Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by unemployment rate

Hampden County had the highest unemployment rate of 14 counties in July 2026, at 6%. Nantucket County had the lowest, at 3%. The median was 4.5% and the figure for Massachusetts was 4.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6Hampden County
Lowest3Nantucket County
Median4.514 counties
Massachusetts4.4History

All counties, July 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Hampden CountyHampden County: 6 %6Bristol CountyBristol County: 5.3 %5.3Essex CountyEssex County: 4.8 %4.8Worcester CountyWorcester County: 4.8 %4.8Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 4.7 %4.7Suffolk CountySuffolk County: 4.7 %4.7Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.6 %4.6Berkshire CountyBerkshire County: 4.4 %4.4Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 4.3 %4.3Norfolk CountyNorfolk County: 4.3 %4.3Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4.2 %4.2Barnstable CountyBarnstable County: 4.1 %4.1Dukes CountyDukes County: 3.4 %3.4Nantucket CountyNantucket County: 3 %3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Hampden County6+0.1 pts
2Bristol County5.3+0.1 pts
3Essex County4.8-0.2 pts
3Worcester County4.8-0.1 pts
5Plymouth County4.7-0.1 pts
5Suffolk County4.7-0.1 pts
7Franklin County4.6+0.3 pts
8Berkshire County4.4+0.3 pts
9Middlesex County4.30 pts
9Norfolk County4.3-0.1 pts
11Hampshire County4.2-0.1 pts
12Barnstable County4.1+0.2 pts
13Dukes County3.4+0.2 pts
14Nantucket County3+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?

Hampden County, with 6% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Nantucket County, with 3% in July 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