Counties in Illinois by unemployment rate

Boone County had the highest unemployment rate of 102 counties in December 2025, at 6.9%. Monroe County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 5.2% and the figure for Illinois was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.9Boone County
Lowest3.2Monroe County
Median5.2102 counties
Illinois4.7History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Boone CountyBoone County: 6.9 %6.9Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 6.7 %6.7Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 6.7 %6.7Macon CountyMacon County: 6.6 %6.6Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 6.6 %6.6Alexander CountyAlexander County: 6.5 %6.5LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 6.5 %6.5Scott CountyScott County: 6.5 %6.5Pope CountyPope County: 6.4 %6.4Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 6.3 %6.3Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 6.3 %6.3Bureau CountyBureau County: 6.1 %6.1Knox CountyKnox County: 6.1 %6.1Mercer CountyMercer County: 6.1 %6.1Peoria CountyPeoria County: 6.1 %6.1Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 6.1 %6.1Clark CountyClark County: 6 %6Clay CountyClay County: 6 %6Fayette CountyFayette County: 6 %6Fulton CountyFulton County: 6 %6Marshall CountyMarshall County: 6 %6Putnam CountyPutnam County: 6 %6Henry CountyHenry County: 5.9 %5.9Mason CountyMason County: 5.9 %5.9Stark CountyStark County: 5.9 %5.9Iroquois CountyIroquois County: 5.8 %5.8Kane CountyKane County: 5.8 %5.8Lake CountyLake County: 5.8 %5.8Ogle CountyOgle County: 5.8 %5.8Pike CountyPike County: 5.8 %5.8Carroll CountyCarroll County: 5.6 %5.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 5.6 %5.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 5.6 %5.6Perry CountyPerry County: 5.6 %5.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.5 %5.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.5 %5.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.5 %5.5Lee CountyLee County: 5.5 %5.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.5 %5.5Cass CountyCass County: 5.4 %5.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Boone County6.9+1.7 pts
2Kankakee County6.7+1.7 pts
2Schuyler County6.7+1.4 pts
4Macon County6.6+1.5 pts
4Pulaski County6.6+0.6 pts
6Alexander County6.5+0.3 pts
6LaSalle County6.5+1.4 pts
6Scott County6.5+1.1 pts
9Pope County6.4+2.4 pts
10Vermilion County6.3+0.9 pts
10Winnebago County6.3+1.6 pts
12Bureau County6.1+1.2 pts
12Knox County6.1+1.7 pts
12Mercer County6.1+1.6 pts
12Peoria County6.1+1.1 pts
12Rock Island County6.1+1.2 pts
17Clark County6+1.9 pts
17Clay County6+1.6 pts
17Fayette County6+1.5 pts
17Fulton County6+1.4 pts
17Marshall County6+1.5 pts
17Putnam County6+1.1 pts
23Henry County5.9+1.3 pts
23Mason County5.9+1.4 pts
23Stark County5.9+1.5 pts
26Iroquois County5.8+1.7 pts
26Kane County5.8+1.4 pts
26Lake County5.8+1.3 pts
26Ogle County5.8+1.4 pts
26Pike County5.8+1.7 pts
31Carroll County5.6+1.2 pts
31Jefferson County5.6+1.5 pts
31Lawrence County5.6+1.6 pts
31Perry County5.6+1.2 pts
35Franklin County5.5+1.2 pts
35Jackson County5.5+1.5 pts
35Johnson County5.5+1.3 pts
35Lee County5.5+1.4 pts
35Montgomery County5.5+1.3 pts
40Cass County5.4+1.1 pts
40Hamilton County5.4+1.2 pts
40Logan County5.4+0.8 pts
40Marion County5.4+1.3 pts
44DeKalb County5.3+1.3 pts
44Edwards County5.3+1.8 pts
44Henderson County5.3+2.3 pts
44Tazewell County5.3+1 pts
44Whiteside County5.3+1.2 pts
49Christian County5.2+1.4 pts
49Hardin County5.2+1.5 pts
49Macoupin County5.2+1.2 pts
49Sangamon County5.2+1.4 pts
49Stephenson County5.2+1.1 pts
49Union County5.2+0.8 pts
49White County5.2+1.5 pts
56Kendall County5.1+1.3 pts
56Menard County5.1+1.6 pts
56Morgan County5.1+1.3 pts
59Edgar County5+1.3 pts
59Gallatin County5+0.8 pts
59McDonough County5+1.1 pts
59Saline County5+1.2 pts
59St. Clair County5+1.1 pts
59Warren County5+1.1 pts
65Bond County4.9+1 pts
65Calhoun County4.9+1 pts
65Shelby County4.9+1.3 pts
68Champaign County4.8+1.4 pts
68Ford County4.8+1.3 pts
68Wayne County4.8+1 pts
71Crawford County4.7+0.8 pts
71Jo Daviess County4.7+1 pts
71Livingston County4.7+1.3 pts
71Williamson County4.7+1.1 pts
75Cook County4.6+0.1 pts
75Cumberland County4.6+1.6 pts
75Effingham County4.6+1.4 pts
75Greene County4.6+1.2 pts
75McLean County4.6+1.2 pts
80De Witt County4.5+0.6 pts
80Grundy County4.5-0.2 pts
80Madison County4.5+1.2 pts
80Will County4.5+0.1 pts
80Woodford County4.5+1.2 pts
85Coles County4.4+1.3 pts
85Hancock County4.4+1 pts
85Jasper County4.4+1.2 pts
85Massac County4.4+0.8 pts
85Wabash County4.4+1.3 pts
90Douglas County4.3+1.2 pts
90Jersey County4.3+1.2 pts
90Randolph County4.3+0.8 pts
93Moultrie County4.2+1 pts
93Piatt County4.2+1.2 pts
95McHenry County4.1+0.1 pts
95Richland County4.1+1.1 pts
97Adams County4+1 pts
98Brown County3.8+1.2 pts
98Clinton County3.8+0.9 pts
100DuPage County3.7+0.1 pts
101Washington County3.6+0.9 pts
102Monroe County3.2+0.7 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?

Boone County, with 6.9% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Monroe County, with 3.2% 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 Illinois: more rankings