Counties in Missouri by unemployment rate

Taney County had the highest unemployment rate of 115 counties in January 2026, at 11.9%. Nodaway County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.4% and the figure for Missouri was 3.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest11.9Taney County
Median4.4115 counties
Missouri3.9History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Taney CountyTaney County: 11.9 %11.9Stone CountyStone County: 9.3 %9.3Ozark CountyOzark County: 7.7 %7.7Hickory CountyHickory County: 7.4 %7.4Shannon CountyShannon County: 7 %7Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.8 %6.8Camden CountyCamden County: 6.4 %6.4Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 6.3 %6.3Benton CountyBenton County: 6.1 %6.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 6.1 %6.1Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 6 %6Pike CountyPike County: 6 %6Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 5.9 %5.9Laclede CountyLaclede County: 5.8 %5.8Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 5.7 %5.7Warren CountyWarren County: 5.6 %5.6Butler CountyButler County: 5.5 %5.5Macon CountyMacon County: 5.5 %5.5Washington CountyWashington County: 5.5 %5.5Iron CountyIron County: 5.4 %5.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.4 %5.4Carter CountyCarter County: 5.2 %5.2Crawford CountyCrawford County: 5.2 %5.2Dallas CountyDallas County: 5.2 %5.2Knox CountyKnox County: 5.2 %5.2Wright CountyWright County: 5.2 %5.2Adair CountyAdair County: 5.1 %5.1Madison CountyMadison County: 5.1 %5.1St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 5.1 %5.1Clark CountyClark County: 5 %5Miller CountyMiller County: 5 %5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5 %5Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 5 %5Barry CountyBarry County: 4.9 %4.9Howell CountyHowell County: 4.9 %4.9New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 4.9 %4.9St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 4.9 %4.9Cedar CountyCedar County: 4.8 %4.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 4.8 %4.8McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 4.8 %4.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Taney County11.9+0.6 pts
2Stone County9.3+0.6 pts
3Ozark County7.7+0.4 pts
4Hickory County7.4-0.3 pts
5Shannon County7+0.9 pts
6Wayne County6.8+0.3 pts
7Camden County6.4+0.3 pts
8Lincoln County6.3+0.6 pts
9Benton County6.1-0.3 pts
9Morgan County6.1+0.1 pts
11Pemiscot County6+0.3 pts
11Pike County6+1 pts
13Dunklin County5.9+0.3 pts
14Laclede County5.8+0.4 pts
15Mississippi County5.7-0.3 pts
16Warren County5.6+0.6 pts
17Butler County5.5+0.3 pts
17Macon County5.5+0.4 pts
17Washington County5.5-0.3 pts
20Iron County5.4+0.2 pts
20Lewis County5.4+0.4 pts
22Carter County5.2-0.2 pts
22Crawford County5.2-0.3 pts
22Dallas County5.2+0.2 pts
22Knox County5.20 pts
22Wright County5.2+0.1 pts
27Adair County5.1+0.3 pts
27Madison County5.1-0.2 pts
27St. Francois County5.1+0.1 pts
30Clark County5+0.5 pts
30Miller County5+0.2 pts
30Montgomery County5+0.2 pts
30Reynolds County5+0.1 pts
34Barry County4.9+0.3 pts
34Howell County4.9+0.2 pts
34New Madrid County4.9-0.2 pts
34St. Louis city4.9+0.3 pts
38Cedar County4.8+0.1 pts
38Douglas County4.8+0.5 pts
38McDonald County4.80 pts
38Ripley County4.8-0.6 pts
42Stoddard County4.7-0.1 pts
42Texas County4.7+0.1 pts
44Carroll County4.6-0.5 pts
44Oregon County4.6-0.1 pts
44Ralls County4.60 pts
44St. Louis County4.6+0.4 pts
48DeKalb County4.5-0.4 pts
48Dent County4.5+0.1 pts
48Lawrence County4.5+0.1 pts
48Monroe County4.5-0.3 pts
48St. Clair County4.5-0.1 pts
53Grundy County4.4-0.1 pts
53Marion County4.4-0.2 pts
53Pulaski County4.4+0.3 pts
53Schuyler County4.4+0.1 pts
53St. Charles County4.4+0.4 pts
53Sullivan County4.4+0.2 pts
59Buchanan County4.3-0.1 pts
59Franklin County4.30 pts
59Harrison County4.3-0.1 pts
59Jackson County4.3-0.2 pts
59Phelps County4.30 pts
59Polk County4.3-0.1 pts
65Bates County4.2-0.4 pts
65Dade County4.2+0.3 pts
65Johnson County4.20 pts
65Mercer County4.2-0.3 pts
65Pettis County4.2+0.2 pts
70Audrain County4.10 pts
70Chariton County4.1-0.5 pts
70Clinton County4.1-0.7 pts
70Cooper County4.1+0.2 pts
70Gasconade County4.1+0.1 pts
70Henry County4.1+0.1 pts
70Howard County4.1-0.1 pts
70Jefferson County4.10 pts
70Linn County4.1-0.1 pts
70Newton County4.10 pts
70Randolph County4.1+0.1 pts
70Webster County4.1+0.2 pts
82Andrew County4-0.3 pts
82Bollinger County4-0.4 pts
82Caldwell County4-1.2 pts
82Holt County4+0.2 pts
82Maries County4-0.1 pts
82Putnam County4-0.3 pts
82Scott County4+0.1 pts
82Shelby County4-0.3 pts
90Barton County3.9+0.1 pts
90Christian County3.9+0.2 pts
90Greene County3.9+0.2 pts
90Jasper County3.9+0.1 pts
90Lafayette County3.9-0.4 pts
90Saline County3.9+0.1 pts
96Ray County3.8-2.2 pts
96Scotland County3.8-0.6 pts
96Vernon County3.8-0.1 pts
99Cape Girardeau County3.7+0.1 pts
99Cass County3.7-0.2 pts
99Daviess County3.7-0.5 pts
99Livingston County3.7-0.5 pts
99Ste. Genevieve County3.7-0.6 pts
104Boone County3.60 pts
104Callaway County3.6-0.1 pts
104Clay County3.6-0.8 pts
107Atchison County3.5+0.2 pts
107Platte County3.5-0.2 pts
107Worth County3.5-0.2 pts
110Cole County3.40 pts
110Gentry County3.4-0.4 pts
110Perry County3.4-0.3 pts
113Moniteau County3.3-0.4 pts
114Osage County3.2-0.3 pts
115Nodaway County3.1+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?

Taney County, with 11.9% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Nodaway County, with 3.1% in January 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 Missouri: more rankings