CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Jefferson County

New York · 116,721 residents · 1,268 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Watertown metro area
Compare
The short version

With 116,721 people, Jefferson County is a county in New York. This skews young, with a median age of 33.9. About 22% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $150,100, having more than doubled since 2000. 4% of people here were born outside the United States. Households here earn about 23% less than in New York as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 33.9
US median: 38.8
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
116,721
+4%since 2000
from 111,738 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.9
+4%since 2000
from 32.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,268 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
110K113K115K117K120K19902000201020202024Jefferson County
2024115K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.8%(7,970)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(7,604)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.3%(7,322)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(7,207)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410%(11,619)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.7%(18,360)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.5%(13,423)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.3%(11,980)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.9%(13,946)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.8%(10,250)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.2%(4,916)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(2,124)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,726
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,006 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,120
+74%since 2000
from $16,202 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
35.8%
+12.4 ptssince 2009
from 23.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
14.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.5%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade6.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.8%
US avg: 10%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$150,100
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,018
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $486 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
55.6%
−4.0 ptssince 2000
from 59.7% in 2000
44.4% rent
Persons per household
2.44 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.7
+9%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic79.5%(92,755)
Black5.4%(6,271)
Hispanic / Latino6.8%(7,990)
Asian1.9%(2,185)
Other4%(4,681)
Segregation Score
39
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
Puerto Rican2.8%(3,095)
Mexican2.3%(2,532)
Dominican0.8%(884)
Spaniard0.2%(278)
Colombian0.2%(253)
Guatemalan0.2%(250)
Ecuadorian0.2%(230)
Cuban0.1%(144)
Panamanian0.1%(114)
Honduran0.1%(76)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(58)
Bolivian0%(55)
Peruvian0%(52)
Argentine0%(17)
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(397)
Asian Indian0.3%(356)
Korean0.3%(306)
Bangladeshi0.2%(254)
Chinese0.1%(165)
Taiwanese0.1%(88)
Cambodian0.1%(86)
Burmese0%(51)
Pakistani0%(34)
Japanese0%(33)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(18)
Mongolian0%(13)
Laotian0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(73)
Chamorro0.1%(66)
Tongan0.1%(58)
Ancestry
Irish15.9%(17,671)
German13.7%(15,239)
English10.2%(11,419)
Italian8.5%(9,441)
French8.1%(9,023)
American5.1%(5,652)
Polish2.9%(3,261)
Scottish2.2%(2,494)
Dutch1.5%(1,653)
Welsh0.8%(837)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
British0.7%(801)
West Indian0.7%(781)
Swedish0.6%(706)
Canadian0.6%(642)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(588)
Norwegian0.5%(515)
Hungarian0.5%(511)
Russian0.4%(439)
Greek0.4%(398)
Portuguese0.3%(377)
Jamaican0.3%(372)
Nigerian0.2%(257)
Ukrainian0.2%(244)
Swiss0.2%(200)
Romanian0.2%(192)
Czech0.1%(167)
Haitian0.1%(151)
Lebanese0.1%(132)
Danish0.1%(131)
Israeli0.1%(123)
Austrian0.1%(116)
Lithuanian0.1%(93)
Arab0.1%(91)
Syrian0.1%(72)
Slovak0.1%(66)
Turkish0.1%(66)
Croatian0.1%(64)
Ethiopian0%(53)
Brazilian0%(46)
Finnish0%(39)
Kenyan0%(39)
Iranian0%(29)
Belgian0%(18)
Guyanese0%(16)
Iraqi0%(15)
Egyptian0%(11)
Serbian0%(6)
Somali0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.5%
+6.4 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.0%
+8.1 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
9.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.8 min
+49%since 2000
from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 77.5% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−4.2 ptssince 2011
from 9.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
63.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 65.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
33.3%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Female
47.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Foreign born
4.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.8%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 9.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
91.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
80.6%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.8%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 9.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
45.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
17.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
27.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
67.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)44.6%(4,387)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)23.6%(2,317)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era21.5%(2,116)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.8%(467)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1%(103)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 9,829 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
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+25%
Home value$166,100+11%
Population26,479−76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Oswego County
Income$69,183+26%
Home value$151,700+1%
Population118,569+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
St. Lawrence County
Income$62,850+15%
Home value$121,900−19%
Population105,488−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Oneida County
Income$70,154+28%
Home value$182,600+22%
Population226,392+103%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jefferson County, New York?

Jefferson County, New York has about 116,721 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Jefferson County, New York earns about $54,726 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 $150,100, and the typical rent is about $1,018 a month.

How educated are people in Jefferson County, New York?

About 22.5% 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 14.4% 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 5,778 residents, a change of about 5 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
All counties in New York

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

How we source and harmonize this data →