Counties in Texas by unemployment rate

Starr County had the highest unemployment rate of 254 counties in September 2025, at 9.8%. Loving County had the lowest, at 0.4%. The median was 4.2% and the figure for Texas was 4.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.8Starr County
Lowest0.4Loving County
Median4.2254 counties
Texas4.3History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Starr CountyStarr County: 9.8 %9.8Kenedy CountyKenedy County: 9.3 %9.3Maverick CountyMaverick County: 8.7 %8.7Dimmit CountyDimmit County: 7.7 %7.7Presidio CountyPresidio County: 7.6 %7.6Cameron CountyCameron County: 7.5 %7.5Zavala CountyZavala County: 6.8 %6.8Newton CountyNewton County: 6.5 %6.5Sabine CountySabine County: 6.5 %6.5Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 6.4 %6.4Jasper CountyJasper County: 6.4 %6.4Zapata CountyZapata County: 6.4 %6.4Marion CountyMarion County: 6.2 %6.2Tyler CountyTyler County: 6.2 %6.2Frio CountyFrio County: 6 %6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6 %6Matagorda CountyMatagorda County: 6 %6San Augustine CountySan Augustine County: 6 %6Liberty CountyLiberty County: 5.8 %5.8Eastland CountyEastland County: 5.7 %5.7Sutton CountySutton County: 5.7 %5.7Morris CountyMorris County: 5.6 %5.6Trinity CountyTrinity County: 5.6 %5.6Waller CountyWaller County: 5.6 %5.6Jack CountyJack County: 5.5 %5.5Refugio CountyRefugio County: 5.4 %5.4San Patricio CountySan Patricio County: 5.4 %5.4Shelby CountyShelby County: 5.4 %5.4Willacy CountyWillacy County: 5.4 %5.4San Jacinto CountySan Jacinto County: 5.3 %5.3Cass CountyCass County: 5.2 %5.2Chambers CountyChambers County: 5.2 %5.2Jim Hogg CountyJim Hogg County: 5.2 %5.2Live Oak CountyLive Oak County: 5.2 %5.2Motley CountyMotley County: 5.2 %5.2Polk CountyPolk County: 5.2 %5.2Val Verde CountyVal Verde County: 5.2 %5.2DeWitt CountyDeWitt County: 5.1 %5.1Goliad CountyGoliad County: 5.1 %5.1Jim Wells CountyJim Wells County: 5.1 %5.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Starr County9.8+0.7 pts
2Kenedy County9.3+0.7 pts
3Maverick County8.7+1.9 pts
4Dimmit County7.7+0.4 pts
5Presidio County7.6+0.8 pts
6Cameron County7.5+2.4 pts
7Zavala County6.8+0.2 pts
8Newton County6.5-0.1 pts
8Sabine County6.5+0.6 pts
10Hidalgo County6.4+0.6 pts
10Jasper County6.4+0.3 pts
10Zapata County6.4-0.2 pts
13Marion County6.2+0.5 pts
13Tyler County6.2+0.1 pts
15Frio County6-2.6 pts
15Jefferson County60 pts
15Matagorda County6+0.3 pts
15San Augustine County6+0.7 pts
19Liberty County5.8+0.5 pts
20Eastland County5.7+0.6 pts
20Sutton County5.7+0.2 pts
22Morris County5.60 pts
22Trinity County5.6+0.6 pts
22Waller County5.6+0.7 pts
25Jack County5.5+0.3 pts
26Refugio County5.4+0.8 pts
26San Patricio County5.4+0.7 pts
26Shelby County5.4+0.6 pts
26Willacy County5.4+0.2 pts
30San Jacinto County5.3-0.1 pts
31Cass County5.20 pts
31Chambers County5.2+0.6 pts
31Jim Hogg County5.2+0.7 pts
31Live Oak County5.2+0.3 pts
31Motley County5.2+1.3 pts
31Polk County5.2+0.2 pts
31Val Verde County5.20 pts
38DeWitt County5.1+0.7 pts
38Goliad County5.1+1.1 pts
38Jim Wells County5.10 pts
38Panola County5.1-0.1 pts
42Aransas County5+0.3 pts
42Bee County5+0.4 pts
42Bell County5+0.4 pts
42Brazoria County5+0.5 pts
42Coryell County5+0.4 pts
42Freestone County5+0.4 pts
42Orange County5+0.3 pts
42Wood County5+0.1 pts
50Garza County4.9+0.2 pts
50Harris County4.9+0.3 pts
50Harrison County4.90 pts
50Hemphill County4.9+0.4 pts
50Navarro County4.9+0.4 pts
50Roberts County4.9+0.1 pts
56El Paso County4.8+0.7 pts
56Gregg County4.8-0.1 pts
56Houston County4.8+0.3 pts
56Jeff Davis County4.8+0.1 pts
56Kleberg County4.8+0.4 pts
56Nacogdoches County4.8+0.6 pts
56Real County4.8-0.2 pts
56Schleicher County4.8+0.4 pts
56Wharton County4.8+0.5 pts
65Angelina County4.7+0.5 pts
65Camp County4.70 pts
65Galveston County4.7+0.2 pts
65Grimes County4.7+0.5 pts
65Hardin County4.7+0.2 pts
65Henderson County4.7+0.3 pts
65Red River County4.70 pts
65Throckmorton County4.7+0.8 pts
65Webb County4.7+0.8 pts
74Atascosa County4.6+0.5 pts
74Duval County4.6-1.1 pts
74Fort Bend County4.6+0.3 pts
74Hall County4.6-0.7 pts
74Jackson County4.6+0.4 pts
74Kent County4.6+0.9 pts
74La Salle County4.6-0.8 pts
74Madison County4.60 pts
74McCulloch County4.6+0.3 pts
74Rusk County4.6+0.2 pts
74Terry County4.6+0.9 pts
74Upshur County4.6+0.1 pts
86Brooks County4.5+0.3 pts
86Cherokee County4.50 pts
86Hamilton County4.5+0.2 pts
86Hood County4.5+0.3 pts
86Limestone County4.5+0.1 pts
86Milam County4.5+0.2 pts
86Nueces County4.5+0.3 pts
86Robertson County4.50 pts
86Somervell County4.5+0.3 pts
86Uvalde County4.5+0.2 pts
86Walker County4.5+0.4 pts
97Bowie County4.4+0.3 pts
97Dallas County4.4+0.2 pts
97Dawson County4.4+0.2 pts
97Donley County4.4+0.1 pts
97Hunt County4.4+0.3 pts
97Kaufman County4.4+0.3 pts
97McMullen County4.4-1.4 pts
97Montague County4.40 pts
97Montgomery County4.4+0.4 pts
97Pecos County4.4+0.5 pts
97Stephens County4.40 pts
97Victoria County4.4+0.3 pts
109Anderson County4.3-0.2 pts
109Austin County4.3+0.4 pts
109Bandera County4.3+0.4 pts
109Bexar County4.3+0.4 pts
109Bosque County4.3+0.1 pts
109Cochran County4.3-0.1 pts
109Falls County4.30 pts
109Hale County4.3+0.5 pts
109Lamar County4.3+0.4 pts
109Lampasas County4.3+0.2 pts
109Llano County4.3+0.3 pts
109Medina County4.3+0.1 pts
109Rains County4.3+0.3 pts
109Swisher County4.3+0.2 pts
109Van Zandt County4.30 pts
124Crosby County4.2+0.2 pts
124Delta County4.2-0.1 pts
124Floyd County4.2+0.3 pts
124Gray County4.2+0.4 pts
124Haskell County4.2+0.4 pts
124Hudspeth County4.2+0.1 pts
124Karnes County4.20 pts
124Kinney County4.2+0.7 pts
124McLennan County4.2+0.4 pts
124Palo Pinto County4.2+0.2 pts
124Tarrant County4.2+0.2 pts
124Titus County4.2+0.4 pts
124Yoakum County4.2+0.4 pts
137Bailey County4.1+0.2 pts
137Brown County4.1+0.5 pts
137Collin County4.1+0.3 pts
137Ector County4.1+0.5 pts
137Ellis County4.1+0.4 pts
137Grayson County4.1+0.2 pts
137Hockley County4.1+0.3 pts
137Howard County4.1+0.6 pts
137Hutchinson County4.1-0.4 pts
137Kimble County4.1+0.8 pts
137Leon County4.1+0.1 pts
137Reagan County4.1+0.2 pts
137Smith County4.1+0.3 pts
137Sterling County4.1+1 pts
151Calhoun County4+0.8 pts
151Colorado County4+0.2 pts
151Denton County4+0.2 pts
151Fannin County4+0.4 pts
151Guadalupe County4+0.4 pts
