COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Jefferson County

Iowa · 16,181 residents · 436 sq mi

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Jefferson County is home to 16,181 people in Iowa. The median age is 41.1, about 6 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $72,700, having risen by half since 1990. About 31% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The average commute runs 11 minutes. Renters pay $426 a month at the median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $42,589

Older

median age 41.1

US median: 35.2

More educated

31% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 24%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $120,530

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

16,181

−1%since 1990

from 16,310 in 1990

1990 – 2025

Median age

41.1

+11%since 1990

from 36.9 in 1990

US average: 35.2

Land area

436 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202416K

Age distribution, 2000

Under 55.4%(877)

US avg: 6.8%

5 to 96.2%(1,004)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.8%(1,264)

US avg: 7.3%

15 to 197.5%(1,213)

US avg: 7.2%

20 to 245.1%(819)

US avg: 6.7%

25 to 3410.2%(1,658)

US avg: 14.2%

35 to 4414.2%(2,293)

US avg: 16%

45 to 5421.1%(3,422)

US avg: 13.4%

55 to 648.7%(1,400)

US avg: 8.6%

65 to 746.3%(1,013)

US avg: 6.5%

75 to 845.2%(849)

US avg: 4.4%

85 and over2.3%(369)

US avg: 1.5%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$33,851

+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $22,630 in 1990

US average: $42,589

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$19,579

+68%since 1990

from $11,664 in 1990

US average: $21,522

Poverty rate

10.9%

−2.9 ptssince 1990

from 13.9% in 1990

US average: 12.4%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$72,700

+18%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $46,800 in 1990

US average: $120,530

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$426

−5%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $339 in 1990

US average: $602

Owner-occupied

67.2%

+0.6 ptssince 1990

from 66.7% in 1990

32.8% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.4%(16,048)

Black0.6%(106)

Hispanic / Latino0.9%(144)

Asian0.6%(93)

2000

White, non-Hispanic94.7%(15,329)

Black0.6%(102)

Hispanic / Latino1.8%(297)

Asian1.7%(275)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.3%(354)

South American0.9%(148)

Colombian0.7%(112)

Puerto Rican0.5%(76)

Ecuadorian0.2%(30)

Dominican0.1%(13)

Asian origin

Vietnamese2.8%(440)

Mongolian1.9%(301)

Nepalese0.9%(146)

Asian Indian0.9%(136)

Taiwanese0.5%(75)

Pakistani0.3%(52)

Thai0.1%(23)

Burmese0.1%(20)

Chinese0.1%(19)

Indonesian0.1%(14)

Uzbek0.1%(12)

Filipino0.1%(9)

Ancestry

German16.4%(2,583)

English14.5%(2,275)

Irish9.7%(1,517)

American5.8%(918)

Swedish3.8%(595)

Norwegian3.7%(583)

Scottish2.8%(440)

Italian2.2%(348)

Subsaharan African1.8%(287)

Dutch1.7%(264)

Arab1.6%(257)

Polish1.6%(255)

+ 30 more ancestry groups with data

French1.5%(235)

Swiss1.1%(167)

Ethiopian0.9%(141)

Egyptian0.8%(121)

British0.7%(117)

Danish0.6%(91)

Welsh0.5%(80)

Russian0.5%(78)

French Canadian0.4%(70)

Scotch-Irish0.4%(65)

Jordanian0.4%(62)

Turkish0.4%(58)

Lebanese0.3%(46)

Hungarian0.3%(43)

Ukrainian0.3%(43)

Brazilian0.3%(41)

Czech0.2%(34)

Greek0.2%(34)

Croatian0.2%(29)

Slovak0.2%(29)

Palestinian0.2%(28)

Romanian0.2%(28)

Latvian0.2%(26)

Austrian0.1%(15)

Portuguese0.1%(13)

Belgian0.1%(12)

West Indian0.1%(12)

Haitian0.1%(12)

Finnish0.1%(11)

Lithuanian0%(7)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Swedish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

31.2%

+4.8 ptssince 1990

from 26.5% in 1990

US average: 24.4%

High school or higher

88.1%

+5.8 ptssince 1990

from 82.3% in 1990

US average: 80.3%

Graduate degree

11.9%

+0.7 ptssince 1990

from 11.2% in 1990

US average: 8.8%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

10.8 min

−49%since 1990

from 21.2 min in 1990

US average: 17.6

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status

Men 15+

Never married28.8%(1,834)

Married57.5%(3,663)

Widowed2.4%(150)

Divorced11.3%(721)

Women 15+

Never married18.9%(1,258)

Married57.3%(3,814)

Widowed11.7%(779)

Divorced12%(800)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.7%

−10.4 ptssince 2013

from 17.1% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

39.3%

−2.7 ptssince 2020

from 42.0% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

21.8%

−5.1 ptssince 2020

from 26.9% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

28.2%

+5.4 ptssince 2020

from 22.8% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

24.5%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 23.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.6%

−0.6 ptssince 2020

from 3.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

60.1%

−7.1 ptssince 2020

from 67.2% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

49.7%

+6.5 ptssince 2020

from 43.2% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)23.1%(232)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)30%(302)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era25.6%(257)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War1.8%(18)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II1.4%(14)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,005 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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