Counties in Wisconsin by unemployment rate

Burnett County had the highest unemployment rate of 72 counties in January 2026, at 7.5%. Dane County had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 4.45% and the figure for Wisconsin was 3.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.5Burnett County
Lowest2.8Dane County
Median4.4572 counties
Wisconsin3.3History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Burnett CountyBurnett County: 7.5 %7.5Adams CountyAdams County: 7 %7Polk CountyPolk County: 6.9 %6.9Crawford CountyCrawford County: 6.3 %6.3Bayfield CountyBayfield County: 6.2 %6.2Iron CountyIron County: 6.2 %6.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 6 %6Washburn CountyWashburn County: 6 %6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 5.8 %5.8Rusk CountyRusk County: 5.8 %5.8Taylor CountyTaylor County: 5.8 %5.8Forest CountyForest County: 5.7 %5.7Marquette CountyMarquette County: 5.7 %5.7Sawyer CountySawyer County: 5.7 %5.7Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 5.3 %5.3Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 5.3 %5.3Vilas CountyVilas County: 5.3 %5.3Barron CountyBarron County: 5.2 %5.2Door CountyDoor County: 5.2 %5.2Pepin CountyPepin County: 5.2 %5.2Price CountyPrice County: 5.2 %5.2Marinette CountyMarinette County: 5.1 %5.1Menominee CountyMenominee County: 5.1 %5.1Trempealeau CountyTrempealeau County: 5.1 %5.1Ashland CountyAshland County: 4.9 %4.9Langlade CountyLanglade County: 4.9 %4.9Pierce CountyPierce County: 4.9 %4.9St. Croix CountySt. Croix County: 4.9 %4.9Juneau CountyJuneau County: 4.8 %4.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.6 %4.6Oneida CountyOneida County: 4.6 %4.6Racine CountyRacine County: 4.6 %4.6Waushara CountyWaushara County: 4.6 %4.6Dunn CountyDunn County: 4.5 %4.5Milwaukee CountyMilwaukee County: 4.5 %4.5Richland CountyRichland County: 4.5 %4.5Florence CountyFlorence County: 4.4 %4.4Wood CountyWood County: 4.4 %4.4Clark CountyClark County: 4.3 %4.3Grant CountyGrant County: 4.2 %4.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Burnett County7.5+0.4 pts
2Adams County7-0.1 pts
3Polk County6.9+0.2 pts
4Crawford County6.3+0.7 pts
5Bayfield County6.20 pts
5Iron County6.2-0.5 pts
7Jackson County6+0.2 pts
7Washburn County6+0.2 pts
9Douglas County5.8+0.1 pts
9Rusk County5.8-0.1 pts
9Taylor County5.8+0.1 pts
12Forest County5.70 pts
12Marquette County5.7+0.7 pts
12Sawyer County5.7+0.5 pts
15Buffalo County5.3-0.2 pts
15Chippewa County5.3+0.4 pts
15Vilas County5.3+0.4 pts
18Barron County5.2+0.3 pts
18Door County5.2+0.5 pts
18Pepin County5.2+0.1 pts
18Price County5.20 pts
22Marinette County5.1+0.3 pts
22Menominee County5.1+0.7 pts
22Trempealeau County5.1+0.7 pts
25Ashland County4.9+0.5 pts
25Langlade County4.9+0.5 pts
25Pierce County4.9+0.2 pts
25St. Croix County4.9+0.5 pts
29Juneau County4.8+0.6 pts
30Lincoln County4.6+0.3 pts
30Oneida County4.6+0.1 pts
30Racine County4.6+0.4 pts
30Waushara County4.60 pts
34Dunn County4.5+0.4 pts
34Milwaukee County4.5+0.4 pts
34Richland County4.5+0.9 pts
37Florence County4.4-0.2 pts
37Wood County4.4+0.4 pts
39Clark County4.3+0.5 pts
40Grant County4.2+0.5 pts
40Rock County4.2+0.4 pts
42Green Lake County4.1-0.2 pts
42Vernon County4.1+0.4 pts
44Kenosha County4+0.3 pts
44Oconto County4-0.1 pts
46Portage County3.9+0.5 pts
47Shawano County3.8+0.4 pts
47Waupaca County3.8+0.3 pts
49Columbia County3.7+0.4 pts
49Sauk County3.7+0.3 pts
49Walworth County3.7+0.4 pts
52Eau Claire County3.6+0.4 pts
52Iowa County3.6+0.2 pts
52Lafayette County3.6+0.2 pts
52Manitowoc County3.6+0.3 pts
52Monroe County3.6+0.3 pts
57Jefferson County3.5+0.3 pts
57La Crosse County3.5+0.5 pts
59Fond du Lac County3.4+0.2 pts
60Brown County3.3+0.4 pts
60Kewaunee County3.3+0.2 pts
60Marathon County3.3+0.5 pts
60Washington County3.3+0.4 pts
60Winnebago County3.3+0.4 pts
65Dodge County3.2+0.1 pts
65Outagamie County3.2+0.2 pts
65Waukesha County3.2+0.3 pts
68Green County3.1+0.2 pts
68Sheboygan County3.1+0.4 pts
70Ozaukee County3+0.3 pts
71Calumet County2.8+0.3 pts
71Dane County2.8+0.3 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?

Burnett County, with 7.5% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Dane County, with 2.8% 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 Wisconsin: more rankings