Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

Nantucket County had the highest unemployment rate of 14 counties in April 2026, at 7.6%. Norfolk County had the lowest, at 3.7%. The median was 4.25% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.6Nantucket County
Lowest3.7Norfolk County
Median4.2514 counties
Massachusetts4.7History

All counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Nantucket CountyNantucket County: 7.6 %7.6Dukes CountyDukes County: 6.1 %6.1Barnstable CountyBarnstable County: 5 %5Hampden CountyHampden County: 5 %5Bristol CountyBristol County: 4.7 %4.7Berkshire CountyBerkshire County: 4.4 %4.4Essex CountyEssex County: 4.3 %4.3Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 4.2 %4.2Worcester CountyWorcester County: 4.2 %4.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4 %4Suffolk CountySuffolk County: 4 %4Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 3.8 %3.8Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 3.7 %3.7Norfolk CountyNorfolk County: 3.7 %3.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Nantucket County7.60 pts
2Dukes County6.10 pts
3Barnstable County5-0.3 pts
3Hampden County5+0.1 pts
5Bristol County4.7+0.1 pts
6Berkshire County4.4+0.3 pts
7Essex County4.3+0.1 pts
8Plymouth County4.2+0.1 pts
8Worcester County4.2+0.1 pts
10Franklin County4+0.4 pts
10Suffolk County4+0.1 pts
12Hampshire County3.8+0.1 pts
13Middlesex County3.7+0.1 pts
13Norfolk County3.7+0.1 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 7.6% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Norfolk County, with 3.7% in April 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