Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Montana

Counties in Montana by unemployment rate, August 2026

Big Horn County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in August 2026, at 6.2%. Carter County had the lowest, at 1.4%. The median was 2.75% and the figure for Montana was 3.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.2Big Horn County
Lowest1.4Carter County
Median2.7556 counties
Montana3.2History

All counties, August 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 6.2 %6.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.1 %5.1Glacier CountyGlacier County: 5 %5Madison CountyMadison County: 4.8 %4.8Sanders CountySanders County: 4.6 %4.6Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.5 %4.5Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4.3 %4.3Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.2 %4.2Granite CountyGranite County: 3.9 %3.9Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.8 %3.8Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.7 %3.7Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.6 %3.6Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.6 %3.6Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 3.6 %3.6Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.5 %3.5Hill CountyHill County: 3.4 %3.4Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.3 %3.3Lake CountyLake County: 3.3 %3.3Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.2 %3.2Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.1 %3.1McCone CountyMcCone County: 3 %3Powell CountyPowell County: 3 %3Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.9 %2.9Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.8 %2.8Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.8 %2.8Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 2.8 %2.8Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.8 %2.8Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 2.8 %2.8Blaine CountyBlaine County: 2.7 %2.7Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.7 %2.7Flathead CountyFlathead County: 2.7 %2.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.6 %2.6Phillips CountyPhillips County: 2.6 %2.6Custer CountyCuster County: 2.5 %2.5Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.5 %2.5Valley CountyValley County: 2.5 %2.5Carbon CountyCarbon County: 2.4 %2.4Richland CountyRichland County: 2.4 %2.4Toole CountyToole County: 2.4 %2.4Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.3 %2.3Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.3 %2.3Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.3 %2.3Prairie CountyPrairie County: 2.3 %2.3Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2.2 %2.2Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.2 %2.2Teton CountyTeton County: 2.2 %2.2Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 2.2 %2.2Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.1 %2.1Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.1 %2.1Park CountyPark County: 2.1 %2.1Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.1 %2.1Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2 %2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 1.8 %1.8Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.7 %1.7Treasure CountyTreasure County: 1.6 %1.6Carter CountyCarter County: 1.4 %1.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2026 (%)Change on August 2025
1Big Horn County Provisional6.2-0.4 pts
2Lincoln County Provisional5.1-0.2 pts
3Glacier County Provisional5+0.3 pts
4Madison County Provisional4.8+0.7 pts
5Sanders County Provisional4.6-0.4 pts
6Roosevelt County Provisional4.5-0.4 pts
7Rosebud County Provisional4.3+0.8 pts
8Musselshell County Provisional4.2-0.8 pts
9Granite County Provisional3.9-0.5 pts
10Mineral County Provisional3.8-0.1 pts
11Petroleum County Provisional3.7+0.3 pts
12Deer Lodge County Provisional3.6-0.3 pts
12Pondera County Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
12Wheatland County Provisional3.6-0.2 pts
15Silver Bow County Provisional3.5-0.1 pts
16Hill County Provisional3.4-0.1 pts
17Cascade County Provisional3.3-0.1 pts
17Lake County Provisional3.3-0.9 pts
19Ravalli County Provisional3.2-0.4 pts
20Yellowstone County Provisional3.1-0.2 pts
21McCone County Provisional3+0.6 pts
21Powell County Provisional3-0.1 pts
23Broadwater County Provisional2.9+0.3 pts
24Chouteau County Provisional2.8+0.2 pts
24Golden Valley County Provisional2.8+0.2 pts
24Lewis and Clark County Provisional2.8-0.3 pts
24Missoula County Provisional2.8-0.1 pts
24Stillwater County Provisional2.8-0.4 pts
29Blaine County Provisional2.7-0.2 pts
29Dawson County Provisional2.7+0.2 pts
29Flathead County Provisional2.7-0.3 pts
32Jefferson County Provisional2.6-0.2 pts
32Phillips County Provisional2.6-0.6 pts
34Custer County Provisional2.50 pts
34Fergus County Provisional2.5-0.2 pts
34Valley County Provisional2.5-0.4 pts
37Carbon County Provisional2.4-0.5 pts
37Richland County Provisional2.40 pts
37Toole County Provisional2.4-0.6 pts
40Daniels County Provisional2.3+0.3 pts
40Gallatin County Provisional2.3-0.1 pts
40Liberty County Provisional2.3+0.3 pts
40Prairie County Provisional2.3+0.7 pts
44Judith Basin County Provisional2.2-0.6 pts
44Meagher County Provisional2.20 pts
44Teton County Provisional2.2-0.6 pts
44Wibaux County Provisional2.2-1.1 pts
48Beaverhead County Provisional2.1-0.6 pts
48Fallon County Provisional2.1+0.1 pts
48Park County Provisional2.1-0.1 pts
48Sheridan County Provisional2.1-0.7 pts
52Sweet Grass County Provisional2-1.1 pts
53Garfield County Provisional1.8-0.5 pts
54Powder River County Provisional1.7-0.1 pts
55Treasure County Provisional1.6-0.6 pts
56Carter County Provisional1.4-0.2 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?

Big Horn County, with 6.2% in August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Carter County, with 1.4% in August 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 Montana: more rankings