Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in September 2025, at 8.4%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.4Martin County
Median4.7120 counties
Kentucky4.5History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 8.4 %8.4Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 8 %8Lewis CountyLewis County: 7.3 %7.3Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 7.3 %7.3Elliott CountyElliott County: 7 %7Jackson CountyJackson County: 7 %7Harlan CountyHarlan County: 6.8 %6.8Carter CountyCarter County: 6.5 %6.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 6.5 %6.5Knox CountyKnox County: 6.4 %6.4Bell CountyBell County: 6.2 %6.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 6.2 %6.2Knott CountyKnott County: 6.1 %6.1Clay CountyClay County: 6 %6Wayne CountyWayne County: 6 %6Pike CountyPike County: 5.9 %5.9McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 5.8 %5.8Floyd CountyFloyd County: 5.7 %5.7Grayson CountyGrayson County: 5.7 %5.7Mason CountyMason County: 5.7 %5.7Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 5.6 %5.6Letcher CountyLetcher County: 5.6 %5.6Menifee CountyMenifee County: 5.6 %5.6Bath CountyBath County: 5.5 %5.5Estill CountyEstill County: 5.5 %5.5Greenup CountyGreenup County: 5.5 %5.5Laurel CountyLaurel County: 5.5 %5.5Christian CountyChristian County: 5.4 %5.4Clinton CountyClinton County: 5.4 %5.4Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 5.4 %5.4Ohio CountyOhio County: 5.4 %5.4Owsley CountyOwsley County: 5.4 %5.4Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 5.3 %5.3Rowan CountyRowan County: 5.3 %5.3Breckinridge CountyBreckinridge County: 5.2 %5.2Fleming CountyFleming County: 5.2 %5.2Leslie CountyLeslie County: 5.2 %5.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.2 %5.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 5.2 %5.2Boyd CountyBoyd County: 5.1 %5.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Martin County8.4+0.5 pts
2Magoffin County8-0.6 pts
3Lewis County7.3+0.3 pts
3Wolfe County7.3-0.6 pts
5Elliott County7-0.7 pts
5Jackson County7+0.2 pts
7Harlan County6.80 pts
8Carter County6.5-0.2 pts
8Lawrence County6.5-0.6 pts
10Knox County6.4-0.3 pts
11Bell County6.20 pts
11Johnson County6.2-0.3 pts
13Knott County6.1-0.8 pts
14Clay County6-0.5 pts
14Wayne County6+0.5 pts
16Pike County5.90 pts
17McCreary County5.8+0.1 pts
18Floyd County5.7-0.6 pts
18Grayson County5.7+0.6 pts
18Mason County5.7+0.1 pts
21Breathitt County5.6-1 pts
21Letcher County5.6-0.1 pts
21Menifee County5.6-0.1 pts
24Bath County5.5-0.4 pts
24Estill County5.5-0.3 pts
24Greenup County5.5-0.4 pts
24Laurel County5.5-0.2 pts
28Christian County5.4-0.2 pts
28Clinton County5.4+0.3 pts
28Muhlenberg County5.40 pts
28Ohio County5.4-0.1 pts
28Owsley County5.4+0.2 pts
33Edmonson County5.30 pts
33Rowan County5.3-0.2 pts
35Breckinridge County5.2+0.1 pts
35Fleming County5.2-0.2 pts
35Leslie County5.2-0.4 pts
35Lincoln County5.2-0.2 pts
35Morgan County5.2-0.3 pts
40Boyd County5.1-0.3 pts
40Robertson County5.1-0.5 pts
42Casey County5-0.1 pts
42Marion County5-0.4 pts
42Rockcastle County5-0.1 pts
42Taylor County5-0.2 pts
46Ballard County4.9+0.3 pts
46Butler County4.9-0.3 pts
46Calloway County4.9-0.1 pts
46Lee County4.9-0.3 pts
46Logan County4.9+0.3 pts
51Bracken County4.8-0.3 pts
51Green County4.8-0.6 pts
51Hardin County4.80 pts
51Livingston County4.8-0.3 pts
51Montgomery County4.8-0.2 pts
51Pulaski County4.8-0.3 pts
51Whitley County4.8-0.1 pts
58Barren County4.7-0.2 pts
58Boyle County4.7-0.1 pts
58Fulton County4.7-0.1 pts
58Marshall County4.7-0.1 pts
58Perry County4.7-0.2 pts
58Trigg County4.7-0.2 pts
64Hancock County4.6-0.5 pts
64Henderson County4.60 pts
64Hopkins County4.6-0.3 pts
64Madison County4.6-0.2 pts
64Meade County4.6+0.1 pts
69Adair County4.5-0.4 pts
69Crittenden County4.5-0.4 pts
69McLean County4.5-0.4 pts
69Mercer County4.5+0.2 pts
69Russell County4.5-0.3 pts
69Simpson County4.5-0.2 pts
75Carlisle County4.4-0.1 pts
75Hart County4.4-0.3 pts
75Lyon County4.4-0.5 pts
75Metcalfe County4.4-0.4 pts
75Nicholas County4.4-0.1 pts
75Webster County4.4-0.6 pts
81Allen County4.3-0.1 pts
81Gallatin County4.3-0.1 pts
81Henry County4.3-0.1 pts
81Hickman County4.3-0.1 pts
81Jefferson County4.3-0.1 pts
81Larue County4.3-0.1 pts
81McCracken County4.3-0.3 pts
81Monroe County4.3-0.3 pts
81Powell County4.3-0.3 pts
81Union County4.3+0.1 pts
91Anderson County4.2-0.4 pts
91Caldwell County4.2+0.1 pts
91Carroll County4.2-0.3 pts
91Clark County4.2-0.2 pts
91Garrard County4.2-0.3 pts
91Pendleton County4.2-0.2 pts
91Trimble County4.20 pts
98Daviess County4.1-0.4 pts
98Grant County4.1-0.4 pts
98Nelson County4.1-0.2 pts
98Owen County4.1-0.5 pts
98Warren County4.1-0.2 pts
103Bourbon County40 pts
103Bullitt County4-0.2 pts
103Graves County4-0.1 pts
103Harrison County40 pts
103Jessamine County4-0.2 pts
108Campbell County3.9-0.3 pts
108Franklin County3.9-0.2 pts
108Spencer County3.9-0.2 pts
108Todd County3.9-0.3 pts
108Washington County3.9-0.2 pts
113Boone County3.8-0.3 pts
113Fayette County3.8-0.1 pts
113Kenton County3.8-0.2 pts
113Oldham County3.8-0.2 pts
113Shelby County3.80 pts
118Cumberland County3.7-0.6 pts
118Scott County3.7-0.2 pts
120Woodford County3.6-0.1 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?

Martin County, with 8.4% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 3.6% 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 Kentucky: more rankings