Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by unemployment rate

Wahkiakum County had the highest unemployment rate of 39 counties in May 2026, at 7.7%. Asotin County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.9% and the figure for Washington was 5.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.7Wahkiakum County
Lowest3.1Asotin County
Median4.939 counties
Washington5.2History

All counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 7.7 %7.7Ferry CountyFerry County: 6.7 %6.7Pacific CountyPacific County: 6.6 %6.6Grant CountyGrant County: 6.1 %6.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 6 %6Yakima CountyYakima County: 5.9 %5.9Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 5.7 %5.7Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 5.7 %5.7Mason CountyMason County: 5.5 %5.5Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 5.4 %5.4Douglas CountyDouglas County: 5.3 %5.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.3 %5.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 5.2 %5.2Stevens CountyStevens County: 5.2 %5.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.1 %5.1Pierce CountyPierce County: 5.1 %5.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 5 %5Skagit CountySkagit County: 5 %5Clallam CountyClallam County: 4.9 %4.9Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 4.9 %4.9Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 4.9 %4.9Benton CountyBenton County: 4.8 %4.8Clark CountyClark County: 4.8 %4.8Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 4.8 %4.8Island CountyIsland County: 4.7 %4.7King CountyKing County: 4.7 %4.7Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 4.7 %4.7Chelan CountyChelan County: 4.6 %4.6Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 4.5 %4.5Skamania CountySkamania County: 4.5 %4.5Thurston CountyThurston County: 4.5 %4.5Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 4.5 %4.5Adams CountyAdams County: 4.4 %4.4Spokane CountySpokane County: 4.2 %4.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 4 %4Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 4 %4San Juan CountySan Juan County: 3.8 %3.8Whitman CountyWhitman County: 3.6 %3.6Asotin CountyAsotin County: 3.1 %3.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Wahkiakum County7.7+1.6 pts
2Ferry County6.7-0.1 pts
3Pacific County6.6+0.7 pts
4Grant County6.1+0.3 pts
5Lewis County6+0.7 pts
6Yakima County5.9+0.3 pts
7Grays Harbor County5.7+0.1 pts
7Pend Oreille County5.7+0.3 pts
9Mason County5.5+0.3 pts
10Cowlitz County5.4+0.4 pts
11Douglas County5.3+0.6 pts
11Lincoln County5.3+0.3 pts
13Columbia County5.2+1.2 pts
13Stevens County5.2+0.1 pts
15Franklin County5.10 pts
15Pierce County5.1+0.6 pts
17Jefferson County5+0.4 pts
17Skagit County5+0.6 pts
19Clallam County4.9+0.4 pts
19Kittitas County4.9+0.5 pts
19Okanogan County4.9+0.3 pts
22Benton County4.8+0.4 pts
22Clark County4.8+0.5 pts
22Snohomish County4.8+0.6 pts
25Island County4.7+0.2 pts
25King County4.7+0.7 pts
25Klickitat County4.70 pts
28Chelan County4.6+0.4 pts
29Kitsap County4.5+0.5 pts
29Skamania County4.50 pts
29Thurston County4.5+0.4 pts
29Whatcom County4.5+0.5 pts
33Adams County4.4+0.4 pts
34Spokane County4.2+0.3 pts
35Garfield County4-0.6 pts
35Walla Walla County4+0.5 pts
37San Juan County3.8+0.5 pts
38Whitman County3.6+0.1 pts
39Asotin County3.10 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?

Wahkiakum County, with 7.7% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Asotin County, with 3.1% 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: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings