CensusEasy
COUNTY

Jefferson County

New York · 111,540 residents (2025 est.) · 1,267.93 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Watertown metro area
Compare
The short version

Jefferson County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $66,301. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $188,200. At a median age of 33.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
115,040
+3%since 2000
from 111,738 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
91 / sq mi
−2%since 2009
from 93 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.7
+4%since 2000
from 32.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:111,540 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
110K113K115K117K120K1990201020202024Jefferson County
2024115K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.3%(8,357)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(7,893)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(7,240)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(6,867)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.2%(10,600)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.2%(18,677)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.4%(14,237)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.6%(11,091)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411%(12,697)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749%(10,327)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.5%(5,142)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(1,912)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,301
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,006 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,025
+122%since 2000
from $16,202 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.7%
+21.4 ptssince 2009
from 23.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
+5%since 2010
from 0.420 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade6.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$188,200
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,213
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $486 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
54.7%
−5.0 ptssince 2000
from 59.7% in 2000
45.3% rent
Vacancy rate
23.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 22.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.6%
+8.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.8
+13%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Jefferson County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.2%(97,389)
Black5.6%(6,257)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(4,677)
Asian0.9%(1,007)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.2%(92,228)
Black4.3%(4,981)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(8,657)
Asian1.9%(2,159)
Other6.1%(7,015)
Diversity Score
43
+43%since 2009
from 30 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
−19%since 2020
from 39 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
Mexican2.4%(2,793)
Puerto Rican2.2%(2,523)
Dominican0.5%(563)
Ecuadorian0.4%(487)
Guatemalan0.2%(286)
Spaniard0.2%(283)
Panamanian0.2%(208)
Colombian0.2%(205)
Salvadoran0.1%(129)
Cuban0.1%(90)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Korean0.4%(469)
Filipino0.3%(362)
Asian Indian0.3%(351)
Chinese0.3%(304)
Vietnamese0.1%(164)
Thai0.1%(100)
Nepalese0.1%(77)
Laotian0%(33)
Pakistani0%(30)
Japanese0%(24)
Cambodian0%(21)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Mongolian0%(13)
Uzbek0%(6)
Kazakh0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(171)
Samoan0.1%(135)
Ancestry
Irish15.9%(18,287)
German13.8%(15,932)
English13.5%(15,580)
Italian8.2%(9,468)
American6%(6,914)
French5.5%(6,370)
Polish3%(3,414)
French Canadian2.3%(2,696)
Scottish2.3%(2,662)
Dutch1.7%(1,955)
West Indian0.8%(895)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(856)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(753)
Hungarian0.6%(692)
Welsh0.6%(662)
Canadian0.5%(607)
British0.5%(588)
Russian0.5%(565)
Jamaican0.5%(530)
Swedish0.4%(507)
Swiss0.3%(371)
Ukrainian0.3%(319)
Arab0.2%(256)
Greek0.2%(248)
Romanian0.1%(163)
Austrian0.1%(150)
Lebanese0.1%(140)
Portuguese0.1%(136)
Danish0.1%(116)
Haitian0.1%(109)
Lithuanian0.1%(76)
Syrian0.1%(74)
Czech0.1%(73)
Iranian0.1%(69)
Finnish0.1%(60)
Ethiopian0.1%(59)
Nigerian0.1%(58)
Brazilian0%(57)
Croatian0%(55)
Slovak0%(53)
Guyanese0%(40)
Belgian0%(32)
Israeli0%(26)
Ghanaian0%(25)
Kenyan0%(24)
Egyptian0%(23)
Bulgarian0%(11)
Turkish0%(7)
Serbian0%(3)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
26.5%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.0%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.1%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.5 min
+55%since 2000
from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 77.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.3%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.7%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 9.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2011
from 65.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.4%
−24.7 ptssince 2009
from 60.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Female
47.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Foreign born
4.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
12.7%
−34.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 13.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.5%
−85.0 ptssince 2013
from 90.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.8%
+10.1 ptssince 2017
from 80.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
91.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 92.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35%(16,900)
Married54.6%(26,388)
Widowed2%(944)
Divorced8.4%(4,076)
Women 15+
Never married23.3%(10,064)
Married56.4%(24,403)
Widowed8%(3,468)
Divorced12.3%(5,307)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Jefferson County

Hardin County
Pop 113,482
Whitfield County
Pop 106,212
Floyd County
Pop 101,378
Daviess County
Pop 104,898
Places similar to Jefferson County
Head to head

Compare Jefferson County to nearby counties

JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Lewis County
Income$68,182+3%
Home value$166,100−12%
Population26,479−76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Oswego County
Income$69,183+4%
Home value$151,700−19%
Population118,569+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
St. Lawrence County
Income$62,850−5%
Home value$121,900−35%
Population105,488−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Oneida County
Income$70,154+6%
Home value$182,600−3%
Population226,392+103%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jefferson County, New York?

Jefferson County, New York has about 115,040 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Jefferson County, New York?

The typical household in Jefferson County, New York earns about $66,301 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jefferson County, New York expensive?

In Jefferson County, New York, the median home is worth about $188,200, and the typical rent is about $1,213 a month.

How educated are people in Jefferson County, New York?

About 26.5% of adults age 25 and over in Jefferson County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County, New York?

About 13.7% of people in Jefferson County, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jefferson County, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Jefferson County, New York has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,097 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

36 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 608.03Census Tract 608.05Census Tract 605Census Tract 616Census Tract 624Census Tract 607Census Tract 622Census Tract 606.02Census Tract 608.06Census Tract 610Census Tract 621Census Tract 619Census Tract 618.01Census Tract 615Census Tract 625Census Tract 604.01Census Tract 612Census Tract 606.01Census Tract 614Census Tract 613
38 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 13601ZIP 13603ZIP 13619ZIP 13605ZIP 13637ZIP 13624ZIP 13634ZIP 13691ZIP 13656ZIP 13612ZIP 13606ZIP 13602ZIP 13685ZIP 13673ZIP 13607ZIP 13661ZIP 13622ZIP 13618ZIP 13608ZIP 13616ZIP 13650ZIP 13679ZIP 13682ZIP 13615ZIP 13693ZIP 13659ZIP 13628ZIP 13640ZIP 13692ZIP 13643
Up the hierarchy
All counties in New York
Rankings
Highest income countiesLowest poverty counties

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

How we source and harmonize this data →