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Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate in February 2020
April 14, 2020
Unemployment rates were lower in February 2020 than a year earlier in 277 of the 389 metropolitan areas, higher in 80 areas, and unchanged in 32 areas. A total of 73 areas had jobless rates lower than 3.0 percent and 6 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent.
Metropolitan area unemployment rates, February 2020, not seasonally adjusted
Metropolitan area
February 2020 unemployment rate
Ames, IA
1.7%
Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA
2.0
Iowa City, IA
2.1
Ann Arbor, MI
2.2
Huntsville, AL
2.3
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
2.3
Midland, TX
2.3
Logan, UT-ID
2.3
Auburn-Opelika, AL
2.4
Boulder, CO
2.4
Charlottesville, VA
2.4
Harrisonburg, VA
2.4
Decatur, AL
2.5
Urban Honolulu, HI
2.5
Columbus, IN
2.5
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
2.5
Columbia, MO
2.5
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
2.5
Provo-Orem, UT
2.5
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA
2.5
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
2.6
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
2.6
Tuscaloosa, AL
2.6
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
2.6
Fort Collins, CO
2.6
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
2.6
Idaho Falls, ID
2.6
Fargo, ND-MN
2.6
Amarillo, TX
2.6
Austin-Round Rock, TX
2.6
Winchester, VA-WV
2.6
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
2.7
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
2.7
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
2.7
Gainesville, FL
2.7
Boise City, ID
2.7
Champaign-Urbana, IL
2.7
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
2.7
Manhattan, KS
2.7
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
2.7
Lincoln, NE
2.7
Oklahoma City, OK
2.7
College Station-Bryan, TX
2.7
Salt Lake City, UT
2.7
Dothan, AL
2.8
Santa Rosa, CA
2.8
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
2.8
Gainesville, GA
2.8
Bloomington, IL
2.8
Mankato-North Mankato, MN
2.8
Manchester, NH NECTA
2.8
Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA
2.8
Corvallis, OR
2.8
Columbia, SC
2.8
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
2.8
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC
2.8
Spartanburg, SC
2.8
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
2.8
Lubbock, TX
2.8
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
2.8
Richmond, VA
2.8
Madison, WI
2.8
Montgomery, AL
2.9
Greeley, CO
2.9
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
2.9
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
2.9
Tallahassee, FL
2.9
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
2.9
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
2.9
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH NECTA
2.9
Dover-Durham, NH-ME NECTA
2.9
Lawton, OK
2.9
Roanoke, VA
2.9
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA
3.0
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3.0
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
3.0
Jacksonville, FL
3.0
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
3.0
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
3.0
Pocatello, ID
3.0
Twin Falls, ID
3.0
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
3.0
Lawrence, KS
3.0
Grand Forks, ND-MN
3.0
Enid, OK
3.0
Tulsa, OK
3.0
Abilene, TX
3.0
San Angelo, TX
3.0
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
3.0
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
3.0
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
3.1
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
3.1
Carbondale-Marion, IL
3.1
Evansville, IN-KY
3.1
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
3.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
3.1
Rochester, MN
3.1
Jefferson City, MO
3.1
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
3.1
Asheville, NC
3.1
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
3.1
Bismarck, ND
3.1
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
3.1
Wichita Falls, TX
3.1
Jonesboro, AR
3.2
Napa, CA
3.2
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
3.2
Springfield, IL
3.2
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
3.2
Lexington-Fayette, KY
3.2
Portland-South Portland, ME NECTA
3.2
Joplin, MO
3.2
Springfield, MO
3.2
Reno, NV
3.2
Raleigh, NC
3.2
Florence, SC
3.2
Sioux Falls, SD
3.2
