Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Big Horn County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in September 2025, at 5.6%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 1.8%. The median was 3% and the figure for Montana was 3.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest5.6Big Horn County
Median356 counties
Montana3.5History

All counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 5.6 %5.6Sanders CountySanders County: 4.9 %4.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.8 %4.8Madison CountyMadison County: 4.5 %4.5Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.3 %4.3Glacier CountyGlacier County: 4.2 %4.2Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.2 %4.2Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 4.2 %4.2Granite CountyGranite County: 4.1 %4.1Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.8 %3.8Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.8 %3.8Lake CountyLake County: 3.7 %3.7Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.5 %3.5Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.5 %3.5Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.5 %3.5Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 3.5 %3.5Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.5 %3.5Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.4 %3.4Powell CountyPowell County: 3.3 %3.3Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.2 %3.2Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 3.2 %3.2Hill CountyHill County: 3.2 %3.2Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.1 %3.1Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.1 %3.1Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.1 %3.1Carbon CountyCarbon County: 3 %3Flathead CountyFlathead County: 3 %3Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 3 %3Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 3 %3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 3 %3Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 3 %3Valley CountyValley County: 3 %3Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.9 %2.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.9 %2.9McCone CountyMcCone County: 2.9 %2.9Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.9 %2.9Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.9 %2.9Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.8 %2.8Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.7 %2.7Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.7 %2.7Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.7 %2.7Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.7 %2.7Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.7 %2.7Teton CountyTeton County: 2.7 %2.7Custer CountyCuster County: 2.6 %2.6Toole CountyToole County: 2.6 %2.6Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.5 %2.5Richland CountyRichland County: 2.5 %2.5Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.4 %2.4Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.4 %2.4Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2.4 %2.4Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.4 %2.4Park CountyPark County: 2.4 %2.4Carter CountyCarter County: 2.1 %2.1Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.9 %1.9Prairie CountyPrairie County: 1.8 %1.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Big Horn County5.6+2.1 pts
2Sanders County4.9+0.7 pts
3Lincoln County4.8+0.7 pts
4Madison County4.5+1.2 pts
5Musselshell County4.3+0.6 pts
6Glacier County4.2+1.1 pts
6Roosevelt County4.2+1.2 pts
6Wheatland County4.2+1.1 pts
9Granite County4.1+0.9 pts
10Mineral County3.8+0.2 pts
10Petroleum County3.8+0.8 pts
12Lake County3.7+0.9 pts
13Deer Lodge County3.5+0.6 pts
13Pondera County3.5+0.8 pts
13Ravalli County3.5+0.8 pts
13Rosebud County3.5+0.6 pts
13Silver Bow County3.5+0.7 pts
18Wibaux County3.4+0.4 pts
19Powell County3.3+0.1 pts
20Cascade County3.2+0.6 pts
20Golden Valley County3.2+0.1 pts
20Hill County3.2+0.8 pts
23Blaine County3.1+0.8 pts
23Stillwater County3.1+0.8 pts
23Yellowstone County3.1+0.7 pts
26Carbon County3+0.7 pts
26Flathead County3+0.5 pts
26Judith Basin County3+0.2 pts
26Lewis and Clark County3+0.6 pts
26Phillips County3+0.8 pts
26Sweet Grass County3+1.2 pts
26Valley County3+1 pts
33Dawson County2.9+0.6 pts
33Jefferson County2.9+0.6 pts
33McCone County2.9+0.8 pts
33Missoula County2.9+0.6 pts
33Treasure County2.9+1.1 pts
38Sheridan County2.8+0.8 pts
39Beaverhead County2.7+0.3 pts
39Broadwater County2.7+0.6 pts
39Chouteau County2.7+0.5 pts
39Fergus County2.7+0.4 pts
39Meagher County2.7+0.7 pts
39Teton County2.7+0.5 pts
45Custer County2.6+0.7 pts
45Toole County2.60 pts
47Daniels County2.5+0.7 pts
47Richland County2.5+0.4 pts
49Fallon County2.4+0.9 pts
49Gallatin County2.4+0.4 pts
49Garfield County2.4+0.6 pts
49Liberty County2.4+0.4 pts
49Park County2.4+0.3 pts
54Carter County2.1-0.1 pts
55Powder River County1.9-0.2 pts
56Prairie County1.8+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?

Big Horn County, with 5.6% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 1.8% 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 Montana: more rankings