Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Madison County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in May 2026, at 7.7%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 2.7% and the figure for Montana was 3.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.7Madison County
Median2.756 counties
Montana3.4History

All counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Madison CountyMadison County: 7.7 %7.7Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 5.7 %5.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.7 %5.7Granite CountyGranite County: 5.2 %5.2Glacier CountyGlacier County: 4.6 %4.6Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.5 %4.5Sanders CountySanders County: 4.4 %4.4Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4 %4Powell CountyPowell County: 3.8 %3.8Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.7 %3.7Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 3.7 %3.7Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 3.7 %3.7Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.5 %3.5Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.4 %3.4Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.3 %3.3Lake CountyLake County: 3.2 %3.2Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.1 %3.1Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 3.1 %3.1Flathead CountyFlathead County: 3 %3Cascade CountyCascade County: 2.9 %2.9Phillips CountyPhillips County: 2.9 %2.9Blaine CountyBlaine County: 2.8 %2.8Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.8 %2.8Hill CountyHill County: 2.8 %2.8McCone CountyMcCone County: 2.8 %2.8Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.8 %2.8Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 2.8 %2.8Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.7 %2.7Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 2.7 %2.7Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 2.7 %2.7Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.6 %2.6Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.6 %2.6Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.6 %2.6Meagher CountyMeagher County: 2.6 %2.6Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.6 %2.6Valley CountyValley County: 2.6 %2.6Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.5 %2.5Carbon CountyCarbon County: 2.5 %2.5Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.5 %2.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.5 %2.5Park CountyPark County: 2.5 %2.5Richland CountyRichland County: 2.5 %2.5Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2.4 %2.4Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 2.3 %2.3Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2.3 %2.3Teton CountyTeton County: 2.3 %2.3Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 2.3 %2.3Custer CountyCuster County: 2.2 %2.2Toole CountyToole County: 2.2 %2.2Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.1 %2.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 2 %2Liberty CountyLiberty County: 2 %2Daniels CountyDaniels County: 1.8 %1.8Carter CountyCarter County: 1.7 %1.7Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.7 %1.7Prairie CountyPrairie County: 1.6 %1.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Madison County7.7+1.4 pts
2Big Horn County5.7+0.2 pts
2Lincoln County5.70 pts
4Granite County5.2+0.3 pts
5Glacier County4.6+0.3 pts
6Musselshell County4.5+0.1 pts
7Sanders County4.4-0.5 pts
8Rosebud County4+1.5 pts
9Powell County3.8+0.2 pts
10Mineral County3.7-0.4 pts
10Roosevelt County3.7-0.5 pts
10Wheatland County3.7-0.7 pts
13Deer Lodge County3.5-0.1 pts
14Silver Bow County3.4-0.1 pts
15Petroleum County3.3+0.1 pts
16Lake County3.2-0.2 pts
17Pondera County3.1-0.1 pts
17Ravalli County3.1-0.2 pts
19Flathead County3-0.2 pts
20Cascade County2.90 pts
20Phillips County2.9-0.1 pts
22Blaine County2.8+0.3 pts
22Golden Valley County2.8+0.1 pts
22Hill County2.8-0.1 pts
22McCone County2.8+0.5 pts
22Treasure County2.8+0.9 pts
22Yellowstone County2.8-0.1 pts
28Chouteau County2.7+0.3 pts
28Lewis and Clark County2.7-0.1 pts
28Stillwater County2.7-0.8 pts
31Fallon County2.6+0.3 pts
31Fergus County2.6-0.2 pts
31Gallatin County2.60 pts
31Meagher County2.60 pts
31Missoula County2.6-0.2 pts
31Valley County2.60 pts
37Broadwater County2.5-0.1 pts
37Carbon County2.5-0.4 pts
37Dawson County2.5+0.1 pts
37Jefferson County2.5-0.1 pts
37Park County2.5-0.1 pts
37Richland County2.50 pts
43Judith Basin County2.4-0.8 pts
44Beaverhead County2.3-0.3 pts
44Sweet Grass County2.3-1.4 pts
44Teton County2.3-0.2 pts
44Wibaux County2.3-0.4 pts
48Custer County2.2-0.2 pts
48Toole County2.2-0.5 pts
50Sheridan County2.1-0.7 pts
51Garfield County20 pts
51Liberty County2-0.2 pts
53Daniels County1.8-0.6 pts
54Carter County1.7-0.1 pts
54Powder River County1.7-0.5 pts
56Prairie County1.60 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 7.7% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 1.6% in May 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