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
3.2
Sherman-Denison, TX
3.2
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
3.2
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
3.2
Sheboygan, WI
3.2
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
3.3
Panama City, FL
3.3
Athens-Clarke County, GA
3.3
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
3.3
Savannah, GA
3.3
Bloomington, IN
3.3
Fort Wayne, IN
3.3
California-Lexington Park, MD
3.3
St. Louis, MO-IL
3.3
Odessa, TX
3.3
Waco, TX
3.3
Lynchburg, VA
3.3
Appleton, WI
3.3
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
3.3
Wausau, WI
3.3
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL
3.4
Colorado Springs, CO
3.4
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
3.4
Warner Robins, GA
3.4
Lewiston, ID-WA
3.4
Cedar Rapids, IA
3.4
Dubuque, IA
3.4
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
3.4
Jackson, MI
3.4
Monroe, MI
3.4
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
3.4
Kansas City, MO-KS
3.4
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
3.4
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
3.4
St. George, UT
3.4
Fond du Lac, WI
3.4
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
3.5
Port St. Lucie, FL
3.5
Punta Gorda, FL
3.5
Brunswick, GA
3.5
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
3.5
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
3.5
Grand Island, NE
3.5
Wilmington, NC
3.5
Winston-Salem, NC
3.5
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
3.5
Tyler, TX
3.5
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
3.6
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
3.6
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
3.6
Topeka, KS
3.6
Worcester, MA-CT NECTA
3.6
Battle Creek, MI
3.6
St. Joseph, MO-KS
3.6
Trenton, NJ
3.6
Ithaca, NY
3.6
Burlington, NC
3.6
Chattanooga, TN-GA
3.6
Knoxville, TN
3.6
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
3.7
Ocala, FL
3.7
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
3.7
Rome, GA
3.7
Valdosta, GA
3.7
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
3.7
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
3.7
Midland, MI
3.7
Billings, MT
3.7
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
3.7
New Bern, NC
3.7
State College, PA
3.7
Sumter, SC
3.7
Killeen-Temple, TX
3.7
Green Bay, WI
3.7
Mobile, AL
3.8
Fort Smith, AR-OK
3.8
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
3.8
Hinesville, GA
3.8
Macon-Bibb County, GA
3.8
Kokomo, IN
3.8
Wichita, KS
3.8
Baton Rouge, LA
3.8
Lewiston-Auburn, ME NECTA
3.8
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
3.8
Muskegon, MI
3.8
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
3.8
Great Falls, MT
3.8
Greensboro-High Point, NC
3.8
Columbus, OH
3.8
Gettysburg, PA
3.8
Rapid City, SD
3.8
Cleveland, TN
3.8
El Paso, TX
3.8
Victoria, TX
3.8
Morgantown, WV
3.8
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
3.8
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
3.9
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
3.9
Columbus, GA-AL
3.9
Bowling Green, KY
3.9
Owensboro, KY
3.9
Houma-Thibodaux, LA
3.9
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
3.9
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
3.9
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
3.9
Goldsboro, NC
3.9
Greenville, NC
3.9
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
3.9
Eugene, OR
3.9
Lancaster, PA
3.9
Jackson, TN
3.9
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
3.9
Laredo, TX
3.9
Gadsden, AL
4.0
Hot Springs, AR
4.0
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
4.0
Danbury, CT NECTA
4.0
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
4.0
Muncie, IN
4.0
Lake Charles, LA
4.0
Leominster-Gardner, MA NECTA
4.0
Springfield, MA-CT NECTA
4.0
St. Cloud, MN
4.0
Missoula, MT
4.0
Santa Fe, NM
4.0
Salem, OR
4.0
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
4.1
Grand Junction, CO
4.1
New Haven, CT NECTA
4.1
Coeur d'Alene, ID
4.1
Danville, IL
4.1
Flint, MI
4.1
Carson City, NV
4.1
Kingston, NY
4.1
Bend-Redmond, OR
4.1
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA NECTA
4.1
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
4.1
Longview, TX
4.1
Cheyenne, WY
4.1
Tucson, AZ
4.2
Peoria, IL
4.2
Bangor, ME NECTA
4.2
Jacksonville, NC
4.2
Albany, OR
4.2
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
4.2
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
4.2
Eau Claire, WI
4.2
Prescott, AZ
4.3
Pueblo, CO
