Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in California

Counties in California by unemployment rate

Imperial County had the highest unemployment rate of 58 counties in November 2025, at 20.5%. San Mateo County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 5.85% and the figure for California was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest20.5Imperial County
Lowest3.9San Mateo County
Median5.8558 counties
California5.5History

All counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Imperial CountyImperial County: 20.5 %20.5Colusa CountyColusa County: 12.3 %12.3Tulare CountyTulare County: 10.4 %10.4Alpine CountyAlpine County: 9.2 %9.2Merced CountyMerced County: 9.1 %9.1Kings CountyKings County: 8.8 %8.8Fresno CountyFresno County: 8.4 %8.4Sutter CountySutter County: 8.3 %8.3Kern CountyKern County: 8.1 %8.1Madera CountyMadera County: 7.8 %7.8Lake CountyLake County: 7.6 %7.6Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 7.2 %7.2Modoc CountyModoc County: 7 %7Plumas CountyPlumas County: 7 %7Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 7 %7Glenn CountyGlenn County: 6.9 %6.9Monterey CountyMonterey County: 6.9 %6.9Yuba CountyYuba County: 6.8 %6.8Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 6.6 %6.6San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 6.6 %6.6Lassen CountyLassen County: 6.5 %6.5Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 6.4 %6.4San Benito CountySan Benito County: 6.3 %6.3Amador CountyAmador County: 6.2 %6.2Butte CountyButte County: 6.1 %6.1Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 6.1 %6.1Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 6 %6Tehama CountyTehama County: 5.9 %5.9Yolo CountyYolo County: 5.9 %5.9Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 5.8 %5.8Trinity CountyTrinity County: 5.8 %5.8Riverside CountyRiverside County: 5.6 %5.6Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 5.5 %5.5San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 5.5 %5.5Sierra CountySierra County: 5.5 %5.5Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 5.5 %5.5Shasta CountyShasta County: 5.4 %5.4Solano CountySolano County: 5.4 %5.4Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 5.2 %5.2Sacramento CountySacramento County: 5.2 %5.2El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 5.1 %5.1Mono CountyMono County: 5.1 %5.1Ventura CountyVentura County: 5 %5Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 4.9 %4.9Nevada CountyNevada County: 4.9 %4.9San Diego CountySan Diego County: 4.8 %4.8Alameda CountyAlameda County: 4.7 %4.7Inyo CountyInyo County: 4.7 %4.7San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 4.6 %4.6Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 4.6 %4.6Napa CountyNapa County: 4.5 %4.5Sonoma CountySonoma County: 4.5 %4.5Placer CountyPlacer County: 4.4 %4.4Marin CountyMarin County: 4.3 %4.3Orange CountyOrange County: 4.3 %4.3Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 4.3 %4.3San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 4.1 %4.1San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 3.9 %3.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1Imperial County20.5+0.7 pts
2Colusa County12.3+0.2 pts
3Tulare County10.4+0.2 pts
4Alpine County9.2+1.2 pts
5Merced County9.1+0.2 pts
6Kings County8.8+0.6 pts
7Fresno County8.4+0.6 pts
8Sutter County8.3+0.4 pts
9Kern County8.1+0.1 pts
10Madera County7.8+0.5 pts
11Lake County7.6+0.4 pts
12Siskiyou County7.2+0.7 pts
13Modoc County7+1.1 pts
13Plumas County7+1.1 pts
13Stanislaus County7+0.1 pts
16Glenn County6.9+0.6 pts
16Monterey County6.9+0.7 pts
18Yuba County6.8+0.3 pts
19Del Norte County6.6+0.1 pts
19San Joaquin County6.6+0.1 pts
21Lassen County6.5+0.3 pts
22Calaveras County6.4+0.5 pts
23San Benito County6.3+0.1 pts
24Amador County6.2+0.7 pts
25Butte County6.1+0.4 pts
25Santa Cruz County6.1+0.5 pts
27Mendocino County6+0.4 pts
28Tehama County5.9-0.1 pts
28Yolo County5.9+0.4 pts
30Mariposa County5.8+0.2 pts
30Trinity County5.8+0.8 pts
32Riverside County5.6+0.2 pts
33Los Angeles County5.5-0.3 pts
33San Bernardino County5.5+0.3 pts
33Sierra County5.5+0.7 pts
33Tuolumne County5.5+0.4 pts
37Shasta County5.4+0.3 pts
37Solano County5.4+0.3 pts
39Humboldt County5.2+0.3 pts
39Sacramento County5.2+0.4 pts
41El Dorado County5.1+0.4 pts
41Mono County5.1-0.2 pts
43Ventura County5+0.2 pts
44Contra Costa County4.9+0.2 pts
44Nevada County4.9+0.4 pts
46San Diego County4.8+0.4 pts
47Alameda County4.7+0.1 pts
47Inyo County4.7+0.4 pts
49San Luis Obispo County4.6+0.5 pts
49Santa Barbara County4.6+0.3 pts
51Napa County4.5+0.3 pts
51Sonoma County4.5+0.3 pts
53Placer County4.4+0.3 pts
54Marin County4.3+0.3 pts
54Orange County4.3+0.3 pts
54Santa Clara County4.3+0.1 pts
57San Francisco County4.10 pts
58San Mateo County3.9+0.1 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 20.5% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

San Mateo County, with 3.9% in November 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