Counties in Wisconsin by unemployment rate

Polk County had the highest unemployment rate of 72 counties in February 2026, at 8.2%. Dane County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 4.85% and the figure for Wisconsin was 3.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.2Polk County
Lowest3.2Dane County
Median4.8572 counties
Wisconsin3.4History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Polk CountyPolk County: 8.2 %8.2Burnett CountyBurnett County: 7.9 %7.9Adams CountyAdams County: 7.5 %7.5Washburn CountyWashburn County: 6.9 %6.9Bayfield CountyBayfield County: 6.7 %6.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 6.7 %6.7Forest CountyForest County: 6.7 %6.7Iron CountyIron County: 6.6 %6.6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 6.5 %6.5Rusk CountyRusk County: 6.5 %6.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 6.2 %6.2Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 6.1 %6.1Pepin CountyPepin County: 6.1 %6.1Marquette CountyMarquette County: 6 %6Sawyer CountySawyer County: 6 %6Taylor CountyTaylor County: 6 %6Vilas CountyVilas County: 5.9 %5.9Barron CountyBarron County: 5.8 %5.8Langlade CountyLanglade County: 5.8 %5.8Juneau CountyJuneau County: 5.7 %5.7Marinette CountyMarinette County: 5.7 %5.7Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 5.6 %5.6Door CountyDoor County: 5.6 %5.6Pierce CountyPierce County: 5.6 %5.6Price CountyPrice County: 5.6 %5.6St. Croix CountySt. Croix County: 5.6 %5.6Ashland CountyAshland County: 5.5 %5.5Trempealeau CountyTrempealeau County: 5.4 %5.4Waushara CountyWaushara County: 5.4 %5.4Menominee CountyMenominee County: 5.3 %5.3Florence CountyFlorence County: 5.2 %5.2Racine CountyRacine County: 5.2 %5.2Milwaukee CountyMilwaukee County: 5 %5Dunn CountyDunn County: 4.9 %4.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.9 %4.9Oneida CountyOneida County: 4.9 %4.9Grant CountyGrant County: 4.8 %4.8Wood CountyWood County: 4.8 %4.8Richland CountyRichland County: 4.7 %4.7Rock CountyRock County: 4.7 %4.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Polk County8.2+0.6 pts
2Burnett County7.9+0.1 pts
3Adams County7.5-0.2 pts
4Washburn County6.9+0.8 pts
5Bayfield County6.7+0.6 pts
5Crawford County6.7+0.6 pts
5Forest County6.7+0.4 pts
8Iron County6.60 pts
9Douglas County6.5+0.1 pts
9Rusk County6.50 pts
11Jackson County6.2+0.1 pts
12Buffalo County6.1+0.4 pts
12Pepin County6.1+1 pts
14Marquette County6+0.4 pts
14Sawyer County6+0.5 pts
14Taylor County6+0.3 pts
17Vilas County5.9+0.7 pts
18Barron County5.8+0.2 pts
18Langlade County5.8+0.7 pts
20Juneau County5.7+1 pts
20Marinette County5.7+0.6 pts
22Chippewa County5.6+0.5 pts
22Door County5.6+0.5 pts
22Pierce County5.6+0.4 pts
22Price County5.6+0.2 pts
22St. Croix County5.6+0.5 pts
27Ashland County5.5+0.7 pts
28Trempealeau County5.4+0.7 pts
28Waushara County5.4-0.1 pts
30Menominee County5.3+0.9 pts
31Florence County5.2+0.5 pts
31Racine County5.2+0.7 pts
33Milwaukee County5+0.6 pts
34Dunn County4.9+0.6 pts
34Lincoln County4.9+0.3 pts
34Oneida County4.9+0.5 pts
37Grant County4.8+0.7 pts
37Wood County4.8+0.4 pts
39Richland County4.7+0.4 pts
39Rock County4.7+0.5 pts
41Green Lake County4.6-0.3 pts
41Oconto County4.6+0.1 pts
41Vernon County4.6+0.5 pts
44Kenosha County4.5+0.4 pts
45Portage County4.3+0.5 pts
45Shawano County4.3+0.5 pts
47Clark County4.20 pts
47Monroe County4.2+0.6 pts
47Sauk County4.2+0.5 pts
47Waupaca County4.2+0.4 pts
51Columbia County4.1+0.4 pts
51Iowa County4.1+0.4 pts
51Lafayette County4.1+0.2 pts
51Manitowoc County4.1+0.4 pts
51Walworth County4.1+0.6 pts
56Eau Claire County3.9+0.6 pts
56Jefferson County3.9+0.5 pts
58Fond du Lac County3.8+0.3 pts
58La Crosse County3.8+0.7 pts
60Brown County3.7+0.5 pts
60Dodge County3.7+0.3 pts
60Marathon County3.7+0.4 pts
60Winnebago County3.7+0.5 pts
64Green County3.6+0.4 pts
64Outagamie County3.6+0.3 pts
64Washington County3.6+0.4 pts
64Waukesha County3.6+0.4 pts
68Kewaunee County3.5+0.1 pts
68Sheboygan County3.5+0.4 pts
70Ozaukee County3.3+0.3 pts
71Calumet County3.2+0.4 pts
71Dane County3.2+0.5 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?

Polk County, with 8.2% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Dane County, with 3.2% in February 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