Counties in North Dakota by unemployment rate

Kidder County had the highest unemployment rate of 53 counties in January 2026, at 6.1%. Bowman County had the lowest, at 1.7%. The median was 3.1% and the figure for North Dakota was 2.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.1Kidder County
Lowest1.7Bowman County
Median3.153 counties
North Dakota2.6History

All counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Kidder CountyKidder County: 6.1 %6.1Emmons CountyEmmons County: 6 %6Rolette CountyRolette County: 6 %6Sheridan CountySheridan County: 5.9 %5.9McHenry CountyMcHenry County: 5.8 %5.8Logan CountyLogan County: 4.9 %4.9Benson CountyBenson County: 4.8 %4.8Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.7 %4.7Oliver CountyOliver County: 4.5 %4.5Pembina CountyPembina County: 4.5 %4.5Walsh CountyWalsh County: 4.3 %4.3Bottineau CountyBottineau County: 4.1 %4.1Cavalier CountyCavalier County: 4.1 %4.1Eddy CountyEddy County: 4 %4Steele CountySteele County: 3.9 %3.9Wells CountyWells County: 3.8 %3.8Barnes CountyBarnes County: 3.6 %3.6Dunn CountyDunn County: 3.6 %3.6McLean CountyMcLean County: 3.4 %3.4Morton CountyMorton County: 3.4 %3.4Mountrail CountyMountrail County: 3.4 %3.4Pierce CountyPierce County: 3.2 %3.2Sioux CountySioux County: 3.2 %3.2Stark CountyStark County: 3.2 %3.2Stutsman CountyStutsman County: 3.2 %3.2Ward CountyWard County: 3.2 %3.2Williams CountyWilliams County: 3.1 %3.1Adams CountyAdams County: 3 %3Burleigh CountyBurleigh County: 3 %3Cass CountyCass County: 3 %3Ransom CountyRansom County: 3 %3Richland CountyRichland County: 3 %3Towner CountyTowner County: 3 %3Divide CountyDivide County: 2.9 %2.9Grant CountyGrant County: 2.9 %2.9Griggs CountyGriggs County: 2.9 %2.9LaMoure CountyLaMoure County: 2.9 %2.9McIntosh CountyMcIntosh County: 2.9 %2.9McKenzie CountyMcKenzie County: 2.9 %2.9Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 2.9 %2.9Renville CountyRenville County: 2.9 %2.9Traill CountyTraill County: 2.9 %2.9Hettinger CountyHettinger County: 2.8 %2.8Nelson CountyNelson County: 2.8 %2.8Grand Forks CountyGrand Forks County: 2.7 %2.7Billings CountyBillings County: 2.6 %2.6Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2.5 %2.5Sargent CountySargent County: 2.5 %2.5Burke CountyBurke County: 2.2 %2.2Foster CountyFoster County: 2.2 %2.2Slope CountySlope County: 1.9 %1.9Dickey CountyDickey County: 1.8 %1.8Bowman CountyBowman County: 1.7 %1.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Kidder County6.1+0.3 pts
2Emmons County6-0.8 pts
2Rolette County6+0.1 pts
4Sheridan County5.9+0.8 pts
5McHenry County5.8+1 pts
6Logan County4.9+0.7 pts
7Benson County4.8+0.4 pts
8Mercer County4.7+0.5 pts
9Oliver County4.5-1 pts
9Pembina County4.5+0.2 pts
11Walsh County4.3-0.1 pts
12Bottineau County4.1+0.1 pts
12Cavalier County4.1+0.2 pts
14Eddy County4+0.2 pts
15Steele County3.9+0.7 pts
16Wells County3.8+0.4 pts
17Barnes County3.6+0.5 pts
17Dunn County3.6+0.7 pts
19McLean County3.4-0.3 pts
19Morton County3.40 pts
19Mountrail County3.4+0.3 pts
22Pierce County3.2-0.4 pts
22Sioux County3.2+0.5 pts
22Stark County3.2+0.2 pts
22Stutsman County3.2+0.1 pts
22Ward County3.2+0.1 pts
27Williams County3.1+0.2 pts
28Adams County3+0.6 pts
28Burleigh County3+0.1 pts
28Cass County3+0.1 pts
28Ransom County3-0.1 pts
28Richland County30 pts
28Towner County3-0.5 pts
34Divide County2.9+0.7 pts
34Grant County2.9-0.2 pts
34Griggs County2.9+0.2 pts
34LaMoure County2.90 pts
34McIntosh County2.9-0.1 pts
34McKenzie County2.9+0.3 pts
34Ramsey County2.90 pts
34Renville County2.9+0.5 pts
34Traill County2.9-0.2 pts
43Hettinger County2.8+0.2 pts
43Nelson County2.8-0.4 pts
45Grand Forks County2.70 pts
46Billings County2.6-0.4 pts
47Golden Valley County2.50 pts
47Sargent County2.5-0.7 pts
49Burke County2.2-0.1 pts
49Foster County2.2-0.1 pts
51Slope County1.9-1.1 pts
52Dickey County1.8-0.2 pts
53Bowman County1.7-0.9 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?

Kidder County, with 6.1% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bowman County, with 1.7% 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 North Dakota: more rankings