Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in June 2026, at 10.4%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 5.9% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.4Martin County
Median5.9120 counties
Kentucky4.7History

Top 40 counties, June 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 10.4 %10.4Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 10.4 %10.4Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 9.7 %9.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 9.5 %9.5Elliott CountyElliott County: 9.4 %9.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 8.5 %8.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 8.2 %8.2Carter CountyCarter County: 8.1 %8.1Knott CountyKnott County: 7.8 %7.8Pike CountyPike County: 7.8 %7.8Harlan CountyHarlan County: 7.6 %7.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 7.6 %7.6Knox CountyKnox County: 7.5 %7.5Clay CountyClay County: 7.4 %7.4Menifee CountyMenifee County: 7.4 %7.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 7.3 %7.3McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 7.3 %7.3Bell CountyBell County: 7.2 %7.2Christian CountyChristian County: 7.2 %7.2Estill CountyEstill County: 7.2 %7.2Floyd CountyFloyd County: 7.1 %7.1Grayson CountyGrayson County: 7.1 %7.1Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 6.9 %6.9Greenup CountyGreenup County: 6.9 %6.9Mason CountyMason County: 6.8 %6.8Rowan CountyRowan County: 6.8 %6.8Laurel CountyLaurel County: 6.7 %6.7Morgan CountyMorgan County: 6.7 %6.7Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 6.7 %6.7Robertson CountyRobertson County: 6.7 %6.7Bath CountyBath County: 6.6 %6.6Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 6.5 %6.5Calloway CountyCalloway County: 6.4 %6.4Fleming CountyFleming County: 6.4 %6.4Letcher CountyLetcher County: 6.4 %6.4Madison CountyMadison County: 6.4 %6.4Boyd CountyBoyd County: 6.3 %6.3Clinton CountyClinton County: 6.3 %6.3Hardin CountyHardin County: 6.3 %6.3Ohio CountyOhio County: 6.3 %6.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJune 2026 (%)Change on June 2025
1Martin County10.4+0.7 pts
1Wolfe County10.4+2.4 pts
3Magoffin County9.7+0.5 pts
4Lewis County9.5+0.9 pts
5Elliott County9.4+0.9 pts
6Jackson County8.5+1.1 pts
7Lawrence County8.2+0.8 pts
8Carter County8.1+0.2 pts
9Knott County7.8+0.7 pts
9Pike County7.8+1.3 pts
11Harlan County7.60 pts
11Wayne County7.6+1.8 pts
13Knox County7.5+0.8 pts
14Clay County7.4+0.4 pts
14Menifee County7.4+0.4 pts
16Johnson County7.3+0.4 pts
16McCreary County7.3+0.9 pts
18Bell County7.2+0.3 pts
18Christian County7.2+1.2 pts
18Estill County7.2+0.9 pts
21Floyd County7.1+0.4 pts
21Grayson County7.1+0.9 pts
23Breathitt County6.9+0.2 pts
23Greenup County6.9+0.4 pts
25Mason County6.8+0.5 pts
25Rowan County6.8+0.7 pts
27Laurel County6.7+0.5 pts
27Morgan County6.7+0.6 pts
27Muhlenberg County6.7+0.6 pts
27Robertson County6.7+0.4 pts
31Bath County6.6+0.2 pts
32Edmonson County6.5+0.4 pts
33Calloway County6.4+1.1 pts
33Fleming County6.4+0.1 pts
33Letcher County6.4+0.3 pts
33Madison County6.4+1.3 pts
37Boyd County6.3+0.4 pts
37Clinton County6.3+0.2 pts
37Hardin County6.3+1.2 pts
37Ohio County6.3+0.3 pts
37Taylor County6.3+0.8 pts
42Breckinridge County6.2+0.7 pts
42Fulton County6.2+1 pts
42Leslie County6.2+0.3 pts
42Livingston County6.2+1.1 pts
42Marion County6.2+0.5 pts
42Rockcastle County6.2+0.9 pts
42Trigg County6.2+1.1 pts
49Ballard County6.1+0.6 pts
49Butler County6.1+0.6 pts
49Crittenden County6.1+0.9 pts
49Hopkins County6.1+1.1 pts
49Lee County6.1+0.8 pts
49Lincoln County6.1+0.4 pts
55Casey County6+0.5 pts
55Hickman County6+1.2 pts
55Owsley County6-0.2 pts
58Green County5.9+0.4 pts
58Logan County5.9+1 pts
58McLean County5.9+1 pts
58Meade County5.9+1.1 pts
58Montgomery County5.9+0.3 pts
63Barren County5.8+0.7 pts
63Boyle County5.8+0.4 pts
63Bullitt County5.8+1.3 pts
63Marshall County5.8+0.6 pts
63Pulaski County5.8+0.6 pts
68Adair County5.7+0.5 pts
68Hancock County5.7+0.7 pts
68Mercer County5.7+0.8 pts
68Nicholas County5.7+1.1 pts
68Perry County5.7+0.5 pts
68Simpson County5.7+0.8 pts
68Whitley County5.7+0.5 pts
75Hart County5.6+0.7 pts
75Henderson County5.6+0.7 pts
75Jefferson County5.6+0.9 pts
75Lyon County5.6+0.8 pts
75Spencer County5.6+1.3 pts
75Webster County5.6+0.7 pts
81Carlisle County5.5+0.7 pts
81Larue County5.5+0.8 pts
81Monroe County5.5+1 pts
81Nelson County5.5+0.9 pts
81Powell County5.5+0.8 pts
86Bracken County5.4-0.1 pts
86Russell County5.4-1.1 pts
88Bourbon County5.3+0.9 pts
88Caldwell County5.3+0.8 pts
88Garrard County5.3+0.6 pts
88Henry County5.3+0.8 pts
88McCracken County5.3+0.3 pts
88Metcalfe County5.3+0.5 pts
88Union County5.3+0.7 pts
95Allen County5.2+0.4 pts
95Daviess County5.2+0.6 pts
95Gallatin County5.2+0.6 pts
95Grant County5.2+0.6 pts
95Owen County5.2+0.5 pts
95Warren County5.2+0.7 pts
101Anderson County5.1+0.3 pts
101Carroll County5.1+0.7 pts
101Harrison County5.1+0.8 pts
101Pendleton County5.1+0.2 pts
101Trimble County5.1+0.7 pts
101Washington County5.1+0.8 pts
107Clark County5+0.3 pts
107Graves County5+0.5 pts
107Jessamine County5+0.6 pts
107Oldham County5+0.9 pts
107Todd County5+0.8 pts
112Franklin County4.9+0.5 pts
113Boone County4.8+0.6 pts
113Fayette County4.8+0.6 pts
113Shelby County4.8+0.7 pts
116Campbell County4.7+0.4 pts
116Kenton County4.7+0.4 pts
116Scott County4.7+0.5 pts
119Cumberland County4.6+0.4 pts
120Woodford County4.5+0.5 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 10.4% in June 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 4.5% in June 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