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Buncombe, NC, leads large counties in employment growth over the year ended December 2025

June 10, 2026

From December 2024 to December 2025, employment increased in 169 of the 372 largest U.S. counties. Buncombe, North Carolina, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.7 percent. Within Buncombe, the largest employment increase occurred in leisure and hospitality, with a gain of 2,352 (+13.1 percent).

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Over-the-year percent change in employment in large counties, December 2024 to December 2025

Over-the-year percent change in employment in large counties, December 2024 to December 2025
County	Over-the-year percent change in employment	Employment, December 2025
Baldwin, AL	2.5	87,800
Jefferson, AL	0.4	372,800
Madison, AL	1.2	236,200
Mobile, AL	-0.7	176,300
Montgomery, AL	-0.6	132,800
Shelby, AL	0.9	84,500
Tuscaloosa, AL	-1.3	99,100
Anchorage, AK	-0.6	146,400
Maricopa, AZ	-0.1	2,318,500
Pima, AZ	-0.8	389,900
Pinal, AZ	3.0	81,000
Benton, AR	3.6	154,400
Pulaski, AR	-0.3	265,000
Washington, AR	-0.4	122,700
Alameda, CA	0.2	788,900
Butte, CA	—	79,300
Contra Costa, CA	0.9	379,300
Fresno, CA	0.4	430,100
Kern, CA	0.8	346,900
Los Angeles, CA	0.3	4,598,200
Marin, CA	0.8	111,400
Merced, CA	1.8	84,300
Monterey, CA	-0.9	177,500
Napa, CA	-1.2	75,400
Orange, CA	0.2	1,682,900
Placer, CA	1.2	189,000
Riverside, CA	0.4	835,900
Sacramento, CA	0.3	736,200
San Bernardino, CA	0.5	860,700
San Diego, CA	-0.1	1,552,600
San Francisco, CA	0.9	703,700
San Joaquin, CA	0.6	288,300
San Luis Obispo, CA	0.6	119,600
San Mateo, CA	1.1	416,200
Santa Barbara, CA	-0.5	208,500
Santa Clara, CA	1.1	1,133,000
Santa Cruz, CA	0.1	101,700
Solano, CA	-0.1	144,100
Sonoma, CA	-0.6	204,900
Stanislaus, CA	0.0	195,900
Tulare, CA	-0.8	174,000
Ventura, CA	0.0	340,200
Yolo, CA	-0.7	108,600
Adams, CO	-0.9	251,600
Arapahoe, CO	-0.4	341,200
Boulder, CO	-0.8	191,400
Denver, CO	-1.2	559,800
Douglas, CO	1.6	151,200
El Paso, CO	-0.5	308,800
Jefferson, CO	-1.1	246,000
Larimer, CO	-1.1	170,000
Weld, CO	0.3	122,800
Capitol, CT	0.4	537,400
Greater Bridgeport, CT	-0.4	116,900
Naugatuck Valley, CT	-1.0	160,500
South Central, CT	-0.1	280,700
Southeastern, CT	0.9	128,900
Western, CT	0.3	292,400
New Castle, DE	0.1	308,000
Sussex, DE	0.8	94,200
Washington, DC	-4.5	726,000
Alachua, FL	-0.1	141,300
Bay, FL	-2.5	81,100
Brevard, FL	0.1	245,400
Broward, FL	-0.6	870,200
Collier, FL	-0.5	177,700
Duval, FL	-0.9	567,600
Escambia, FL	0.4	147,000
Hillsborough, FL	0.5	805,000
Lake, FL	0.4	120,200
Lee, FL	-0.6	305,100
Leon, FL	0.4	166,500
Manatee, FL	1.9	149,600
Marion, FL	0.8	123,300
Martin, FL	-0.6	78,500
Miami-Dade, FL	0.0	1,287,500
Okaloosa, FL	-1.0	88,500
Orange, FL	1.3	969,700
Osceola, FL	0.5	119,300
Palm Beach, FL	0.5	682,600
Pasco, FL	1.9	153,100
Pinellas, FL	-0.8	441,900
