Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in Illinois

Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate

Dolton, IL had the highest unemployment rate of 104 cities in July 2026, at 10.2%. Quincy, IL had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 4.4% and the figure for Illinois was 4.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest10.2Dolton, IL
Lowest2.9Quincy, IL
Median4.4104 cities
Illinois4.9History

Top 40 cities, July 2026

Dolton, IL: 10.2 %Dolton, IL10.2Maywood, IL: 9.1 %Maywood, IL9.1Harvey, IL: 8.3 %Harvey, IL8.3Park Forest, IL: 7.8 %Park Forest, IL7.8Calumet City, IL: 7.6 %Calumet City, IL7.6Chicago Heights, IL: 6.9 %Chicago Heights, IL6.9Lansing, IL: 6.7 %Lansing, IL6.7East St. Louis, IL: 6.4 %East St. Louis, IL6.4Danville, IL: 5.7 %Danville, IL5.7Decatur, IL: 5.7 %Decatur, IL5.7Chicago, IL: 5.5 %Chicago, IL5.5Burbank, IL: 5.4 %Burbank, IL5.4Joliet, IL: 5.3 %Joliet, IL5.3Morton Grove, IL: 5.3 %Morton Grove, IL5.3Berwyn, IL: 5.2 %Berwyn, IL5.2Elmwood Park, IL: 5.2 %Elmwood Park, IL5.2Oak Lawn, IL: 5.2 %Oak Lawn, IL5.2Oak Park, IL: 5.2 %Oak Park, IL5.2Melrose Park, IL: 5.1 %Melrose Park, IL5.1Hanover Park, IL: 5 %Hanover Park, IL5Rockford, IL: 5 %Rockford, IL5Romeoville, IL: 5 %Romeoville, IL5Bolingbrook, IL: 4.9 %Bolingbrook, IL4.9Evanston, IL: 4.9 %Evanston, IL4.9Galesburg, IL: 4.9 %Galesburg, IL4.9Kankakee, IL: 4.9 %Kankakee, IL4.9Oak Forest, IL: 4.9 %Oak Forest, IL4.9Skokie, IL: 4.9 %Skokie, IL4.9Alton, IL: 4.8 %Alton, IL4.8Carbondale, IL: 4.8 %Carbondale, IL4.8Niles, IL: 4.8 %Niles, IL4.8Streamwood, IL: 4.8 %Streamwood, IL4.8Des Plaines, IL: 4.7 %Des Plaines, IL4.7Hoffman Estates, IL: 4.7 %Hoffman Estates, IL4.7Westmont, IL: 4.7 %Westmont, IL4.7Cicero, IL: 4.6 %Cicero, IL4.6Crystal Lake, IL: 4.6 %Crystal Lake, IL4.6Elk Grove Village, IL: 4.6 %Elk Grove Village, IL4.6Lake in the Hills, IL: 4.6 %Lake in the Hills, IL4.6Tinley Park, IL: 4.6 %Tinley Park, IL4.6Dolton, IL: 10.2 %Dolton, IL10.2Maywood, IL: 9.1 %Maywood, IL9.1Harvey, IL: 8.3 %Harvey, IL8.3Park Forest, IL: 7.8 %Park Forest, IL7.8Calumet City, IL: 7.6 %Calumet City, IL7.6Chicago Heights, IL: 6.9 %Chicago Heights, IL6.9Lansing, IL: 6.7 %Lansing, IL6.7East St. Louis, IL: 6.4 %East St. Louis, IL6.4Danville, IL: 5.7 %Danville, IL5.7Decatur, IL: 5.7 %Decatur, IL5.7Chicago, IL: 5.5 %Chicago, IL5.5Burbank, IL: 5.4 %Burbank, IL5.4Joliet, IL: 5.3 %Joliet, IL5.3Morton Grove, IL: 5.3 %Morton Grove, IL5.3Berwyn, IL: 5.2 %Berwyn, IL5.2Elmwood Park, IL: 5.2 %Elmwood Park, IL5.2Oak Lawn, IL: 5.2 %Oak Lawn, IL5.2Oak Park, IL: 5.2 %Oak Park, IL5.2Melrose Park, IL: 5.1 %Melrose Park, IL5.1Hanover Park, IL: 5 %Hanover Park, IL5Rockford, IL: 5 %Rockford, IL5Romeoville, IL: 5 %Romeoville, IL5Bolingbrook, IL: 4.9 %Bolingbrook, IL4.9Evanston, IL: 4.9 %Evanston, IL4.9Galesburg, IL: 4.9 %Galesburg, IL4.9Kankakee, IL: 4.9 %Kankakee, IL4.9Oak Forest, IL: 4.9 %Oak Forest, IL4.9Skokie, IL: 4.9 %Skokie, IL4.9Alton, IL: 4.8 %Alton, IL4.8Carbondale, IL: 4.8 %Carbondale, IL4.8Niles, IL: 4.8 %Niles, IL4.8Streamwood, IL: 4.8 %Streamwood, IL4.8Des Plaines, IL: 4.7 %Des Plaines, IL4.7Hoffman Estates, IL: 4.7 %Hoffman Estates, IL4.7Westmont, IL: 4.7 %Westmont, IL4.7Cicero, IL: 4.6 %Cicero, IL4.6Crystal Lake, IL: 4.6 %Crystal Lake, IL4.6Elk Grove Village, IL: 4.6 %Elk Grove Village, IL4.6Lake in the Hills, IL: 4.6 %Lake in the Hills, IL4.6Tinley Park, IL: 4.6 %Tinley Park, IL4.6
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Dolton, IL10.2+1.5 pts
2Maywood, IL9.1+1.2 pts
3Harvey, IL8.3+0.9 pts
4Park Forest, IL7.8+0.8 pts
5Calumet City, IL7.6+0.6 pts
6Chicago Heights, IL6.9+0.5 pts
7Lansing, IL6.7+0.5 pts
8East St. Louis, IL6.4-1.7 pts
9Danville, IL5.7-1.6 pts
9Decatur, IL5.7-1.2 pts
