Where the fewest people are out of work.
The Honest LocalA community forum for neighbors
Rankings · Lowest Unemployment by City
Lowest Unemployment by City, Cleveland, Ohio Leads (2026)
The share of people who want work and can't find it, straight from the tape.
By The Honest Local · 107 cities · every value links to its public source
1.8%Cleveland, Ohio leads with the lowest jobless rate of 107 big citiesThe share of people who want work and can't find it, straight from the tape.
The top five cities
- No. 1Cleveland, Ohio1.8%unemployment rate
No. 2Portland, Maine2.5%unemployment rate
No. 3Savannah, Georgia2.7%unemployment rate
No. 4Honolulu, Hawaii2.8%unemployment rate
No. 5Madison, Wisconsin2.9%unemployment rate
Lowest Unemployment by City on the map
Jobless Rate, cities
Loading the numbers…
Lowest Unemployment by City, all 107
The full ranking
| Place | unemployment rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland, Ohiobig city | 1.8% |
| 2 | Portland, Maine | 2.5% |
| 3 | Savannah, Georgia | 2.7% |
| 4 | Honolulu, Hawaiibig city | 2.8% |
| 5 | Madison, Wisconsinbig city | 2.9% |
| 6 | Nashville, Tennesseebig city | 3.0% |
| 7 | Omaha, Nebraskabig city | 3.1% |
| 8 | Huntsville, AL | 3.1% |
| 9 | Raleigh, North Carolinabig city | 3.2% |
| 10 | Columbus, Ohiobig city | 3.2% |
| 11 | Atlanta, Georgiabig city | 3.2% |
| 12 | Knoxville, Tennessee | 3.2% |
| 13 | Boise, Idaho | 3.3% |
| 14 | Asheville, North Carolina | 3.3% |
| 15 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 3.3% |
| 16 | Durham, North Carolinabig city | 3.4% |
| 17 | Indianapolis, Indianabig city | 3.4% |
| 18 | Des Moines, Iowa | 3.4% |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 3.5% |
| 20 | Ogden, Utah | 3.5% |
| 21 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 3.5% |
| 22 | Dayton, Ohio | 3.5% |
| 23 | Birmingham, Alabama | 3.5% |
| 24 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | 3.5% |
| 25 | Spokane, Washington | 3.5% |
| 26 | Jackson, Mississippi | 3.6% |
| 27 | Akron, Ohio | 3.6% |
| 28 | Charleston, South Carolina | 3.7% |
| 29 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniabig city | 3.7% |
| 30 | Miami, Floridabig city | 3.7% |
| 31 | Cincinnati, Ohiobig city | 3.7% |
| 32 | Charlotte, NCbig city | 3.7% |
| 33 | Provo, Utah | 3.7% |
| 34 | Albany, New York | 3.7% |
| 35 | Greenville, SC | 3.7% |
| 36 | St. Louis, Missouribig city | 3.8% |
| 37 | Winston-Salem, North Carolinabig city | 3.8% |
| 38 | Richmond, Virginia | 3.8% |
| 39 | Milwaukee, Wisconsinbig city | 3.8% |
| 40 | Kansas City, Missouribig city | 3.8% |
| 41 | Virginia Beach, Virginiabig city | 3.9% |
| 42 | Poughkeepsie, New York | 4.0% |
| 43 | Toledo, Ohiobig city | 4.0% |
| 44 | Washington DC, Washington, DCbig city | 4.0% |
| 45 | Reno, Nevadabig city | 4.0% |
| 46 | Austin, Texasbig city | 4.0% |
| 47 | Augusta, Georgia | 4.0% |
| 48 | Columbia, South Carolina | 4.0% |
| 49 | Greensboro, North Carolinabig city | 4.1% |
| 50 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 4.1% |
| 51 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 4.1% |
| 52 | San Jose, Californiabig city | 4.1% |