4.3
Albany, GA
4.3
Decatur, IL
4.3
Terre Haute, IN
4.3
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY
4.3
Lafayette, LA
4.3
Dayton, OH
4.3
Johnson City, TN
4.3
Texarkana, TX-AR
4.3
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT NECTA
4.4
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI NECTA
4.4
Dover, DE
4.4
Sebring, FL
4.4
Dalton, GA
4.4
Saginaw, MI
4.4
York-Hanover, PA
4.4
Clarksville, TN-KY
4.4
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
4.4
Corpus Christi, TX
4.4
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT NECTA
4.5
Kankakee, IL
4.5
Alexandria, LA
4.5
Pittsfield, MA NECTA
4.5
Hattiesburg, MS
4.5
Jackson, MS
4.5
Rochester, NY
4.5
Medford, OR
4.5
Lebanon, PA
4.5
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
4.5
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
4.5
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
4.6
The Villages, FL
4.6
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
4.6
Bay City, MI
4.6
Albuquerque, NM
4.6
Morristown, TN
4.6
Janesville-Beloit, WI
4.6
Michigan City-La Porte, IN
4.7
Hammond, LA
4.7
Elmira, NY
4.7
Syracuse, NY
4.7
Rocky Mount, NC
4.7
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA
4.7
Olympia-Tumwater, WA
4.7
Casper, WY
4.7
Homosassa Springs, FL
4.8
Rockford, IL
4.8
Duluth, MN-WI
4.8
Utica-Rome, NY
4.8
Toledo, OH
4.8
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
4.9
Fayetteville, NC
4.9
Akron, OH
4.9
Lima, OH
4.9
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
4.9
Anchorage, AK
5.0
Fairbanks, AK
5.0
Monroe, LA
5.0
Springfield, OH
5.0
Reading, PA
5.0
Bellingham, WA
5.0
Walla Walla, WA
5.0
Racine, WI
5.0
Glens Falls, NY
5.1
Cleveland-Elyria, OH
5.1
Grants Pass, OR
5.1
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
5.2
Mansfield, OH
5.2
Pittsburgh, PA
5.2
Charleston, WV
5.2
Binghamton, NY
5.3
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA
5.3
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
5.4
New Bedford, MA NECTA
5.4
Canton-Massillon, OH
5.4
Altoona, PA
5.4
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
5.4
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
5.5
Chico, CA
5.5
Redding, CA
5.5
Waterbury, CT NECTA
5.5
Salisbury, MD-DE
5.5
Cumberland, MD-WV
5.5
Barnstable Town, MA NECTA
5.5
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
5.5
Erie, PA
5.7
Flagstaff, AZ
5.8
Pine Bluff, AR
5.8
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
5.8
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
5.8
Longview, WA
5.9
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
5.9
Kennewick-Richland, WA
6.0
Beckley, WV
6.0
Williamsport, PA
6.1
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
6.1
East Stroudsburg, PA
6.2
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA
6.2
Wenatchee, WA
6.2
Farmington, NM
6.3
Las Cruces, NM
6.3
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
6.3
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
6.4
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
6.4
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
6.4
Johnstown, PA
6.4
Modesto, CA
6.6
Stockton-Lodi, CA
6.6
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
6.7
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
6.8
Wheeling, WV-OH
6.8
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
7.1
Madera, CA
8.1
Yuba City, CA
8.1
Yakima, WA
8.1
Fresno, CA
8.5
Bakersfield, CA
9.1
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
9.8
Salinas, CA
10.0
Merced, CA
10.4
Visalia-Porterville, CA
11.5
Yuma, AZ
12.0
Ocean City, NJ
12.1
El Centro, CA
17.1
In February, Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent, while El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate, 17.1 percent. A total of 191 areas had February jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.8 percent, 176 areas had rates above it, and 22 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.
Yakima, Washington, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in February (−2.4 percentage points). Thirty-six other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest over-the-year rate increase occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (+1.0 percentage point).
Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida, had the lowest unemployment rate in February, 2.3 percent. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had the highest jobless rate among the large areas, 5.2 percent.
United States Department of Labor
