Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in California

Cities in California by unemployment rate

Calexico, CA had the highest unemployment rate of 285 cities in May 2026, at 28.2%. Goleta, CA had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 4.2% and the figure for California was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest28.2Calexico, CA
Lowest2.5Goleta, CA
Median4.2285 cities
California5.3History

Top 40 cities, May 2026

Calexico, CA: 28.2 %Calexico, CA28.2Delano, CA: 23.4 %Delano, CA23.4Reedley, CA: 15.5 %Reedley, CA15.5Brawley, CA: 13.6 %Brawley, CA13.6Corcoran, CA: 13.6 %Corcoran, CA13.6El Centro, CA: 13.5 %El Centro, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 13.5 %Porterville, CA13.5Wasco, CA: 13 %Wasco, CA13Los Banos, CA: 12.4 %Los Banos, CA12.4Dinuba, CA: 11.4 %Dinuba, CA11.4Watsonville, CA: 9.7 %Watsonville, CA9.7Paradise, CA: 8.7 %Paradise, CA8.7Patterson, CA: 8.6 %Patterson, CA8.6Soledad, CA: 8.3 %Soledad, CA8.3Riverbank, CA: 8.1 %Riverbank, CA8.1Sanger, CA: 8.1 %Sanger, CA8.1Yuba City, CA: 7.9 %Yuba City, CA7.9Madera, CA: 7.7 %Madera, CA7.7Ceres, CA: 7.6 %Ceres, CA7.6Coachella, CA: 7.6 %Coachella, CA7.6Salinas, CA: 7.4 %Salinas, CA7.4Lancaster, CA: 7 %Lancaster, CA7Atwater, CA: 6.9 %Atwater, CA6.9Hanford, CA: 6.8 %Hanford, CA6.8Merced, CA: 6.8 %Merced, CA6.8Adelanto, CA: 6.7 %Adelanto, CA6.7Burbank, CA: 6.5 %Burbank, CA6.5Lemoore, CA: 6.5 %Lemoore, CA6.5Barstow, CA: 6.4 %Barstow, CA6.4Hemet, CA: 6.3 %Hemet, CA6.3Palmdale, CA: 6.2 %Palmdale, CA6.2Hollister, CA: 6.1 %Hollister, CA6.1Stockton, CA: 6.1 %Stockton, CA6.1West Hollywood, CA: 6.1 %West Hollywood, CA6.1Victorville, CA: 6 %Victorville, CA6Compton, CA: 5.9 %Compton, CA5.9Cudahy, CA: 5.9 %Cudahy, CA5.9Inglewood, CA: 5.9 %Inglewood, CA5.9Tulare, CA: 5.9 %Tulare, CA5.9Apple Valley, CA: 5.8 %Apple Valley, CA5.8Calexico, CA: 28.2 %Calexico, CA28.2Delano, CA: 23.4 %Delano, CA23.4Reedley, CA: 15.5 %Reedley, CA15.5Brawley, CA: 13.6 %Brawley, CA13.6Corcoran, CA: 13.6 %Corcoran, CA13.6El Centro, CA: 13.5 %El Centro, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 13.5 %Porterville, CA13.5Wasco, CA: 13 %Wasco, CA13Los Banos, CA: 12.4 %Los Banos, CA12.4Dinuba, CA: 11.4 %Dinuba, CA11.4Watsonville, CA: 9.7 %Watsonville, CA9.7Paradise, CA: 8.7 %Paradise, CA8.7Patterson, CA: 8.6 %Patterson, CA8.6Soledad, CA: 8.3 %Soledad, CA8.3Riverbank, CA: 8.1 %Riverbank, CA8.1Sanger, CA: 8.1 %Sanger, CA8.1Yuba City, CA: 7.9 %Yuba City, CA7.9Madera, CA: 7.7 %Madera, CA7.7Ceres, CA: 7.6 %Ceres, CA7.6Coachella, CA: 7.6 %Coachella, CA7.6Salinas, CA: 7.4 %Salinas, CA7.4Lancaster, CA: 7 %Lancaster, CA7Atwater, CA: 6.9 %Atwater, CA6.9Hanford, CA: 6.8 %Hanford, CA6.8Merced, CA: 6.8 %Merced, CA6.8Adelanto, CA: 6.7 %Adelanto, CA6.7Burbank, CA: 6.5 %Burbank, CA6.5Lemoore, CA: 6.5 %Lemoore, CA6.5Barstow, CA: 6.4 %Barstow, CA6.4Hemet, CA: 6.3 %Hemet, CA6.3Palmdale, CA: 6.2 %Palmdale, CA6.2Hollister, CA: 6.1 %Hollister, CA6.1Stockton, CA: 6.1 %Stockton, CA6.1West Hollywood, CA: 6.1 %West Hollywood, CA6.1Victorville, CA: 6 %Victorville, CA6Compton, CA: 5.9 %Compton, CA5.9Cudahy, CA: 5.9 %Cudahy, CA5.9Inglewood, CA: 5.9 %Inglewood, CA5.9Tulare, CA: 5.9 %Tulare, CA5.9Apple Valley, CA: 5.8 %Apple Valley, CA5.8