Polk, FL	0.7	269,800
St Johns, FL	1.9	103,100
St Lucie, FL	1.1	93,900
Sarasota, FL	0.9	196,800
Seminole, FL	-0.4	215,300
Volusia, FL	-0.6	190,000
Bibb, GA	0.2	81,300
Chatham, GA	-1.3	173,900
Clayton, GA	0.2	131,500
Cobb, GA	0.6	385,000
DeKalb, GA	-0.2	314,100
Forsyth, GA	0.0	91,200
Fulton, GA	0.4	954,500
Gwinnett, GA	-0.8	392,200
Hall, GA	-0.5	104,100
Henry, GA	-1.6	75,400
Muscogee, GA	-1.1	89,200
Richmond, GA	-0.2	104,600
Honolulu, HI	-0.7	458,100
Ada, ID	2.4	297,500
Canyon, ID	2.0	91,600
Champaign, IL	-0.8	94,500
Cook, IL	-0.1	2,607,200
DuPage, IL	-0.2	634,200
Kane, IL	-1.7	211,800
Lake, IL	-0.6	322,600
McHenry, IL	-0.3	97,200
McLean, IL	-2.1	87,600
Madison, IL	-0.5	108,800
Peoria, IL	0.4	98,800
St Clair, IL	-1.2	89,900
Sangamon, IL	-1.5	131,200
Will, IL	1.1	273,400
Winnebago, IL	-1.4	125,600
Allen, IN	0.4	201,400
Elkhart, IN	1.5	128,200
Hamilton, IN	1.5	169,500
Hendricks, IN	1.9	84,000
Lake, IN	-0.3	192,500
Marion, IN	-0.3	625,600
St Joseph, IN	0.8	123,200
Tippecanoe, IN	-1.1	92,400
Vanderburgh, IN	-0.4	107,900
Johnson, IA	2.8	87,100
Linn, IA	-0.2	125,800
Polk, IA	-0.5	315,300
Scott, IA	—	93,800
Johnson, KS	0.1	376,200
Sedgwick, KS	0.2	268,000
Shawnee, KS	2.5	103,500
Wyandotte, KS	-0.5	94,000
Boone, KY	3.4	109,700
Fayette, KY	1.6	210,600
Jefferson, KY	-0.6	481,400
Caddo, LA	0.0	110,600
Calcasieu, LA	-0.2	89,100
East Baton Rouge, LA	-0.7	272,600
Jefferson, LA	-0.8	185,600
Lafayette, LA	-0.4	139,200
Orleans, LA	-2.3	186,400
St Tammany, LA	0.9	98,700
Cumberland, ME	0.4	194,600
York, ME	-0.5	76,700
Anne Arundel, MD	-0.5	295,500
Baltimore, MD	-1.4	369,800
Frederick, MD	-1.7	107,100
Harford, MD	-2.2	98,200
Howard, MD	-1.1	171,800
Montgomery, MD	-2.6	452,500
Prince George's, MD	-2.1	327,800
Baltimore City, MD	1.0	346,400
Barnstable, MA	-0.9	89,900
Bristol, MA	-0.5	225,700
Essex, MA	-0.8	327,600
Hampden, MA	-0.9	201,100
Middlesex, MA	-2.1	901,200
Norfolk, MA	0.0	351,900
Plymouth, MA	-1.2	196,500
Suffolk, MA	-1.1	709,600
Worcester, MA	0.1	358,200
Genesee, MI	-0.3	135,600
Ingham, MI	-1.4	154,600
Kalamazoo, MI	-0.9	121,800
Kent, MI	0.1	422,700
Macomb, MI	-1.2	333,100
Oakland, MI	-0.6	719,300
Ottawa, MI	-1.2	127,700
Saginaw, MI	1.6	81,500
Washtenaw, MI	-0.2	220,100
Wayne, MI	-0.9	726,100
Anoka, MN	0.1	133,000
Dakota, MN	-1.0	188,200
Hennepin, MN	-0.4	919,300
Olmsted, MN	0.9	105,800
Ramsey, MN	0.3	331,600
St Louis, MN	-0.9	94,400
Stearns, MN	-0.5	87,400
Washington, MN	-0.4	96,900
Harrison, MS	0.4	89,700
Hinds, MS	-1.1	109,700
Boone, MO	0.9	101,700
Clay, MO	-0.8	111,100
Greene, MO	0.6	182,700
Jackson, MO	-0.4	376,600
St Charles, MO	-0.3	164,900
St Louis, MO	-1.4	592,200
St Louis City, MO	-0.8	219,400
Yellowstone, MT	-0.8	87,100
Douglas, NE	-0.1	343,300
Lancaster, NE	0.2	178,100
Sarpy, NE	1.5	84,500
Clark, NV	1.3	1,156,700
Washoe, NV	1.3	245,900
Hillsborough, NH	-0.6	200,600
Merrimack, NH	-1.6	76,600
Rockingham, NH	-0.7	156,600
