Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Lincoln County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in April 2026, at 6.2%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 1.2%. The median was 2.8% and the figure for Montana was 3.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.2Lincoln County
Median2.856 counties
Montana3.5History

All counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 6.2 %6.2Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 5.8 %5.8Granite CountyGranite County: 5.8 %5.8Madison CountyMadison County: 5.5 %5.5Glacier CountyGlacier County: 4.9 %4.9Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.8 %4.8Sanders CountySanders County: 4.6 %4.6Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4.3 %4.3Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.1 %4.1Powell CountyPowell County: 4.1 %4.1Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.1 %4.1Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.9 %3.9Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 3.7 %3.7Lake CountyLake County: 3.5 %3.5Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.4 %3.4Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.3 %3.3Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.3 %3.3Flathead CountyFlathead County: 3.2 %3.2Blaine CountyBlaine County: 3.1 %3.1Phillips CountyPhillips County: 3.1 %3.1Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.1 %3.1McCone CountyMcCone County: 3 %3Cascade CountyCascade County: 2.9 %2.9Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.9 %2.9Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.8 %2.8Hill CountyHill County: 2.8 %2.8Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 2.8 %2.8Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.8 %2.8Park CountyPark County: 2.8 %2.8Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 2.8 %2.8Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 2.8 %2.8Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.7 %2.7Valley CountyValley County: 2.7 %2.7Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.6 %2.6Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2.6 %2.6Carbon CountyCarbon County: 2.5 %2.5Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.5 %2.5Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.5 %2.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.5 %2.5Richland CountyRichland County: 2.5 %2.5Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.4 %2.4Custer CountyCuster County: 2.4 %2.4Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.4 %2.4Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2.4 %2.4Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 2.4 %2.4Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.3 %2.3Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.3 %2.3Teton CountyTeton County: 2.3 %2.3Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.2 %2.2Toole CountyToole County: 2.2 %2.2Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2.1 %2.1Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2.1 %2.1Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.8 %1.8Treasure CountyTreasure County: 1.8 %1.8Carter CountyCarter County: 1.5 %1.5Prairie CountyPrairie County: 1.2 %1.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Lincoln County6.20 pts
2Big Horn County5.8+0.5 pts
2Granite County5.8-0.1 pts
4Madison County5.5+0.9 pts
5Glacier County4.9+0.2 pts
6Musselshell County4.8+0.1 pts
7Sanders County4.6-1.1 pts
8Rosebud County4.3+1.4 pts
9Mineral County4.1-0.6 pts
9Powell County4.1+0.2 pts
9Roosevelt County4.1+0.1 pts
12Petroleum County3.9-0.2 pts
13Wheatland County3.7-1 pts
14Lake County3.5-0.2 pts
15Deer Lodge County3.4-0.3 pts
16Pondera County3.3+0.3 pts
16Silver Bow County3.3-0.1 pts
18Flathead County3.2-0.3 pts
19Blaine County3.1+0.6 pts
19Phillips County3.1-0.6 pts
19Ravalli County3.1-0.3 pts
22McCone County3+0.3 pts
23Cascade County2.90 pts
23Golden Valley County2.90 pts
25Fergus County2.8-0.2 pts
25Hill County2.8-0.2 pts
25Lewis and Clark County2.80 pts
25Missoula County2.8-0.2 pts
25Park County2.8-0.3 pts
25Stillwater County2.8-0.8 pts
25Yellowstone County2.8-0.1 pts
32Meagher County2.7-0.2 pts
32Valley County2.7-0.1 pts
34Dawson County2.6+0.2 pts
34Garfield County2.6+0.5 pts
36Carbon County2.5-0.7 pts
36Fallon County2.5+0.6 pts
36Gallatin County2.5+0.1 pts
36Jefferson County2.5-0.2 pts
36Richland County2.5+0.1 pts
41Broadwater County2.4-0.1 pts
41Custer County2.4-0.2 pts
41Daniels County2.4+0.1 pts
41Judith Basin County2.4-1.1 pts
41Wibaux County2.4-0.9 pts
46Chouteau County2.3-0.1 pts
46Sheridan County2.3-0.6 pts
46Teton County2.3-0.1 pts
49Beaverhead County2.2-0.6 pts
49Toole County2.2-0.5 pts
51Liberty County2.1+0.2 pts
51Sweet Grass County2.1-1 pts
53Powder River County1.8-0.9 pts
53Treasure County1.8-0.3 pts
55Carter County1.5-0.6 pts
56Prairie County1.2-0.3 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 6.2% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 1.2% in April 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