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Calexico, CA28.2-1.6 pts
2Delano, CA23.4-1.3 pts
3Reedley, CA15.5-1.4 pts
4Brawley, CA13.6-0.5 pts
4Corcoran, CA13.6-1.7 pts
6El Centro, CA13.5-0.8 pts
6Porterville, CA13.5-0.5 pts
8Wasco, CA13-2.7 pts
9Los Banos, CA12.4-1.1 pts
10Dinuba, CA11.4-0.8 pts
11Watsonville, CA9.7-2.4 pts
12Paradise, CA8.7-0.5 pts
13Patterson, CA8.6-0.4 pts
14Soledad, CA8.3-0.1 pts
15Riverbank, CA8.1-0.3 pts
15Sanger, CA8.1-0.7 pts
17Yuba City, CA7.9-0.9 pts
18Madera, CA7.7-0.3 pts
19Ceres, CA7.6-0.7 pts
19Coachella, CA7.6-0.4 pts
21Salinas, CA7.4-0.8 pts
22Lancaster, CA7+0.2 pts
23Atwater, CA6.9-1.1 pts
24Hanford, CA6.8-0.3 pts
24Merced, CA6.8-0.9 pts
26Adelanto, CA6.7-0.6 pts
27Burbank, CA6.5-0.4 pts
27Lemoore, CA6.50 pts
29Barstow, CA6.4+0.4 pts
30Hemet, CA6.3-0.4 pts
31Palmdale, CA6.20 pts
32Hollister, CA6.1-1.2 pts
32Stockton, CA6.1-0.6 pts
32West Hollywood, CA6.1-0.5 pts
35Victorville, CA6-0.5 pts
36Compton, CA5.9-0.2 pts
36Cudahy, CA5.9+0.4 pts
36Inglewood, CA5.9+0.1 pts
36Tulare, CA5.9-0.6 pts
40Apple Valley, CA5.8-0.3 pts
40Modesto, CA5.8-0.5 pts
42Lynwood, CA5.7+0.1 pts
42San Jacinto, CA5.7-0.3 pts
44Banning, CA5.6-1.2 pts
44Hesperia, CA5.6-0.3 pts
44Woodland, CA5.6-0.5 pts
47Fresno, CA5.5-0.6 pts
47Perris, CA5.5+0.1 pts
49Bakersfield, CA5.4-0.4 pts
49Bell Gardens, CA5.40 pts
49Carson, CA5.4+0.1 pts
49Culver City, CA5.40 pts
49Santa Monica, CA5.4-0.2 pts
49Twentynine Palms, CA5.4-0.7 pts
55Bell, CA5.3-0.2 pts
55Los Angeles, CA5.3-0.2 pts
55Pomona, CA5.3-0.2 pts
58Glendale, CA5.2-0.2 pts
58Hawthorne, CA5.20 pts
58La Verne, CA5.2-0.1 pts
58Montebello, CA5.2+0.1 pts
58Paramount, CA5.20 pts
58Pico Rivera, CA5.2-0.3 pts
58Whittier, CA5.2-0.1 pts
58Wildomar, CA5.2+0.2 pts
66Baldwin Park, CA5.10 pts
66Bellflower, CA5.1-0.1 pts
66Long Beach, CA5.1-0.1 pts
66Manteca, CA5.1-0.3 pts
66Moreno Valley, CA5.1-0.3 pts
71Alhambra, CA5+0.2 pts
71Cerritos, CA5+0.1 pts
71El Monte, CA5+0.1 pts
71Gardena, CA5-0.1 pts
71Glendora, CA5+0.2 pts
71La Mirada, CA5+0.3 pts
71Lakewood, CA5+0.2 pts
71Lodi, CA5-0.8 pts
71Norwalk, CA5-0.1 pts
71Redondo Beach, CA50 pts
71Santa Paula, CA5-0.4 pts
71Turlock, CA5-0.6 pts
83Arcadia, CA4.9+0.2 pts
83Covina, CA4.9-0.1 pts
83Huntington Park, CA4.9+0.2 pts
83La Puente, CA4.9-0.3 pts
83Maywood, CA4.90 pts
83San Bernardino, CA4.9-0.7 pts
83Santa Clarita, CA4.90 pts
83Santa Maria, CA4.9-0.1 pts
83West Covina, CA4.9+0.1 pts
92Azusa, CA4.8-0.1 pts
