Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Lincoln County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in December 2025, at 7.6%. Powder River County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 3.7% and the figure for Montana was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.6Lincoln County
Median3.756 counties
Montana3.6History

All counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 7.6 %7.6Sanders CountySanders County: 7.1 %7.1Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 6.8 %6.8Granite CountyGranite County: 6.5 %6.5Glacier CountyGlacier County: 6.2 %6.2Madison CountyMadison County: 6.2 %6.2Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 6.1 %6.1Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 5.8 %5.8Mineral CountyMineral County: 5.6 %5.6Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 5.2 %5.2Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 5.1 %5.1Phillips CountyPhillips County: 5.1 %5.1Fergus CountyFergus County: 5 %5Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 5 %5Powell CountyPowell County: 4.8 %4.8Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 4.7 %4.7Lake CountyLake County: 4.6 %4.6McCone CountyMcCone County: 4.4 %4.4Flathead CountyFlathead County: 4.3 %4.3Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 4.2 %4.2Park CountyPark County: 4.1 %4.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 3.9 %3.9Teton CountyTeton County: 3.9 %3.9Carbon CountyCarbon County: 3.8 %3.8Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.8 %3.8Valley CountyValley County: 3.8 %3.8Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.7 %3.7Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 3.7 %3.7Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 3.7 %3.7Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.7 %3.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.6 %3.6Missoula CountyMissoula County: 3.6 %3.6Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 3.6 %3.6Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.6 %3.6Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.6 %3.6Dawson CountyDawson County: 3.4 %3.4Hill CountyHill County: 3.3 %3.3Meagher CountyMeagher County: 3.3 %3.3Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.3 %3.3Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 3.2 %3.2Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 3.2 %3.2Custer CountyCuster County: 3.1 %3.1Sheridan CountySheridan County: 3.1 %3.1Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 3.1 %3.1Toole CountyToole County: 3.1 %3.1Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 3 %3Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 3 %3Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.9 %2.9Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.8 %2.8Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.7 %2.7Richland CountyRichland County: 2.7 %2.7Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.5 %2.5Prairie CountyPrairie County: 2.5 %2.5Carter CountyCarter County: 2.4 %2.4Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.4 %2.4Powder River CountyPowder River County: 2.4 %2.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Lincoln County7.6+1.2 pts
2Sanders County7.1+0.9 pts
3Big Horn County6.8+2 pts
4Granite County6.5+1.6 pts
5Glacier County6.2+2 pts
5Madison County6.2+1.1 pts
7Petroleum County6.1+1.4 pts
8Musselshell County5.8+1.4 pts
9Mineral County5.6+0.4 pts
10Roosevelt County5.2+1.5 pts
11Deer Lodge County5.1+1.6 pts
11Phillips County5.1+0.8 pts
13Fergus County5+1.5 pts
13Wheatland County5+0.2 pts
15Powell County4.8+0.9 pts
16Ravalli County4.7+1.2 pts
17Lake County4.6+0.9 pts
18McCone County4.4+1.5 pts
19Flathead County4.3+0.9 pts
20Silver Bow County4.2+1 pts
21Park County4.1+1 pts
22Garfield County3.9+0.1 pts
22Teton County3.9+1.4 pts
24Carbon County3.8+0.4 pts
24Cascade County3.8+0.9 pts
24Valley County3.8+0.8 pts
27Blaine County3.7+0.9 pts
27Judith Basin County3.7+1.1 pts
27Lewis and Clark County3.7+0.9 pts
27Pondera County3.7+0.6 pts
31Jefferson County3.6+0.8 pts
31Missoula County3.6+0.5 pts
31Rosebud County3.6+0.7 pts
31Wibaux County3.6+0.4 pts
31Yellowstone County3.6+0.8 pts
36Dawson County3.4+1 pts
37Hill County3.3+0.8 pts
37Meagher County3.3+0.8 pts
37Stillwater County3.3-1.3 pts
40Beaverhead County3.2+0.4 pts
40Golden Valley County3.2-0.4 pts
42Custer County3.1+0.3 pts
42Sheridan County3.1+0.5 pts
42Sweet Grass County3.1+0.1 pts
42Toole County3.1+0.7 pts
46Broadwater County3+0.7 pts
46Chouteau County3+0.7 pts
48Treasure County2.9+0.8 pts
49Gallatin County2.8+0.5 pts
50Daniels County2.7+0.8 pts
50Richland County2.7+0.5 pts
52Liberty County2.5+0.3 pts
52Prairie County2.5+0.7 pts
54Carter County2.4+0.5 pts
54Fallon County2.4+0.6 pts
54Powder River County2.40 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?

Lincoln County, with 7.6% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Powder River County, with 2.4% in December 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