Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Lincoln County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in January 2026, at 9.5%. Carter County had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 4.1% and the figure for Montana was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.5Lincoln County
Lowest1.6Carter County
Median4.156 counties
Montana3.6History

All counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 9.5 %9.5Sanders CountySanders County: 9.2 %9.2Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 8.8 %8.8Granite CountyGranite County: 7.8 %7.8Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 7.5 %7.5Glacier CountyGlacier County: 7.1 %7.1Mineral CountyMineral County: 7 %7Madison CountyMadison County: 6.5 %6.5Powell CountyPowell County: 6.3 %6.3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 6.2 %6.2Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 6.2 %6.2Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 6.1 %6.1Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 5.8 %5.8Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 5.7 %5.7Lake CountyLake County: 5.6 %5.6Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 5.5 %5.5Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 5.4 %5.4Fergus CountyFergus County: 5.3 %5.3Flathead CountyFlathead County: 5.2 %5.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 4.8 %4.8Park CountyPark County: 4.5 %4.5Pondera CountyPondera County: 4.5 %4.5Valley CountyValley County: 4.5 %4.5Missoula CountyMissoula County: 4.4 %4.4Cascade CountyCascade County: 4.3 %4.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 4.3 %4.3McCone CountyMcCone County: 4.2 %4.2Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 4.1 %4.1Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 4.1 %4.1Blaine CountyBlaine County: 4 %4Carbon CountyCarbon County: 4 %4Custer CountyCuster County: 4 %4Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4 %4Hill CountyHill County: 3.9 %3.9Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.9 %3.9Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 3.8 %3.8Meagher CountyMeagher County: 3.8 %3.8Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.8 %3.8Sheridan CountySheridan County: 3.7 %3.7Teton CountyTeton County: 3.7 %3.7Dawson CountyDawson County: 3.5 %3.5Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 3.5 %3.5Toole CountyToole County: 3.4 %3.4Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 3.3 %3.3Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 3.2 %3.2Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 3.2 %3.2Richland CountyRichland County: 3.2 %3.2Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 3.2 %3.2Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 3 %3Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.9 %2.9Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.6 %2.6Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.5 %2.5Powder River CountyPowder River County: 2.2 %2.2Prairie CountyPrairie County: 2.2 %2.2Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.1 %2.1Carter CountyCarter County: 1.6 %1.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Lincoln County9.5+1.7 pts
2Sanders County9.2+1.5 pts
3Petroleum County8.8+3.2 pts
4Granite County7.8+1.8 pts
5Big Horn County7.5+2.7 pts
6Glacier County7.1+2.2 pts
7Mineral County7+0.8 pts
8Madison County6.5+1.3 pts
9Powell County6.3+1.4 pts
10Phillips County6.2+1.2 pts
10Wheatland County6.20 pts
12Musselshell County6.1+1.3 pts
13Roosevelt County5.8+1.4 pts
14Deer Lodge County5.7+1.7 pts
15Lake County5.6+1.2 pts
16Ravalli County5.5+1.3 pts
17Silver Bow County5.4+1.5 pts
18Fergus County5.3+0.8 pts
19Flathead County5.2+1.1 pts
20Garfield County4.8+0.9 pts
21Park County4.5+1 pts
21Pondera County4.5+1.3 pts
21Valley County4.5+0.9 pts
24Missoula County4.4+0.9 pts
25Cascade County4.3+1 pts
25Jefferson County4.3+1.3 pts
27McCone County4.2+1.5 pts
28Lewis and Clark County4.1+0.9 pts
28Yellowstone County4.1+0.9 pts
30Blaine County4+1.1 pts
30Carbon County4+0.3 pts
30Custer County4+0.5 pts
30Rosebud County4+0.6 pts
34Hill County3.9+1.2 pts
34Wibaux County3.9+0.3 pts
36Broadwater County3.8+1 pts
36Meagher County3.8+0.6 pts
36Stillwater County3.8-0.8 pts
39Sheridan County3.7+1.1 pts
39Teton County3.7+1.1 pts
41Dawson County3.5+0.9 pts
41Judith Basin County3.5+0.1 pts
43Toole County3.4+1.1 pts
44Chouteau County3.3+0.7 pts
45Beaverhead County3.2+0.2 pts
45Golden Valley County3.2+0.1 pts
45Richland County3.2+0.7 pts
45Sweet Grass County3.2-0.3 pts
49Gallatin County3+0.7 pts
50Treasure County2.9+0.4 pts
51Daniels County2.6+0.3 pts
52Fallon County2.5+0.8 pts
53Powder River County2.2-0.6 pts
53Prairie County2.2+0.4 pts
55Liberty County2.1+0.2 pts
56Carter 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?

Lincoln County, with 9.5% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Carter County, with 1.6% in January 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