Atlantic, NJ	-1.0	124,000
Bergen, NJ	-0.4	444,800
Burlington, NJ	0.4	217,900
Camden, NJ	0.6	210,900
Essex, NJ	0.6	360,600
Gloucester, NJ	0.3	130,900
Hudson, NJ	-0.6	277,900
Mercer, NJ	-0.6	263,500
Middlesex, NJ	0.4	441,100
Monmouth, NJ	0.4	280,100
Morris, NJ	-0.2	305,800
Ocean, NJ	0.9	193,000
Passaic, NJ	-0.2	177,100
Somerset, NJ	-1.9	193,700
Union, NJ	0.2	235,200
Bernalillo, NM	0.2	348,000
Dona Ana, NM	1.7	82,700
Albany, NY	0.1	238,500
Bronx, NY	0.9	362,700
Broome, NY	-0.5	84,500
Dutchess, NY	1.5	118,800
Erie, NY	-0.6	469,500
Kings, NY	1.8	928,400
Monroe, NY	-0.1	390,800
Nassau, NY	0.3	650,600
New York, NY	0.6	2,520,300
Oneida, NY	-1.2	101,900
Onondaga, NY	0.1	252,900
Orange, NY	-1.1	157,300
Queens, NY	0.2	755,500
Richmond, NY	0.8	141,000
Rockland, NY	—	138,700
Saratoga, NY	-0.6	94,200
Suffolk, NY	-0.1	696,300
Westchester, NY	-0.5	439,500
Buncombe, NC	3.7	137,200
Cabarrus, NC	2.5	94,900
Catawba, NC	1.0	90,600
Cumberland, NC	-0.8	122,800
Durham, NC	-0.9	233,200
Forsyth, NC	0.7	192,500
Gaston, NC	-0.1	81,900
Guilford, NC	0.6	296,700
Iredell, NC	0.4	82,200
Mecklenburg, NC	1.4	803,200
New Hanover, NC	2.2	133,200
Orange, NC	-0.6	77,400
Pitt, NC	2.5	83,400
Wake, NC	2.0	673,100
Cass, ND	-0.4	129,300
Butler, OH	-1.0	164,600
Cuyahoga, OH	-0.3	694,800
Delaware, OH	0.7	100,800
Franklin, OH	1.8	804,700
Greene, OH	-2.5	79,700
Hamilton, OH	-0.5	514,900
Lake, OH	0.1	99,200
Lorain, OH	0.2	99,700
Lucas, OH	-1.0	195,700
Mahoning, OH	-1.0	93,400
Montgomery, OH	0.6	254,200
Stark, OH	-0.2	157,500
Summit, OH	-1.2	260,100
Warren, OH	1.4	102,500
Wood, OH	0.1	76,700
Cleveland, OK	-0.2	94,000
Oklahoma, OK	-0.4	499,700
Tulsa, OK	0.9	378,200
Clackamas, OR	-1.3	173,900
Deschutes, OR	-0.8	93,100
Jackson, OR	0.7	91,800
Lane, OR	-0.9	156,600
Marion, OR	2.4	176,000
Multnomah, OR	-1.3	492,900
Washington, OR	-3.3	300,100
Allegheny, PA	-0.3	672,700
Berks, PA	-0.3	176,300
Bucks, PA	-0.6	278,400
Butler, PA	0.5	89,300
Chester, PA	0.6	255,400
Cumberland, PA	1.1	141,000
Dauphin, PA	-0.5	190,900
Delaware, PA	-0.2	221,900
Erie, PA	0.0	119,300
Lackawanna, PA	-0.2	99,600
Lancaster, PA	1.0	257,500
Lehigh, PA	0.8	204,600
Luzerne, PA	-0.8	146,700
Montgomery, PA	0.1	508,800
Northampton, PA	1.4	125,300
Philadelphia, PA	0.7	732,600
Washington, PA	1.2	89,600
Westmoreland, PA	-0.5	129,100
York, PA	-0.5	184,900
Kent, RI	-0.3	77,600
Providence, RI	-0.4	292,400
Charleston, SC	2.4	287,700
Greenville, SC	1.6	306,300
Horry, SC	1.1	144,100
Lexington, SC	0.1	136,500
Richland, SC	0.5	231,200
Spartanburg, SC	2.1	160,500
York, SC	1.7	107,600
Minnehaha, SD	0.3	140,300
Davidson, TN	-0.7	555,200
Hamilton, TN	-0.7	220,500
Knox, TN	-0.1	264,500
Rutherford, TN	-1.3	148,700
Shelby, TN	-2.2	471,100
Williamson, TN	2.2	154,100
Bell, TX	-0.1	131,600
Bexar, TX	-0.4	940,800
Brazoria, TX	0.6	125,300
Brazos, TX	1.3	129,700
Cameron, TX	-1.1	155,800
Collin, TX	1.6	572,400
Comal, TX	0.4	76,900
Dallas, TX	0.6	1,853,900
