Jefferson County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05069 Democrat

Located in Arkansas, Jefferson County has a population of 64,802 residents and a median age of 39.7 years, making it the #853 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.6%. The median home value is $113,400, and the median household income is $51,096, which is 32% below the national median.

64,802
Population
#853 of 3,222
$51,096
Median Income
-32.0% #2,713 of 3,222
39.7 years
Median Age
+2.1% #2,189 of 3,222
18.6%
Poverty Rate
+47.3% #2,526 of 3,222

Demographics

Jefferson County has a population of 64,802, making it the #853 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.0%
Native Born
2.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Jefferson County is $51,096, ranking #2,713 out of 3,222 counties — 32.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.6% and unemployment stands at 8.1%.

Income#2,713
$51,096
-32.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,828
$26,677
-35.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poverty#2,526
18.6%
+47.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#2,961
8.1%
+53.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jefferson County is $113,400 (-59.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $888/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.8%.

Home Value#2,794
$113,400
-59.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Rent#1,500
$888
-23.6%
vs nation
53th percentile
Homeownership#2,924
61.8%
-4.1%
vs nation
9th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jefferson County, 20.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.5% below the national average, ranking #1,992 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.1% −40.5% vs nation
Rank #1,992 of 3,222
38th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 70.3 years. 27.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,842
70.3
-6.5%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,958
27.6%
+41.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Diabetes#2,994
15.3%
+37.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,120
46.7%
+25.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,823
6.4
+14.0%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,728
5.2
+17.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,107
7.8%
-26.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,990
35.4%
+34.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,434
17.0%
+18.0%
vs nation
23th percentile

Substance Use

24.2% of adults in Jefferson County smoke , 44.5% are obese , and 16.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,956
24.2%
+34.8%
vs nation
6th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,970
44.5%
+17.4%
vs nation
6th percentile
Excessive Drinking#442
16.4%
-17.5%
vs nation
86th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#606
20.5
-36.7%
vs nation
71th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Jefferson County is 37.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,519
37.3
+365.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Suicide Rate#263
11.8
-40.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,435
43.9
+145.5%
vs nation
1th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,053
24.5
+20.9%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

32.0% of children in Jefferson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 36.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,164
8.9
+31.2%
vs nation
15th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,700
36.6
+67.5%
vs nation
10th percentile
Child Poverty#2,928
32.0%
+68.5%
vs nation
7th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jefferson County is 47.8%. The mean commute time is 25.4 min, which is 7.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
47.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.4 min −7.9% vs nation
Rank #1,845 of 3,222
43th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jefferson County voted Democratic with a margin of 20.0%. The vote was 59.2% Dem / 39.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +20.0%
59.2% 39.2%
Dem 21,608 votes Rep
2020 DEM +21.7%
59.5% 37.8%
Dem 25,158 votes Rep
2016 DEM +25.3%
61.2% 35.9%
Dem 25,683 votes Rep
2012 DEM +29.0%
63.8% 34.8%
Dem 27,364 votes Rep
2008 DEM +26.3%
62.2% 35.9%
Dem 29,689 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jefferson County, Arkansas

Jefferson County, Arkansas has a total population of 64,802, making it the 853rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jefferson County is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jefferson County is $51,096, which ranks #2,713 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.1%.

The median home value in Jefferson County is $113,400, 59.8% below the national median. Renters in Jefferson County pay a median gross rent of $888 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jefferson County, 20.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.4 min.

Jefferson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 56.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (36.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Jefferson County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.