Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in Illinois

Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate

Round Lake Beach, IL had the highest unemployment rate of 104 cities in March 2026, at 10.7%. Wheaton, IL had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for Illinois was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest10.7Round Lake Beach, IL
Lowest3.8Wheaton, IL
Median4.7104 cities
Illinois5.1History

Top 40 cities, March 2026

Round Lake Beach, IL: 10.7 %Round Lake Beach, IL10.7Chicago Heights, IL: 9.2 %Chicago Heights, IL9.2Carpentersville, IL: 8.8 %Carpentersville, IL8.8Kankakee, IL: 8.7 %Kankakee, IL8.7Maywood, IL: 8.5 %Maywood, IL8.5Waukegan, IL: 8.3 %Waukegan, IL8.3East St. Louis, IL: 8 %East St. Louis, IL8Dolton, IL: 7.9 %Dolton, IL7.9Elgin, IL: 7.8 %Elgin, IL7.8North Chicago, IL: 7.8 %North Chicago, IL7.8Belvidere, IL: 7.5 %Belvidere, IL7.5Decatur, IL: 7.3 %Decatur, IL7.3Rockford, IL: 7.2 %Rockford, IL7.2Zion, IL: 7.2 %Zion, IL7.2Harvey, IL: 6.9 %Harvey, IL6.9Danville, IL: 6.8 %Danville, IL6.8Calumet City, IL: 6.6 %Calumet City, IL6.6Galesburg, IL: 6.5 %Galesburg, IL6.5Joliet, IL: 6.5 %Joliet, IL6.5Lansing, IL: 6.5 %Lansing, IL6.5Park Forest, IL: 6.5 %Park Forest, IL6.5Hanover Park, IL: 6.4 %Hanover Park, IL6.4Peoria, IL: 6.4 %Peoria, IL6.4Mundelein, IL: 6.3 %Mundelein, IL6.3Pekin, IL: 6.1 %Pekin, IL6.1Burbank, IL: 5.9 %Burbank, IL5.9Carbondale, IL: 5.9 %Carbondale, IL5.9Melrose Park, IL: 5.9 %Melrose Park, IL5.9Streamwood, IL: 5.9 %Streamwood, IL5.9Cicero, IL: 5.8 %Cicero, IL5.8Moline, IL: 5.8 %Moline, IL5.8West Chicago, IL: 5.8 %West Chicago, IL5.8Freeport, IL: 5.6 %Freeport, IL5.6Addison, IL: 5.5 %Addison, IL5.5Aurora, IL: 5.5 %Aurora, IL5.5Oak Lawn, IL: 5.5 %Oak Lawn, IL5.5Rock Island, IL: 5.5 %Rock Island, IL5.5Springfield, IL: 5.5 %Springfield, IL5.5Alton, IL: 5.4 %Alton, IL5.4Berwyn, IL: 5.4 %Berwyn, IL5.4Round Lake Beach, IL: 10.7 %Round Lake Beach, IL10.7Chicago Heights, IL: 9.2 %Chicago Heights, IL9.2Carpentersville, IL: 8.8 %Carpentersville, IL8.8Kankakee, IL: 8.7 %Kankakee, IL8.7Maywood, IL: 8.5 %Maywood, IL8.5Waukegan, IL: 8.3 %Waukegan, IL8.3East St. Louis, IL: 8 %East St. Louis, IL8Dolton, IL: 7.9 %Dolton, IL7.9Elgin, IL: 7.8 %Elgin, IL7.8North Chicago, IL: 7.8 %North Chicago, IL7.8Belvidere, IL: 7.5 %Belvidere, IL7.5Decatur, IL: 7.3 %Decatur, IL7.3Rockford, IL: 7.2 %Rockford, IL7.2Zion, IL: 7.2 %Zion, IL7.2Harvey, IL: 6.9 %Harvey, IL6.9Danville, IL: 6.8 %Danville, IL6.8Calumet City, IL: 6.6 %Calumet City, IL6.6Galesburg, IL: 6.5 %Galesburg, IL6.5Joliet, IL: 6.5 %Joliet, IL6.5Lansing, IL: 6.5 %Lansing, IL6.5Park Forest, IL: 6.5 %Park Forest, IL6.5Hanover Park, IL: 6.4 %Hanover Park, IL6.4Peoria, IL: 6.4 %Peoria, IL6.4Mundelein, IL: 6.3 %Mundelein, IL6.3Pekin, IL: 6.1 %Pekin, IL6.1Burbank, IL: 5.9 %Burbank, IL5.9Carbondale, IL: 5.9 %Carbondale, IL5.9Melrose Park, IL: 5.9 %Melrose Park, IL5.9Streamwood, IL: 5.9 %Streamwood, IL5.9Cicero, IL: 5.8 %Cicero, IL5.8Moline, IL: 5.8 %Moline, IL5.8West Chicago, IL: 5.8 %West Chicago, IL5.8Freeport, IL: 5.6 %Freeport, IL5.6Addison, IL: 5.5 %Addison, IL5.5Aurora, IL: 5.5 %Aurora, IL5.5Oak Lawn, IL: 5.5 %Oak Lawn, IL5.5Rock Island, IL: 5.5 %Rock Island, IL5.5Springfield, IL: 5.5 %Springfield, IL5.5Alton, IL: 5.4 %Alton, IL5.4Berwyn, IL: 5.4 %Berwyn, IL5.4
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Round Lake Beach, IL10.7+1.9 pts
2Chicago Heights, IL9.2+0.8 pts
3Carpentersville, IL8.8+1.4 pts
4Kankakee, IL8.7+1.3 pts
5Maywood, IL8.5+0.4 pts
6Waukegan, IL8.3+1.2 pts
7East St. Louis, IL8+1.7 pts
8Dolton, IL7.9+0.2 pts
9Elgin, IL7.8+1 pts
9North Chicago, IL7.8+1.8 pts
11Belvidere, IL7.5+1.1 pts
12Decatur, IL7.3+1.1 pts
13Rockford, IL7.2+1.3 pts
13Zion, IL7.2+0.2 pts
15Harvey, IL6.9-0.4 pts
16Danville, IL6.8+0.9 pts
