Counties in Illinois by unemployment rate

Alexander County had the highest unemployment rate of 102 counties in September 2025, at 6.6%. Washington County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 4.4% and the figure for Illinois was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median4.4102 counties
Illinois4.5History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 6.6 %6.6Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 6.1 %6.1Macon CountyMacon County: 5.8 %5.8Pope CountyPope County: 5.5 %5.5Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 5.5 %5.5Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 5.5 %5.5Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 5.4 %5.4Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 5.4 %5.4Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 5.3 %5.3Knox CountyKnox County: 5.3 %5.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.2 %5.2Hardin CountyHardin County: 5.2 %5.2LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 5.2 %5.2Peoria CountyPeoria County: 5.2 %5.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5 %5Henry CountyHenry County: 5 %5Marion CountyMarion County: 5 %5Mercer CountyMercer County: 5 %5Clark CountyClark County: 4.9 %4.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 4.9 %4.9Perry CountyPerry County: 4.9 %4.9Putnam CountyPutnam County: 4.9 %4.9Boone CountyBoone County: 4.8 %4.8Bureau CountyBureau County: 4.8 %4.8Logan CountyLogan County: 4.8 %4.8Clay CountyClay County: 4.7 %4.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 4.7 %4.7Iroquois CountyIroquois County: 4.7 %4.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 4.7 %4.7Johnson CountyJohnson County: 4.7 %4.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 4.7 %4.7Pike CountyPike County: 4.7 %4.7Saline CountySaline County: 4.7 %4.7Stark CountyStark County: 4.7 %4.7White CountyWhite County: 4.7 %4.7Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 4.6 %4.6Macoupin CountyMacoupin County: 4.6 %4.6Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.6 %4.6St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 4.6 %4.6Whiteside CountyWhiteside County: 4.6 %4.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Alexander County6.6+0.9 pts
2Pulaski County6.1+0.3 pts
3Macon County5.8+0.5 pts
4Pope County5.5+0.5 pts
4Rock Island County5.5-0.6 pts
4Vermilion County5.5-0.3 pts
7Kankakee County5.4+0.4 pts
7Winnebago County5.4+0.5 pts
9Gallatin County5.3+0.8 pts
9Knox County5.3+0.7 pts
11Calhoun County5.2+0.7 pts
11Hardin County5.2+0.6 pts
11LaSalle County5.2+0.6 pts
11Peoria County5.2+0.4 pts
15Franklin County5+0.2 pts
15Henry County5-0.2 pts
15Marion County5+0.4 pts
15Mercer County50 pts
19Clark County4.9+0.7 pts
19Jefferson County4.9+0.5 pts
19Perry County4.9+0.3 pts
19Putnam County4.9+0.9 pts
23Boone County4.8+0.2 pts
23Bureau County4.8+0.2 pts
23Logan County4.8+0.3 pts
26Clay County4.7+0.1 pts
26Fayette County4.7+0.5 pts
26Iroquois County4.7+0.5 pts
26Jackson County4.7+0.3 pts
26Johnson County4.7-0.2 pts
26Lawrence County4.7-2 pts
26Pike County4.7+0.7 pts
26Saline County4.7+0.5 pts
26Stark County4.7+0.7 pts
26White County4.7+0.6 pts
36Hamilton County4.6+0.8 pts
36Macoupin County4.6+0.6 pts
36Marshall County4.6+0.3 pts
36St. Clair County4.6+0.2 pts
36Whiteside County4.6+0.4 pts
41Cass County4.5+0.1 pts
41Edgar County4.5+0.4 pts
41Mason County4.5+0.6 pts
41Montgomery County4.5+0.4 pts
41Sangamon County4.5+0.6 pts
41Wayne County4.5+0.9 pts
47Carroll County4.4+0.3 pts
47Christian County4.4+0.7 pts
47DeKalb County4.4+0.3 pts
47Edwards County4.4+0.2 pts
47Kane County4.4+0.3 pts
47Lake County4.4+0.2 pts
47Lee County4.4+0.1 pts
47Ogle County4.4+0.3 pts
47Schuyler County4.4+0.2 pts
47Stephenson County4.4+0.1 pts
47Tazewell County4.4+0.4 pts
47Warren County4.4+0.2 pts
59Bond County4.3+0.1 pts
59Cook County4.3-1.1 pts
59Fulton County4.3+0.2 pts
59Williamson County4.3+0.2 pts
63Champaign County4.2+0.2 pts
63Kendall County4.2+0.2 pts
63Massac County4.2+0.3 pts
63McDonough County4.2+0.5 pts
63Scott County4.2+0.2 pts
63Union County4.2+0.3 pts
69Ford County4.1+0.4 pts
69Madison County4.1+0.2 pts
69Menard County4.1+0.7 pts
69Wabash County4.1+0.1 pts
73Crawford County4-0.8 pts
73Livingston County4+0.3 pts
73Moultrie County4+0.5 pts
76McLean County3.9+0.2 pts
76Morgan County3.9+0.1 pts
76Randolph County3.90 pts
76Richland County3.9-0.3 pts
76Shelby County3.9+0.5 pts
76Will County3.9-0.9 pts
82Coles County3.8+0.3 pts
82Douglas County3.8+0.4 pts
82Greene County3.8+0.3 pts
82Jersey County3.8+0.1 pts
86De Witt County3.70 pts
86Grundy County3.7-1.2 pts
86Hancock County3.7+0.3 pts
86Henderson County3.7+0.2 pts
86Woodford County3.7+0.4 pts
91Effingham County3.6+0.2 pts
91Jasper County3.6+0.2 pts
91Piatt County3.6+0.5 pts
94Adams County3.5+0.2 pts
94DuPage County3.5-0.8 pts
96Brown County3.4+0.5 pts
96Cumberland County3.4+0.3 pts
96Jo Daviess County3.4-0.2 pts
96McHenry County3.4-0.9 pts
100Clinton County3.3+0.1 pts
101Monroe County3.2+0.4 pts
101Washington County3.20 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?

Alexander County, with 6.6% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Washington County, with 3.2% in September 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 Illinois: more rankings