Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Cities in Massachusetts

Cities in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

Fall River, MA had the highest unemployment rate of 58 cities in March 2026, at 7.5%. Cambridge, MA had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.65% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest7.5Fall River, MA
Lowest3.1Cambridge, MA
Median4.6558 cities
Massachusetts4.7History

All cities, March 2026

Fall River, MA: 7.5 %Fall River, MA7.5New Bedford, MA: 7.4 %New Bedford, MA7.4Springfield, MA: 6.6 %Springfield, MA6.6Lawrence, MA: 6.5 %Lawrence, MA6.5Gloucester, MA: 6.3 %Gloucester, MA6.3North Adams, MA: 6.2 %North Adams, MA6.2Palmer Town, MA: 6.1 %Palmer Town, MA6.1Fitchburg, MA: 6 %Fitchburg, MA6Holyoke, MA: 5.9 %Holyoke, MA5.9Southbridge Town, MA: 5.9 %Southbridge Town, MA5.9Gardner, MA: 5.7 %Gardner, MA5.7Greenfield, MA: 5.6 %Greenfield, MA5.6Barnstable Town, MA: 5.5 %Barnstable Town, MA5.5Brockton, MA: 5.4 %Brockton, MA5.4Chicopee, MA: 5.4 %Chicopee, MA5.4Taunton, MA: 5.4 %Taunton, MA5.4Chelsea, MA: 5.3 %Chelsea, MA5.3Leominster, MA: 5.2 %Leominster, MA5.2Lynn, MA: 5.2 %Lynn, MA5.2Marlborough, MA: 5.1 %Marlborough, MA5.1Lowell, MA: 5 %Lowell, MA5Haverhill, MA: 4.9 %Haverhill, MA4.9Randolph Town, MA: 4.9 %Randolph Town, MA4.9Revere, MA: 4.9 %Revere, MA4.9Agawam Town, MA: 4.8 %Agawam Town, MA4.8Methuen, MA: 4.8 %Methuen, MA4.8Pittsfield, MA: 4.8 %Pittsfield, MA4.8Westfield, MA: 4.8 %Westfield, MA4.8Weymouth Town, MA: 4.7 %Weymouth Town, MA4.7Winthrop Town, MA: 4.6 %Winthrop Town, MA4.6Attleboro, MA: 4.5 %Attleboro, MA4.5West Springfield Town, MA: 4.5 %West Springfield Town, MA4.5Peabody, MA: 4.4 %Peabody, MA4.4Salem, MA: 4.3 %Salem, MA4.3Worcester, MA: 4.3 %Worcester, MA4.3Amesbury, MA: 4.2 %Amesbury, MA4.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 4.2 %Bridgewater Town, MA4.2Woburn, MA: 4.2 %Woburn, MA4.2Boston, MA: 4.1 %Boston, MA4.1Easthampton, MA: 4.1 %Easthampton, MA4.1Framingham, MA: 4.1 %Framingham, MA4.1North Attleborough Town, MA: 4.1 %North Attleborough Town, MA4.1Waltham, MA: 4.1 %Waltham, MA4.1Beverly, MA: 4 %Beverly, MA4Franklin Town, MA: 4 %Franklin Town, MA4Melrose, MA: 4 %Melrose, MA4Quincy, MA: 4 %Quincy, MA4Braintree Town, MA: 3.9 %Braintree Town, MA3.9Everett, MA: 3.9 %Everett, MA3.9Medford, MA: 3.9 %Medford, MA3.9Watertown, MA: 3.9 %Watertown, MA3.9Malden, MA: 3.8 %Malden, MA3.8Amherst Town, MA: 3.7 %Amherst Town, MA3.7Newburyport, MA: 3.7 %Newburyport, MA3.7Northampton, MA: 3.6 %Northampton, MA3.6Newton, MA: 3.5 %Newton, MA3.5Somerville, MA: 3.5 %Somerville, MA3.5Cambridge, MA: 3.1 %Cambridge, MA3.1Fall River, MA: 7.5 %Fall River, MA7.5New Bedford, MA: 7.4 %New Bedford, MA7.4Springfield, MA: 6.6 %Springfield, MA6.6Lawrence, MA: 6.5 %Lawrence, MA6.5Gloucester, MA: 6.3 %Gloucester, MA6.3North Adams, MA: 6.2 %North Adams, MA6.2Palmer Town, MA: 6.1 %Palmer Town, MA6.1Fitchburg, MA: 6 %Fitchburg, MA6Holyoke, MA: 5.9 %Holyoke, MA5.9Southbridge Town, MA: 5.9 %Southbridge Town, MA5.9Gardner, MA: 5.7 %Gardner, MA5.7Greenfield, MA: 5.6 %Greenfield, MA5.6Barnstable Town, MA: 5.5 %Barnstable Town, MA5.5Brockton, MA: 5.4 %Brockton, MA5.4Chicopee, MA: 5.4 %Chicopee, MA5.4Taunton, MA: 5.4 %Taunton, MA5.4Chelsea, MA: 5.3 %Chelsea, MA5.3Leominster, MA: 5.2 %Leominster, MA5.2Lynn, MA: 5.2 %Lynn, MA5.2Marlborough, MA: 5.1 %Marlborough, MA5.1Lowell, MA: 5 %Lowell, MA5Haverhill, MA: 4.9 %Haverhill, MA4.9Randolph Town, MA: 4.9 %Randolph Town, MA4.9Revere, MA: 4.9 %Revere, MA4.9Agawam Town, MA: 4.8 %Agawam Town, MA4.8Methuen, MA: 4.8 %Methuen, MA4.8Pittsfield, MA: 4.8 %Pittsfield, MA4.8Westfield, MA: 4.8 %Westfield, MA4.8Weymouth Town, MA: 4.7 %Weymouth Town, MA4.7Winthrop Town, MA: 4.6 %Winthrop Town, MA4.6Attleboro, MA: 4.5 %Attleboro, MA4.5West Springfield Town, MA: 4.5 %West Springfield Town, MA4.5Peabody, MA: 4.4 %Peabody, MA4.4Salem, MA: 4.3 %Salem, MA4.3Worcester, MA: 4.3 %Worcester, MA4.3Amesbury, MA: 4.2 %Amesbury, MA4.