Counties in Missouri by unemployment rate

Hickory County had the highest unemployment rate of 115 counties in August 2025, at 7.3%. Perry County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.4% and the figure for Missouri was 4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.3Hickory County
Lowest3.3Perry County
Median4.4115 counties
Missouri4History

Top 40 counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Hickory CountyHickory County: 7.3 %7.3Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 6.6 %6.6Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 6.5 %6.5Ozark CountyOzark County: 6.3 %6.3Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 6 %6Wayne CountyWayne County: 6 %6Ripley CountyRipley County: 5.9 %5.9Shannon CountyShannon County: 5.8 %5.8Butler CountyButler County: 5.7 %5.7Iron CountyIron County: 5.7 %5.7New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 5.7 %5.7Wright CountyWright County: 5.6 %5.6Benton CountyBenton County: 5.5 %5.5Adair CountyAdair County: 5.4 %5.4Laclede CountyLaclede County: 5.4 %5.4Knox CountyKnox County: 5.3 %5.3Dallas CountyDallas County: 5.2 %5.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.2 %5.2McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 5.2 %5.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 5.2 %5.2Cedar CountyCedar County: 5.1 %5.1Clark CountyClark County: 5.1 %5.1Grundy CountyGrundy County: 5.1 %5.1Madison CountyMadison County: 5.1 %5.1St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 5.1 %5.1Barry CountyBarry County: 5 %5Douglas CountyDouglas County: 5 %5Howell CountyHowell County: 5 %5Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 5 %5St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 5 %5Texas CountyTexas County: 5 %5Crawford CountyCrawford County: 4.9 %4.9Pike CountyPike County: 4.9 %4.9St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 4.9 %4.9Washington CountyWashington County: 4.9 %4.9Carroll CountyCarroll County: 4.8 %4.8Carter CountyCarter County: 4.8 %4.8Macon CountyMacon County: 4.8 %4.8Oregon CountyOregon County: 4.8 %4.8Pettis CountyPettis County: 4.8 %4.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Hickory County7.3+0.3 pts
2Mississippi County6.6+0.2 pts
3Pemiscot County6.50 pts
4Ozark County6.30 pts
5Dunklin County60 pts
5Wayne County6+0.2 pts
7Ripley County5.9+0.5 pts
8Shannon County5.8+1 pts
9Butler County5.7+0.3 pts
9Iron County5.7+0.7 pts
9New Madrid County5.7-0.4 pts
12Wright County5.6+0.2 pts
13Benton County5.5+0.3 pts
14Adair County5.4+0.5 pts
14Laclede County5.4+0.4 pts
16Knox County5.3+0.8 pts
17Dallas County5.2+0.4 pts
17Lewis County5.2+0.7 pts
17McDonald County5.2-0.2 pts
17Morgan County5.2+0.7 pts
21Cedar County5.1+0.1 pts
21Clark County5.1+0.5 pts
21Grundy County5.1+0.8 pts
21Madison County5.1+0.8 pts
21St. Clair County5.1+0.2 pts
26Barry County5+0.3 pts
26Douglas County5+0.4 pts
26Howell County5+0.1 pts
26Reynolds County5-0.1 pts
26St. Louis city5+0.3 pts
26Texas County5+0.5 pts
32Crawford County4.9+0.2 pts
32Pike County4.9+0.7 pts
32St. Francois County4.9+0.3 pts
32Washington County4.9+0.2 pts
36Carroll County4.8+0.4 pts
36Carter County4.8+0.5 pts
36Macon County4.8+0.1 pts
36Oregon County4.80 pts
36Pettis County4.8+0.3 pts
36Stoddard County4.80 pts
36Stone County4.8+0.2 pts
43DeKalb County4.7+0.4 pts
43Howard County4.7+0.4 pts
43Lawrence County4.7+0.2 pts
43Taney County4.7+0.4 pts
47Barton County4.60 pts
47Dent County4.6+0.4 pts
47Johnson County4.6+0.4 pts
47Linn County4.6+0.1 pts
47Mercer County4.6-0.2 pts
47Pulaski County4.6+0.3 pts
53Buchanan County4.5+0.1 pts
53Marion County4.5+0.2 pts
53Polk County4.50 pts
53St. Louis County4.5+0.5 pts
57Audrain County4.4+0.3 pts
57Henry County4.4+0.1 pts
57Jackson County4.4+0.2 pts
57Monroe County4.4+0.2 pts
57Scott County4.4+0.2 pts
57Webster County4.4+0.4 pts
63Caldwell County4.3+0.4 pts
63Cooper County4.3+0.3 pts
63Dade County4.3-0.1 pts
63Maries County4.3+0.1 pts
63Newton County4.3+0.4 pts
63Phelps County4.3+0.2 pts
63Vernon County4.3-0.2 pts
70Chariton County4.2-0.3 pts
70Gentry County4.2+0.4 pts
70Harrison County4.2+0.1 pts
70Holt County4.2+0.1 pts
70Randolph County4.2+0.1 pts
70Saline County4.2+0.2 pts
76Bates County4.1-0.3 pts
76Jasper County4.1+0.2 pts
76Lafayette County4.1+0.3 pts
76Livingston County4.1+0.6 pts
80Camden County4+0.1 pts
80Cape Girardeau County4+0.2 pts
80Clinton County4-0.1 pts
80Greene County4+0.3 pts
80Ralls County4+0.3 pts
80Ray County4+0.1 pts
80Schuyler County4+0.4 pts
80Sullivan County40 pts
88Bollinger County3.9+0.1 pts
88Franklin County3.9+0.2 pts
88Lincoln County3.9+0.4 pts
88Putnam County3.9-0.2 pts
88Scotland County3.90 pts
88Warren County3.9+0.2 pts
94Andrew County3.8+0.3 pts
94Boone County3.8+0.2 pts
94Christian County3.8+0.3 pts
94Gasconade County3.8+0.1 pts
94Jefferson County3.8+0.2 pts
94Worth County3.8+0.3 pts
100Atchison County3.7-0.4 pts
100Callaway County3.70 pts
100Cass County3.70 pts
100Clay County3.7+0.3 pts
100Daviess County3.70 pts
100Moniteau County3.7+0.1 pts
106Cole County3.60 pts
106Miller County3.6+0.1 pts
106Montgomery County3.60 pts
106Osage County3.6+0.2 pts
106Platte County3.6+0.1 pts
106Shelby County3.6+0.3 pts
106St. Charles County3.6+0.3 pts
113Nodaway County3.5+0.2 pts
113Ste. Genevieve County3.5+0.1 pts
115Perry County3.3-0.1 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?

Hickory County, with 7.3% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Perry County, with 3.3% in August 2025.

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 Missouri: more rankings