Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in California

Counties in California by unemployment rate

Imperial County had the highest unemployment rate of 58 counties in April 2026, at 16.7%. Mono County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 5.4% and the figure for California was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest16.7Imperial County
Lowest3.2Mono County
Median5.458 counties
California5.3History

All counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Imperial CountyImperial County: 16.7 %16.7Colusa CountyColusa County: 13.6 %13.6Tulare CountyTulare County: 10.2 %10.2Merced CountyMerced County: 9.6 %9.6Kings CountyKings County: 8.9 %8.9Kern CountyKern County: 8.7 %8.7Sutter CountySutter County: 8.7 %8.7Fresno CountyFresno County: 8.2 %8.2Madera CountyMadera County: 7.7 %7.7Plumas CountyPlumas County: 7.7 %7.7Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 7.3 %7.3Monterey CountyMonterey County: 7.2 %7.2Modoc CountyModoc County: 7 %7Alpine CountyAlpine County: 6.9 %6.9Glenn CountyGlenn County: 6.8 %6.8Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 6.8 %6.8Lake CountyLake County: 6.7 %6.7Lassen CountyLassen County: 6.4 %6.4Yuba CountyYuba County: 6.4 %6.4San Benito CountySan Benito County: 6.2 %6.2Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 6.2 %6.2Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 6.1 %6.1San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 6.1 %6.1Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 6 %6Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 5.8 %5.8Tehama CountyTehama County: 5.8 %5.8Butte CountyButte County: 5.7 %5.7Trinity CountyTrinity County: 5.6 %5.6Sierra CountySierra County: 5.5 %5.5Amador CountyAmador County: 5.3 %5.3Yolo CountyYolo County: 5.3 %5.3Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 5.2 %5.2Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 5.2 %5.2Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 5.1 %5.1Shasta CountyShasta County: 5 %5Riverside CountyRiverside County: 4.9 %4.9Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 4.8 %4.8San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 4.8 %4.8Solano CountySolano County: 4.8 %4.8El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 4.6 %4.6Nevada CountyNevada County: 4.5 %4.5Sacramento CountySacramento County: 4.5 %4.5Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 4.2 %4.2Inyo CountyInyo County: 4.2 %4.2Ventura CountyVentura County: 4.2 %4.2Alameda CountyAlameda County: 4.1 %4.1San Diego CountySan Diego County: 4.1 %4.1Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 4.1 %4.1Napa CountyNapa County: 4 %4San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 4 %4Sonoma CountySonoma County: 4 %4Placer CountyPlacer County: 3.9 %3.9Marin CountyMarin County: 3.7 %3.7Orange CountyOrange County: 3.7 %3.7Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 3.7 %3.7San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 3.6 %3.6San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 3.4 %3.4Mono CountyMono County: 3.2 %3.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Imperial County16.7+0.3 pts
2Colusa County13.6-1.1 pts
3Tulare County10.2-0.5 pts
4Merced County9.6-1.2 pts
5Kings County8.9-0.6 pts
6Kern County8.7-0.6 pts
6Sutter County8.7-0.6 pts
8Fresno County8.2-0.5 pts
9Madera County7.7-0.4 pts
9Plumas County7.7-0.5 pts
11Siskiyou County7.3+0.1 pts
12Monterey County7.2-1 pts
13Modoc County7-0.2 pts
14Alpine County6.9+0.8 pts
15Glenn County6.8-0.2 pts
15Stanislaus County6.8-0.4 pts
17Lake County6.7-0.2 pts
18Lassen County6.40 pts
18Yuba County6.4-0.5 pts
20San Benito County6.2-0.8 pts
20Santa Cruz County6.2-0.5 pts
22Del Norte County6.1+0.1 pts
22San Joaquin County6.1-0.4 pts
24Mariposa County6-0.1 pts
25Calaveras County5.8-0.4 pts
25Tehama County5.8-0.5 pts
27Butte County5.7-0.2 pts
28Trinity County5.6-0.6 pts
29Sierra County5.5-0.6 pts
30Amador County5.3-0.3 pts
30Yolo County5.3-0.1 pts
32Mendocino County5.2-0.5 pts
32Tuolumne County5.2-0.1 pts
34Los Angeles County5.1-0.1 pts
35Shasta County5-0.3 pts
36Riverside County4.9-0.1 pts
37Humboldt County4.8-0.1 pts
37San Bernardino County4.8-0.1 pts
37Solano County4.8-0.1 pts
40El Dorado County4.6-0.1 pts
41Nevada County4.5-0.1 pts
41Sacramento County4.5-0.1 pts
43Contra Costa County4.2-0.2 pts
43Inyo County4.2-0.1 pts
43Ventura County4.2-0.2 pts
46Alameda County4.1-0.2 pts
46San Diego County4.1-0.1 pts
46Santa Barbara County4.1-0.3 pts
49Napa County4-0.1 pts
49San Luis Obispo County4+0.2 pts
49Sonoma County4-0.1 pts
52Placer County3.90 pts
53Marin County3.7-0.1 pts
53Orange County3.7-0.1 pts
53Santa Clara County3.7-0.2 pts
56San Francisco County3.6-0.2 pts
57San Mateo County3.4-0.2 pts
58Mono County3.2-0.2 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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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Imperial County, with 16.7% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Mono County, with 3.2% in April 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings