Counties in Montana by unemployment rate

Big Horn County had the highest unemployment rate of 56 counties in July 2026, at 6.3%. Prairie County had the lowest, at 1.4%. The median was 2.55% and the figure for Montana was 3.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.3Big Horn County
Median2.5556 counties
Montana3.2History

All counties, July 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 6.3 %6.3Glacier CountyGlacier County: 5.3 %5.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.1 %5.1Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 4.6 %4.6Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 4.5 %4.5Madison CountyMadison County: 4.3 %4.3Sanders CountySanders County: 4.1 %4.1Granite CountyGranite County: 4 %4Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 4 %4Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 4 %4Pondera CountyPondera County: 3.6 %3.6Lake CountyLake County: 3.4 %3.4Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 3.4 %3.4Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 3.3 %3.3Hill CountyHill County: 3.3 %3.3Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.3 %3.3Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 3.3 %3.3Powell CountyPowell County: 3.1 %3.1Cascade CountyCascade County: 3 %3Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 3 %3Blaine CountyBlaine County: 2.9 %2.9Phillips CountyPhillips County: 2.9 %2.9Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 2.9 %2.9Missoula CountyMissoula County: 2.7 %2.7Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 2.7 %2.7Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 2.6 %2.6Dawson CountyDawson County: 2.6 %2.6Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 2.6 %2.6Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 2.5 %2.5Fergus CountyFergus County: 2.5 %2.5Flathead CountyFlathead County: 2.5 %2.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.5 %2.5McCone CountyMcCone County: 2.4 %2.4Richland CountyRichland County: 2.4 %2.4Valley CountyValley County: 2.4 %2.4Custer CountyCuster County: 2.3 %2.3Daniels CountyDaniels County: 2.3 %2.3Fallon CountyFallon County: 2.3 %2.3Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.3 %2.3Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 2.3 %2.3Carbon CountyCarbon County: 2.2 %2.2Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 2.2 %2.2Sheridan CountySheridan County: 2.1 %2.1Toole CountyToole County: 2.1 %2.1Treasure CountyTreasure County: 2.1 %2.1Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 2 %2Teton CountyTeton County: 2 %2Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 1.9 %1.9Liberty CountyLiberty County: 1.9 %1.9Meagher CountyMeagher County: 1.9 %1.9Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 1.9 %1.9Garfield CountyGarfield County: 1.8 %1.8Park CountyPark County: 1.8 %1.8Powder River CountyPowder River County: 1.7 %1.7Carter CountyCarter County: 1.6 %1.6Prairie CountyPrairie County: 1.4 %1.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Big Horn County6.3-0.6 pts
2Glacier County5.3-0.2 pts
3Lincoln County5.1-0.2 pts
4Roosevelt County4.6-0.5 pts
5Musselshell County4.5-0.3 pts
6Madison County4.3+0.3 pts
7Sanders County4.1-0.9 pts
8Granite County4-0.1 pts
8Rosebud County4-0.1 pts
8Wheatland County40 pts
11Pondera County3.6+0.4 pts
12Lake County3.4-0.5 pts
12Silver Bow County3.4-0.1 pts
14Deer Lodge County3.30 pts
14Hill County3.3-0.4 pts
14Mineral County3.3-0.4 pts
14Petroleum County3.3-0.5 pts
18Powell County3.1-0.1 pts
19Cascade County3-0.2 pts
19Yellowstone County3-0.3 pts
21Blaine County2.9-0.2 pts
21Phillips County2.9-0.7 pts
21Ravalli County2.9-0.2 pts
24Missoula County2.7-0.2 pts
24Stillwater County2.7-0.7 pts
26Chouteau County2.6-0.4 pts
26Dawson County2.6+0.2 pts
26Lewis and Clark County2.6-0.4 pts
29Broadwater County2.50 pts
29Fergus County2.5-0.1 pts
29Flathead County2.5-0.3 pts
29Jefferson County2.5-0.1 pts
33McCone County2.4+0.1 pts
33Richland County2.4+0.1 pts
33Valley County2.4-0.4 pts
36Custer County2.3-0.2 pts
36Daniels County2.3+0.1 pts
36Fallon County2.3-0.2 pts
36Golden Valley County2.3-0.3 pts
36Wibaux County2.3+0.3 pts
41Carbon County2.2-0.4 pts
41Gallatin County2.2-0.1 pts
43Sheridan County2.1-0.6 pts
43Toole County2.1-0.6 pts
43Treasure County2.1+0.4 pts
46Judith Basin County2-0.9 pts
46Teton County2-0.7 pts
48Beaverhead County1.9-0.4 pts
48Liberty County1.90 pts
48Meagher County1.9+0.2 pts
48Sweet Grass County1.9-1 pts
52Garfield County1.8-0.8 pts
52Park County1.8-0.4 pts
54Powder River County1.7-0.1 pts
55Carter County1.6-0.2 pts
56Prairie County1.4-0.2 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?

Big Horn County, with 6.3% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Prairie County, with 1.4% in July 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