Counties in Minnesota by unemployment rate

Swift County had the highest unemployment rate of 87 counties in May 2026, at 7.2%. Traverse County had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for Minnesota was 4.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.2Swift County
Median3.987 counties
Minnesota4.4History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Swift CountySwift County: 7.2 %7.2Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 6.2 %6.2Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 6.1 %6.1Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 5.7 %5.7Itasca CountyItasca County: 5.7 %5.7Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 5.7 %5.7Pine CountyPine County: 5.7 %5.7Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 5.6 %5.6Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 5.6 %5.6Renville CountyRenville County: 5.2 %5.2Cass CountyCass County: 5 %5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 5 %5Red Lake CountyRed Lake County: 5 %5Wadena CountyWadena County: 4.9 %4.9Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 4.8 %4.8Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 4.7 %4.7St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 4.7 %4.7Carlton CountyCarlton County: 4.6 %4.6Cook CountyCook County: 4.6 %4.6Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 4.6 %4.6Pennington CountyPennington County: 4.6 %4.6Todd CountyTodd County: 4.6 %4.6Sibley CountySibley County: 4.5 %4.5Steele CountySteele County: 4.5 %4.5Morrison CountyMorrison County: 4.4 %4.4Waseca CountyWaseca County: 4.4 %4.4Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 4.3 %4.3Benton CountyBenton County: 4.2 %4.2Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 4.2 %4.2Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 4.2 %4.2Faribault CountyFaribault County: 4.2 %4.2Isanti CountyIsanti County: 4.2 %4.2Le Sueur CountyLe Sueur County: 4.2 %4.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.2 %4.2Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 4.2 %4.2Anoka CountyAnoka County: 4.1 %4.1Grant CountyGrant County: 4.1 %4.1Lake CountyLake County: 4.1 %4.1Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 4 %4Chisago CountyChisago County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Swift County7.2+3.5 pts
2Koochiching County6.2+0.9 pts
3Clearwater County6.1+0.4 pts
4Aitkin County5.7+0.8 pts
4Itasca County5.7+0.6 pts
4Lake of the Woods County5.7+1.5 pts
4Pine County5.7+0.7 pts
8Kanabec County5.6+0.9 pts
8Mahnomen County5.6+0.7 pts
10Renville County5.2+0.4 pts
11Cass County5+0.6 pts
11Marshall County5+1.3 pts
11Red Lake County5-0.3 pts
14Wadena County4.9+0.6 pts
15Mille Lacs County4.8+0.6 pts
16Beltrami County4.7+0.5 pts
16St. Louis County4.7+0.7 pts
18Carlton County4.6+0.2 pts
18Cook County4.6+0.5 pts
18Hubbard County4.60 pts
18Pennington County4.6+0.3 pts
18Todd County4.6+0.6 pts
23Sibley County4.5+0.8 pts
23Steele County4.5+0.5 pts
25Morrison County4.4+0.5 pts
25Waseca County4.4+0.4 pts
27Kandiyohi County4.3+0.8 pts
28Benton County4.2+0.6 pts
28Chippewa County4.2+0.6 pts
28Crow Wing County4.2+0.6 pts
28Faribault County4.2+0.4 pts
28Isanti County4.2+0.4 pts
28Le Sueur County4.2+0.5 pts
28Lincoln County4.2+0.9 pts
28Ramsey County4.2+0.6 pts
36Anoka County4.1+0.7 pts
36Grant County4.1+0.1 pts
36Lake County4.1+0.1 pts
39Blue Earth County4+0.9 pts
39Chisago County4+0.5 pts
39Hennepin County4+0.5 pts
39Otter Tail County4+0.5 pts
39Stearns County4+0.6 pts
44Clay County3.9+0.8 pts
44Dakota County3.9+0.6 pts
44Freeborn County3.9+0.4 pts
44Goodhue County3.9+0.4 pts
44Rice County3.9+0.6 pts
44Sherburne County3.9+0.7 pts
44Washington County3.9+0.6 pts
44Watonwan County3.9+0.5 pts
52Becker County3.8+0.4 pts
52Cottonwood County3.8-0.2 pts
52Meeker County3.8+0.5 pts
52Polk County3.8+0.2 pts
52Pope County3.8+0.6 pts
52Redwood County3.8+0.5 pts
52Wilkin County3.8+0.6 pts
52Winona County3.8+0.8 pts
52Wright County3.8+0.7 pts
52Yellow Medicine County3.8+0.3 pts
62Brown County3.7+0.3 pts
62Carver County3.7+0.6 pts
62Lyon County3.7+0.4 pts
62Martin County3.70 pts
62McLeod County3.7+0.2 pts
62Mower County3.7+0.2 pts
62Murray County3.70 pts
62Norman County3.7+0.6 pts
70Big Stone County3.6+0.5 pts
70Roseau County3.60 pts
70Scott County3.6+0.4 pts
70Wabasha County3.6+0.4 pts
74Douglas County3.5+0.5 pts
74Fillmore County3.5+0.5 pts
74Houston County3.5+0.6 pts
74Jackson County3.5-0.1 pts
78Dodge County3.4+0.3 pts
78Kittson County3.4+0.3 pts
78Nicollet County3.4+0.4 pts
78Nobles County3.4+0.4 pts
78Olmsted County3.4+0.4 pts
83Lac qui Parle County3.3+0.4 pts
83Pipestone County3.3+0.4 pts
83Stevens County3.3+0.7 pts
86Rock County3.2+0.6 pts
87Traverse County2.90 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?

Swift County, with 7.2% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Traverse County, with 2.9% in May 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