Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / US cities

US cities by unemployment rate

Calexico, CA had the highest unemployment rate of 1706 cities in May 2026, at 28.2%. Lebanon, NH had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 4% and the figure for the United States was 4.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest28.2Calexico, CA
Lowest1.6Lebanon, NH
Median41706 cities
United States4.3History

Top 40 cities, May 2026

Calexico, CA: 28.2 %Calexico, CA28.2San Luis, AZ: 28 %San Luis, AZ28Delano, CA: 23.4 %Delano, CA23.4Reedley, CA: 15.5 %Reedley, CA15.5Brawley, CA: 13.6 %Brawley, CA13.6Corcoran, CA: 13.6 %Corcoran, CA13.6El Centro, CA: 13.5 %El Centro, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 13.5 %Porterville, CA13.5Flint, MI: 13 %Flint, MI13Wasco, CA: 13 %Wasco, CA13Los Banos, CA: 12.4 %Los Banos, CA12.4Eastpointe, MI: 12.3 %Eastpointe, MI12.3Dinuba, CA: 11.4 %Dinuba, CA11.4Yuma, AZ: 11.3 %Yuma, AZ11.3Detroit, MI: 10.7 %Detroit, MI10.7Saginaw, MI: 10.6 %Saginaw, MI10.6Pontiac, MI: 10.4 %Pontiac, MI10.4Oak Park, MI: 9.7 %Oak Park, MI9.7Watsonville, CA: 9.7 %Watsonville, CA9.7Inkster, MI: 9.6 %Inkster, MI9.6Jackson, MI: 9.6 %Jackson, MI9.6Eagle Pass, TX: 9.5 %Eagle Pass, TX9.5Hamtramck, MI: 8.8 %Hamtramck, MI8.8Dolton, IL: 8.7 %Dolton, IL8.7Paradise, CA: 8.7 %Paradise, CA8.7Patterson, CA: 8.6 %Patterson, CA8.6Port Arthur, TX: 8.6 %Port Arthur, TX8.6Maywood, IL: 8.3 %Maywood, IL8.3Soledad, CA: 8.3 %Soledad, CA8.3Bay City, MI: 8.2 %Bay City, MI8.2Riverbank, CA: 8.1 %Riverbank, CA8.1Sanger, CA: 8.1 %Sanger, CA8.1Waterbury, CT: 8 %Waterbury, CT8Hartford, CT: 7.9 %Hartford, CT7.9Yuba City, CA: 7.9 %Yuba City, CA7.9Atlantic City, NJ: 7.8 %Atlantic City, NJ7.8Port Huron, MI: 7.8 %Port Huron, MI7.8Camden, NJ: 7.7 %Camden, NJ7.7Madera, CA: 7.7 %Madera, CA7.7Ceres, CA: 7.6 %Ceres, CA7.6Calexico, CA: 28.2 %Calexico, CA28.2San Luis, AZ: 28 %San Luis, AZ28Delano, CA: 23.4 %Delano, CA23.4Reedley, CA: 15.5 %Reedley, CA15.5Brawley, CA: 13.6 %Brawley, CA13.6Corcoran, CA: 13.6 %Corcoran, CA13.6El Centro, CA: 13.5 %El Centro, CA13.5Porterville, CA: 13.5 %Porterville, CA13.5Flint, MI: 13 %Flint, MI13Wasco, CA: 13 %Wasco, CA13Los Banos, CA: 12.4 %Los Banos, CA12.4Eastpointe, MI: 12.3 %Eastpointe, MI12.3Dinuba, CA: 11.4 %Dinuba, CA11.4Yuma, AZ: 11.3 %Yuma, AZ11.3Detroit, MI: 10.7 %Detroit, MI10.7Saginaw, MI: 10.6 %Saginaw, MI10.6Pontiac, MI: 10.4 %Pontiac, MI10.4Oak Park, MI: 9.7 %Oak Park, MI9.7Watsonville, CA: 9.7 %Watsonville, CA9.7Inkster, MI: 9.6 %Inkster, MI9.6Jackson, MI: 9.6 %Jackson, MI9.6Eagle Pass, TX: 9.5 %Eagle Pass, TX9.5Hamtramck, MI: 8.8 %Hamtramck, MI8.8Dolton, IL: 8.7 %Dolton, IL8.7Paradise, CA: 8.7 %Paradise, CA8.7Patterson, CA: 8.6 %Patterson, CA8.6Port Arthur, TX: 8.6 %Port Arthur, TX8.6Maywood, IL: 8.3 %Maywood, IL8.3Soledad, CA: 8.3 %Soledad, CA8.3Bay City, MI: 8.2 %Bay City, MI8.2Riverbank, CA: 8.1 %Riverbank, CA8.1Sanger, CA: 8.1 %Sanger, CA8.1Waterbury, CT: 8 %Waterbury, CT8Hartford, CT: 7.9 %Hartford, CT7.9Yuba City, CA: 7.9 %Yuba City, CA7.9Atlantic City, NJ: 7.8 %Atlantic City, NJ7.8Port Huron, MI: 7.8 %Port Huron, MI7.8Camden, NJ: 7.7 %Camden, NJ7.7Madera, CA: 7.7 %Madera, CA7.7Ceres, CA: 7.6 %Ceres, CA7.6
%. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCitiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Calexico, CA28.2-1.6 pts
