Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Lincoln County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in March 2026, at 8.7%. Treasure County had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 3.75% and the figure for Montana was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.7Lincoln County
Median3.7556 counties
Montana3.6History

All counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 8.7 %8.7Granite CountyGranite County: 8.1 %8.1Sanders CountySanders County: 7.1 %7.1Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 6.8 %6.8Madison CountyMadison County: 6.7 %6.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 6.3 %6.3Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 6.2 %6.2Glacier CountyGlacier County: 6.1 %6.1Powell CountyPowell County: 5.6 %5.6Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 5.4 %5.4Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 5.4 %5.4Phillips CountyPhillips County: 5.1 %5.1Lake CountyLake County: 5 %5Fergus CountyFergus County: 4.9 %4.9Garfield CountyGarfield County: 4.6 %4.6Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 4.6 %4.6Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 4.6 %4.6Flathead CountyFlathead County: 4.5 %4.5Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 4.5 %4.5Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4.4 %4.4Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 4.3 %4.3Valley CountyValley County: 4.3 %4.3McCone CountyMcCone County: 4.2 %4.2Park CountyPark County: 4.2 %4.2Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.9 %3.9Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.9 %3.9Cascade CountyCascade County: 3.8 %3.8Missoula CountyMissoula County: 3.8 %3.8Custer CountyCuster County: 3.7 %3.7Hill CountyHill County: 3.7 %3.7Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 3.7 %3.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.6 %3.6Sheridan CountySheridan County: 3.6 %3.6Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 3.6 %3.6Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3.6 %3.6Carbon CountyCarbon County: 3.5 %3.5Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 3.5 %3.5Dawson CountyDawson County: 3.3 %3.3Fallon CountyFallon County: 3.3 %3.3Meagher CountyMeagher County: 3.3 %3.3Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 3.2 %3.2Teton CountyTeton County: 3.1 %3.1Toole CountyToole County: 3 %3Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.9 %2.9Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2.9 %2.9Richland CountyRichland County: 2.9 %2.9Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.8 %2.8Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2.8 %2.8Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.7 %2.7Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.7 %2.7Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.3 %2.3Prairie CountyPrairie County: 2.3 %2.3Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.1 %2.1Carter CountyCarter County: 2 %2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 2 %2Treasure CountyTreasure County: 1.9 %1.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Lincoln County8.7+0.9 pts
2Granite County8.1+1.8 pts
3Sanders County7.1-0.4 pts
4Big Horn County6.8+1.5 pts
5Madison County6.7+1.1 pts
6Mineral County6.3+0.6 pts
7Petroleum County6.2+1 pts
8Glacier County6.1+1 pts
9Powell County5.6+0.8 pts
10Musselshell County5.4+0.3 pts
10Roosevelt County5.4+1.2 pts
12Phillips County5.1+0.4 pts
13Lake County5+0.8 pts
14Fergus County4.9+0.8 pts
15Garfield County4.6+1.7 pts
15Ravalli County4.6+0.6 pts
15Silver Bow County4.6+0.8 pts
18Flathead County4.5+0.4 pts
18Wheatland County4.5-0.9 pts
20Rosebud County4.4+1.2 pts
21Deer Lodge County4.3+0.3 pts
21Valley County4.3+1.1 pts
23McCone County4.2+1.1 pts
23Park County4.2+0.7 pts
25Blaine County3.9+1.3 pts
25Pondera County3.9+0.8 pts
27Cascade County3.8+0.6 pts
27Missoula County3.8+0.3 pts
29Custer County3.7+0.4 pts
29Hill County3.7+0.7 pts
29Lewis and Clark County3.7+0.5 pts
32Jefferson County3.6+0.5 pts
32Sheridan County3.6+0.4 pts
32Wibaux County3.6+0.1 pts
32Yellowstone County3.6+0.4 pts
36Carbon County3.5-0.1 pts
36Stillwater County3.5-0.9 pts
38Dawson County3.3+0.7 pts
38Fallon County3.3+1.2 pts
38Meagher County3.3+0.6 pts
41Broadwater County3.2+0.6 pts
42Teton County3.1+0.3 pts
43Toole County3+0.4 pts
44Chouteau County2.9+0.8 pts
44Judith Basin County2.9-0.3 pts
44Richland County2.9+0.2 pts
47Gallatin County2.8+0.4 pts
47Sweet Grass County2.8-0.9 pts
49Beaverhead County2.7-0.2 pts
49Golden Valley County2.7-0.7 pts
51Liberty County2.3+0.5 pts
51Prairie County2.3+0.5 pts
53Daniels County2.1-0.3 pts
54Carter County20 pts
54Powder River County2-0.9 pts
56Treasure County1.9-0.3 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?

Lincoln County, with 8.7% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Treasure County, with 1.9% in March 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