Counties in Missouri by unemployment rate

Douglas County had the highest unemployment rate of 115 counties in September 2025, at 5.5%. Nodaway County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for Missouri was 3.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.5Douglas County
Median3.4115 counties
Missouri3.9History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Douglas CountyDouglas County: 5.5 %5.5Hickory CountyHickory County: 5.5 %5.5Ozark CountyOzark County: 5.5 %5.5Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 5.2 %5.2Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 5.1 %5.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 5 %5Shannon CountyShannon County: 4.8 %4.8Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 4.7 %4.7Wright CountyWright County: 4.7 %4.7Benton CountyBenton County: 4.6 %4.6Iron CountyIron County: 4.5 %4.5Butler CountyButler County: 4.4 %4.4Ripley CountyRipley County: 4.4 %4.4Laclede CountyLaclede County: 4.3 %4.3New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 4.3 %4.3Morgan CountyMorgan County: 4.2 %4.2St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 4.2 %4.2Dallas CountyDallas County: 4.1 %4.1Oregon CountyOregon County: 4.1 %4.1Texas CountyTexas County: 4.1 %4.1Cedar CountyCedar County: 4 %4Clark CountyClark County: 4 %4Howell CountyHowell County: 4 %4McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 4 %4Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 4 %4St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 4 %4St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 4 %4Stone CountyStone County: 4 %4Taney CountyTaney County: 4 %4Washington CountyWashington County: 4 %4Barry CountyBarry County: 3.9 %3.9Carter CountyCarter County: 3.9 %3.9Madison CountyMadison County: 3.9 %3.9Lewis CountyLewis County: 3.8 %3.8Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 3.8 %3.8Adair CountyAdair County: 3.7 %3.7Camden CountyCamden County: 3.7 %3.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 3.7 %3.7DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 3.7 %3.7Grundy CountyGrundy County: 3.7 %3.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Douglas County5.5+1.6 pts
1Hickory County5.50 pts
1Ozark County5.5+0.6 pts
4Mississippi County5.2+0.1 pts
5Pemiscot County5.1+0.2 pts
6Wayne County5+0.6 pts
7Shannon County4.8+1.1 pts
8Dunklin County4.7+0.3 pts
8Wright County4.7-0.2 pts
10Benton County4.6+0.3 pts
11Iron County4.5+0.7 pts
12Butler County4.4+0.5 pts
12Ripley County4.4+0.9 pts
14Laclede County4.3+0.2 pts
14New Madrid County4.3-0.2 pts
16Morgan County4.2+0.7 pts
16St. Louis city4.2+0.5 pts
18Dallas County4.1+0.4 pts
18Oregon County4.1+0.7 pts
18Texas County4.1+0.5 pts
21Cedar County4+0.2 pts
21Clark County4+0.5 pts
21Howell County4+0.2 pts
21McDonald County4-0.2 pts
21Reynolds County40 pts
21St. Clair County4+0.3 pts
21St. Francois County4+0.3 pts
21Stone County4+0.3 pts
21Taney County4+0.5 pts
21Washington County4+0.5 pts
31Barry County3.9+0.4 pts
31Carter County3.9+0.6 pts
31Madison County3.9+0.6 pts
34Lewis County3.8+0.5 pts
34Stoddard County3.8+0.1 pts
36Adair County3.7+0.5 pts
36Camden County3.7+0.5 pts
36Crawford County3.7+0.2 pts
36DeKalb County3.7+0.7 pts
36Grundy County3.7+0.7 pts
36Jackson County3.7+0.3 pts
36Linn County3.7+0.4 pts
36Macon County3.7+0.4 pts
36Pike County3.7+0.5 pts
36St. Louis County3.7+0.6 pts
46Buchanan County3.6+0.4 pts
46Marion County3.6+0.4 pts
48Audrain County3.5+0.4 pts
48Carroll County3.5+0.4 pts
48Knox County3.5-0.1 pts
48Monroe County3.5+0.6 pts
48Newton County3.5+0.5 pts
48Pettis County3.5+0.5 pts
48Polk County3.5+0.3 pts
48Pulaski County3.5+0.5 pts
48Scott County3.5+0.4 pts
57Henry County3.4+0.4 pts
57Jasper County3.4+0.4 pts
57Phelps County3.4+0.5 pts
57Webster County3.4+0.5 pts
61Barton County3.3+0.4 pts
61Caldwell County3.3+0.6 pts
61Dent County3.3+0.4 pts
61Gasconade County3.3+0.5 pts
61Greene County3.3+0.5 pts
61Harrison County3.3+0.3 pts
61Holt County3.3+0.3 pts
61Howard County3.3+0.4 pts
61Johnson County3.3+0.3 pts
61Lawrence County3.3+0.2 pts
61Lincoln County3.3+0.6 pts
61Randolph County3.3+0.4 pts
61Sullivan County3.3+0.2 pts
74Bates County3.20 pts
74Bollinger County3.2+0.4 pts
74Clinton County3.2+0.4 pts
74Cooper County3.2+0.4 pts
74Dade County3.2+0.1 pts
74Franklin County3.2+0.4 pts
74Jefferson County3.2+0.5 pts
74Lafayette County3.2+0.5 pts
74Mercer County3.2+0.2 pts
74Ray County3.2+0.3 pts
74Vernon County3.2-0.1 pts
74Warren County3.2+0.3 pts
86Cape Girardeau County3.1+0.3 pts
86Chariton County3.1-0.1 pts
86Gentry County3.1+0.6 pts
86Livingston County3.1+0.6 pts
86Maries County3.1+0.1 pts
86Putnam County3.1+0.1 pts
86Ralls County3.1+0.2 pts
93Cass County3+0.2 pts
93Christian County3+0.4 pts
93Clay County3+0.3 pts
93Miller County3+0.4 pts
93Saline County3+0.4 pts
93St. Charles County3+0.4 pts
99Andrew County2.9+0.4 pts
99Atchison County2.9+0.5 pts
99Callaway County2.9+0.4 pts
99Daviess County2.9+0.2 pts
99Platte County2.9+0.2 pts
99Shelby County2.9+0.4 pts
99Ste. Genevieve County2.9+0.3 pts
106Boone County2.8+0.2 pts
106Cole County2.8+0.3 pts
106Moniteau County2.8+0.3 pts
106Montgomery County2.8+0.3 pts
106Schuyler County2.80 pts
106Worth County2.8+0.4 pts
112Perry County2.7+0.2 pts
112Scotland County2.7+0.1 pts
114Osage County2.6+0.2 pts
115Nodaway County2.4+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?

Douglas County, with 5.5% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Nodaway County, with 2.4% in September 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