2San Luis, AZ28+2.7 pts
3Delano, CA23.4-1.3 pts
4Reedley, CA15.5-1.4 pts
5Brawley, CA13.6-0.5 pts
5Corcoran, CA13.6-1.7 pts
7El Centro, CA13.5-0.8 pts
7Porterville, CA13.5-0.5 pts
9Flint, MI13-0.5 pts
9Wasco, CA13-2.7 pts
11Los Banos, CA12.4-1.1 pts
12Eastpointe, MI12.3+1 pts
13Dinuba, CA11.4-0.8 pts
14Yuma, AZ11.3+1.3 pts
15Detroit, MI10.7+1.1 pts
16Saginaw, MI10.6-0.5 pts
17Pontiac, MI10.4+1.7 pts
18Oak Park, MI9.7+1.6 pts
18Watsonville, CA9.7-2.4 pts
20Inkster, MI9.6+1 pts
20Jackson, MI9.6-0.4 pts
22Eagle Pass, TX9.5-1.2 pts
23Hamtramck, MI8.8+1 pts
24Dolton, IL8.7+0.5 pts
24Paradise, CA8.7-0.5 pts
26Patterson, CA8.6-0.4 pts
26Port Arthur, TX8.6+1.2 pts
28Maywood, IL8.3+1.4 pts
28Soledad, CA8.3-0.1 pts
30Bay City, MI8.2-0.5 pts
31Riverbank, CA8.1-0.3 pts
31Sanger, CA8.1-0.7 pts
33Waterbury, CT8+2 pts
34Hartford, CT7.9+2.2 pts
34Yuba City, CA7.9-0.9 pts
36Atlantic City, NJ7.8-1.3 pts
36Port Huron, MI7.8+0.9 pts
38Camden, NJ7.7-2.1 pts
38Madera, CA7.7-0.3 pts
40Ceres, CA7.6-0.7 pts
40Coachella, CA7.6-0.4 pts
42Mount Pleasant, MI7.5-0.5 pts
43Hazleton, PA7.4+1.8 pts
43Salinas, CA7.4-0.8 pts
45Muskegon, MI7.3-0.6 pts
46Millville, NJ7.2-0.7 pts
47Chicago Heights, IL7.1+0.9 pts
47Gary, IN7.1-2 pts
47Weslaco, TX7.1+0.2 pts
50Brownsville, TX7-1.4 pts
50Calumet City, IL70 pts
50Lancaster, CA7+0.2 pts
53Atwater, CA6.9-1.1 pts
53Baytown, TX6.9+0.6 pts
53Chester, PA6.9+1.3 pts
53Harvey, IL6.9+0.2 pts
57East St. Louis, IL6.8+0.6 pts
57Hanford, CA6.8-0.3 pts
57Merced, CA6.8-0.9 pts
57Park Forest, IL6.8+0.5 pts
57San Benito, TX6.8-0.1 pts
57San Juan, TX6.8+0.4 pts
57Southfield, MI6.8+1.2 pts
57Warren, MI6.8+0.6 pts
65Adelanto, CA6.7-0.6 pts
65Fort Pierce, FL6.7+1.4 pts
65New Britain, CT6.7+1.6 pts
65Paterson, NJ6.7-1.4 pts
69Bridgeport, CT6.6+1.5 pts
69Bridgeton, NJ6.6-0.5 pts
69Romulus, MI6.6+0.7 pts
72Bullhead City, AZ6.5+1.4 pts
72Burbank, CA6.5-0.4 pts
72Daytona Beach, FL6.5+1.5 pts
72East Orange, NJ6.5-1.5 pts
72Lemoore, CA6.50 pts
72Roseville, MI6.5+0.6 pts
72York, PA6.5+1.2 pts
79Ardmore, OK6.4+2.4 pts
79Barstow, CA6.4+0.4 pts
79Conway, SC6.4-0.6 pts
79Decatur, IL6.4+0.6 pts
79Lansing, IL6.40 pts
79Moses Lake, WA6.40 pts
79Pine Bluff, AR6.4+0.2 pts
79Springfield, MA6.4-0.2 pts
87Derby, CT6.3+1.7 pts
87Harrisburg, PA6.3+1.3 pts
87Hemet, CA6.3-0.4 pts
87Lansing, MI6.3-0.2 pts
87Newark, NJ6.3-1.2 pts
87Pharr, TX6.30 pts
87Reading, PA6.3+1.3 pts
87Trenton, NJ6.3-1.5 pts
95Blacksburg, VA6.2+1.9 pts
95New Haven, CT6.2+1.5 pts
95New London, CT6.2+1.9 pts
95Palmdale, CA6.20 pts
95Wilkes-Barre, PA6.2+1.8 pts
100Allentown, PA6.1+1.4 pts
100Ansonia, CT6.1+1.5 pts
100Del Rio, TX6.1+1.3 pts
100Gainesville, FL6.1+1.3 pts
100Hollister, CA6.1-1.2 pts
100Stockton, CA6.1-0.6 pts
100West Hollywood, CA6.1-0.5 pts
100West Memphis, AR6.1-0.7 pts
100Williamsburg, VA6.1+1.5 pts
109Lawrence, MA6-0.3 pts
109Meriden, CT6+1.3 pts
109Prichard, AL6+0.8 pts
109Venice, FL6+1.3 pts
109Victorville, CA6-0.5 pts
109Vineland, NJ6-1.3 pts
115Battle Creek, MI5.9-0.2 pts
115Burton, MI5.9-0.2 pts
115Compton, CA5.9-0.2 pts
115Cudahy, CA5.9+0.4 pts
115Garden City, MI5.9+0.7 pts
115Haines City, FL5.9+1 pts
115Hopkinsville, KY5.9+0.8 pts
115Inglewood, CA5.9+0.1 pts
115Lancaster, TX5.9+0.5 pts
115Perth Amboy, NJ5.9-2 pts
115Tulare, CA5.9-0.6 pts
115Warren, OH5.9-1.5 pts
115Yakima, WA5.9+0.3 pts
128Apple Valley, CA5.8-0.3 pts
