Counties in Washington by unemployment rate

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate of 39 counties in March 2026, at 8.7%. Asotin County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 5.5% and the figure for Washington was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.7Ferry County
Lowest3.3Asotin County
Median5.539 counties
Washington5.1History

All counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Ferry CountyFerry County: 8.7 %8.7Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 7.7 %7.7Grant CountyGrant County: 7.4 %7.4Pacific CountyPacific County: 7.4 %7.4Yakima CountyYakima County: 6.9 %6.9Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 6.8 %6.8Stevens CountyStevens County: 6.8 %6.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 6.5 %6.5Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 6.4 %6.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 6.4 %6.4Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 6.3 %6.3Douglas CountyDouglas County: 6.1 %6.1Franklin CountyFranklin County: 6.1 %6.1Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 5.9 %5.9Mason CountyMason County: 5.8 %5.8Clallam CountyClallam County: 5.7 %5.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 5.7 %5.7Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 5.6 %5.6Adams CountyAdams County: 5.5 %5.5Skamania CountySkamania County: 5.5 %5.5Columbia CountyColumbia County: 5.3 %5.3Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 5.3 %5.3Pierce CountyPierce County: 5.3 %5.3Benton CountyBenton County: 5.2 %5.2Chelan CountyChelan County: 5.2 %5.2Skagit CountySkagit County: 5.2 %5.2Clark CountyClark County: 5 %5Island CountyIsland County: 5 %5Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 5 %5Garfield CountyGarfield County: 4.8 %4.8King CountyKing County: 4.8 %4.8Spokane CountySpokane County: 4.8 %4.8Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 4.8 %4.8Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 4.7 %4.7Thurston CountyThurston County: 4.7 %4.7San Juan CountySan Juan County: 4.5 %4.5Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 4.5 %4.5Whitman CountyWhitman County: 3.5 %3.5Asotin CountyAsotin County: 3.3 %3.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Ferry County8.7+0.3 pts
2Wahkiakum County7.7+1.1 pts
3Grant County7.4+0.7 pts
3Pacific County7.4+0.9 pts
5Yakima County6.9+0.4 pts
6Pend Oreille County6.8+0.1 pts
6Stevens County6.8-0.1 pts
8Lincoln County6.5+0.3 pts
9Grays Harbor County6.4+0.1 pts
9Lewis County6.4+0.6 pts
11Okanogan County6.3+0.3 pts
12Douglas County6.1+0.3 pts
12Franklin County6.1+0.2 pts
14Cowlitz County5.9+0.5 pts
15Mason County5.8+0.1 pts
16Clallam County5.7+0.4 pts
16Jefferson County5.7+0.3 pts
18Klickitat County5.6+0.2 pts
19Adams County5.5-0.2 pts
19Skamania County5.5+0.6 pts
21Columbia County5.3+1.2 pts
21Kittitas County5.3+0.6 pts
21Pierce County5.3+0.5 pts
24Benton County5.2+0.3 pts
24Chelan County5.2+0.2 pts
24Skagit County5.2+0.4 pts
27Clark County5+0.5 pts
27Island County5+0.4 pts
27Snohomish County5+0.5 pts
30Garfield County4.8+0.4 pts
30King County4.8+0.5 pts
30Spokane County4.8+0.2 pts
30Whatcom County4.8+0.5 pts
34Kitsap County4.7+0.4 pts
34Thurston County4.7+0.3 pts
36San Juan County4.5+0.1 pts
36Walla Walla County4.5+0.4 pts
38Whitman County3.50 pts
39Asotin County3.3-0.1 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?

Ferry County, with 8.7% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Asotin County, with 3.3% in March 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 Washington: more rankings