17Calumet City, IL6.60 pts
18Galesburg, IL6.5+1.6 pts
18Joliet, IL6.5+0.5 pts
18Lansing, IL6.5+0.5 pts
18Park Forest, IL6.5+0.2 pts
22Hanover Park, IL6.4+0.2 pts
22Peoria, IL6.4+1.2 pts
24Mundelein, IL6.3+1.3 pts
25Pekin, IL6.1+1.1 pts
26Burbank, IL5.90 pts
26Carbondale, IL5.9+1 pts
26Melrose Park, IL5.9+0.3 pts
26Streamwood, IL5.9+0.2 pts
30Cicero, IL5.8-0.1 pts
30Moline, IL5.8+0.9 pts
30West Chicago, IL5.8+0.1 pts
33Freeport, IL5.6+0.7 pts
34Addison, IL5.5+0.3 pts
34Aurora, IL5.5+0.8 pts
34Oak Lawn, IL5.5+0.4 pts
34Rock Island, IL5.5+0.4 pts
34Springfield, IL5.5+1.1 pts
39Alton, IL5.4+1.1 pts
39Berwyn, IL5.4+0.1 pts
39DeKalb, IL5.4+1.1 pts
42Woodstock, IL5.3+0.4 pts
43Belleville, IL5.1+1 pts
43Chicago, IL5.1+0.1 pts
45Granite City, IL5+1 pts
46Oak Forest, IL4.9+0.2 pts
46Oswego, IL4.9+1.2 pts
46Romeoville, IL4.9+0.3 pts
49Elmwood Park, IL4.8+0.2 pts
49Urbana, IL4.8+1.3 pts
49Wheeling, IL4.8+0.1 pts
52Des Plaines, IL4.70 pts
52Vernon Hills, IL4.7+1.1 pts
54Glendale Heights, IL4.6+0.1 pts
54Highland Park, IL4.6+1.1 pts
54Huntley, IL4.6+0.5 pts
54Oak Park, IL4.6+0.4 pts
58Batavia, IL4.5+0.7 pts
58Bloomington, IL4.5+0.7 pts
58Bolingbrook, IL4.5-0.1 pts
58Champaign, IL4.5+1 pts
58Gurnee, IL4.5+0.6 pts
58Lake in the Hills, IL4.50 pts
58McHenry, IL4.5+0.1 pts
58Morton Grove, IL4.5+0.5 pts
58Palatine, IL4.5+0.2 pts
58Yorkville, IL4.5+0.7 pts
68Evanston, IL4.4+0.2 pts
68Normal, IL4.4+0.9 pts
68Skokie, IL4.4+0.3 pts
68St. Charles, IL4.4+0.9 pts
68Tinley Park, IL4.4+0.2 pts
73Algonquin, IL4.3+0.3 pts
73Elk Grove Village, IL4.3-0.2 pts
73Homer Glen, IL4.3-0.1 pts
73Niles, IL4.3+0.2 pts
73Orland Park, IL4.3+0.1 pts
73Schaumburg, IL4.3+0.3 pts
73Westmont, IL4.3+0.3 pts
80Buffalo Grove, IL4.2+0.5 pts
80Crystal Lake, IL4.2+0.1 pts
80Hoffman Estates, IL4.2+0.1 pts
80Lockport, IL4.2+0.1 pts
80O'Fallon, IL4.2+1 pts
80Woodridge, IL4.2+0.3 pts
86Bartlett, IL4.1+0.1 pts
86Collinsville, IL4.1+0.6 pts
86Elmhurst, IL4.1+0.3 pts
86New Lenox, IL4.1-0.1 pts
86Plainfield, IL4.1+0.5 pts
91Edwardsville, IL4+0.9 pts
91Glen Ellyn, IL4+0.2 pts
91Glenview, IL4+0.2 pts
91Lombard, IL4-0.1 pts
91Mount Prospect, IL4+0.1 pts
91Northbrook, IL4+0.2 pts
97Arlington Heights, IL3.9+0.1 pts
97Quincy, IL3.9+0.5 pts
97Wilmette, IL3.9+0.3 pts
100Carol Stream, IL3.8-0.1 pts
100Downers Grove, IL3.80 pts
100Naperville, IL3.8+0.1 pts
100Park Ridge, IL3.8+0.1 pts
100Wheaton, IL3.80 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.

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 Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03) [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 Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03. 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/illinois-cities?period=2026-03. 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 Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03. 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/illinois-cities?period=2026-03.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/illinois-cities?period=2026-03 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_cities_in_illinois_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 Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03}},
  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/illinois-cities?period=2026-03. 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 Illinois by unemployment rate, 2026-03
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/illinois-cities?period=2026-03
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/illinois-cities?period=2026-03.
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?

Round Lake Beach, IL, with 10.7% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Wheaton, IL, with 3.8% in March 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 Illinois: more rankings