128DeLand, FL5.8+1.4 pts
128Elizabethtown, KY5.8+1.5 pts
128Kankakee, IL5.8-0.3 pts
128Leesburg, FL5.8+1.4 pts
128Modesto, CA5.8-0.5 pts
128Rocky Mount, NC5.80 pts
135Danville, IL5.7+0.2 pts
135Danville, VA5.7+0.7 pts
135Johnstown, PA5.7+0.6 pts
135Kalamazoo, MI5.7-0.2 pts
135Lakeland, FL5.7+1.3 pts
135Lakewood, WA5.7+0.9 pts
135Lynwood, CA5.7+0.1 pts
135New Bedford, MA5.7-0.2 pts
135Niagara Falls, NY5.7+0.9 pts
135North Las Vegas, NV5.70 pts
135Rochester, NY5.7+1 pts
135Rockford, IL5.7+0.4 pts
135San Jacinto, CA5.7-0.3 pts
135Sterling Heights, MI5.7+0.5 pts
135West Haven, CT5.7+1.2 pts
150Banning, CA5.6-1.2 pts
150Del City, OK5.6+1.5 pts
150Grants Pass, OR5.6-0.3 pts
150Greenville, MS5.6+0.3 pts
150Harlingen, TX5.6+0.8 pts
150Hesperia, CA5.6-0.3 pts
150Holyoke, MA5.6-0.1 pts
150Jamestown, NY5.6+1.8 pts
150Lincoln Park, MI5.6+0.6 pts
150Monroe, LA5.6-0.3 pts
150Pueblo, CO5.6+0.1 pts
150Radford, VA5.6+1.6 pts
150SeaTac, WA5.6+0.8 pts
150Wilmington, DE5.6-0.2 pts
150Woodland, CA5.6-0.5 pts
165Carbondale, IL5.5+0.8 pts
165Dearborn Heights, MI5.5+0.6 pts
165Dover, DE5.50 pts
165Fresno, CA5.5-0.6 pts
165Killeen, TX5.5+0.5 pts
165Lake Jackson, TX5.5+0.7 pts
165Lebanon, PA5.5+0.8 pts
165Muskogee, OK5.5+1.3 pts
165Perris, CA5.5+0.1 pts
165Sebastian, FL5.5+1.5 pts
165Sierra Vista, AZ5.5+0.8 pts
165Texas City, TX5.5+0.6 pts
177Bakersfield, CA5.4-0.4 pts
177Baltimore, MD5.4+0.5 pts
177Bell Gardens, CA5.40 pts
177Burbank, IL5.4+0.7 pts
177Carson, CA5.4+0.1 pts
177Chicago, IL5.4+0.7 pts
177Columbia, TN5.4+2.4 pts
177Culver City, CA5.40 pts
177Fall River, MA5.4-0.3 pts
177Longview, WA5.4+0.4 pts
177New Castle, PA5.4+0.8 pts
177Santa Monica, CA5.4-0.2 pts
177Sumter, SC5.4+0.3 pts
177Twentynine Palms, CA5.4-0.7 pts
177Winter Haven, FL5.4+1 pts
192Bell, CA5.3-0.2 pts
192Buffalo, NY5.3+0.8 pts
192Des Moines, WA5.3+0.5 pts
192East Lansing, MI5.3-0.3 pts
192Elmwood Park, IL5.3+0.9 pts
192Federal Way, WA5.3+0.5 pts
192Galesburg, IL5.3+0.9 pts
192Hagerstown, MD5.3+0.5 pts
192Henderson, NV5.30 pts
192Joliet, IL5.3+0.8 pts
192Las Vegas, NV5.3-0.2 pts
192Lauderhill, FL5.3+1.4 pts
192Los Angeles, CA5.3-0.2 pts
192Medford, OR5.30 pts
192Mission, TX5.30 pts
192Nacogdoches, TX5.3+0.7 pts
192Naugatuck, CT5.3+1.3 pts
192Palm Coast, FL5.3+1.2 pts
192Paris, TX5.3+1.1 pts
192Pomona, CA5.3-0.2 pts
192Selma, AL5.3+1.1 pts
192Southbridge Town, MA5.3-0.2 pts
192Wilson, NC5.3-0.3 pts
192Youngstown, OH5.3-1.2 pts
216Casa Grande, AZ5.2+0.6 pts
216DeSoto, TX5.2+0.5 pts
216Elizabeth, NJ5.2-1.3 pts
216Fitchburg, MA5.2-0.1 pts
216Glendale, CA5.2-0.2 pts
216Grand Rapids, MI5.2-0.2 pts
216Hawthorne, CA5.20 pts
216Katy, TX5.2+1 pts
216La Porte, TX5.2+0.4 pts
216La Verne, CA5.2-0.1 pts
216Lake Havasu City, AZ5.2+0.6 pts
216Lawton, OK5.2+1.6 pts
216Martinsville, VA5.20 pts
216Midwest City, OK5.2+1.7 pts
216Montebello, CA5.2+0.1 pts
216New Iberia, LA5.20 pts
216Newburgh, NY5.2+0.7 pts
216Norwich, CT5.2+1 pts
216Oak Lawn, IL5.2+0.7 pts
216Oak Park, IL5.2+1.1 pts
216Paramount, CA5.20 pts
216Pasco, WA5.2+0.1 pts
216Peoria, IL5.2+0.5 pts
216Pico Rivera, CA5.2-0.3 pts
216Rahway, NJ5.2-0.5 pts
216Richmond, KY5.2+0.8 pts
216Syracuse, NY5.2+1 pts
216Tallahassee, FL5.2+1.1 pts
216Taylor, MI5.2+0.6 pts
216Whittier, CA5.2-0.1 pts
216Wildomar, CA5.2+0.2 pts
247Ashland, KY5.1+0.1 pts
247Auburn, WA5.1+0.6 pts
247Baldwin Park, CA5.10 pts
247Beaumont, TX5.1+0.2 pts

