Counties in Iowa by unemployment rate

Marshall County had the highest unemployment rate of 99 counties in September 2025, at 4.8%. Sioux County had the lowest, at 1.8%. The median was 2.8% and the figure for Iowa was 3.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest4.8Marshall County
Lowest1.8Sioux County
Median2.899 counties
Iowa3.4History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.8 %4.8Wapello CountyWapello County: 4.8 %4.8Scott CountyScott County: 4.6 %4.6Clinton CountyClinton County: 4.5 %4.5Emmet CountyEmmet County: 4 %4Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 3.8 %3.8Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 3.6 %3.6Crawford CountyCrawford County: 3.6 %3.6Davis CountyDavis County: 3.6 %3.6Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 3.6 %3.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 3.6 %3.6Lee CountyLee County: 3.6 %3.6Tama CountyTama County: 3.6 %3.6Jones CountyJones County: 3.5 %3.5Linn CountyLinn County: 3.5 %3.5Monroe CountyMonroe County: 3.5 %3.5Muscatine CountyMuscatine County: 3.5 %3.5Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 3.5 %3.5Polk CountyPolk County: 3.4 %3.4Mills CountyMills County: 3.3 %3.3Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 3.3 %3.3Floyd CountyFloyd County: 3.2 %3.2Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 3.1 %3.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 3.1 %3.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.1 %3.1Louisa CountyLouisa County: 3.1 %3.1Lucas CountyLucas County: 3.1 %3.1Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 3.1 %3.1Webster CountyWebster County: 3.1 %3.1Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 3.1 %3.1Bremer CountyBremer County: 3 %3Butler CountyButler County: 3 %3Clayton CountyClayton County: 3 %3Dickinson CountyDickinson County: 3 %3Dubuque CountyDubuque County: 3 %3Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 3 %3Union CountyUnion County: 3 %3Cerro Gordo CountyCerro Gordo County: 2.9 %2.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 2.9 %2.9Fremont CountyFremont County: 2.9 %2.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Marshall County4.8+0.4 pts
1Wapello County4.8+0.5 pts
3Scott County4.6+0.3 pts
4Clinton County4.5+0.4 pts
5Emmet County4+0.8 pts
6Black Hawk County3.8-0.3 pts
7Appanoose County3.6+0.2 pts
7Crawford County3.6+0.4 pts
7Davis County3.6+0.2 pts
7Des Moines County3.6+0.1 pts
7Jackson County3.6+0.2 pts
7Lee County3.6+0.1 pts
7Tama County3.6+0.1 pts
14Jones County3.5+0.4 pts
14Linn County3.5+0.4 pts
14Monroe County3.5-0.3 pts
14Muscatine County3.5+0.1 pts
14Pottawattamie County3.5+0.5 pts
19Polk County3.4+0.3 pts
20Mills County3.3-0.1 pts
20Winnebago County3.3+0.9 pts
22Floyd County3.2+0.4 pts
23Buchanan County3.1-0.1 pts
23Jasper County3.1+0.2 pts
23Jefferson County3.1-0.2 pts
23Louisa County3.1+0.5 pts
23Lucas County3.1+0.5 pts
23Van Buren County3.1+0.6 pts
23Webster County3.1+0.2 pts
23Woodbury County3.1+0.2 pts
31Bremer County3-0.1 pts
31Butler County3-0.1 pts
31Clayton County3-0.1 pts
31Dickinson County3+0.2 pts
31Dubuque County30 pts
31Keokuk County3-0.1 pts
31Union County3+0.2 pts
38Cerro Gordo County2.9+0.3 pts
38Fayette County2.9-0.4 pts
38Fremont County2.9-0.6 pts
38Hancock County2.9+0.9 pts
38Henry County2.9+0.1 pts
38Pocahontas County2.9+0.1 pts
44Cedar County2.8+0.2 pts
44Clay County2.8-0.9 pts
44Dallas County2.8-0.2 pts
44Decatur County2.8-0.3 pts
44Guthrie County2.8+0.2 pts
44Iowa County2.8-0.1 pts
44Warren County2.8+0.2 pts
51Benton County2.70 pts
51Clarke County2.7+0.3 pts
51Hardin County2.7+0.2 pts
51Humboldt County2.7-0.1 pts
51Poweshiek County2.7+0.2 pts
51Story County2.7+0.4 pts
57Allamakee County2.60 pts
57Buena Vista County2.6+0.1 pts
57Franklin County2.6-0.2 pts
57Grundy County2.6-0.4 pts
57Madison County2.60 pts
57Page County2.6+0.3 pts
57Sac County2.6-1 pts
64Adams County2.5+0.3 pts
64Boone County2.50 pts
64Delaware County2.5-0.1 pts
64Harrison County2.5+0.2 pts
64Johnson County2.5+0.2 pts
64Palo Alto County2.5+0.1 pts
64Ringgold County2.5+0.3 pts
64Worth County2.5+0.3 pts
72Calhoun County2.4-0.1 pts
72Cass County2.40 pts
72Greene County2.40 pts
72Howard County2.40 pts
72Marion County2.4+0.1 pts
72Montgomery County2.4+0.1 pts
72Plymouth County2.4-0.1 pts
72Shelby County2.4+0.2 pts
72Wayne County2.4-0.4 pts
72Wright County2.4+0.1 pts
82Audubon County2.3+0.4 pts
82Mahaska County2.3-0.1 pts
82Taylor County2.3+0.4 pts
85Chickasaw County2.2-0.2 pts
85Hamilton County2.2-0.1 pts
85Kossuth County2.2-0.1 pts
85Mitchell County2.2-0.1 pts
85Monona County2.20 pts
85O'Brien County2.20 pts
85Winneshiek County2.20 pts
92Carroll County2.1+0.1 pts
92Ida County2.1-0.2 pts
92Lyon County2.1+0.1 pts
92Osceola County2.1+0.3 pts
96Adair County2-0.3 pts
96Washington County2-0.1 pts
98Cherokee County1.9-0.2 pts
99Sioux County1.8+0.1 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. 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?

Marshall County, with 4.8% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Sioux County, with 1.8% 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 Iowa: more rankings