Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Wolfe County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in February 2026, at 11.1%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 5.1% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest11.1Wolfe County
Median5.1120 counties
Kentucky4.2History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 11.1 %11.1Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 9.7 %9.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 9.5 %9.5Elliott CountyElliott County: 9.1 %9.1Menifee CountyMenifee County: 8.7 %8.7Carter CountyCarter County: 8.1 %8.1Martin CountyMartin County: 7.9 %7.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 7.2 %7.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 7.1 %7.1Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 7.1 %7.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 6.9 %6.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.9 %6.9Bath CountyBath County: 6.8 %6.8Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 6.8 %6.8Greenup CountyGreenup County: 6.5 %6.5Robertson CountyRobertson County: 6.5 %6.5Bracken CountyBracken County: 6.4 %6.4Grayson CountyGrayson County: 6.4 %6.4McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 6.4 %6.4Livingston CountyLivingston County: 6.2 %6.2Mason CountyMason County: 6.2 %6.2Ohio CountyOhio County: 6.2 %6.2Bell CountyBell County: 6.1 %6.1Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 6.1 %6.1Harlan CountyHarlan County: 6.1 %6.1Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 6.1 %6.1Clay CountyClay County: 6 %6Estill CountyEstill County: 6 %6Floyd CountyFloyd County: 6 %6Lyon CountyLyon County: 6 %6Knott CountyKnott County: 5.9 %5.9Knox CountyKnox County: 5.9 %5.9Butler CountyButler County: 5.8 %5.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 5.8 %5.8Laurel CountyLaurel County: 5.8 %5.8Pike CountyPike County: 5.8 %5.8Breckinridge CountyBreckinridge County: 5.7 %5.7Owsley CountyOwsley County: 5.7 %5.7Boyd CountyBoyd County: 5.6 %5.6Christian CountyChristian County: 5.6 %5.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Wolfe County11.1+0.4 pts
2Magoffin County9.7-0.8 pts
3Lewis County9.5-0.3 pts
4Elliott County9.1-1.1 pts
5Menifee County8.7-0.4 pts
6Carter County8.1-0.8 pts
7Martin County7.9-1.9 pts
8Morgan County7.2-0.8 pts
9Jackson County7.1-0.8 pts
9Lawrence County7.1-1.2 pts
11Johnson County6.9-0.6 pts
11Wayne County6.9+0.3 pts
13Bath County6.8-0.8 pts
13Breathitt County6.8-1.5 pts
15Greenup County6.5-0.4 pts
15Robertson County6.5-1.1 pts
17Bracken County6.4-0.8 pts
17Grayson County6.4+0.1 pts
17McCreary County6.40 pts
20Livingston County6.2-0.6 pts
20Mason County6.2-0.8 pts
20Ohio County6.2-0.4 pts
23Bell County6.1-0.8 pts
23Edmonson County6.1-0.2 pts
23Harlan County6.1-1.1 pts
23Muhlenberg County6.1-0.7 pts
27Clay County6-1.1 pts
27Estill County6-0.9 pts
27Floyd County6-1 pts
27Lyon County6-0.5 pts
31Knott County5.9-1.6 pts
31Knox County5.9-0.7 pts
33Butler County5.8-0.2 pts
33Clinton County5.8-0.1 pts
33Laurel County5.8-0.3 pts
33Pike County5.8-0.8 pts
37Breckinridge County5.7-0.4 pts
37Owsley County5.7-1.1 pts
39Boyd County5.6-0.8 pts
39Christian County5.6-0.3 pts
39Marion County5.6-0.1 pts
42Lincoln County5.5-0.9 pts
42Marshall County5.5-0.7 pts
42Powell County5.5+0.2 pts
45Bullitt County5.4-0.5 pts
45Fleming County5.4-0.8 pts
47Cumberland County5.3-0.1 pts
47Hardin County5.3-0.3 pts
47Leslie County5.3-1 pts
47Letcher County5.3-1 pts
47Montgomery County5.3-0.5 pts
47Nelson County5.3-0.1 pts
53Ballard County5.2-0.4 pts
53Lee County5.2-0.1 pts
53Meade County5.2-0.2 pts
53Rockcastle County5.2-0.6 pts
53Rowan County5.2-0.9 pts
53Trigg County5.2-0.2 pts
59Barren County5.1-0.7 pts
59Monroe County5.1-0.4 pts
59Pulaski County5.1-0.4 pts
62Gallatin County5-0.2 pts
62Logan County5-0.2 pts
64Grant County4.9-0.3 pts
64Green County4.9-1.1 pts
64Jefferson County4.9-0.4 pts
64Madison County4.9-0.1 pts
68Pendleton County4.8-1 pts
68Perry County4.8-0.7 pts
70Calloway County4.7-0.8 pts
70Casey County4.7-1.2 pts
70Crittenden County4.7-1 pts
70Fulton County4.7-0.4 pts
70Henderson County4.7-0.2 pts
70Hickman County4.7-0.2 pts
70Hopkins County4.7-0.7 pts
70McLean County4.7-0.5 pts
70Mercer County4.7-0.5 pts
70Metcalfe County4.7-1.4 pts
70Spencer County4.7-0.7 pts
70Taylor County4.7-0.8 pts
82Boyle County4.6-0.9 pts
82Garrard County4.6-0.4 pts
82Hancock County4.6-0.9 pts
82Larue County4.6-1 pts
82Simpson County4.6-0.2 pts
82Webster County4.6-0.8 pts
88Adair County4.5-0.6 pts
88Carlisle County4.5-0.8 pts
88Hart County4.5-1.1 pts
88Henry County4.5-0.7 pts
88Russell County4.5-1.1 pts
88Trimble County4.5-0.6 pts
88Whitley County4.5-0.3 pts
95Allen County4.4-0.5 pts
95Anderson County4.4-0.3 pts
95McCracken County4.4-0.7 pts
98Caldwell County4.3-0.3 pts
98Nicholas County4.3-0.5 pts
100Clark County4.2-0.7 pts
100Harrison County4.2-0.2 pts
100Owen County4.2-1 pts
103Bourbon County4.1-0.3 pts
103Carroll County4.1-0.8 pts
103Daviess County4.1-0.7 pts
103Kenton County4.1-0.4 pts
103Shelby County4.1-0.5 pts
103Union County4.1-0.4 pts
103Warren County4.1-0.4 pts
103Washington County4.1-0.5 pts
111Boone County4-0.4 pts
111Campbell County4-0.7 pts
113Franklin County3.9-0.7 pts
113Graves County3.9-0.7 pts
115Oldham County3.8-0.5 pts
115Scott County3.8-0.3 pts
117Jessamine County3.7-0.6 pts
118Fayette County3.6-0.5 pts
119Todd County3.4-0.9 pts
120Woodford County3.3-0.4 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?

Wolfe County, with 11.1% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 3.3% in February 2026.

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