Showing the top 250 of 1706. The Excel 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.

More on how it is measured
  • 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, counties and cities.
  • United Kingdom regions: Labour Force Survey, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted.
  • Canada: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the country and the provinces.
  • Australia: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the nation and the six states; the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
  • New Zealand: Household Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted for the country and not seasonally adjusted for regional council areas.
  • Norway: Statistics Norway Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted monthly figures.
  • Sweden: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted and smoothed (the series Statistics Sweden gives in its monthly release), national.
  • Switzerland: Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), ILO definition, permanent resident population aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, national.
  • For other countries, the source may be OECD survey-based rates, annual survey-based rates compiled by the ILO in ILOSTAT, or annual ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank.
  • ILO modelled estimates cover ages 15 and over.
  • The World series uses those ILO modelled estimates.

Survey-based for national and Eurostat series. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states, US counties, US cities (those of 25,000 or more and smaller New England cities), United Kingdom regions, Canadian provinces, Australia and its six states, New Zealand with 10 of its regions, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (national), not Spanish municipalities. For Spanish municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03) (US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03), US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_cities_by_unemployment_2026,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03): US cities by unemployment rate, 2026-05
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate/us-cities?period=2026-05.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest unemployment rate?

Calexico, CA, with 28.2% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which city has the lowest unemployment rate?

Lebanon, NH, 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, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

US cities: more rankings