11Chicago, IL5.5+0.4 pts
12Burbank, IL5.4+0.8 pts
13Joliet, IL5.3+0.2 pts
13Morton Grove, IL5.3+0.9 pts
15Berwyn, IL5.2+0.4 pts
15Elmwood Park, IL5.2+0.5 pts
15Oak Lawn, IL5.2+0.3 pts
15Oak Park, IL5.2+0.7 pts
19Melrose Park, IL5.1+0.9 pts
20Hanover Park, IL5+0.4 pts
20Rockford, IL5-1.2 pts
20Romeoville, IL5+0.4 pts
23Bolingbrook, IL4.9+0.4 pts
23Evanston, IL4.9+0.2 pts
23Galesburg, IL4.9-0.9 pts
23Kankakee, IL4.9-1.6 pts
23Oak Forest, IL4.9+0.2 pts
23Skokie, IL4.9+0.3 pts
29Alton, IL4.8-0.5 pts
29Carbondale, IL4.8-1.2 pts
29Niles, IL4.8+0.3 pts
29Streamwood, IL4.8+0.6 pts
33Des Plaines, IL4.7+0.5 pts
33Hoffman Estates, IL4.7+0.6 pts
33Westmont, IL4.7+0.4 pts
36Cicero, IL4.6+0.2 pts
36Crystal Lake, IL4.6+0.5 pts
36Elk Grove Village, IL4.6+0.1 pts
36Lake in the Hills, IL4.6+0.3 pts
36Tinley Park, IL4.6+0.3 pts
41DeKalb, IL4.5-1.2 pts
41Elmhurst, IL4.5+0.4 pts
41Glenview, IL4.5+0.5 pts
41Homer Glen, IL4.5+0.3 pts
41Huntley, IL4.5+0.3 pts
41Lombard, IL4.5+0.5 pts
41Naperville, IL4.5+0.3 pts
41Park Ridge, IL4.5+0.5 pts
41Schaumburg, IL4.5+0.1 pts
41Wheaton, IL4.5+0.4 pts
41Wilmette, IL4.5+0.1 pts
52Arlington Heights, IL4.4+0.4 pts
52Aurora, IL4.4-0.3 pts
52Belvidere, IL4.4-1.2 pts
52Northbrook, IL4.4+0.2 pts
52Orland Park, IL4.4+0.1 pts
52Peoria, IL4.4-1.3 pts
52Zion, IL4.4-1.4 pts
59Addison, IL4.3+0.6 pts
59Bartlett, IL4.3+0.6 pts
59Carol Stream, IL4.3+0.3 pts
59Carpentersville, IL4.3-0.7 pts
59Glendale Heights, IL4.3+0.3 pts
59Mount Prospect, IL4.3+0.5 pts
59Pekin, IL4.3-1.2 pts
59Plainfield, IL4.3+0.2 pts
59Woodridge, IL4.3+0.2 pts
68Downers Grove, IL4.2+0.2 pts
68Glen Ellyn, IL4.20 pts
68Granite City, IL4.2-1.1 pts
68Lockport, IL4.2+0.4 pts
68McHenry, IL4.2+0.4 pts
68New Lenox, IL4.2+0.3 pts
68Palatine, IL4.2+0.3 pts
75Algonquin, IL4.1-0.2 pts
75Urbana, IL4.1-1.2 pts
75West Chicago, IL4.10 pts
75Wheeling, IL4.1+0.4 pts
75Woodstock, IL4.1+0.4 pts
80Springfield, IL4-1.1 pts
80Waukegan, IL4-1 pts
82Belleville, IL3.9-1 pts
82Elgin, IL3.9-0.7 pts
82Freeport, IL3.9-1.2 pts
82Rock Island, IL3.9-1.5 pts
86Buffalo Grove, IL3.8-0.3 pts
86Champaign, IL3.8-1.1 pts
86North Chicago, IL3.8-1.2 pts
89Gurnee, IL3.7-0.8 pts
89Moline, IL3.7-1.3 pts
89Yorkville, IL3.7-0.7 pts
92Normal, IL3.6-1.1 pts
92Oswego, IL3.6-0.7 pts
92Round Lake Beach, IL3.6-1.1 pts
92Vernon Hills, IL3.6-0.6 pts
96Collinsville, IL3.5-0.6 pts
96Mundelein, IL3.5-0.5 pts
98Batavia, IL3.4-1 pts
99Bloomington, IL3.3-1 pts
99Highland Park, IL3.3-1 pts
99St. Charles, IL3.3-1.1 pts
102O'Fallon, IL3.2-1.1 pts
103Edwardsville, IL3.1-1.2 pts
104Quincy, IL2.9-1.1 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.

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, 2026-07) [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, 2026-07. 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=2026-07. 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, 2026-07. 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=2026-07.

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, 2026-07 [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=2026-07 (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, 2026-07}},
  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=2026-07. 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, 2026-07
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=2026-07
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/illinois-cities?period=2026-07.
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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Rank Cities in Illinois by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Dolton, IL, with 10.2% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Quincy, IL, with 2.9% in July 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