Counties in Minnesota by unemployment rate

Clearwater County had the highest unemployment rate of 87 counties in April 2026, at 10.5%. Rock County had the lowest, at 2.3%. The median was 4.2% and the figure for Minnesota was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest2.3Rock County
Median4.287 counties
Minnesota4.5History

Top 40 counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 10.5 %10.5Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 8.8 %8.8Pine CountyPine County: 8 %8Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 7.6 %7.6Cook CountyCook County: 7.3 %7.3Marshall CountyMarshall County: 7.1 %7.1Cass CountyCass County: 6.9 %6.9Itasca CountyItasca County: 6.9 %6.9Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 6.9 %6.9Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 6.8 %6.8Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 6.6 %6.6Morrison CountyMorrison County: 6.2 %6.2Red Lake CountyRed Lake County: 6.2 %6.2Wadena CountyWadena County: 6.1 %6.1Le Sueur CountyLe Sueur County: 6 %6Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 5.9 %5.9Renville CountyRenville County: 5.8 %5.8Carlton CountyCarlton County: 5.6 %5.6Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 5.6 %5.6Sibley CountySibley County: 5.5 %5.5Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 5.3 %5.3Pennington CountyPennington County: 5.3 %5.3Todd CountyTodd County: 5.3 %5.3Isanti CountyIsanti County: 5 %5Benton CountyBenton County: 4.9 %4.9Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 4.9 %4.9Meeker CountyMeeker County: 4.9 %4.9Becker CountyBecker County: 4.8 %4.8Faribault CountyFaribault County: 4.8 %4.8Otter Tail CountyOtter Tail County: 4.8 %4.8Waseca CountyWaseca County: 4.8 %4.8Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 4.7 %4.7Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 4.7 %4.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.7 %4.7St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 4.7 %4.7Kittson CountyKittson County: 4.6 %4.6Grant CountyGrant County: 4.5 %4.5Steele CountySteele County: 4.5 %4.5Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 4.4 %4.4Chisago CountyChisago County: 4.3 %4.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Clearwater County10.5+0.5 pts
2Kanabec County8.8+0.8 pts
3Pine County8+0.4 pts
4Aitkin County7.6+0.5 pts
5Cook County7.3+1.1 pts
6Marshall County7.1+1 pts
7Cass County6.9+0.4 pts
7Itasca County6.9+0.5 pts
7Mahnomen County6.9+1 pts
10Koochiching County6.8+0.8 pts
11Mille Lacs County6.6+0.4 pts
12Morrison County6.2+0.8 pts
12Red Lake County6.2-0.1 pts
14Wadena County6.10 pts
15Le Sueur County6+0.6 pts
16Hubbard County5.9-0.2 pts
17Renville County5.8-0.3 pts
18Carlton County5.6+0.1 pts
18Lake of the Woods County5.6+0.3 pts
20Sibley County5.5+0.9 pts
21Beltrami County5.3+0.4 pts
21Pennington County5.30 pts
21Todd County5.3+0.2 pts
24Isanti County5+0.2 pts
25Benton County4.9+0.7 pts
25Crow Wing County4.9+0.2 pts
25Meeker County4.9+0.2 pts
28Becker County4.8+0.3 pts
28Faribault County4.8+0.6 pts
28Otter Tail County4.8+0.2 pts
28Waseca County4.8+0.3 pts
32Big Stone County4.7+0.5 pts
32Chippewa County4.7+0.8 pts
32Lincoln County4.7+0.2 pts
32St. Louis County4.7+0.5 pts
36Kittson County4.6+0.8 pts
37Grant County4.5-1.1 pts
37Steele County4.5+0.4 pts
39Kandiyohi County4.4+0.4 pts
40Chisago County4.3+0.3 pts
40Lake County4.3+0.4 pts
40Sherburne County4.3+0.7 pts
40Swift County4.3+0.2 pts
44Murray County4.2-0.2 pts
45Norman County4.1+0.2 pts
45Polk County4.1+0.3 pts
45Stearns County4.1+0.5 pts
45Watonwan County4.1+0.7 pts
45Wright County4.1+0.7 pts
50McLeod County40 pts
51Anoka County3.9+0.6 pts
51Goodhue County3.9+0.5 pts
51Pope County3.90 pts
51Ramsey County3.9+0.6 pts
51Rice County3.9+0.3 pts
51Yellow Medicine County3.9+0.2 pts
57Clay County3.8+0.7 pts
57Douglas County3.8+0.3 pts
57Freeborn County3.8+0.3 pts
57Lyon County3.8+0.2 pts
61Brown County3.7+0.1 pts
61Dodge County3.7+0.3 pts
61Pipestone County3.7+0.1 pts
61Roseau County3.7-0.6 pts
65Dakota County3.6+0.5 pts
65Hennepin County3.6+0.5 pts
65Martin County3.6+0.1 pts
68Blue Earth County3.5+0.6 pts
68Mower County3.5+0.3 pts
68Scott County3.5+0.4 pts
68Wabasha County3.50 pts
68Washington County3.5+0.5 pts
68Wilkin County3.5+0.5 pts
74Carver County3.4+0.5 pts
74Fillmore County3.4+0.1 pts
74Jackson County3.4-0.2 pts
77Cottonwood County3.3-0.8 pts
77Redwood County3.3+0.1 pts
77Stevens County3.30 pts
80Houston County3.2+0.4 pts
81Lac qui Parle County3.10 pts
81Nicollet County3.1+0.3 pts
81Olmsted County3.1+0.3 pts
81Traverse County3.10 pts
81Winona County3.1+0.5 pts
86Nobles County3+0.4 pts
87Rock County2.3+0.3 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?

Clearwater County, with 10.5% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Rock County, with 2.3% 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 Minnesota: more rankings