92Beverly Hills, CA4.8-0.3 pts
92Diamond Bar, CA4.8+0.3 pts
92Downey, CA4.8-0.1 pts
92Galt, CA4.80 pts
92Menifee, CA4.8-0.2 pts
92Monrovia, CA4.8-0.1 pts
92Monterey Park, CA4.8+0.2 pts
92Rosemead, CA4.80 pts
92Visalia, CA4.8-0.6 pts
92Walnut, CA4.8+0.1 pts
103Lathrop, CA4.7-0.3 pts
103Pasadena, CA4.7-0.6 pts
103San Dimas, CA4.70 pts
103Suisun City, CA4.70 pts
103Vallejo, CA4.7-0.3 pts
108Agoura Hills, CA4.6-0.9 pts
108Antioch, CA4.6-0.5 pts
108Desert Hot Springs, CA4.6-0.4 pts
108Indio, CA4.6-0.4 pts
108Lawndale, CA4.60 pts
108National City, CA4.6-0.3 pts
108Rialto, CA4.6-0.4 pts
108South Pasadena, CA4.6-0.4 pts
116Claremont, CA4.5+0.3 pts
116Colton, CA4.5-0.9 pts
116Highland, CA4.5-0.7 pts
116Lake Elsinore, CA4.5-0.2 pts
116Manhattan Beach, CA4.5-0.2 pts
116Palm Desert, CA4.5-0.2 pts
116Pittsburg, CA4.5-0.1 pts
116Rancho Palos Verdes, CA4.50 pts
116South Gate, CA4.5-0.5 pts
116Temple City, CA4.5-0.8 pts
116Torrance, CA4.5-0.2 pts
127Imperial Beach, CA4.4-0.4 pts
127La Quinta, CA4.4-0.1 pts
127Montclair, CA4.4-0.4 pts
127Murrieta, CA4.40 pts
127Palm Springs, CA4.4-0.2 pts
127San Gabriel, CA4.4+0.1 pts
127Tracy, CA4.4-0.3 pts
127West Sacramento, CA4.4-0.1 pts
135Chico, CA4.3-0.2 pts
135El Cajon, CA4.3-0.3 pts
135Fairfield, CA4.3-0.4 pts
135Lemon Grove, CA4.3-0.2 pts
135Oxnard, CA4.3-0.3 pts
135Rancho Cordova, CA4.3-0.2 pts
135Ridgecrest, CA4.3+0.6 pts
135Sacramento, CA4.3-0.3 pts
143Chula Vista, CA4.2-0.2 pts
143Eureka, CA4.2-0.1 pts
143Fontana, CA4.2-0.3 pts
143Jurupa Valley, CA4.2-0.2 pts
143Redding, CA4.2-0.3 pts
143Riverside, CA4.2-0.2 pts
149Brentwood, CA4.1-0.3 pts
149Corona, CA4.1+0.1 pts
149Lompoc, CA4.1-0.3 pts
149Oakland, CA4.1-0.3 pts
149Oakley, CA4.1-0.2 pts
149San Ramon, CA4.1-0.1 pts
149Temecula, CA4.1-0.2 pts
149Vacaville, CA4.1-0.3 pts
149Yucaipa, CA4.1-0.2 pts
158Alameda, CA4-0.3 pts
158Beaumont, CA4-0.3 pts
158Chino, CA4-0.1 pts
158Citrus Heights, CA4-0.6 pts
158Elk Grove, CA40 pts
158Gilroy, CA4-0.8 pts
158Ontario, CA4-0.3 pts
158Richmond, CA4-0.5 pts
158San Leandro, CA4-0.5 pts
167Fountain Valley, CA3.90 pts
167Los Gatos, CA3.9-0.3 pts
167Morgan Hill, CA3.9-0.4 pts
167Norco, CA3.9-0.3 pts
167Oceanside, CA3.9-0.3 pts
167Rocklin, CA3.9+0.1 pts
167Santa Cruz, CA3.9+0.1 pts
167Union City, CA3.9-0.4 pts
167Vista, CA3.9-0.1 pts
167Walnut Creek, CA3.9-0.2 pts
177Clovis, CA3.8-0.4 pts
177Cupertino, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Cypress, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Danville, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Dublin, CA3.8-0.4 pts
177Fullerton, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Hayward, CA3.8-0.6 pts
177Hercules, CA3.8-0.5 pts
177La Mesa, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Martinez, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Pleasant Hill, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177Rancho Cucamonga, CA3.8-0.1 pts