Denton, TX	0.3	323,900
Ector, TX	-1.3	80,200
El Paso, TX	0.8	342,900
Fort Bend, TX	0.3	267,500
Galveston, TX	0.2	124,600
Harris, TX	-0.2	2,466,900
Hays, TX	2.8	101,600
Hidalgo, TX	0.1	299,800
Jefferson, TX	-1.1	123,600
Lubbock, TX	1.2	156,000
McLennan, TX	0.0	124,200
Midland, TX	-1.4	119,000
Montgomery, TX	1.6	238,900
Nueces, TX	1.3	168,000
Potter, TX	-0.4	78,900
Smith, TX	0.0	116,000
Tarrant, TX	0.2	1,029,800
Travis, TX	0.2	939,400
Webb, TX	-0.6	109,600
Williamson, TX	0.2	240,300
Davis, UT	-0.6	143,000
Salt Lake, UT	2.0	821,000
Utah, UT	2.1	305,600
Washington, UT	2.3	91,400
Weber, UT	-0.1	123,200
Chittenden, VT	-0.8	102,900
Arlington, VA	-4.0	176,800
Chesterfield, VA	—	152,700
Fairfax, VA	-1.1	632,400
Henrico, VA	—	193,900
Loudoun, VA	2.9	208,000
Prince William, VA	1.0	147,300
Alexandria City, VA	-1.5	80,200
Chesapeake City, VA	—	107,100
Newport News City, VA	0.1	103,000
Norfolk City, VA	-1.2	143,900
Richmond City, VA	1.7	169,000
Virginia Beach City, VA	0.4	180,700
Benton, WA	-0.3	97,900
Clark, WA	0.0	183,500
King, WA	-0.6	1,439,100
Kitsap, WA	0.0	94,100
Pierce, WA	-0.3	339,200
Snohomish, WA	-0.6	300,600
Spokane, WA	0.2	243,300
Thurston, WA	-0.1	129,800
Whatcom, WA	-1.4	92,500
Yakima, WA	0.2	109,900
Kanawha, WV	-0.5	95,700
Brown, WI	0.1	161,300
Dane, WI	0.1	361,700
Milwaukee, WI	-0.3	468,900
Outagamie, WI	0.2	108,700
Racine, WI	-1.5	75,900
Waukesha, WI	0.1	249,900
Winnebago, WI	-1.2	93,500

Washington, DC, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (−4.5 percent). Within Washington, the largest employment decrease occurred in government, with a loss of 21,178 (−9.0 percent).

Four of the 10 largest counties had over-the-year percentage increases in employment. In December 2025, New York, New York, and Dallas, Texas, had the largest over-the-year employment percentage gain (+0.6 percent each). Within New York, financial activities had the largest employment increase, with a gain of 9,572 (+2.3 percent). Within Dallas, financial activities also had the largest employment increase, with a gain of 4,943 (+3.0 percent).

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program and are preliminary. The 372 largest U.S. counties had annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023. To learn more, see “County Employment and Wages – Fourth Quarter 2025.” You can also find more employment data for the nation, states, counties, and metropolitan areas through our data viewer tool.

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Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Buncombe, NC, leads large counties in employment growth over the year ended December 2025 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/buncombe-nc-leads-large-counties-in-employment-growth-over-the-year-ended-december-2025.htm (visited June 11, 2026).

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