Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in California

Counties in California by unemployment rate

Imperial County had the highest unemployment rate of 58 counties in December 2025, at 18.7%. San Mateo County had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 5.85% and the figure for California was 5.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest18.7Imperial County
Lowest3.6San Mateo County
Median5.8558 counties
California5.5History

All counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Imperial CountyImperial County: 18.7 %18.7Colusa CountyColusa County: 14.6 %14.6Tulare CountyTulare County: 10.4 %10.4Merced CountyMerced County: 9.6 %9.6Monterey CountyMonterey County: 9.3 %9.3Kings CountyKings County: 9.1 %9.1Sutter CountySutter County: 9 %9Plumas CountyPlumas County: 8.6 %8.6Kern CountyKern County: 8.5 %8.5Fresno CountyFresno County: 8.2 %8.2Modoc CountyModoc County: 8.2 %8.2Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 8 %8Madera CountyMadera County: 7.8 %7.8Lake CountyLake County: 7.6 %7.6Glenn CountyGlenn County: 7 %7Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 6.8 %6.8Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 6.8 %6.8Yuba CountyYuba County: 6.7 %6.7Alpine CountyAlpine County: 6.6 %6.6Lassen CountyLassen County: 6.6 %6.6San Benito CountySan Benito County: 6.5 %6.5San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 6.4 %6.4Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 6.4 %6.4Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 6.3 %6.3Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 6.1 %6.1Sierra CountySierra County: 6 %6Tehama CountyTehama County: 6 %6Amador CountyAmador County: 5.9 %5.9Butte CountyButte County: 5.9 %5.9Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 5.8 %5.8Yolo CountyYolo County: 5.8 %5.8Trinity CountyTrinity County: 5.7 %5.7Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 5.3 %5.3Riverside CountyRiverside County: 5.2 %5.2Shasta CountyShasta County: 5.2 %5.2Solano CountySolano County: 5.1 %5.1Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 5 %5Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 5 %5San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 5 %5El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 4.8 %4.8Sacramento CountySacramento County: 4.8 %4.8Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 4.8 %4.8Ventura CountyVentura County: 4.7 %4.7Nevada CountyNevada County: 4.6 %4.6Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 4.5 %4.5Inyo CountyInyo County: 4.5 %4.5Mono CountyMono County: 4.5 %4.5Napa CountyNapa County: 4.5 %4.5Alameda CountyAlameda County: 4.4 %4.4San Diego CountySan Diego County: 4.4 %4.4San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 4.3 %4.3Sonoma CountySonoma County: 4.2 %4.2Placer CountyPlacer County: 4.1 %4.1Marin CountyMarin County: 4 %4Orange CountyOrange County: 3.9 %3.9Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 3.9 %3.9San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 3.8 %3.8San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 3.6 %3.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Imperial County18.7+0.3 pts
2Colusa County14.6-1.3 pts
3Tulare County10.4+0.1 pts
4Merced County9.6-0.3 pts
5Monterey County9.3+0.4 pts
6Kings County9.1+0.2 pts
7Sutter County9-0.1 pts
8Plumas County8.6+0.7 pts
9Kern County8.5+0.2 pts
10Fresno County8.2+0.3 pts
10Modoc County8.2+0.6 pts
12Siskiyou County8+0.4 pts
13Madera County7.8+0.2 pts
14Lake County7.6+0.1 pts
15Glenn County7+0.1 pts
16Del Norte County6.8+0.1 pts
16Stanislaus County6.8-0.1 pts
18Yuba County6.70 pts
19Alpine County6.6+1.6 pts
19Lassen County6.60 pts
21San Benito County6.50 pts
22San Joaquin County6.40 pts
22Santa Cruz County6.4+0.2 pts
24Mariposa County6.3+0.4 pts
25Calaveras County6.1+0.3 pts
26Sierra County60 pts
26Tehama County6-0.3 pts
28Amador County5.9+0.4 pts
28Butte County5.9+0.2 pts
30Mendocino County5.80 pts
30Yolo County5.8+0.4 pts
32Trinity County5.7+0.3 pts
33Tuolumne County5.3+0.3 pts
34Riverside County5.2+0.2 pts
34Shasta County5.20 pts
36Solano County5.1+0.2 pts
37Humboldt County5+0.1 pts
37Los Angeles County5-0.5 pts
37San Bernardino County5+0.2 pts
40El Dorado County4.8+0.2 pts
40Sacramento County4.8+0.2 pts
40Santa Barbara County4.8+0.2 pts
43Ventura County4.7+0.1 pts
44Nevada County4.6+0.3 pts
45Contra Costa County4.5+0.1 pts
45Inyo County4.5+0.1 pts
45Mono County4.5+0.3 pts
45Napa County4.5+0.2 pts
49Alameda County4.4+0.1 pts
49San Diego County4.4+0.3 pts
51San Luis Obispo County4.3+0.5 pts
52Sonoma County4.2+0.2 pts
53Placer County4.1+0.2 pts
54Marin County4+0.3 pts
55Orange County3.9+0.2 pts
55Santa Clara County3.90 pts
57San Francisco County3.80 pts
58San Mateo County3.6+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 18.7% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

San Mateo County, with 3.6% 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings