CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Jefferson County

Texas · 256,526 residents · 877 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Beaumont metro area
Compare
The short version

Jefferson County is home to 256,526 people in Texas. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. The typical home is worth $120,300, having more than doubled since 2000. That trails the Texas median by roughly 20%. The average commute runs 20 minutes. 18.0% of people here live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.4
US median: 38.8
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
256,526
+2%since 2000
from 252,051 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.4
+6%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
877 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
238K243K248K253K258K19902000201020202024Jefferson County
2024254K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.4%(16,498)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(16,955)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.8%(17,335)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.4%(16,361)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(16,323)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414%(35,918)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.5%(34,555)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.7%(29,980)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.1%(33,481)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.1%(23,309)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(10,947)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.9%(4,864)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$50,840
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,706 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,409
+56%since 2000
from $17,571 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
33.6%
+8.9 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
18.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 17.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Wholesale trade13.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Information12.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11.1%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance5.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.7%
US avg: 0.5%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$120,300
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $58,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$869
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $477 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
60.7%
−5.3 ptssince 2000
from 66.0% in 2000
39.3% rent
Persons per household
2.52 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.45 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.4
+16%since 2009
from 2.0 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-Hispanic51.8%(130,604)
Black33.5%(84,482)
Hispanic / Latino10.5%(26,536)
Asian2.9%(7,236)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic37.4%(96,047)
Black32.7%(83,856)
Hispanic / Latino23%(58,915)
Asian3.9%(9,943)
Other1.7%(4,381)
Segregation Score
52
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
Mexican18.2%(45,962)
Central American1.3%(3,209)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,315)
Honduran0.5%(1,238)
Nicaraguan0.3%(830)
Cuban0.3%(731)
Salvadoran0.2%(566)
Guatemalan0.2%(497)
Spaniard0.1%(353)
Colombian0.1%(191)
Venezuelan0%(103)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese2.1%(5,266)
Asian Indian0.8%(2,132)
Filipino0.2%(608)
Pakistani0.2%(566)
Chinese0.2%(515)
Korean0.1%(143)
Cambodian0%(90)
Thai0%(27)
Nepalese0%(18)
Taiwanese0%(17)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(31)
Chamorro0%(10)
Ancestry
Irish6.1%(15,525)
German6.1%(15,467)
French5.3%(13,474)
English4.1%(10,444)
American3.1%(7,918)
Italian2.7%(6,725)
French Canadian1.3%(3,386)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(2,329)
Dutch0.8%(2,108)
Scottish0.8%(1,971)
Norwegian0.4%(1,086)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.3%(727)
British0.3%(663)
Czech0.2%(548)
Welsh0.2%(427)
Russian0.2%(423)
Swedish0.2%(382)
Nigerian0.1%(365)
West Indian0.1%(361)
Greek0.1%(248)
Lebanese0.1%(211)
Hungarian0.1%(206)
Portuguese0.1%(201)
Danish0.1%(171)
Palestinian0.1%(163)
Canadian0.1%(132)
Syrian0%(121)
Ukrainian0%(108)
Haitian0%(105)
Jamaican0%(102)
Austrian0%(88)
Belgian0%(70)
Brazilian0%(66)
Slovene0%(64)
Iranian0%(47)
Finnish0%(45)
Croatian0%(44)
Barbadian0%(42)
Romanian0%(37)
Swiss0%(37)
Slovak0%(28)
Egyptian0%(27)
Guyanese0%(24)
Iraqi0%(22)
Arab0%(18)
Jordanian0%(11)
Moroccan0%(11)
Armenian0%(11)
Turkish0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.3%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 16.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
83.9%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 78.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
6.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 4.8% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.5 min
+60%since 2000
from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
88.5%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 9.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
55.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 57.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
28.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 30.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Female
48.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Foreign born
12.0%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
19.8%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 23.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.7%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40.1%(41,804)
Married46.3%(48,229)
Widowed3.1%(3,256)
Divorced10.5%(10,906)
Women 15+
Never married31.2%(30,451)
Married47%(45,879)
Widowed9.2%(8,964)
Divorced12.7%(12,393)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
19.8%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 23.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
47.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
10.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
56.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.5%
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)17.5%(2,395)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.4%(2,932)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era39.1%(5,362)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War5.3%(724)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3%(413)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 13,714 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

Montgomery County
Pop 225,891
Clayton County
Pop 297,471
Harrison County
Pop 217,136
Mohave County
Pop 228,102
Places similar to Jefferson County
Head to head

Compare Jefferson County to nearby counties

JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$72,104+42%
Home value$173,400+44%
Population86,266−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Chambers County
Income$109,804+116%
Home value$329,500+174%
Population57,594−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Hardin County
Income$75,808+49%
Home value$205,700+71%
Population58,723−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Liberty County
Income$68,703+35%
Home value$181,700+51%
Population121,364−52%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jefferson County, Texas?

Jefferson County, Texas has about 256,526 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Jefferson County, Texas earns about $50,840 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jefferson County, Texas expensive?

In Jefferson County, Texas, the median home is worth about $120,300, and the typical rent is about $869 a month.

How educated are people in Jefferson County, Texas?

About 19.3% of adults age 25 and over in Jefferson County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County, Texas?

About 18.0% of people in Jefferson County, Texas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jefferson County, Texas grown since 1990?

Yes, Jefferson County, Texas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 17,129 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
All counties in Texas

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

How we source and harmonize this data →