.7-0.4 pts
122La Puente, CA4.7-0.6 pts
122La Quinta, CA4.70 pts
122Lakewood, CA4.7-0.3 pts
122Oakley, CA4.7-0.1 pts
122Pittsburg, CA4.7-0.4 pts
122Redondo Beach, CA4.7-0.2 pts
122San Dimas, CA4.7+0.1 pts
122Santa Clarita, CA4.7-0.4 pts
132Arcadia, CA4.6-0.2 pts
132Chula Vista, CA4.60 pts
132Citrus Heights, CA4.6-0.2 pts
132Eureka, CA4.6-0.2 pts
132Fontana, CA4.6-0.1 pts
132La Mirada, CA4.6-0.3 pts
132Monrovia, CA4.6-0.6 pts
132Oakland, CA4.6-0.1 pts
132Palm Desert, CA4.6-0.2 pts
132Pasadena, CA4.6-0.8 pts
132Riverside, CA4.6-0.1 pts
132Rosemead, CA4.6-0.4 pts
132South Pasadena, CA4.6-0.2 pts
132Vacaville, CA4.6-0.1 pts
132Walnut, CA4.6-0.1 pts
147Morgan Hill, CA4.5-0.2 pts
147Norco, CA4.5+0.1 pts
147Ontario, CA4.50 pts
147Temple City, CA4.5-0.7 pts
151Beaumont, CA4.4-0.3 pts
151Chino, CA4.4+0.1 pts
151Claremont, CA4.40 pts
151Manhattan Beach, CA4.4-0.3 pts
151Napa, CA4.4-0.1 pts
151Rancho Palos Verdes, CA4.4-0.4 pts
151Richmond, CA4.4-0.4 pts
151Seal Beach, CA4.4-0.1 pts
151South Gate, CA4.4-0.8 pts
151Temecula, CA4.4-0.3 pts
161Alameda, CA4.3-0.4 pts
161Corona, CA4.30 pts
161Elk Grove, CA4.3-0.1 pts
161Lawndale, CA4.30 pts
161Martinez, CA4.3+0.3 pts
161Oceanside, CA4.30 pts
161San Leandro, CA4.3-0.3 pts
161San Ramon, CA4.3+0.1 pts
161Santa Rosa, CA4.3-0.2 pts
161Torrance, CA4.3-0.4 pts
161Vista, CA4.30 pts
161Yucaipa, CA4.3-0.4 pts
173Clovis, CA4.2-0.2 pts
173Cupertino, CA4.20 pts
173El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA4.2-0.2 pts
173Hayward, CA4.2-0.4 pts
173Hercules, CA4.2-0.1 pts
173La Mesa, CA4.20 pts
173Lincoln, CA4.2-0.2 pts
173Pleasanton, CA4.20 pts
173Rancho Cucamonga, CA4.2+0.1 pts
173Ridgecrest, CA4.20 pts
173San Diego, CA4.20 pts
173San Gabriel, CA4.2-0.1 pts
173Union City, CA4.2-0.4 pts
173Walnut Creek, CA4.2-0.1 pts
173Westminster, CA4.2-0.3 pts
188Berkeley, CA4.1-0.1 pts
188Carlsbad, CA4.1-0.1 pts
188Concord, CA4.1-0.2 pts
188Dublin, CA4.1-0.4 pts
188Fountain Valley, CA4.1-0.1 pts
188Fullerton, CA4.10 pts
188Los Gatos, CA4.1-0.5 pts
188Novato, CA4.1-0.3 pts
188Pleasant Hill, CA4.1-0.2 pts
188Poway, CA4.1+0.2 pts
188Rocklin, CA4.10 pts
188Rohnert Park, CA4.1-0.1 pts
188Santee, CA4.1-0.2 pts
188Saratoga, CA4.1-0.5 pts
188Upland, CA4.1-0.1 pts
203Camarillo, CA4-0.2 pts
203Cathedral City, CA4-0.2 pts
203Cypress, CA4-0.1 pts
203Danville, CA4-0.2 pts
203Escondido, CA4-0.1 pts
203Fremont, CA4-0.3 pts
203Loma Linda, CA4+0.3 pts
203Newark, CA4-0.1 pts
203Redlands, CA4-0.3 pts
203San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA40 pts
203San Marcos, CA40 pts
203San Pablo, CA4-1 pts
215Anaheim, CA3.9-0.1 pts
215Belmont, CA3.9-0.2 pts
215Buena Park, CA3.90 pts
215Coronado, CA3.9-0.4 pts
215Folsom, CA3.9-0.3 pts
215Garden Grove, CA3.9-0.3 pts
215La Habra, CA3.90 pts
215Livermore, CA3.9-0.1 pts
215Los Altos, CA3.9-0.3 pts
215Petaluma, CA3.9-0.2 pts
215Placentia, CA3.90 pts
215San Jose, CA3.9-0.4 pts
215Santa Cruz, CA3.9-0.2 pts
215Simi Valley, CA3.9-0.3 pts
215Stanton, CA3.90 pts
215Windsor, CA3.90 pts
231Benicia, CA3.8-0.6 pts
231Campbell, CA3.8-0.4 pts
231Davis, CA3.8-0.2 pts
231Huntington Beach, CA3.8-0.2 pts
231Irvine, CA3.8-0.1 pts
231Mission Viejo, CA3.8-0.3 pts
231Roseville, CA3.8-0.1 pts
231San Carlos, CA3.8+0.1 pts
231Thousand Oaks, CA3.8-0.4 pts
231Yorba Linda, CA3.8+0.1 pts
241Brea, CA3.7-0.3 pts
241Chino Hills, CA3.7-0.1 pts
241Eastvale, CA3.7-0.3 pts
241Foster City, CA3.7-0.4 pts
241Lafayette, CA3.7-0.1 pts
241Laguna Hills, CA3.7-0.1 pts
241Milpitas, CA3.7-0.5 pts
241Moorpark, CA3.7-0.3 pts
241Orange, CA3.70 pts
241Pacifica, CA3.7-0.3 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, 2026-03) [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, 2026-03. 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=2026-03. 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, 2026-03. 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=2026-03.

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, 2026-03 [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=2026-03 (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, 2026-03}},
  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=2026-03. 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, 2026-03
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=2026-03
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2026-03.
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 26.4% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Goleta, CA, with 2.8% in March 2026.

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