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Which counties in Minnesota have the lowest unemployment?

Rock County (2.9%), Olmsted County (3.1%) and Stevens County (3.1%) had the lowest unemployment in Minnesota in 2025.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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All 87 ranked Minnesota counties

Minnesota counties ranked by lowest unemployment rate
RankCountyRate 2025Change since 2019Residents
1Rock County2.9%+0.4 pts9,524
2Olmsted County3.1%+0.4 pts166,731
3Stevens County3.1%+0.6 pts9,747
4Nicollet County3.2%+0.5 pts34,273
5Winona County3.2%+0.3 pts50,523
6Houston County3.3%−0.1 pts18,400
7Blue Earth County3.4%+0.5 pts70,634
8Carver County3.4%+0.6 pts114,379
9Clay County3.4%+0.2 pts67,734
10Lac qui Parle County3.4%−0.2 pts6,704
11Scott County3.4%+0.7 pts159,017
12Traverse County3.4%−0.1 pts3,130
13Washington County3.4%+0.5 pts286,895
14Nobles County3.5%+0.5 pts22,338
15Dakota County3.6%+0.7 pts457,710
16Douglas County3.6%+0.3 pts40,120
17Hennepin County3.6%+0.8 pts1,284,784
18Wilkin County3.6%+0.1 pts6,288
19Fillmore County3.7%+0.4 pts21,540
20Mower County3.7%+0.5 pts40,971
21Wabasha County3.7%+0.2 pts21,537
22Dodge County3.8%+0.4 pts21,376
23Ramsey County3.8%+0.8 pts541,623
24Wright County3.8%+0.6 pts157,559
25Anoka County3.9%+0.8 pts381,605
26Brown County3.9%+0.2 pts25,517
27Freeborn County3.9%+0.3 pts30,440
28Goodhue County3.9%+0.6 pts48,195
29Kittson County3.9%+0.3 pts4,031
30Lyon County3.9%+0.5 pts25,684
31Norman County3.9%−0.9 pts6,336
32Redwood County3.9%+0.2 pts15,265
33Rice County3.9%+0.5 pts69,939
34Martin County4.0%+0.3 pts19,440
35Pope County4.0%+0.6 pts11,420
36Stearns County4.0%+0.7 pts164,110
37Watonwan County4.0%−0.5 pts11,459
38Jackson County4.1%+0.5 pts9,857
39Pipestone County4.1%+0.5 pts9,260
40Sherburne County4.1%+0.6 pts104,194
41Big Stone County4.2%+0.0 pts5,054
42Kandiyohi County4.2%+0.5 pts44,720
43Lake County4.2%+0.4 pts10,746
44Polk County4.2%+0.1 pts30,545
45Yellow Medicine County4.2%+0.3 pts9,477
46McLeod County4.3%+0.6 pts36,631
47Chippewa County4.4%+0.2 pts12,406
48Chisago County4.4%+0.6 pts59,142
49Roseau County4.4%+0.7 pts15,246
50Becker County4.5%+0.2 pts35,497
51Faribault County4.5%+0.5 pts13,888
52Lincoln County4.5%+0.5 pts5,583
53Otter Tail County4.6%+0.2 pts61,041
54St. Louis County4.6%+0.5 pts200,518
55Sibley County4.6%+0.7 pts15,356
56Steele County4.6%+1.2 pts37,464
57Waseca County4.6%+1.0 pts18,688
58Benton County4.7%+0.9 pts41,744
59Cottonwood County4.7%+0.9 pts11,405
60Meeker County4.7%+0.4 pts23,603
61Crow Wing County4.8%+0.4 pts69,132
62Cook County4.9%+0.5 pts5,522
63Grant County5.0%+0.3 pts6,085
64Lake of the Woods County5.0%+0.1 pts3,770
65Murray County5.0%+0.3 pts7,942
66Beltrami County5.1%+0.4 pts47,055
67Carlton County5.1%+0.5 pts36,711
68Isanti County5.1%+1.0 pts44,386
69Swift County5.1%+0.9 pts9,763
70Le Sueur County5.2%+0.6 pts29,453
71Koochiching County5.3%−0.8 pts11,587
72Todd County5.3%+0.4 pts26,060
73Renville County5.6%+0.6 pts14,356
74Morrison County5.7%+0.5 pts34,620
75Pennington County5.7%+0.6 pts13,686
76Hubbard County5.9%+0.6 pts22,369
77Mahnomen County6.0%+1.0 pts5,153
78Marshall County6.0%−0.4 pts8,798
79Wadena County6.0%+0.3 pts14,388
80Itasca County6.2%−0.2 pts45,404
81Mille Lacs County6.2%+1.0 pts27,753
82Cass County6.3%+0.5 pts31,430
83Red Lake County6.4%+0.7 pts3,940
84Aitkin County6.7%+0.1 pts16,252
85Pine County7.2%+1.0 pts30,472
86Kanabec County7.6%+1.0 pts16,628
87Clearwater County8.6%−0.6 pts8,647

How this is ranked

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in Minnesota has the lowest unemployment rate?

Rock County: 2.9%, ahead of Olmsted County (3.1%) and Stevens County (3.1%), of 87 Minnesota counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

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