Where the fewest people are out of work.
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Rankings · Lowest Unemployment by City
Lowest Unemployment by City, Portland, Maine Leads (2026)
Portland, Maine has the lowest unemployment of the 106 US cities we rank, at 2.7% (BLS, August 2026). Fayetteville, Arkansas and 3 others are next, each at 2.9%.
By The Honest Local · 106 cities · every value links to its public source
2.7%Portland, Maine leads on the list, the lowest reading of 106 citiesThe share of people who want work and can't find it, straight from the tape.
The top five cities
No. 1Portland, Maine2.7%unemployment rate
No. 2Fayetteville, Arkansas2.9%unemployment rate
No. 2Honolulu, Hawaii2.9%unemployment rate
No. 2Madison, Wisconsin2.9%unemployment rate
No. 2Savannah, Georgia2.9%unemployment rate
Lowest Unemployment by City on the map
Jobless Rate, cities
Loading the numbers…
Lowest Unemployment by City, all 106
The full ranking
| Place | unemployment rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, Maine | 2.7% |
| 2 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | 2.9% |
| 2 | Honolulu, Hawaiibig city | 2.9% |
| 2 | Madison, Wisconsinbig city | 2.9% |
| 2 | Savannah, Georgia | 2.9% |
| 6 | Huntsville, Alabama | 3.0% |
| 6 | Jackson, Mississippi | 3.0% |
| 6 | Omaha, Nebraskabig city | 3.0% |
| 9 | Asheville, North Carolina | 3.1% |
| 9 | Cleveland, Ohiobig city | 3.1% |
| 9 | Nashville, Tennesseebig city | 3.1% |
| 9 | Raleigh, North Carolinabig city | 3.1% |
| 13 | Knoxville, Tennessee | 3.2% |
| 14 | Boise, Idaho | 3.3% |
| 14 | Columbus, Ohiobig city | 3.3% |
| 14 | Durham, North Carolinabig city | 3.3% |
| 14 | Indianapolis, Indianabig city | 3.3% |
| 18 | Atlanta, Georgiabig city | 3.4% |
| 18 | Birmingham, Alabama | 3.4% |
| 18 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 3.4% |
| 21 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 3.5% |
| 21 | Reno, Nevadabig city | 3.5% |
| 23 | Cincinnati, Ohiobig city | 3.6% |
| 23 | Little Rock, Arkansas | 3.6% |
| 23 | Ogden, Utah | 3.6% |
| 23 | Richmond, Virginia | 3.6% |
| 27 | Akron, Ohio | 3.7% |
| 27 | Charleston, South Carolina | 3.7% |
| 27 | Charlotte, North Carolinabig city | 3.7% |
| 27 | Dayton, Ohio | 3.7% |
| 27 | Des Moines, Iowa | 3.7% |
| 27 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 3.7% |
| 27 | Miami, Floridabig city | 3.7% |
| 27 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 3.7% |
| 27 | Virginia Beach, Virginiabig city | 3.7% |
| 27 | Winston-Salem, North Carolinabig city | 3.7% |
| 37 | Albany, New York | 3.8% |
| 37 | Milwaukee, Wisconsinbig city | 3.8% |
| 37 | Washington, DCbig city | 3.8% |
| 40 | Austin, Texasbig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | Baltimore, Marylandbig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | Greenville, South Carolina | 3.9% |
| 40 | Kansas City, Missouribig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | New Orleans, Louisianabig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | Oklahoma City, Oklahomabig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniabig city | 3.9% |
| 40 | St. Louis, Missouribig city | 3.9% |
| 48 | Greensboro, North Carolinabig city | 4.0% |
| 49 | Augusta, Georgia | 4.1% |
| 49 | Boston, Massachusettsbig city | 4.1% |
| 49 | Louisville, Kentuckybig city | 4.1% |
| 49 | Poughkeepsie, New York | 4.1% |
| 49 | Provo, Utah | 4.1% |
| 49 | Syracuse, New York | 4.1% |
| 49 | Tulsa, Oklahomabig city | 4.1% |
| 56 | Columbia, South Carolina | 4.2% |
| 56 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 4.2% |
| 56 | Providence, Rhode Island | 4.2% |
| 56 | Rochester, New York | 4.2% |
| 56 | Spokane, Washington | 4.2% |
| 61 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 4.3% |
| 61 | San Jose, Californiabig city | 4.3% |
| 61 | Toledo, Ohiobig city | 4.3% |
| 64 | Dallas, Texasbig city | 4.4% |
| 64 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniabig city | 4.4% |
| 66 | Bridgeport, Connecticut | 4.5% |
| 66 | Buffalo, New Yorkbig city | 4.5% |
| 66 | San Antonio, Texasbig city | 4.5% |
| 66 | Worcester, Massachusetts | 4.5% |
| 70 | Denver, Coloradobig city | 4.6% |
| 70 | El Paso, Texasbig city | 4.6% |
| 70 | Memphis, Tennesseebig city | 4.6% |
| 70 | Orlando, Floridabig city | 4.6% |
| 70 | San Francisco, Californiabig city | 4.6% |
| 70 | Wichita, Kansasbig city | 4.6% |
| 76 | Colorado Springs, Coloradobig city | 4.7% |
| 76 | Minneapolis, Minnesotabig city | 4.7% |
| 76 | New York, New Yorkbig city | 4.7% |
| 76 | Tampa, Floridabig city | 4.7% |
| 80 | Albuquerque, New Mexicobig city | 4.8% |
| 80 | Hartford, Connecticut | 4.8% |
| 80 | Jacksonville, Floridabig city | 4.8% |
| 80 | Las Vegas, Nevadabig city | 4.8% |
| 80 | Los Angeles, Californiabig city | 4.8% |
| 80 | Melbourne, Florida | 4.8% |
| 80 | Seattle, Washingtonbig city | 4.8% |
| 87 | New Haven, Connecticut | 4.9% |
| 87 | Phoenix, Arizonabig city | 4.9% |
| 87 | Portland, Oregonbig city | 4.9% |
| 87 | San Diego, Californiabig city | 4.9% |
| 87 | Sarasota, Florida | 4.9% |
| 87 | Vancouver, Washington | 4.9% |
| 93 | Houston, Texasbig city | 5.0% |
| 93 | Oxnard, California | 5.0% |
| 95 | Cape Coral, Florida | 5.2% |
| 95 | Chicago, Illinoisbig city | 5.2% |
| 95 | Sacramento, Californiabig city | 5.2% |
| 98 | Daytona Beach, Florida | 5.3% |
| 99 | Lakeland, Florida | 5.6% |
| 100 | Detroit, Michiganbig city | 5.7% |
| 100 | Tucson, Arizonabig city | 5.7% |
| 102 | Riverside, Californiabig city | 5.9% |
| 103 | McAllen, Texas | 6.3% |
| 104 | Stockton, Californiabig city | 6.5% |
| 105 | Fresno, Californiabig city | 7.8% |
| 106 | Bakersfield, Californiabig city | 8.4% |
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 Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · More Than Just Parks · Shutterstock/F.