NextChapter

Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southwest

Elko County has the lowest unemployment rate in the Southwest among large counties: 3.0%, against 4.5% for the typical large county.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census data.

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Key facts

  • #1 Elko County, NV: 3.0%
  • #2 Midland County, TX: 3.2%
  • #3 Randall County, TX: 3.2%
  • 100 counties ranked in the Southwest
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 4.5% across the typical large county.

  1. 1Elko County NV3.0%
  2. 2Midland County TX3.2%
  3. 3Randall County TX3.2%
  4. 4McClain County OK3.3%
  5. 5Canadian County OK3.4%
  6. 6Cooke County TX3.4%
  7. 7Washoe County NV3.5%
  8. 8Cleveland County OK3.5%
  9. 9Brazos County TX3.5%
  10. 10Taylor County TX3.5%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Elko County leads on 3.0%, and #10 Taylor County is at 3.5%.
  • Cooke County reaches #6 on a sample of 22,800 people in the labor force, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Washoe County is the largest market in the top ten, with 269,799 people in the labor force behind its figure.
  • Counties with fewer than 20,000 people in the labor force are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

The unemployment rate shows how much slack a county's labor market has. A low rate means employers are competing for the people who are available.

How to use it

If you are looking for work, a low-rate county is a sign that employers there are hiring. Check the county page for its largest employers and recent layoffs.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Elko County NV

    3.0%

    A year ago
    3.7%
    People in the labor force
    27,526
    Population
    53,852

    Based on 27,526 people in the labor force.

    Elko County job market

  2. 2

    Midland County TX

    3.2%

    A year ago
    3.4%
    People in the labor force
    105,461
    Population
    171,496

    Based on 105,461 people in the labor force.

    Midland County job market

  3. 3

    Randall County TX

    3.2%

    A year ago
    3.0%
    People in the labor force
    83,085
    Population
    143,791

    Based on 83,085 people in the labor force.

    Randall County job market

  4. 4

    McClain County OK

    3.3%

    A year ago
    3.0%
    People in the labor force
    25,105
    Population
    43,779

    Based on 25,105 people in the labor force.

    McClain County job market

  5. 5

    Canadian County OK

    3.4%

    A year ago
    3.1%
    People in the labor force
    98,859
    Population
    162,621

    Based on 98,859 people in the labor force.

    Canadian County job market

  6. 6

    Cooke County TX

    3.4%

    A year ago
    3.6%
    People in the labor force
    22,800
    Population
    42,473

    Based on 22,800 people in the labor force.

    Cooke County job market

  7. 7

    Washoe County NV

    3.5%

    A year ago
    4.2%
    People in the labor force
    269,799
    Population
    491,770

    Based on 269,799 people in the labor force.

    Washoe County job market

  8. 8

    Cleveland County OK

    3.5%

    A year ago
    3.1%
    People in the labor force
    163,688
    Population
    297,545

    Based on 163,688 people in the labor force.

    Cleveland County job market

  9. 9

    Brazos County TX

    3.5%

    A year ago
    3.7%
    People in the labor force
    138,227
    Population
    237,980

    Based on 138,227 people in the labor force.

    Brazos County job market

  10. 10

    Taylor County TX

    3.5%

    A year ago
    3.6%
    People in the labor force
    75,614
    Population
    144,259

    Based on 75,614 people in the labor force.

    Taylor County job market

  11. 11

    Tom Green County TX

    3.5%

    A year ago
    3.4%
    People in the labor force
    61,975
    Population
    119,398

    Based on 61,975 people in the labor force.

    Tom Green County job market

  12. 12

    Carson City NV

    3.5%

    A year ago
    4.2%
    People in the labor force
    28,941
    Population
    58,364

    Based on 28,941 people in the labor force.

    Carson City job market

  13. 13

    Erath County TX

    3.5%

    A year ago
    3.9%
    People in the labor force
    24,055
    Population
    43,244

    Based on 24,055 people in the labor force.

    Erath County job market

  14. 14

    Travis County TX

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.6%
    People in the labor force
    879,546
    Population
    1,307,625

    Based on 879,546 people in the labor force.

    Travis County job market

  15. 15

    Parker County TX

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.6%
    People in the labor force
    93,884
    Population
    158,079

    Based on 93,884 people in the labor force.

    Parker County job market

  16. 16

    Rogers County OK

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.1%
    People in the labor force
    52,090
    Population
    97,235

    Based on 52,090 people in the labor force.

    Rogers County job market

  17. 17

    Payne County OK

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.3%
    People in the labor force
    40,765
    Population
    82,290

    Based on 40,765 people in the labor force.

    Payne County job market

  18. 18

    Eddy County NM

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.1%
    People in the labor force
    32,691
    Population
    61,114

    Based on 32,691 people in the labor force.

    Eddy County job market

  19. 19

    Grady County OK

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.3%
    People in the labor force
    29,041
    Population
    55,868

    Based on 29,041 people in the labor force.

    Grady County job market

  20. 20

    Hopkins County TX

    3.6%

    A year ago
    3.5%
    People in the labor force
    20,493
    Population
    37,351

    Based on 20,493 people in the labor force.

    Hopkins County job market

  21. 21

    Williamson County TX

    3.7%

    A year ago
    3.8%
    People in the labor force
    436,738
    Population
    643,889

    Based on 436,738 people in the labor force.

    Williamson County job market

  22. 22

    Hays County TX

    3.7%

    A year ago
    3.7%
    People in the labor force
    170,553
    Population
    256,429

    Based on 170,553 people in the labor force.

