Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in Massachusetts

Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

New Bedford, MA had the highest unemployment rate of 58 cities in January 2026, at 8.2%. Cambridge, MA had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 5.25% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest8.2New Bedford, MA
Lowest3.8Cambridge, MA
Median5.2558 cities
Massachusetts4.7History

All cities, January 2026

New Bedford, MA: 8.2 %New Bedford, MA8.2Fall River, MA: 8.1 %Fall River, MA8.1Springfield, MA: 7.5 %Springfield, MA7.5Lawrence, MA: 7.3 %Lawrence, MA7.3Fitchburg, MA: 6.9 %Fitchburg, MA6.9Gloucester, MA: 6.9 %Gloucester, MA6.9Holyoke, MA: 6.8 %Holyoke, MA6.8Gardner, MA: 6.7 %Gardner, MA6.7North Adams, MA: 6.7 %North Adams, MA6.7Southbridge Town, MA: 6.7 %Southbridge Town, MA6.7Palmer Town, MA: 6.4 %Palmer Town, MA6.4Brockton, MA: 6.2 %Brockton, MA6.2Chicopee, MA: 6.2 %Chicopee, MA6.2Barnstable Town, MA: 6.1 %Barnstable Town, MA6.1Taunton, MA: 6.1 %Taunton, MA6.1Chelsea, MA: 6 %Chelsea, MA6Lynn, MA: 5.9 %Lynn, MA5.9Leominster, MA: 5.8 %Leominster, MA5.8Marlborough, MA: 5.8 %Marlborough, MA5.8Greenfield, MA: 5.7 %Greenfield, MA5.7Lowell, MA: 5.7 %Lowell, MA5.7Pittsfield, MA: 5.6 %Pittsfield, MA5.6Haverhill, MA: 5.5 %Haverhill, MA5.5Randolph Town, MA: 5.5 %Randolph Town, MA5.5Revere, MA: 5.5 %Revere, MA5.5Westfield, MA: 5.5 %Westfield, MA5.5Agawam Town, MA: 5.3 %Agawam Town, MA5.3Methuen, MA: 5.3 %Methuen, MA5.3Weymouth Town, MA: 5.3 %Weymouth Town, MA5.3Winthrop Town, MA: 5.2 %Winthrop Town, MA5.2Attleboro, MA: 5.1 %Attleboro, MA5.1Worcester, MA: 5.1 %Worcester, MA5.1Amherst Town, MA: 5 %Amherst Town, MA5West Springfield Town, MA: 5 %West Springfield Town, MA5Bridgewater Town, MA: 4.9 %Bridgewater Town, MA4.9Peabody, MA: 4.9 %Peabody, MA4.9Salem, MA: 4.9 %Salem, MA4.9Boston, MA: 4.8 %Boston, MA4.8Franklin Town, MA: 4.8 %Franklin Town, MA4.8Quincy, MA: 4.8 %Quincy, MA4.8Waltham, MA: 4.8 %Waltham, MA4.8Woburn, MA: 4.8 %Woburn, MA4.8Amesbury, MA: 4.7 %Amesbury, MA4.7Beverly, MA: 4.7 %Beverly, MA4.7Easthampton, MA: 4.7 %Easthampton, MA4.7Framingham, MA: 4.7 %Framingham, MA4.7Medford, MA: 4.6 %Medford, MA4.6Everett, MA: 4.5 %Everett, MA4.5Malden, MA: 4.5 %Malden, MA4.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 4.5 %North Attleborough Town, MA4.5Watertown, MA: 4.5 %Watertown, MA4.5Braintree Town, MA: 4.4 %Braintree Town, MA4.4Melrose, MA: 4.3 %Melrose, MA4.3Northampton, MA: 4.3 %Northampton, MA4.3Newburyport, MA: 4.2 %Newburyport, MA4.2Newton, MA: 4.2 %Newton, MA4.2Somerville, MA: 3.9 %Somerville, MA3.9Cambridge, MA: 3.8 %Cambridge, MA3.8New Bedford, MA: 8.2 %New Bedford, MA8.2Fall River, MA: 8.1 %Fall River, MA8.1Springfield, MA: 7.5 %Springfield, MA7.5Lawrence, MA: 7.3 %Lawrence, MA7.3Fitchburg, MA: 6.9 %Fitchburg, MA6.9Gloucester, MA: 6.9 %Gloucester, MA6.9Holyoke, MA: 6.8 %Holyoke, MA6.8Gardner, MA: 6.7 %Gardner, MA6.7North Adams, MA: 6.7 %North Adams, MA6.7Southbridge Town, MA: 6.7 %Southbridge Town, MA6.7Palmer Town, MA: 6.4 %Palmer Town, MA6.4Brockton, MA: 6.2 %Brockton, MA6.2Chicopee, MA: 6.2 %Chicopee, MA6.2Barnstable Town, MA: 6.1 %Barnstable Town, MA6.1Taunton, MA: 6.1 %Taunton, MA6.1Chelsea, MA: 6 %Chelsea, MA6Lynn, MA: 5.9 %Lynn, MA5.9Leominster, MA: 5.8 %Leominster, MA5.8Marlborough, MA: 5.8 %Marlborough, MA5.8Greenfield, MA: 5.7 %Greenfield, MA5.7Lowell, MA: 5.7 %Lowell, MA5.7Pittsfield, MA: 5.6 %Pittsfield, MA5.6Haverhill, MA: 5.5 %Haverhill, MA5.5Randolph Town, MA: 5.5 %Randolph Town, MA5.5Revere, MA: 5.5 %Revere, MA5.5Westfield, MA: 5.5 %Westfield, MA5.5Agawam Town, MA: 5.3 %Agawam Town, MA5.3Methuen, MA: 5.3 %Methuen, MA5.3Weymouth Town, MA: 5.3 %Weymouth Town, MA5.3Winthrop Town, MA: 5.2 %Winthrop Town, MA5.2Attleboro, MA: 5.1 %Attleboro, MA5.1Worcester, MA: 5.1 %Worcester, MA5.1Amherst Town, MA: 5 %Amherst Town, MA5West Springfield Town, MA: 5 %West Springfield Town, MA5Bridgewater Town, MA: 4.9 %Bridgewater Town, MA4.9Peabody, MA: 4.9 %Peabody, MA4.9Salem, MA: 4.9 %Salem, MA4.9Boston, MA: 4.8 %Boston, MA4.8Franklin Town, MA: 4.8 %Franklin Town, MA4.8Quincy, MA: 4.8 %Quincy, MA4.8Waltham, MA: 4.8 %Waltham, MA4.8Woburn, MA: 4.8 %Woburn, MA4.8Amesbury, MA: 4.7 %Amesbury, MA4.7Beverly, MA: 4.7 %Beverly, MA4.7Easthampton, MA: 4.7 %Easthampton, MA4.7Framingham, MA: 4.7 %Framingham, MA4.7Medford, MA: 4.6 %Medford, MA4.6Everett, MA: 4.5 %Everett, MA4.5Malden, MA: 4.5 %Malden, MA4.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 4.5 %North Attleborough Town, MA4.5Watertown, MA: 4.5 %Watertown, MA4.5Braintree Town, MA: 4.4 %Braintree Town, MA4.4Melrose, MA: 4.3 %Melrose, MA4.3Northampton, MA: 4.3 %Northampton, MA4.3Newburyport, MA: 4.2 %Newburyport, MA4.2Newton, MA: 4.2 %Newton, MA4.2Somerville, MA: 3.9 %Somerville, MA3.9Cambridge, MA: 3.8 %Cambridge, MA3.8
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1New Bedford, MA8.2+0.8 pts
2Fall River, MA8.1+0.7 pts
3Springfield, MA7.5+1 pts
4Lawrence, MA7.3+0.7 pts
5Fitchburg, MA6.9+0.7 pts
5Gloucester, MA6.9+0.7 pts
7Holyoke, MA6.8+1 pts
8Gardner, MA6.7+1.2 pts
8North Adams, MA6.7+1.6 pts
8Southbridge Town, MA6.7+0.5 pts
11Palmer Town, MA6.40 pts
12Brockton, MA6.2+0.9 pts
12Chicopee, MA6.2+0.8 pts
14Barnstable Town, MA6.1+0.3 pts
14Taunton, MA6.1+0.9 pts
16Chelsea, MA6+0.8 pts
17Lynn, MA5.9+0.9 pts
18Leominster, MA5.8+0.9 pts
18Marlborough, MA5.8+0.8 pts
20Greenfield, MA5.7+1 pts
20Lowell, MA5.7+0.9 pts
22Pittsfield, MA5.6+0.9 pts
23Haverhill, MA5.5+0.5 pts
23Randolph Town, MA5.5+0.6 pts
23Revere, MA5.5+0.7 pts
23Westfield, MA5.5+0.3 pts
27Agawam Town, MA5.3+0.5 pts
27Methuen, MA5.3+0.7 pts
27Weymouth Town, MA5.3+0.6 pts
30Winthrop Town, MA5.2+0.9 pts
31Attleboro, MA5.1+0.2 pts
31Worcester, MA5.1+0.8 pts
33Amherst Town, MA5+1.2 pts
33West Springfield Town, MA5+0.3 pts
35Bridgewater Town, MA4.9+0.5 pts
35Peabody, MA4.9+0.6 pts
35Salem, MA4.9+0.7 pts
38Boston, MA4.8+0.7 pts
