Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

Nantucket County had the highest unemployment rate of 14 counties in March 2026, at 14.9%. Norfolk County had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 4.75% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest14.9Nantucket County
Lowest4Norfolk County
Median4.7514 counties
Massachusetts4.7History

All counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Nantucket CountyNantucket County: 14.9 %14.9Dukes CountyDukes County: 8 %8Barnstable CountyBarnstable County: 6.7 %6.7Bristol CountyBristol County: 5.6 %5.6Hampden CountyHampden County: 5.6 %5.6Berkshire CountyBerkshire County: 5 %5Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 4.8 %4.8Worcester CountyWorcester County: 4.7 %4.7Essex CountyEssex County: 4.6 %4.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.6 %4.6Suffolk CountySuffolk County: 4.2 %4.2Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4.1 %4.1Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 4 %4Norfolk CountyNorfolk County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Nantucket County14.9+1.1 pts
2Dukes County80 pts
3Barnstable County6.70 pts
4Bristol County5.6+0.2 pts
4Hampden County5.6+0.1 pts
6Berkshire County5+0.2 pts
7Plymouth County4.8+0.1 pts
8Worcester County4.7+0.1 pts
9Essex County4.60 pts
9Franklin County4.6+0.4 pts
11Suffolk County4.20 pts
12Hampshire County4.1-0.2 pts
13Middlesex County4+0.1 pts
13Norfolk County40 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 14.9% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Norfolk County, with 4% 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings