Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in May 2026, at 9.7%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 3.7%. The median was 5.05% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.7Martin County
Lowest3.7Woodford County
Median5.05120 counties
Kentucky4.5History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 9.7 %9.7Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 8.5 %8.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 8.1 %8.1Elliott CountyElliott County: 8 %8Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 8 %8Jackson CountyJackson County: 7.6 %7.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 6.9 %6.9Carter CountyCarter County: 6.8 %6.8Pike CountyPike County: 6.8 %6.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.8 %6.8Harlan CountyHarlan County: 6.4 %6.4Knott CountyKnott County: 6.4 %6.4Clay CountyClay County: 6.3 %6.3Grayson CountyGrayson County: 6.3 %6.3Johnson CountyJohnson County: 6.3 %6.3Knox CountyKnox County: 6.3 %6.3Floyd CountyFloyd County: 6.2 %6.2Bell CountyBell County: 6.1 %6.1Estill CountyEstill County: 6.1 %6.1Menifee CountyMenifee County: 6 %6Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 5.9 %5.9Christian CountyChristian County: 5.9 %5.9Greenup CountyGreenup County: 5.9 %5.9Laurel CountyLaurel County: 5.9 %5.9McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 5.9 %5.9Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 5.9 %5.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 5.8 %5.8Hardin CountyHardin County: 5.7 %5.7Bath CountyBath County: 5.6 %5.6Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 5.6 %5.6Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.6 %5.6Mason CountyMason County: 5.6 %5.6Breckinridge CountyBreckinridge County: 5.5 %5.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 5.5 %5.5Letcher CountyLetcher County: 5.5 %5.5Livingston CountyLivingston County: 5.5 %5.5Boyd CountyBoyd County: 5.4 %5.4Lee CountyLee County: 5.4 %5.4Owsley CountyOwsley County: 5.4 %5.4Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 5.4 %5.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Martin County9.7+0.2 pts
2Wolfe County8.5+1.4 pts
3Lewis County8.1+0.5 pts
4Elliott County8+0.2 pts
4Magoffin County8-1.3 pts
6Jackson County7.6+0.9 pts
7Lawrence County6.9+0.1 pts
8Carter County6.8-0.2 pts
8Pike County6.8+1 pts
8Wayne County6.8+1.4 pts
11Harlan County6.4-0.4 pts
11Knott County6.4+0.4 pts
13Clay County6.3+0.1 pts
13Grayson County6.3+0.6 pts
13Johnson County6.3+0.2 pts
13Knox County6.3+0.3 pts
17Floyd County6.2+0.2 pts
18Bell County6.1+0.1 pts
18Estill County6.1+0.5 pts
20Menifee County6-0.1 pts
21Breathitt County5.9-0.1 pts
21Christian County5.9+0.5 pts
21Greenup County5.90 pts
21Laurel County5.9+0.4 pts
21McCreary County5.9+0.3 pts
21Muhlenberg County5.90 pts
27Morgan County5.8+0.6 pts
28Hardin County5.7+1.1 pts
29Bath County5.6-0.3 pts
29Edmonson County5.6+0.1 pts
29Fulton County5.6+0.7 pts
29Mason County5.6-0.2 pts
33Breckinridge County5.5+0.5 pts
33Clinton County5.5+0.3 pts
33Letcher County5.50 pts
33Livingston County5.5+0.8 pts
37Boyd County5.4+0.1 pts
37Lee County5.4+0.8 pts
37Owsley County5.4-0.1 pts
37Rockcastle County5.4+0.6 pts
41Fleming County5.3+0.1 pts
41Leslie County5.3-0.1 pts
41Madison County5.3+0.8 pts
41Marion County5.3+0.3 pts
41Meade County5.3+0.9 pts
41Robertson County5.30 pts
41Rowan County5.30 pts
48Bullitt County5.2+1.1 pts
48Butler County5.2+0.4 pts
48Crittenden County5.2+0.5 pts
48Hopkins County5.2+0.1 pts
48Lincoln County5.2+0.1 pts
48Marshall County5.2+0.3 pts
48Ohio County5.2-0.1 pts
48Trigg County5.2+0.6 pts
56Ballard County5.1+0.3 pts
56Green County5.1+0.3 pts
56Logan County5.1+0.6 pts
56McLean County5.1+0.4 pts
56Pulaski County5.1+0.5 pts
61Barren County5+0.4 pts
61Calloway County5+0.4 pts
61Casey County5+0.1 pts
61Hickman County5+0.6 pts
61Jefferson County5+0.7 pts
61Larue County5+0.7 pts
61Montgomery County5-0.1 pts
61Nicholas County5+0.8 pts
61Taylor County5+0.2 pts
70Hart County4.9+0.5 pts
70Lyon County4.9+0.3 pts
70Mercer County4.9+0.6 pts
70Perry County4.9+0.2 pts
70Simpson County4.9+0.5 pts
70Spencer County4.9+1 pts
76Boyle County4.80 pts
76Hancock County4.8+0.4 pts
76Henderson County4.8+0.5 pts
76Monroe County4.8+0.7 pts
76Nelson County4.8+0.8 pts
76Powell County4.8+0.3 pts
76Webster County4.8+0.2 pts
76Whitley County4.8+0.2 pts
84McCracken County4.7+0.1 pts
85Adair County4.6+0.1 pts
85Bourbon County4.6+0.7 pts
85Bracken County4.6-0.2 pts
85Carlisle County4.6+0.2 pts
85Garrard County4.6+0.4 pts
85Henry County4.6+0.7 pts
85Russell County4.6-1.3 pts
92Gallatin County4.5+0.2 pts
92Metcalfe County4.5+0.4 pts
92Owen County4.5+0.3 pts
92Union County4.5+0.4 pts
96Allen County4.4+0.2 pts
96Carroll County4.4+0.2 pts
96Grant County4.4+0.3 pts
99Anderson County4.3-0.1 pts
99Caldwell County4.3+0.3 pts
99Graves County4.3+0.3 pts
99Harrison County4.3+0.6 pts
99Trimble County4.3+0.3 pts
99Warren County4.3+0.3 pts
105Clark County4.2-0.1 pts
105Daviess County4.2+0.1 pts
105Jessamine County4.2+0.4 pts
105Pendleton County4.2-0.4 pts
105Shelby County4.2+0.6 pts
105Washington County4.2+0.4 pts
111Boone County4.1+0.3 pts
111Campbell County4.1+0.2 pts
111Cumberland County4.1+0.1 pts
111Franklin County4.1+0.1 pts
111Kenton County4.1+0.2 pts
111Oldham County4.1+0.4 pts
117Fayette County4+0.3 pts
117Scott County4+0.2 pts
117Todd County4+0.2 pts
120Woodford County3.7+0.2 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 9.7% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 3.7% in May 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