United States City Rankings

Top 100 cities ranked by highest unemployment

Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense Highest Income Lowest Income Lowest Unemployment Highest Unemployment Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Highest Home Value Most Affordable Highest Rent Lowest Rent Most Educated Youngest Cities Oldest Cities Safest Cities Highest Crime Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities

Highest Unemployment — United States

1 Merrydale LA 14.2%

2 Northchase NC 14.1%

3 Earlimart CA 13.8%

4 Benton Harbor MI 12.7%

5 Luquillo zona urbana PR 12.5%

6 Beecher MI 12.4%

7 Ledgewood NJ 12.3%

8 Ville Platte LA 11.9%

9 Utuado zona urbana PR 11.6%

10 Williams CA 11.5%

11 Darby PA 11.4%

12 Juana Díaz zona urbana PR 11.2%

13 Martins Ferry OH 11.2%

14 Caño Martin Peña comunidad PR 11.1%

15 El Cerro Mission NM 11.0%

16 Fair Plain MI 10.8%

17 Calumet Park IL 10.8%

18 University Park IL 10.7%

19 Glenwood IL 10.5%

20 Guánica zona urbana PR 10.4%

21 Chester PA 10.4%

22 Marina del Rey CA 10.3%

23 Clifton Heights PA 10.3%

24 Bolivar TN 10.3%

25 Muskegon Heights MI 10.3%

26 Doolittle TX 10.3%

27 Fajardo zona urbana PR 10.2%

28 Mayagüez zona urbana PR 10.2%

29 Isla Vista CA 10.1%

30 Prairie View TX 10.1%

31 Gustine CA 10.0%

32 DeFuniak Springs FL 10.0%

33 Calexico CA 9.9%

34 Orosi CA 9.9%

35 Lucerne Valley CA 9.8%

36 College Park GA 9.8%

37 Baker LA 9.8%

38 Puerto Real comunidad PR 9.8%

39 Vega Alta zona urbana PR 9.6%

40 Flint MI 9.6%

41 Reserve LA 9.6%

42 San Isidro comunidad PR 9.6%

43 East Cleveland OH 9.5%

44 South Lebanon OH 9.4%

45 Sauk Village IL 9.4%

46 Orange Cove CA 9.3%

47 Homeland Park SC 9.3%

48 Sharon Hill PA 9.2%

49 California City CA 9.2%

50 Highland Park MI 9.2%

51 Hazel Crest IL 9.1%

52 Aguadilla zona urbana PR 9.1%

53 Pahokee FL 9.1%

54 New Carlisle OH 9.1%

55 Coolidge AZ 9.1%

56 Lindsay CA 9.1%

57 Sea Cliff NY 9.0%

58 Lake Station IN 9.0%

59 Helena-West Helena AR 9.0%

60 Sheridan CO 8.9%

61 Spotsylvania Courthouse VA 8.9%

62 Eagle Point OR 8.9%

63 Nashville NC 8.9%

64 Firebaugh CA 8.9%

65 Huron CA 8.9%

66 Black Jack MO 8.8%

67 Galena Park TX 8.8%

68 Glendora NJ 8.8%

69 Ettrick VA 8.7%

70 Homestead Meadows South TX 8.7%

71 Park City IL 8.7%

72 Marlow Heights MD 8.7%

73 Newman CA 8.6%

74 Perth Amboy NJ 8.6%

75 Riverdale IL 8.6%

76 Garden Acres CA 8.5%

77 Arcata CA 8.5%

78 Exeter CA 8.4%

79 Brawley CA 8.4%

80 Eastpointe MI 8.3%

81 Camden NJ 8.3%

82 Bladensburg MD 8.3%

83 Burlington NJ 8.3%

84 Manatí zona urbana PR 8.3%

85 Winthrop Harbor IL 8.2%

86 Cheraw SC 8.2%

87 Clearlake CA 8.1%

88 Byram CT 8.1%

89 Richton Park IL 8.1%

90 Cheney WA 8.1%

91 Willowbrook CA 8.1%

92 Buena Vista MI 8.1%

93 Nogales AZ 8.1%

94 Keyport NJ 8.1%

95 Pine Hills FL 8.1%

96 Osceola AR 8.0%

97 Cullowhee NC 8.0%

98 Boone NC 8.0%

99 Southeast Arcadia FL 8.0%

100 Lancaster SC 8.0%

Cities with the highest unemployment rates in United States face significant economic challenges. Merrydale has an unemployment rate of 14.2%. These communities often struggle with limited job opportunities, industry decline, or seasonal employment patterns.

High unemployment can have cascading effects on a community, including reduced consumer spending, lower tax revenues, and increased demand for social services. Understanding the causes — whether structural, cyclical, or seasonal — is important for developing effective solutions.

Many cities with high unemployment are actively working to diversify their economies, attract new industries, and invest in workforce development programs to help residents gain skills for in-demand occupations.

Did You Know?

1. In Merrydale, about 1 in 7 workers is looking for a job.
2. Seasonal economies (tourism, agriculture) can cause unemployment rates to fluctuate dramatically throughout the year.
3. Many high-unemployment cities have seen improvement through targeted economic development and workforce training programs.

Browse Rankings by Region

United States — By Region

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

By Country

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Netherlands Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe