Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Big Horn County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in August 2025, at 6.6%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 2.95% and the figure for Montana was 3.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.6Big Horn County
Median2.9556 counties
Montana3.4History

All counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 6.6 %6.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.3 %5.3Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 5 %5Sanders CountySanders County: 5 %5Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.9 %4.9Glacier CountyGlacier County: 4.7 %4.7Granite CountyGranite County: 4.4 %4.4Lake CountyLake County: 4.2 %4.2Madison CountyMadison County: 4.1 %4.1Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.9 %3.9Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.9 %3.9Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 3.8 %3.8Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.6 %3.6Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.6 %3.6Hill CountyHill County: 3.5 %3.5Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.5 %3.5Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 3.5 %3.5Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.4 %3.4Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.4 %3.4Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.3 %3.3Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.3 %3.3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 3.2 %3.2Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.2 %3.2Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 3.1 %3.1Powell CountyPowell County: 3.1 %3.1Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 3.1 %3.1Flathead CountyFlathead County: 3 %3Toole CountyToole County: 3 %3Blaine CountyBlaine County: 2.9 %2.9Carbon CountyCarbon County: 2.9 %2.9Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.9 %2.9Valley CountyValley County: 2.9 %2.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.8 %2.8Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2.8 %2.8Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.8 %2.8Teton CountyTeton County: 2.8 %2.8Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.7 %2.7Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.7 %2.7Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.6 %2.6Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.6 %2.6Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.6 %2.6Custer CountyCuster County: 2.5 %2.5Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.5 %2.5Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.4 %2.4McCone CountyMcCone County: 2.4 %2.4Richland CountyRichland County: 2.4 %2.4Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2.3 %2.3Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.2 %2.2Park CountyPark County: 2.2 %2.2Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.2 %2.2Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2 %2Fallon CountyFallon County: 2 %2Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2 %2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.8 %1.8Carter CountyCarter County: 1.6 %1.6Prairie CountyPrairie County: 1.6 %1.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Big Horn County6.6+2 pts
2Lincoln County5.3+0.4 pts
3Musselshell County5+1.1 pts
3Sanders County5+0.1 pts
5Roosevelt County4.9+0.7 pts
6Glacier County4.7+0.5 pts
7Granite County4.4+0.5 pts
8Lake County4.2+0.8 pts
9Madison County4.1+0.5 pts
10Deer Lodge County3.9+0.8 pts
10Mineral County3.9-0.6 pts
12Wheatland County3.8+0.4 pts
13Ravalli County3.6+0.4 pts
13Silver Bow County3.6+0.4 pts
15Hill County3.5+0.5 pts
15Pondera County3.5+0.3 pts
15Rosebud County3.5-0.2 pts
18Cascade County3.4+0.3 pts
18Petroleum County3.4-1 pts
20Wibaux County3.3-0.7 pts
20Yellowstone County3.3+0.3 pts
22Phillips County3.2+0.6 pts
22Stillwater County3.2+0.4 pts
24Lewis and Clark County3.1+0.4 pts
24Powell County3.10 pts
24Sweet Grass County3.1+1.2 pts
27Flathead County3+0.3 pts
27Toole County30 pts
29Blaine County2.9-0.2 pts
29Carbon County2.9+0.3 pts
29Missoula County2.9+0.1 pts
29Valley County2.9+0.5 pts
33Jefferson County2.8+0.3 pts
33Judith Basin County2.8-0.8 pts
33Sheridan County2.8+0.5 pts
33Teton County2.8+0.3 pts
37Beaverhead County2.7+0.1 pts
37Fergus County2.70 pts
39Broadwater County2.6+0.3 pts
39Chouteau County2.6+0.3 pts
39Golden Valley County2.6-1.2 pts
42Custer County2.5+0.3 pts
42Dawson County2.5+0.1 pts
44Gallatin County2.4+0.1 pts
44McCone County2.4-0.4 pts
44Richland County2.40 pts
47Garfield County2.3+0.1 pts
48Meagher County2.20 pts
48Park County2.20 pts
48Treasure County2.2+0.4 pts
51Daniels County2-0.1 pts
51Fallon County2+0.2 pts
51Liberty County2-0.3 pts
54Powder River County1.8-0.4 pts
55Carter County1.6-1.3 pts
55Prairie County1.6-0.1 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?

Big Horn County, with 6.6% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 1.6% 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 Montana: more rankings