177San Diego, CA3.8-0.2 pts
177Santa Rosa, CA3.8-0.2 pts
177Westminster, CA3.8-0.7 pts
192Carlsbad, CA3.7-0.3 pts
192Concord, CA3.7-0.2 pts
192Lincoln, CA3.7-0.4 pts
192Los Altos, CA3.7-0.2 pts
192Mission Viejo, CA3.7-0.1 pts
192Newark, CA3.7-0.3 pts
192Novato, CA3.7-0.3 pts
192Pleasanton, CA3.7-0.3 pts
192Redlands, CA3.7-0.2 pts
192Santee, CA3.7-0.4 pts
192Seal Beach, CA3.7-0.5 pts
203Anaheim, CA3.6-0.1 pts
203Berkeley, CA3.6-0.2 pts
203Buena Park, CA3.6-0.1 pts
203Camarillo, CA3.6-0.3 pts
203Cathedral City, CA3.6-0.5 pts
203Davis, CA3.6-0.1 pts
203El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA3.6-0.3 pts
203Escondido, CA3.6-0.2 pts
203Fremont, CA3.6-0.5 pts
203Napa, CA3.6-0.2 pts
203Petaluma, CA3.6-0.2 pts
203Placentia, CA3.60 pts
203Poway, CA3.60 pts
203San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA3.6-0.2 pts
203San Marcos, CA3.6-0.1 pts
203San Pablo, CA3.6-1.3 pts
203Simi Valley, CA3.6-0.5 pts
203Stanton, CA3.6-0.1 pts
203Thousand Oaks, CA3.6-0.3 pts
203Upland, CA3.6-0.3 pts
223Belmont, CA3.5-0.4 pts
223Brea, CA3.5-0.2 pts
223Chino Hills, CA3.50 pts
223Coronado, CA3.5-0.1 pts
223Folsom, CA3.5-0.4 pts
223Garden Grove, CA3.5-0.4 pts
223Huntington Beach, CA3.5-0.2 pts
223Irvine, CA3.5-0.2 pts
223La Habra, CA3.5-0.2 pts
223Livermore, CA3.5-0.3 pts
223Loma Linda, CA3.5-0.3 pts
223Milpitas, CA3.5-0.7 pts
223Rohnert Park, CA3.5-0.3 pts
223San Jose, CA3.5-0.5 pts
223Saratoga, CA3.5-0.6 pts
238Benicia, CA3.4-0.5 pts
238Campbell, CA3.4-0.5 pts
238Eastvale, CA3.4-0.2 pts
238El Cerrito, CA3.4-0.3 pts
238Lafayette, CA3.4-0.2 pts
238Moorpark, CA3.4-0.5 pts
238Orange, CA3.4-0.1 pts
238Roseville, CA3.4-0.3 pts
238San Francisco, CA3.4-0.4 pts
238Santa Ana, CA3.4-0.2 pts
238Windsor, CA3.4-0.5 pts
238Yorba Linda, CA3.40 pts
250Aliso Viejo, CA3.3-0.2 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, 2026-05) [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, 2026-05. 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=2026-05. 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, 2026-05. 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=2026-05.

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, 2026-05 [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=2026-05 (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, 2026-05}},
  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=2026-05. 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, 2026-05
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=2026-05
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/california-cities?period=2026-05.
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 28.2% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Goleta, CA, with 2.5% in May 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