38Franklin Town, MA4.8+0.8 pts
38Quincy, MA4.8+0.6 pts
38Waltham, MA4.8+0.9 pts
38Woburn, MA4.8+0.8 pts
43Amesbury, MA4.7+0.8 pts
43Beverly, MA4.7+0.7 pts
43Easthampton, MA4.7+0.4 pts
43Framingham, MA4.7+0.7 pts
47Medford, MA4.6+0.9 pts
48Everett, MA4.5+0.7 pts
48Malden, MA4.5+0.6 pts
48North Attleborough Town, MA4.5+0.3 pts
48Watertown, MA4.5+0.7 pts
52Braintree Town, MA4.4+0.5 pts
53Melrose, MA4.3+0.8 pts
53Northampton, MA4.3+0.7 pts
55Newburyport, MA4.2+0.3 pts
55Newton, MA4.2+0.8 pts
57Somerville, MA3.9+0.7 pts
58Cambridge, MA3.8+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.

More on how it is measured
  • 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, counties and cities.
  • United Kingdom regions: Labour Force Survey, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted.
  • Canada: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the country and the provinces.
  • Australia: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the nation and the six states; the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
  • New Zealand: Household Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted for the country and not seasonally adjusted for regional council areas.
  • Norway: Statistics Norway Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted monthly figures.
  • Sweden: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted and smoothed (the series Statistics Sweden gives in its monthly release), national.
  • Switzerland: Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), ILO definition, permanent resident population aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, national.
  • For other countries, the source may be OECD survey-based rates, annual survey-based rates compiled by the ILO in ILOSTAT, or annual ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank.
  • ILO modelled estimates cover ages 15 and over.
  • The World series uses those ILO modelled estimates.

Survey-based for national and Eurostat series. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states, US counties, US cities (those of 25,000 or more and smaller New England cities), United Kingdom regions, Canadian provinces, Australia and its six states, New Zealand with 10 of its regions, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (national), not Spanish municipalities. For Spanish municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03) (Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_cities_in_massachusetts_by_2026,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate, 2026-01
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-01.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

New Bedford, MA, with 8.2% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Cambridge, MA, with 3.8% in January 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, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Cities in Massachusetts: more rankings