Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in August 2025, at 9.1%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.1Martin County
Median4.6120 counties
Kentucky4.5History

Top 40 counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 9.1 %9.1Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 8.2 %8.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 7.2 %7.2Elliott CountyElliott County: 7.1 %7.1Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 7.1 %7.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 6.9 %6.9Harlan CountyHarlan County: 6.8 %6.8Carter CountyCarter County: 6.7 %6.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 6.6 %6.6Knox CountyKnox County: 6.3 %6.3Clay CountyClay County: 6.1 %6.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 6.1 %6.1Knott CountyKnott County: 6.1 %6.1Pike CountyPike County: 6.1 %6.1Bell CountyBell County: 6 %6Floyd CountyFloyd County: 6 %6McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 5.9 %5.9Grayson CountyGrayson County: 5.7 %5.7Rowan CountyRowan County: 5.7 %5.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 5.7 %5.7Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 5.6 %5.6Greenup CountyGreenup County: 5.6 %5.6Letcher CountyLetcher County: 5.6 %5.6Mason CountyMason County: 5.6 %5.6Bath CountyBath County: 5.5 %5.5Christian CountyChristian County: 5.4 %5.4Menifee CountyMenifee County: 5.4 %5.4Ohio CountyOhio County: 5.4 %5.4Estill CountyEstill County: 5.3 %5.3Laurel CountyLaurel County: 5.3 %5.3Leslie CountyLeslie County: 5.3 %5.3Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 5.3 %5.3Boyd CountyBoyd County: 5.2 %5.2Clinton CountyClinton County: 5.2 %5.2Fleming CountyFleming County: 5.2 %5.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 5.2 %5.2Breckinridge CountyBreckinridge County: 5.1 %5.1Calloway CountyCalloway County: 5.1 %5.1Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 5.1 %5.1Marion CountyMarion County: 5.1 %5.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Martin County9.1+1.6 pts
2Magoffin County8.2-0.5 pts
3Lewis County7.2-0.5 pts
4Elliott County7.1-1 pts
4Wolfe County7.1-1.5 pts
6Jackson County6.9-0.7 pts
7Harlan County6.8+0.1 pts
8Carter County6.7-0.9 pts
9Lawrence County6.6-0.8 pts
10Knox County6.3-0.8 pts
11Clay County6.1-0.9 pts
11Johnson County6.1-0.6 pts
11Knott County6.1-1.2 pts
11Pike County6.1-0.3 pts
15Bell County6-0.6 pts
15Floyd County6-0.7 pts
17McCreary County5.9-0.3 pts
18Grayson County5.7+0.3 pts
18Rowan County5.7-0.5 pts
18Wayne County5.7-0.2 pts
21Breathitt County5.6-1.6 pts
21Greenup County5.6-0.9 pts
21Letcher County5.6-0.4 pts
21Mason County5.6-0.4 pts
25Bath County5.5-0.7 pts
26Christian County5.4-0.6 pts
26Menifee County5.4-0.9 pts
26Ohio County5.4-0.5 pts
29Estill County5.3-0.9 pts
29Laurel County5.3-0.7 pts
29Leslie County5.3-0.7 pts
29Muhlenberg County5.3-0.5 pts
33Boyd County5.2-0.8 pts
33Clinton County5.2-0.1 pts
33Fleming County5.2-0.5 pts
33Taylor County5.2-0.5 pts
37Breckinridge County5.1-0.3 pts
37Calloway County5.1-0.5 pts
37Edmonson County5.1-0.5 pts
37Marion County5.1-0.5 pts
37Morgan County5.1-0.6 pts
37Owsley County5.1-0.6 pts
43Lincoln County5-0.6 pts
43Robertson County5-1.2 pts
45Casey County4.9-0.7 pts
45Rockcastle County4.9-0.5 pts
47Boyle County4.8-0.4 pts
47Bracken County4.8-0.7 pts
47Green County4.8-1.1 pts
47Perry County4.8-0.4 pts
47Whitley County4.8-0.6 pts
52Ballard County4.7-0.3 pts
52Fulton County4.7-0.5 pts
52Hancock County4.7-0.8 pts
52Hardin County4.7-0.3 pts
52Montgomery County4.7-0.6 pts
57Adair County4.6-0.7 pts
57Butler County4.6-0.8 pts
57Crittenden County4.6-0.7 pts
57Madison County4.6-0.5 pts
57Marshall County4.6-0.5 pts
62Barren County4.5-0.8 pts
62Hopkins County4.5-0.8 pts
62McLean County4.5-1 pts
62Meade County4.5-0.2 pts
62Pulaski County4.5-0.8 pts
62Trigg County4.5-0.7 pts
68Carlisle County4.4-0.7 pts
68Hart County4.4-0.7 pts
68Lee County4.4-0.9 pts
68Livingston County4.4-1 pts
68Russell County4.4-0.7 pts
68Simpson County4.4-0.5 pts
68Webster County4.4-0.9 pts
75Anderson County4.3-0.5 pts
75Henderson County4.3-0.6 pts
75Jefferson County4.3-0.3 pts
75Logan County4.3-0.6 pts
75Mercer County4.3-0.4 pts
75Metcalfe County4.3-0.8 pts
81Gallatin County4.2-0.5 pts
81Larue County4.2-0.4 pts
81McCracken County4.2-0.6 pts
81Nicholas County4.2-0.6 pts
81Powell County4.2-0.7 pts
81Union County4.2-0.3 pts
81Warren County4.2-0.4 pts
88Allen County4.1-0.6 pts
88Bullitt County4.1-0.3 pts
88Caldwell County4.1-0.4 pts
88Carroll County4.1-0.8 pts
88Clark County4.1-0.6 pts
88Daviess County4.1-0.7 pts
88Garrard County4.1-0.6 pts
88Grant County4.1-0.7 pts
88Henry County4.1-0.6 pts
88Hickman County4.1-0.7 pts
88Monroe County4.1-1.1 pts
88Nelson County4.1-0.4 pts
88Owen County4.1-0.9 pts
88Spencer County4.1-0.3 pts
102Pendleton County4-0.8 pts
103Bourbon County3.9-0.3 pts
103Franklin County3.9-0.5 pts
103Graves County3.9-0.5 pts
103Jessamine County3.9-0.6 pts
103Lyon County3.9-1 pts
103Trimble County3.9-0.6 pts
103Washington County3.9-0.5 pts
110Boone County3.8-0.5 pts
110Campbell County3.8-0.6 pts
110Cumberland County3.8-0.8 pts
110Harrison County3.8-0.5 pts
110Kenton County3.8-0.5 pts
110Oldham County3.8-0.4 pts
110Shelby County3.8-0.3 pts
117Fayette County3.7-0.5 pts
117Scott County3.7-0.5 pts
117Todd County3.7-0.7 pts
120Woodford County3.6-0.3 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?

Martin County, with 9.1% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 3.6% in August 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 Kentucky: more rankings