| 53 | Denver, Coloradobig city | 4.1% |
| 54 | Syracuse, New York | 4.1% |
| 55 | Providence, Rhode Island | 4.2% |
| 56 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniabig city | 4.2% |
| 57 | Baltimore, Marylandbig city | 4.2% |
| 58 | Little Rock, Arkansas | 4.2% |
| 59 | Rochester, New York | 4.2% |
| 60 | Oklahoma City, Oklahomabig city | 4.3% |
| 61 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 4.3% |
| 62 | New York, New Yorkbig city | 4.3% |
| 63 | Colorado Springs, Coloradobig city | 4.3% |
| 64 | Boston, Massachusettsbig city | 4.3% |
| 65 | Minneapolis, Minnesotabig city | 4.4% |
| 66 | Buffalo, New Yorkbig city | 4.4% |
| 67 | San Francisco, Californiabig city | 4.4% |
| 68 | Wichita, Kansasbig city | 4.5% |
| 69 | New Orleans, Louisianabig city | 4.5% |
| 70 | Dallas, Texasbig city | 4.6% |
| 71 | Tulsa, Oklahomabig city | 4.6% |
| 72 | San Antonio, Texasbig city | 4.7% |
| 73 | Memphis, Tennesseebig city | 4.7% |
| 74 | San Diego, Californiabig city | 4.7% |
| 75 | Orlando, Floridabig city | 4.7% |
| 76 | Oxnard, California | 4.7% |
| 77 | Louisville, Kentuckybig city | 4.8% |
| 78 | Tampa, Floridabig city | 4.8% |
| 79 | Seattle, Washingtonbig city | 4.8% |
| 80 | El Paso, Texasbig city | 4.8% |
| 81 | Worcester, Massachusetts | 4.8% |
| 82 | Phoenix, Arizonabig city | 4.8% |
| 83 | Jacksonville, Floridabig city | 4.9% |
| 84 | Jacksonville, Floridabig city | 4.9% |
| 85 | Melbourne, Florida | 4.9% |
| 86 | Chicago, Illinoisbig city | 4.9% |
| 87 | Vancouver, Washington | 4.9% |
| 88 | Portland, Oregonbig city | 4.9% |
| 89 | Sarasota, Florida | 5.0% |
| 90 | Los Angeles, Californiabig city | 5.0% |
| 91 | Sacramento, Californiabig city | 5.0% |
| 92 | Houston, Texasbig city | 5.1% |
| 93 | Cape Coral, Florida | 5.2% |
| 94 | Las Vegas, Nevadabig city | 5.4% |
| 95 | Daytona Beach, Florida | 5.4% |
| 96 | Bridgeport, Connecticut | 5.5% |
| 97 | Albuquerque, New Mexicobig city | 5.5% |
| 98 | Tucson, Arizonabig city | 5.6% |
| 99 | Riverside, Californiabig city | 5.7% |
| 100 | Detroit, Michiganbig city | 5.7% |
| 101 | Hartford, Connecticut | 5.8% |
| 102 | Lakeland, Florida | 5.8% |
| 103 | New Haven, Connecticut | 5.9% |
| 104 | Stockton, Californiabig city | 6.4% |
| 105 | McAllen, Texas | 6.8% |
| 106 | Fresno, Californiabig city | 7.7% |
| 107 | Bakersfield, Californiabig city | 8.6% |
Sources and method
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · 2026-08
How we got this. The jobless rate is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' metro rate for cities and its state rate for states, refreshed monthly. Cities and states each rank on their own list, lowest rate first, and places tied at the same rate share a rank. The US Virgin Islands has no series, so it's left off. It refreshes monthly, when the BLS publishes.
Rankings by The Honest Local from public data, one page per list, refreshed on each source’s own cycle. Places with no reading are left out rather than estimated. Every value on this page carries its source in the page’s structured data.
Photos More Than Just Parks · Shutterstock/F · Embrace Someplace.