Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Madison County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in November 2025, at 8.7%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 2%. The median was 3.3% and the figure for Montana was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.7Madison County
Median3.356 counties
Montana3.6History

All counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Madison CountyMadison County: 8.7 %8.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 6.3 %6.3Granite CountyGranite County: 6.1 %6.1Sanders CountySanders County: 6 %6Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 5.8 %5.8Glacier CountyGlacier County: 5.6 %5.6Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.9 %4.9Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.8 %4.8Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 4.5 %4.5Lake CountyLake County: 4.2 %4.2Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.2 %4.2Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 4.2 %4.2Powell CountyPowell County: 4 %4Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.9 %3.9Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.9 %3.9Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.9 %3.9Flathead CountyFlathead County: 3.8 %3.8Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 3.8 %3.8Fergus CountyFergus County: 3.5 %3.5Park CountyPark County: 3.5 %3.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 3.5 %3.5Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 3.5 %3.5Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.4 %3.4Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.4 %3.4Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.3 %3.3Carbon CountyCarbon County: 3.3 %3.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.3 %3.3Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 3.3 %3.3McCone CountyMcCone County: 3.3 %3.3Dawson CountyDawson County: 3.2 %3.2Missoula CountyMissoula County: 3.2 %3.2Toole CountyToole County: 3.2 %3.2Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.2 %3.2Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.2 %3.2Daniels CountyDaniels County: 3.1 %3.1Hill CountyHill County: 3.1 %3.1Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.1 %3.1Valley CountyValley County: 3.1 %3.1Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 3 %3Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 3 %3Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.9 %2.9Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.9 %2.9Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.9 %2.9Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.9 %2.9Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.9 %2.9Teton CountyTeton County: 2.9 %2.9Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2.8 %2.8Custer CountyCuster County: 2.6 %2.6Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.5 %2.5Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2.4 %2.4Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.4 %2.4Richland CountyRichland County: 2.4 %2.4Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.3 %2.3Powder River CountyPowder River County: 2.2 %2.2Carter CountyCarter County: 2 %2Prairie CountyPrairie County: 2 %2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1Madison County8.7+2.8 pts
2Lincoln County6.3+1.2 pts
3Granite County6.1+1.5 pts
4Sanders County6+1.2 pts
5Big Horn County5.8+1.9 pts
6Glacier County5.6+1.4 pts
7Musselshell County4.9+1.7 pts
8Mineral County4.8+0.3 pts
9Deer Lodge County4.5+1.5 pts
10Lake County4.2+1.3 pts
10Roosevelt County4.2+0.9 pts
10Wheatland County4.2+0.8 pts
13Powell County4+0.9 pts
14Petroleum County3.9+0.9 pts
14Ravalli County3.9+1.1 pts
14Silver Bow County3.9+1.1 pts
17Flathead County3.8+0.8 pts
17Judith Basin County3.8+1.7 pts
19Fergus County3.5+1.2 pts
19Park County3.5+0.5 pts
19Phillips County3.5+0.9 pts
19Rosebud County3.5+1.1 pts
23Cascade County3.4+0.9 pts
23Pondera County3.4+0.3 pts
25Blaine County3.3+1.1 pts
25Carbon County3.3+0.6 pts
25Jefferson County3.3+0.9 pts
25Lewis and Clark County3.3+1 pts
25McCone County3.3+0.6 pts
30Dawson County3.2+1.1 pts
30Missoula County3.2+0.7 pts
30Toole County3.2+0.9 pts
30Wibaux County3.2+1 pts
30Yellowstone County3.2+0.8 pts
35Daniels County3.1+1 pts
35Hill County3.1+1.2 pts
35Stillwater County3.1+0.8 pts
35Valley County3.1+1 pts
39Beaverhead County3+0.6 pts
39Gallatin County3+0.6 pts
41Broadwater County2.9+1 pts
41Chouteau County2.9+1 pts
41Liberty County2.9+1.2 pts
41Meagher County2.9+0.5 pts
41Sheridan County2.9+1 pts
41Teton County2.9+1 pts
47Sweet Grass County2.8+0.8 pts
48Custer County2.6+0.5 pts
49Treasure County2.5+0.6 pts
50Garfield County2.4-0.7 pts
50Golden Valley County2.4-0.4 pts
50Richland County2.4+0.5 pts
53Fallon County2.3+0.9 pts
54Powder River County2.2+0.3 pts
55Carter County2+0.3 pts
55Prairie County2+0.8 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?

Madison County, with 8.7% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 2% in November 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