    Hays County job market

  23. 23

    Lubbock County TX

    3.7%

    A year ago
    3.6%
    People in the labor force
    170,197
    Population
    314,633

    Based on 170,197 people in the labor force.

    Lubbock County job market

  24. 24

    Ector County TX

    3.7%

    A year ago
    4.1%
    People in the labor force
    89,051
    Population
    163,206

    Based on 89,051 people in the labor force.

    Ector County job market

  25. 25

    Bastrop County TX

    3.7%

    A year ago
    3.9%
    People in the labor force
    58,703
    Population
    102,370

    Based on 58,703 people in the labor force.

    Bastrop County job market

Full ranking

All 100 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCountyScoreSample
1Elko County NV3.0%27,526
2Midland County TX3.2%105,461
3Randall County TX3.2%83,085
4McClain County OK3.3%25,105
5Canadian County OK3.4%98,859
6Cooke County TX3.4%22,800
7Washoe County NV3.5%269,799
8Cleveland County OK3.5%163,688
9Brazos County TX3.5%138,227
10Taylor County TX3.5%75,614
11Tom Green County TX3.5%61,975
12Carson City NV3.5%28,941
13Erath County TX3.5%24,055
14Travis County TX3.6%879,546
15Parker County TX3.6%93,884
16Rogers County OK3.6%52,090
17Payne County OK3.6%40,765
18Eddy County NM3.6%32,691
19Grady County OK3.6%29,041
20Hopkins County TX3.6%20,493
21Williamson County TX3.7%436,738
22Hays County TX3.7%170,553
23Lubbock County TX3.7%170,197
24Ector County TX3.7%89,051
25Bastrop County TX3.7%58,703
26Wagoner County OK3.7%46,398
27Garfield County OK3.7%28,221
28Kerr County TX3.7%25,352
29Kendall County TX3.7%24,780
30Douglas County NV3.7%24,177
31Oklahoma County OK3.8%423,769
32Johnson County TX3.8%108,404
33Rockwall County TX3.8%75,844
34Wise County TX3.8%42,219
35Logan County OK3.8%26,550
36Mayes County OK3.8%20,352
37Denton County TX3.9%614,643
38Tulsa County OK3.9%357,457
39Lyon County NV3.9%30,193
40Caldwell County TX3.9%26,492
41Burnet County TX3.9%26,228
42Bryan County OK3.9%24,460
43Cherokee County OK3.9%23,751
44McLennan County TX4.0%132,717
45Smith County TX4.0%122,541
46Comal County TX4.0%100,428
47Wichita County TX4.0%57,131
48Potter County TX4.0%52,541
49Wilson County TX4.0%26,612
50Maricopa County AZ4.1%2,438,322
51Tarrant County TX4.1%1,221,984
52Collin County TX4.1%711,634
53Ellis County TX4.1%127,119
54Webb County TX4.1%122,249
55Guadalupe County TX4.1%97,656
56Lea County NM4.1%34,795
57Creek County OK4.1%34,499
58Dallas County TX4.2%1,453,109
59Grayson County TX4.2%74,152
60Pottawatomie County OK4.2%33,478
61Curry County NM4.2%20,964
62Bexar County TX4.3%1,050,577
63El Paso County TX4.3%422,861
64Montgomery County TX4.3%373,133
65Santa Fe County NM4.3%71,445
66Victoria County TX4.3%42,039
67Van Zandt County TX4.3%28,392
68Osage County OK4.3%20,988
69Anderson County TX4.3%20,598
70Nueces County TX4.4%171,423
71Kaufman County TX4.4%104,473
72Hunt County TX4.4%58,112
73Comanche County OK4.4%49,024
74Bowie County TX4.4%39,812
75Walker County TX4.4%30,712
76Medina County TX4.4%24,342
77Washington County OK4.4%23,719
78Gila County AZ4.4%22,874
79Cherokee County TX4.4%22,071
80Fort Bend County TX4.5%486,124
81Hood County TX4.5%29,888
82Hardin County TX4.5%27,613
83Rusk County TX4.5%21,763
84Harris County TX4.6%2,549,337
85Bernalillo County NM4.6%335,017
86Galveston County TX4.6%183,590
87Henderson County TX4.6%37,898
88Harrison County TX4.6%32,325
89Atascosa County TX4.6%23,206
90Yavapai County AZ4.7%104,422
91Gregg County TX4.7%57,777
92Angelina County TX4.7%35,866
93Nacogdoches County TX4.7%28,301
94Clark County NV4.8%1,226,229
95Pima County AZ4.8%485,033
96Pinal County AZ4.8%223,936
97Brazoria County TX4.8%203,060
98Sandoval County NM4.8%73,799
99Chaves County NM4.8%27,784
100Navarro County TX4.8%24,491

How this ranking works

A county's score is its unemployment rate, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted. The lowest rate ranks first.

Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force are ranked, so small counties do not swing the list. Local rates are estimates and move from month to month.

Sample bar: counties with fewer than 20,000 people in the labor force are not ranked.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (not seasonally adjusted). Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which county ranks first: counties with the lowest unemployment in the southwest?
Elko County has the lowest unemployment rate in the Southwest among large counties: 3.0%, against 4.5% for the typical large county.
How many counties are ranked?
100 counties have at least 20,000 people in the labor force, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A county's score is its unemployment rate, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted. The lowest rate ranks first. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force are ranked, so small counties do not swing the list. Local rates are estimates and move from month to month.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/counties-with-the-lowest-unemployment-in-the-southwest

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/counties-with-the-lowest-unemployment-in-the-southwest">Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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