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 4.2 %Bridgewater Town, MA4.2Woburn, MA: 4.2 %Woburn, MA4.2Boston, MA: 4.1 %Boston, MA4.1Easthampton, MA: 4.1 %Easthampton, MA4.1Framingham, MA: 4.1 %Framingham, MA4.1North Attleborough Town, MA: 4.1 %North Attleborough Town, MA4.1Waltham, MA: 4.1 %Waltham, MA4.1Beverly, MA: 4 %Beverly, MA4Franklin Town, MA: 4 %Franklin Town, MA4Melrose, MA: 4 %Melrose, MA4Quincy, MA: 4 %Quincy, MA4Braintree Town, MA: 3.9 %Braintree Town, MA3.9Everett, MA: 3.9 %Everett, MA3.9Medford, MA: 3.9 %Medford, MA3.9Watertown, MA: 3.9 %Watertown, MA3.9Malden, MA: 3.8 %Malden, MA3.8Amherst Town, MA: 3.7 %Amherst Town, MA3.7Newburyport, MA: 3.7 %Newburyport, MA3.7Northampton, MA: 3.6 %Northampton, MA3.6Newton, MA: 3.5 %Newton, MA3.5Somerville, MA: 3.5 %Somerville, MA3.5Cambridge, MA: 3.1 %Cambridge, MA3.1
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Fall River, MA7.5+0.4 pts
2New Bedford, MA7.4+0.5 pts
3Springfield, MA6.6+0.3 pts
4Lawrence, MA6.5-0.1 pts
5Gloucester, MA6.3-0.2 pts
6North Adams, MA6.2+0.8 pts
7Palmer Town, MA6.1-0.1 pts
8Fitchburg, MA60 pts
9Holyoke, MA5.9+0.2 pts
9Southbridge Town, MA5.9-0.1 pts
11Gardner, MA5.7+0.4 pts
12Greenfield, MA5.6+1.2 pts
13Barnstable Town, MA5.5+0.1 pts
14Brockton, MA5.4+0.2 pts
14Chicopee, MA5.4+0.1 pts
14Taunton, MA5.4+0.4 pts
17Chelsea, MA5.3+0.1 pts
18Leominster, MA5.2+0.2 pts
18Lynn, MA5.2+0.2 pts
20Marlborough, MA5.1+0.1 pts
21Lowell, MA5+0.2 pts
22Haverhill, MA4.90 pts
22Randolph Town, MA4.90 pts
22Revere, MA4.9+0.3 pts
25Agawam Town, MA4.8+0.1 pts
25Methuen, MA4.80 pts
25Pittsfield, MA4.8+0.2 pts
25Westfield, MA4.8-0.3 pts
29Weymouth Town, MA4.7+0.1 pts
30Winthrop Town, MA4.6+0.1 pts
31Attleboro, MA4.5-0.3 pts
31West Springfield Town, MA4.5+0.1 pts
33Peabody, MA4.4+0.1 pts
34Salem, MA4.30 pts
34Worcester, MA4.3-0.1 pts
36Amesbury, MA4.2+0.3 pts
36Bridgewater Town, MA4.2-0.2 pts
36Woburn, MA4.2+0.3 pts
39Boston, MA4.10 pts
39Easthampton, MA4.10 pts
39Framingham, MA4.1+0.1 pts
39North Attleborough Town, MA4.1-0.1 pts
39Waltham, MA4.1+0.1 pts
44Beverly, MA4+0.1 pts
44Franklin Town, MA40 pts
44Melrose, MA4+0.4 pts
44Quincy, MA40 pts
48Braintree Town, MA3.90 pts
48Everett, MA3.90 pts
48Medford, MA3.9+0.1 pts
48Watertown, MA3.9+0.2 pts
52Malden, MA3.80 pts
53Amherst Town, MA3.7-0.8 pts
53Newburyport, MA3.7+0.1 pts
55Northampton, MA3.60 pts
56Newton, MA3.5-0.2 pts
56Somerville, MA3.5+0.2 pts
58Cambridge, MA3.1-0.2 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.

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, 2026-03) [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, 2026-03. 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=2026-03. 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, 2026-03. 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=2026-03.

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, 2026-03 [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=2026-03 (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, 2026-03}},
  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=2026-03. 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, 2026-03
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=2026-03
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/massachusetts-cities?period=2026-03.
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?

Fall River, MA, with 7.5% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Cambridge, MA, with 3.1% in March 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