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COUNTY

Jefferson County

Missouri · 233,132 residents (2025 est.) · 656 sq mi
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The short version

With 229,458 people, Jefferson County is a county in Missouri. That puts it in the top 4% of US counties for household income. 82% of homes are owner-occupied. About 25% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 2%. The typical home is worth $237,200, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $82,851, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Jefferson County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share98.1% → 88.5% (−9.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median age30.7 → 40.3 (+9.6 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years

Among the 115 counties in Missouri

  • 8th in household income$82,851
  • 25th in share with a bachelor's degree24.7%
  • 12th in home value$237,200
  • 39th in diversity score26.5
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
229,458
+16%since 2000
from 198,099 in 2000
233,132 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
350 / sq mi
+16%since 2000
from 302 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.3
+15%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
656 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
166K183K200K218K235K19902000201020202024Jefferson County
2024229K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(12,635)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(14,309)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(15,075)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.1%(14,095)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(12,532)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.4%(28,494)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.7%(31,476)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(29,293)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.5%(33,288)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.7%(24,496)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.5%(10,236)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(3,529)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$82,851
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,338 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,160
+101%since 2000
from $19,435 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
54.7%
+20.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 6.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.395
+4%since 2010
from 0.378 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade10.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$237,200
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $93,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$979
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $502 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
82.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2000
from 83.4% in 2000
17.8% rent
Vacancy rate
6.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.58 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.67 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.2%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
35.6%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 40.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.9
+8%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
45
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.8%(191,753)
Black0.7%(1,340)
Hispanic / Latino1%(2,002)
Asian0.3%(691)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.5%(202,967)
Black1%(2,315)
Hispanic / Latino2.6%(6,066)
Asian1%(2,305)
Other6.9%(15,805)
Diversity Score
26
+136%since 2009
from 11 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
20
−15%since 2020
from 24 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.4%(3,232)
Puerto Rican0.3%(768)
Spaniard0.1%(244)
Salvadoran0.1%(226)
Guatemalan0.1%(203)
Peruvian0%(113)
Nicaraguan0%(104)
Cuban0%(83)
Dominican0%(76)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(51)
Honduran0%(41)
Chilean0%(29)
Bolivian0%(27)
Colombian0%(21)
Asian origin
Chinese0.3%(618)
Filipino0.2%(508)
Korean0.2%(413)
Asian Indian0.1%(156)
Nepalese0.1%(155)
Bangladeshi0.1%(147)
Laotian0%(78)
Thai0%(40)
Cambodian0%(36)
Taiwanese0%(24)
Japanese0%(16)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(62)
Tongan0%(33)
Chamorro0%(12)
Ancestry
German29.2%(67,083)
Irish14.6%(33,468)
English11.3%(25,983)
American6.2%(14,297)
Italian5.3%(12,077)
French4.4%(10,190)
Polish2.1%(4,776)
Scottish1.6%(3,706)
Scotch-Irish1%(2,247)
Dutch0.8%(1,739)
Swedish0.6%(1,455)
Czech0.5%(1,150)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.4%(1,026)
Hungarian0.4%(1,012)
Welsh0.4%(911)
Croatian0.3%(696)
British0.3%(689)
Swiss0.3%(623)
Arab0.3%(614)
Greek0.2%(527)
Danish0.2%(416)
Russian0.2%(411)
Austrian0.2%(406)
Canadian0.1%(304)
Ukrainian0.1%(278)
Lithuanian0.1%(261)
Romanian0.1%(202)
Lebanese0.1%(191)
Slovak0.1%(168)
Portuguese0.1%(157)
Iraqi0.1%(145)
Slovene0.1%(142)
Serbian0.1%(139)
Belgian0.1%(129)
Turkish0.1%(129)
Moroccan0%(113)
Finnish0%(81)
Kenyan0%(69)
Ethiopian0%(43)
Armenian0%(28)
Latvian0%(27)
Syrian0%(25)
Egyptian0%(21)
Nigerian0%(18)
Brazilian0%(17)
Jamaican0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.7%
+12.6 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.0%
+12.6 ptssince 2000
from 79.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.0%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.6 min
+34%since 2000
from 22.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.5%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 84.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.2%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.5%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.2%
−5.0 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 69.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 75.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.4%
+8.6 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
2.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.3%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2012
from 13.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.7%
+12.0 ptssince 2017
from 79.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 93.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.1%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 97.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.7%(27,659)
Married57%(53,079)
Widowed2.6%(2,391)
Divorced10.8%(10,017)
Women 15+
Never married24.9%(23,490)
Married53.9%(50,802)
Widowed9.1%(8,539)
Divorced12.2%(11,462)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 63.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 11.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 73.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.6%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 27.9% 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)24.4%(3,160)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.7%(2,676)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38%(4,913)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.1%(527)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(66)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 12,928 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
Over time

Jefferson County, decade by decade

Jefferson County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990171,380$77,477$156,2449.0%4.7
2000198,099$84,412$169,96012.1%7.8
2010218,733$81,648$222,54716.1%11.1
2020226,739$81,941$203,25921.1%24.3
2024229,458$82,851$237,20024.7%26.5

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Jefferson County

Okaloosa County
Pop 221,810
Hall County
Pop 226,568
Linn County
Pop 232,028
Henry County
Pop 264,922
Places similar to Jefferson County
Head to head

Compare Jefferson County to nearby counties

JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Monroe County
Income$102,880+24%
Home value$282,100+19%
Population34,840−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
St. Louis County
Income$82,936same
Home value$276,800+17%
Population990,911+325%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$56,043−32%
Home value$129,400−45%
Population23,810−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Franklin County
Income$73,165−12%
Home value$227,600−4%
Population108,090−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jefferson County, Missouri?

Jefferson County, Missouri has about 229,458 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Jefferson County, Missouri?

The typical household in Jefferson County, Missouri earns about $82,851 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jefferson County, Missouri expensive?

In Jefferson County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $237,200, and the typical rent is about $979 a month.

How educated are people in Jefferson County, Missouri?

About 24.7% of adults age 25 and over in Jefferson County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County, Missouri?

About 9.0% of people in Jefferson County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jefferson County, Missouri grown since 1990?

Yes, Jefferson County, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 58,078 residents, a change of about 34 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →