Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in California

Counties in California by unemployment rate

Imperial County had the highest unemployment rate of 58 counties in September 2025, at 21.6%. San Mateo County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 5.6% and the figure for California was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest21.6Imperial County
Lowest4.1San Mateo County
Median5.658 counties
California5.5History

All counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Imperial CountyImperial County: 21.6 %21.6Tulare CountyTulare County: 10 %10Colusa CountyColusa County: 8.6 %8.6Alpine CountyAlpine County: 8.5 %8.5Merced CountyMerced County: 8.4 %8.4Kern CountyKern County: 8.2 %8.2Kings CountyKings County: 8.2 %8.2Fresno CountyFresno County: 7.6 %7.6Sutter CountySutter County: 7.3 %7.3Lake CountyLake County: 7 %7Madera CountyMadera County: 7 %7Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 6.8 %6.8Yuba CountyYuba County: 6.7 %6.7Glenn CountyGlenn County: 6.5 %6.5San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 6.5 %6.5Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 6.5 %6.5Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 6.3 %6.3Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 6.2 %6.2Butte CountyButte County: 6.1 %6.1Lassen CountyLassen County: 6.1 %6.1Riverside CountyRiverside County: 6.1 %6.1Tehama CountyTehama County: 6.1 %6.1Amador CountyAmador County: 6 %6Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 5.9 %5.9Modoc CountyModoc County: 5.9 %5.9San Benito CountySan Benito County: 5.9 %5.9San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 5.7 %5.7Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 5.6 %5.6Plumas CountyPlumas County: 5.6 %5.6Yolo CountyYolo County: 5.6 %5.6Monterey CountyMonterey County: 5.5 %5.5Solano CountySolano County: 5.5 %5.5Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 5.5 %5.5Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 5.4 %5.4Shasta CountyShasta County: 5.4 %5.4Trinity CountyTrinity County: 5.4 %5.4Sacramento CountySacramento County: 5.3 %5.3Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 5.2 %5.2Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 5.2 %5.2El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 5.1 %5.1Ventura CountyVentura County: 5.1 %5.1Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 5 %5Alameda CountyAlameda County: 4.9 %4.9Nevada CountyNevada County: 4.9 %4.9San Diego CountySan Diego County: 4.9 %4.9San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 4.7 %4.7Sierra CountySierra County: 4.7 %4.7Inyo CountyInyo County: 4.6 %4.6Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 4.6 %4.6Sonoma CountySonoma County: 4.6 %4.6Marin CountyMarin County: 4.5 %4.5Placer CountyPlacer County: 4.5 %4.5Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 4.5 %4.5Mono CountyMono County: 4.4 %4.4Orange CountyOrange County: 4.4 %4.4Napa CountyNapa County: 4.3 %4.3San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 4.3 %4.3San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 4.1 %4.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Imperial County21.6+1.9 pts
2Tulare County10+0.8 pts
3Colusa County8.6+0.6 pts
4Alpine County8.5-0.1 pts
5Merced County8.4+0.6 pts
6Kern County8.2+0.7 pts
6Kings County8.2+1 pts
8Fresno County7.6+0.9 pts
9Sutter County7.3+0.5 pts
10Lake County7+0.9 pts
10Madera County7+0.7 pts
12Stanislaus County6.8+0.7 pts
13Yuba County6.7+0.5 pts
14Glenn County6.5+0.5 pts
14San Joaquin County6.5+0.5 pts
14Siskiyou County6.5+0.8 pts
17Calaveras County6.3+0.6 pts
18Del Norte County6.2+0.4 pts
19Butte County6.1+0.7 pts
19Lassen County6.1+0.7 pts
19Riverside County6.1+0.6 pts
19Tehama County6.1+0.2 pts
23Amador County6+0.8 pts
24Los Angeles County5.90 pts
24Modoc County5.9+0.6 pts
24San Benito County5.9+0.3 pts
27San Bernardino County5.7+0.5 pts
28Mendocino County5.6+0.5 pts
28Plumas County5.6+0.8 pts
28Yolo County5.6+0.7 pts
31Monterey County5.5+0.5 pts
31Solano County5.5+0.7 pts
31Tuolumne County5.5+0.7 pts
34Santa Cruz County5.4+0.5 pts
34Shasta County5.4+0.5 pts
34Trinity County5.4+0.7 pts
37Sacramento County5.3+0.7 pts
38Humboldt County5.2+0.4 pts
38Mariposa County5.2+0.6 pts
40El Dorado County5.1+0.6 pts
40Ventura County5.1+0.5 pts
42Contra Costa County5+0.5 pts
43Alameda County4.9+0.4 pts
43Nevada County4.9+0.5 pts
43San Diego County4.9+0.6 pts
46San Luis Obispo County4.7+0.7 pts
46Sierra County4.7+0.3 pts
48Inyo County4.6+0.7 pts
48Santa Barbara County4.6+0.6 pts
48Sonoma County4.6+0.6 pts
51Marin County4.5+0.5 pts
51Placer County4.5+0.5 pts
51Santa Clara County4.5+0.4 pts
54Mono County4.4+0.2 pts
54Orange County4.4+0.5 pts
56Napa County4.3+0.7 pts
56San Francisco County4.3+0.4 pts
58San Mateo County4.1+0.4 pts

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. 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 and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in California by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Imperial County, with 21.6% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

San Mateo County, with 4.1% 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings