Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in April 2026, at 7.7%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.35% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.7Martin County
Lowest3.1Woodford County
Median4.35120 counties
Kentucky4.3History

Top 40 counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 7.7 %7.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 7.6 %7.6Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 7.3 %7.3Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 7.2 %7.2Pike CountyPike County: 7 %7Jackson CountyJackson County: 6.6 %6.6Elliott CountyElliott County: 6.4 %6.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 6.3 %6.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.2 %6.2Carter CountyCarter County: 6 %6Menifee CountyMenifee County: 5.7 %5.7Grayson CountyGrayson County: 5.6 %5.6Floyd CountyFloyd County: 5.5 %5.5Harlan CountyHarlan County: 5.5 %5.5Bell CountyBell County: 5.4 %5.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.4 %5.4Clay CountyClay County: 5.3 %5.3Knott CountyKnott County: 5.3 %5.3Knox CountyKnox County: 5.3 %5.3Estill CountyEstill County: 5.2 %5.2Greenup CountyGreenup County: 5.2 %5.2Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 5.2 %5.2Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 5.1 %5.1Christian CountyChristian County: 5.1 %5.1Hardin CountyHardin County: 5.1 %5.1McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 5.1 %5.1Clinton CountyClinton County: 5 %5Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 5 %5Laurel CountyLaurel County: 5 %5Mason CountyMason County: 5 %5Bath CountyBath County: 4.9 %4.9Livingston CountyLivingston County: 4.9 %4.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 4.9 %4.9Boyd CountyBoyd County: 4.8 %4.8Breckinridge CountyBreckinridge County: 4.8 %4.8Bullitt CountyBullitt County: 4.8 %4.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 4.8 %4.8Letcher CountyLetcher County: 4.8 %4.8Fleming CountyFleming County: 4.6 %4.6Lyon CountyLyon County: 4.6 %4.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Martin County7.7-1.4 pts
2Lewis County7.6+0.3 pts
3Wolfe County7.3+0.4 pts
4Magoffin County7.2-0.9 pts
5Pike County7+1.7 pts
6Jackson County6.6+0.3 pts
7Elliott County6.4-0.6 pts
8Lawrence County6.3+0.1 pts
9Wayne County6.2+1 pts
10Carter County6-0.1 pts
11Menifee County5.7-0.9 pts
12Grayson County5.6+0.2 pts
13Floyd County5.50 pts
13Harlan County5.5-0.6 pts
15Bell County5.4-0.2 pts
15Johnson County5.4-0.1 pts
17Clay County5.3-0.4 pts
17Knott County5.3-0.3 pts
17Knox County5.3-0.1 pts
20Estill County5.2+0.1 pts
20Greenup County5.2-0.2 pts
20Muhlenberg County5.2-0.2 pts
23Breathitt County5.1-0.6 pts
23Christian County5.1+0.2 pts
23Hardin County5.1+0.6 pts
23McCreary County5.1+0.2 pts
27Clinton County5+0.6 pts
27Edmonson County5-0.2 pts
27Laurel County50 pts
27Mason County5-0.2 pts
31Bath County4.9-0.5 pts
31Livingston County4.9+0.1 pts
31Morgan County4.90 pts
34Boyd County4.8-0.1 pts
34Breckinridge County4.80 pts
34Bullitt County4.8-0.5 pts
34Fulton County4.8+0.7 pts
34Letcher County4.8-0.5 pts
39Fleming County4.6-0.2 pts
39Lyon County4.60 pts
39Marion County4.6-0.1 pts
39Marshall County4.6+0.1 pts
39Meade County4.6+0.1 pts
39Ohio County4.6-0.6 pts
39Robertson County4.6-0.3 pts
39Rockcastle County4.6+0.1 pts
47Butler County4.50 pts
47Hopkins County4.50 pts
47Larue County4.5+0.2 pts
47Leslie County4.5-0.6 pts
47Madison County4.5+0.7 pts
47McLean County4.5+0.2 pts
47Montgomery County4.5-0.4 pts
54Green County4.4-0.2 pts
54Jefferson County4.4-0.2 pts
54Lincoln County4.4-0.5 pts
54Owsley County4.4-0.9 pts
54Pulaski County4.4+0.1 pts
54Spencer County4.4-0.7 pts
54Trigg County4.4+0.2 pts
61Ballard County4.3-0.2 pts
61Hart County4.3+0.1 pts
61Hickman County4.3+0.3 pts
61Lee County4.3-0.1 pts
61Logan County4.3+0.3 pts
61Nelson County4.3-0.2 pts
61Powell County4.3+0.4 pts
68Barren County4.2-0.1 pts
68Casey County4.2-0.4 pts
68Crittenden County4.2-0.1 pts
68Perry County4.2-0.2 pts
68Rowan County4.2-0.4 pts
68Taylor County4.2+0.1 pts
68Webster County4.20 pts
75Bracken County4.1-1 pts
75Henderson County4.1+0.2 pts
75Nicholas County4.1+0.4 pts
75Simpson County4.1+0.1 pts
79Boyle County4-0.3 pts
79Calloway County4+0.2 pts
79McCracken County4-0.3 pts
79Mercer County4-0.1 pts
79Monroe County4+0.2 pts
84Carlisle County3.9-0.5 pts
84Garrard County3.9-0.2 pts
84Henry County3.9-0.4 pts
84Owen County3.9-0.1 pts
84Russell County3.9-0.4 pts
89Adair County3.80 pts
89Anderson County3.8-0.5 pts
89Gallatin County3.8-0.1 pts
89Grant County3.8+0.1 pts
89Hancock County3.8-0.4 pts
89Union County3.8+0.2 pts
89Whitley County3.8-0.1 pts
96Allen County3.7-0.2 pts
96Bourbon County3.7+0.2 pts
96Clark County3.7-0.2 pts
96Harrison County3.7+0.3 pts
96Pendleton County3.7-0.8 pts
96Shelby County3.7-0.4 pts
96Trimble County3.7-0.2 pts
96Washington County3.7+0.1 pts
104Caldwell County3.6+0.1 pts
104Daviess County3.6-0.2 pts
104Metcalfe County3.6-0.5 pts
104Warren County3.6-0.1 pts
108Boone County3.5+0.1 pts
108Campbell County3.5-0.1 pts
108Carroll County3.5-0.3 pts
108Cumberland County3.5-0.4 pts
108Franklin County3.5-0.5 pts
108Graves County3.5-0.2 pts
108Kenton County3.5-0.1 pts
108Oldham County3.5-0.1 pts
116Jessamine County3.4+0.1 pts
117Fayette County3.3+0.1 pts
117Scott County3.30 pts
117Todd County3.30 pts
120Woodford County3.1+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 7.7% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 3.1% in April 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