151Hill County4+0.1 pts
151Reeves County4+0.3 pts
151Rockwall County4+0.4 pts
151Shackelford County4+0.5 pts
151Washington County4+0.3 pts
151Wichita County4+0.3 pts
151Wilbarger County4+0.3 pts
151Wilson County4+0.5 pts
164Armstrong County3.9+0.7 pts
164Bastrop County3.9+0.3 pts
164Burnet County3.9+0.4 pts
164Caldwell County3.9+0.4 pts
164Clay County3.9+0.4 pts
164Comal County3.9+0.3 pts
164Erath County3.9+0.4 pts
164Fayette County3.9+0.2 pts
164Johnson County3.9+0.3 pts
164Knox County3.9+0.2 pts
164Nolan County3.9+0.1 pts
164San Saba County3.9+0.3 pts
164Scurry County3.9+0.2 pts
177Gonzales County3.80 pts
177Mason County3.8+0.1 pts
177Runnels County3.8+0.4 pts
177Williamson County3.8+0.2 pts
177Wise County3.8+0.1 pts
182Archer County3.70 pts
182Blanco County3.7+0.3 pts
182Brazos County3.7+0.3 pts
182Burleson County3.70 pts
182Franklin County3.7+0.1 pts
182Hays County3.7+0.3 pts
182Jones County3.7+0.4 pts
182Kendall County3.7+0.3 pts
182Kerr County3.7+0.4 pts
182Lamb County3.7-0.1 pts
182Lee County3.7+0.3 pts
182Martin County3.7+0.8 pts
182Menard County3.7+0.6 pts
182Mills County3.7+0.6 pts
196Callahan County3.6+0.4 pts
196Coleman County3.6+0.1 pts
196Cooke County3.6+0.1 pts
196Culberson County3.6+0.6 pts
196Deaf Smith County3.6+0.3 pts
196Hansford County3.6+0.1 pts
196Irion County3.6+0.5 pts
196Lubbock County3.6+0.2 pts
196Parker County3.6+0.2 pts
196Potter County3.6+0.2 pts
196Taylor County3.6+0.2 pts
196Terrell County3.6-0.4 pts
196Travis County3.60 pts
196Young County3.6+0.1 pts
210Briscoe County3.5+0.5 pts
210Coke County3.5+0.7 pts
210Crockett County3.5-0.1 pts
210Dickens County3.5-1.2 pts
210Hardeman County3.5+0.5 pts
210Hopkins County3.5+0.2 pts
210Lavaca County3.5+0.4 pts
210Lynn County3.5+0.4 pts
210Ward County3.5+0.1 pts
219Andrews County3.4+0.4 pts
219Borden County3.4-0.2 pts
219Gaines County3.4+0.2 pts
219Midland County3.4+0.4 pts
219Tom Green County3.4+0.2 pts
224Brewster County3.3+0.3 pts
224Comanche County3.3+0.1 pts
224Concho County3.3-0.2 pts
224Fisher County3.3+0.4 pts
224Gillespie County3.3+0.2 pts
224Lipscomb County3.3+0.3 pts
224Ochiltree County3.3+0.1 pts
224Sherman County3.3+0.6 pts
224Winkler County3.3+0.2 pts
233Baylor County3.2+0.3 pts
233Hartley County3.2+0.1 pts
233Mitchell County3.20 pts
233Oldham County3.2-0.2 pts
233Wheeler County3.2-0.3 pts
238Carson County3.1+0.3 pts
238Collingsworth County3.10 pts
238Moore County3.1+0.2 pts
241Dallam County3+0.2 pts
241Edwards County3+0.2 pts
241Randall County3+0.1 pts
244Castro County2.9+0.1 pts
244Crane County2.9+0.4 pts
244Glasscock County2.9-0.4 pts
247Foard County2.8-0.4 pts
247Parmer County2.8+0.2 pts
249Childress County2.5-0.1 pts
250Cottle County2.4+0.2 pts

Showing the top 250 of 254. The CSV download has every row.

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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Rank Counties in Texas by unemployment rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Starr County, with 9.8% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Loving County, with 0.4% in September 2025.

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 Texas: more rankings