Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Magoffin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in December 2025, at 7.4%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 3.7% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.4Magoffin County
Median3.7120 counties
Kentucky4.4History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 7.4 %7.4Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 7.4 %7.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 7.1 %7.1Martin CountyMartin County: 6.8 %6.8Elliott CountyElliott County: 6 %6Carter CountyCarter County: 5.8 %5.8Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.6 %5.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 5.6 %5.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.2 %5.2Menifee CountyMenifee County: 5.1 %5.1Harlan CountyHarlan County: 5 %5Bath CountyBath County: 4.9 %4.9Bell CountyBell County: 4.8 %4.8Estill CountyEstill County: 4.8 %4.8Grayson CountyGrayson County: 4.8 %4.8Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 4.7 %4.7Clay CountyClay County: 4.7 %4.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 4.7 %4.7Greenup CountyGreenup County: 4.7 %4.7Knox CountyKnox County: 4.7 %4.7Morgan CountyMorgan County: 4.7 %4.7Knott CountyKnott County: 4.6 %4.6Mason CountyMason County: 4.6 %4.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.6 %4.6McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 4.5 %4.5Pike CountyPike County: 4.5 %4.5Bracken CountyBracken County: 4.4 %4.4Christian CountyChristian County: 4.4 %4.4Laurel CountyLaurel County: 4.4 %4.4Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 4.4 %4.4Ohio CountyOhio County: 4.4 %4.4Clinton CountyClinton County: 4.3 %4.3Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 4.3 %4.3Letcher CountyLetcher County: 4.3 %4.3Boyd CountyBoyd County: 4.2 %4.2Lee CountyLee County: 4.2 %4.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.2 %4.2Livingston CountyLivingston County: 4.2 %4.2Marion CountyMarion County: 4.2 %4.2Owsley CountyOwsley County: 4.2 %4.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Magoffin County7.4-0.4 pts
1Wolfe County7.4-0.9 pts
3Lewis County7.1-2 pts
4Martin County6.8-2 pts
5Elliott County6-2.8 pts
6Carter County5.8-1.6 pts
7Jackson County5.6-0.9 pts
7Lawrence County5.6-2 pts
9Johnson County5.2-1.3 pts
10Menifee County5.1-1.8 pts
11Harlan County5-2 pts
12Bath County4.9-1.4 pts
13Bell County4.8-1.2 pts
13Estill County4.8-0.7 pts
13Grayson County4.8-0.5 pts
16Breathitt County4.7-1.8 pts
16Clay County4.7-1.9 pts
16Floyd County4.7-1.3 pts
16Greenup County4.7-1.6 pts
16Knox County4.7-1.4 pts
16Morgan County4.7-1.1 pts
22Knott County4.6-1.6 pts
22Mason County4.6-1.1 pts
22Wayne County4.6-1.1 pts
25McCreary County4.5-1 pts
25Pike County4.5-1.1 pts
27Bracken County4.4-1.4 pts
27Christian County4.4-1 pts
27Laurel County4.4-1 pts
27Muhlenberg County4.4-1.3 pts
27Ohio County4.4-1.2 pts
32Clinton County4.3-1.5 pts
32Edmonson County4.3-1 pts
32Letcher County4.3-1 pts
35Boyd County4.2-1.2 pts
35Lee County4.2-0.7 pts
35Lincoln County4.2-1.7 pts
35Livingston County4.2-0.7 pts
35Marion County4.2-0.5 pts
35Owsley County4.2-1.5 pts
35Robertson County4.2-1.2 pts
35Rowan County4.2-1.1 pts
43Breckinridge County4.1-1 pts
43Hardin County4.1-0.7 pts
43Rockcastle County4.1-0.9 pts
46Butler County4-0.8 pts
46Calloway County4-0.7 pts
46Fleming County4-1.6 pts
46Leslie County4-1.8 pts
46Marshall County4-1.2 pts
46Montgomery County4-1 pts
52Ballard County3.9-0.8 pts
52Powell County3.9-0.8 pts
54Green County3.8-1.3 pts
54Lyon County3.8-1.4 pts
54Madison County3.8-0.5 pts
54Taylor County3.8-0.6 pts
58Boyle County3.7-1.1 pts
58Carlisle County3.7-1.3 pts
58Crittenden County3.7-1.2 pts
58Cumberland County3.7-1 pts
58Fulton County3.7-0.8 pts
58Hickman County3.7-0.6 pts
58Logan County3.7-0.9 pts
58Meade County3.7-0.7 pts
58Mercer County3.7-0.6 pts
58Monroe County3.7-1.2 pts
58Pulaski County3.7-1.3 pts
58Russell County3.7-1.3 pts
58Trigg County3.7-1 pts
58Whitley County3.7-0.6 pts
72Adair County3.6-0.8 pts
72Barren County3.6-1.3 pts
72Casey County3.6-1.6 pts
72Gallatin County3.6-0.8 pts
72Henderson County3.6-0.6 pts
72Hopkins County3.6-1.1 pts
72McLean County3.6-1.1 pts
72Perry County3.6-1 pts
80Grant County3.5-0.8 pts
80Hancock County3.5-1.4 pts
80McCracken County3.5-0.9 pts
80Pendleton County3.5-1.3 pts
80Simpson County3.5-0.9 pts
80Webster County3.5-1.1 pts
86Allen County3.4-0.7 pts
86Hart County3.4-1.2 pts
86Jefferson County3.4-0.8 pts
86Larue County3.4-1.1 pts
86Metcalfe County3.4-1.4 pts
86Union County3.4-0.7 pts
92Anderson County3.3-0.8 pts
92Henry County3.3-0.8 pts
92Nelson County3.3-0.8 pts
92Nicholas County3.3-0.5 pts
92Owen County3.3-0.8 pts
97Bullitt County3.2-0.9 pts
97Clark County3.2-1.1 pts
97Daviess County3.2-1.1 pts
97Garrard County3.2-1.2 pts
97Harrison County3.2-0.6 pts
97Trimble County3.2-0.9 pts
97Warren County3.2-0.7 pts
104Boone County3.1-0.7 pts
104Bourbon County3.1-0.8 pts
104Campbell County3.1-0.9 pts
104Jessamine County3.1-0.7 pts
104Kenton County3.1-0.8 pts
104Spencer County3.1-0.8 pts
104Washington County3.1-0.7 pts
111Caldwell County3-0.8 pts
111Carroll County3-1.2 pts
111Franklin County3-1 pts
111Graves County3-1.1 pts
111Scott County3-0.7 pts
116Fayette County2.9-0.7 pts
116Oldham County2.9-0.8 pts
116Todd County2.9-1.3 pts
119Shelby County2.8-0.8 pts
120Woodford County2.7-0.7 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?

Magoffin County, with 7.4% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 2.7% 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 Kentucky: more rankings