State rankings

Unemployment Rate by State

District of Columbia has the highest Unemployment Rate July in 2026 (5.9), followed by Oregon (5.2) and Connecticut (5.2). South Dakota has the lowest (2).

EconomicsPopulation51 states · 1 metricUpdated Aug 25, 2023Original page
1 source
Unemployment Rate JulyBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
51 of 51 states
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Unemployment Rate July, 2026

Green is better, red is worse (lower is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 51 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
3.9
Middle half 3.35 – 4.55
Average
3.95
51 states
Lowest (best)
2
South Dakota
Highest (worst)
5.9
District of Columbia

Over time · 2021–2026

The top 5 in 2026, against the median.

  • Median of all states
  • South Dakota
  • North Dakota
  • Vermont
  • Hawaii
  • New Hampshire

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Unemployment Rate July
#
1South Dakota2
2North Dakota2.2
3Vermont2.6
4Hawaii2.7
5New Hampshire2.8
6Nebraska2.9
7Wyoming3
8Maine3.1
9Iowa3.2
9Montana3.2
11Georgia3.3
11Indiana3.3
11Wisconsin3.3
14Ohio3.4
14Tennessee3.4
14Alabama3.4
17North Carolina3.6
17Missouri3.6
17Utah3.6
17Mississippi3.6
17Idaho3.6
22Virginia3.7
23Kansas3.8
24Pennsylvania3.9
24Colorado3.9
24Rhode Island3.9
27Arkansas4
28West Virginia4.1
29Maryland4.2
29South Carolina4.2
31Minnesota4.3
31Oklahoma4.3
31Alaska4.3
34New York4.4
34New Jersey4.4
34Massachusetts4.4
34Louisiana4.4
38Texas4.5
39Florida4.6
40Kentucky4.7
41New Mexico4.8
41Delaware4.8
43Illinois4.9
43Michigan4.9
43Arizona4.9
46Washington5
46Nevada5
48California5.1
49Oregon5.2
49Connecticut5.2
51District of Columbia5.9

What correlates with Unemployment Rate July (2026)?

Pearson r against 2,099 other state metrics sharing at least 31 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Unemployment Rate July tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS)
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2022U6 Employment Rate
    r = +0.72 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  3. U-6 Unemployment Rate Q2 2022U6 Employment Rate
    r = +0.72 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  4. Abortion Rate per 1k Women Aged 15-44Abortions Due to Rape by State
    r = +0.64 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Veteran Unemployment RateVeterans Unemployment Benefits by State
    r = +0.62 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. DisabledSocial Security Disability Benefits by State
    r = +0.62 · strong · n = 51
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Unemployment Rate July tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Employment RateEmployment Rate by State
    r = −0.74 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. OpportunityBest States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.67 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Opportunity RankWorst States to Live inA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.63 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Family-RelatedMost Stressed StatesA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. % of Students at Basic Reading LevelU.S. Literacy Rates by State
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 51
    Plot
  6. SocioeconomicsBest States to Raise a FamilyA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.61 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Unemployment Rate July?
District of Columbia has the highest Unemployment Rate July in 2026, at 5.9, followed by Oregon (5.2) and Connecticut (5.2).
Which state has the lowest Unemployment Rate July?
South Dakota has the lowest Unemployment Rate July in 2026, at 2.
What is the median Unemployment Rate July across US states?
The median is 3.9 across the 51 US states with data in 2026.
Where does this unemployment rate by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Unemployment Rates for States - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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