Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

Nantucket County had the highest unemployment rate of 14 counties in January 2026, at 16.1%. Norfolk County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 5.35% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest16.1Nantucket County
Lowest4.6Norfolk County
Median5.3514 counties
Massachusetts4.7History

All counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Nantucket CountyNantucket County: 16.1 %16.1Dukes CountyDukes County: 8.5 %8.5Barnstable CountyBarnstable County: 7.4 %7.4Hampden CountyHampden County: 6.3 %6.3Bristol CountyBristol County: 6.2 %6.2Berkshire CountyBerkshire County: 5.6 %5.6Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 5.4 %5.4Essex CountyEssex County: 5.3 %5.3Worcester CountyWorcester County: 5.3 %5.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.2 %5.2Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4.9 %4.9Suffolk CountySuffolk County: 4.9 %4.9Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 4.6 %4.6Norfolk CountyNorfolk County: 4.6 %4.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Nantucket County16.1-0.1 pts
2Dukes County8.5+0.3 pts
3Barnstable County7.4+0.2 pts
4Hampden County6.3+0.7 pts
5Bristol County6.2+0.5 pts
6Berkshire County5.6+0.9 pts
7Plymouth County5.4+0.6 pts
8Essex County5.3+0.7 pts
8Worcester County5.3+0.7 pts
10Franklin County5.2+0.9 pts
11Hampshire County4.9+0.8 pts
11Suffolk County4.9+0.7 pts
13Middlesex County4.6+0.7 pts
13Norfolk County4.6+0.6 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?

Nantucket County, with 16.1% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Norfolk County, with 4.6% 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings