Jefferson County, Kansas

KS · FIPS 20087 Republican

Located in Kansas, Jefferson County has a population of 18,349 residents and a median age of 44.2 years, making it the #1,973 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.6%. The median home value is $216,900, and the median household income is $81,278, which is 8% above the national median.

18,349
Population
#1,973 of 3,222
$81,278
Median Income
+8.2% #530 of 3,222
44.2 years
Median Age
+13.6% #889 of 3,222
5.6%
Poverty Rate
-55.2% #87 of 3,222

Demographics

Jefferson County has a population of 18,349, making it the #1,973 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.2 years, which is 13.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Jefferson County is $81,278, ranking #530 out of 3,222 counties — 8.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.6% and unemployment stands at 2.4%.

Income#530
$81,278
+8.2%
vs nation
84th percentile
Per Capita#661
$41,568
+0.7%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poverty#87
5.6%
-55.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Unemployment#409
2.4%
-54.8%
vs nation
87th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jefferson County is $216,900 (-23.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $835/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.7%.

Home Value#1,227
$216,900
-23.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#1,856
$835
-28.2%
vs nation
42th percentile
Homeownership#92
85.7%
+33.1%
vs nation
97th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jefferson County, 24.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.0% below the national average, ranking #1,285 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.6% −27.0% vs nation
Rank #1,285 of 3,222
60th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.5 years. 12.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,081
76.5
+1.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#164
12.9%
-34.1%
vs nation
95th percentile
Diabetes#697
9.3%
-16.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#596
33.4%
-10.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#416
5.0
-11.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#168
3.5
-22.2%
vs nation
95th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,477
9.0%
-13.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Physical Inactivity#486
21.2%
-19.6%
vs nation
85th percentile
Food Insecurity#354
10.3%
-28.5%
vs nation
89th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in Jefferson County smoke , 41.5% are obese , and 21.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#706
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,511
41.5%
+9.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,262
21.7%
+9.0%
vs nation
28th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#433
17.9
-44.6%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,568
20.2
+2.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,785
21.3
+19.3%
vs nation
28th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,821
22.0
+8.7%
vs nation
36th percentile

Families & Children

9.4% of children in Jefferson County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 13.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#698
13.0
-40.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Child Poverty#277
9.4%
-50.5%
vs nation
91th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jefferson County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 32.8 min, which is 18.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.8 min +18.9% vs nation
Rank #497 of 3,222
85th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jefferson County voted Republican with a margin of 36.9%. The vote was 30.5% Dem / 67.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +36.9%
30.5% 67.4%
Dem 9,927 votes Rep
2020 REP +32.2%
32.4% 64.6%
Dem 9,581 votes Rep
2016 REP +32.2%
30.5% 62.7%
Dem 8,151 votes Rep
2012 REP +22.9%
37.3% 60.2%
Dem 7,725 votes Rep
2008 REP +18.7%
39.6% 58.3%
Dem 8,950 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jefferson County, Kansas

Jefferson County, Kansas has a total population of 18,349, making it the 1,973rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jefferson County is 44.2 years, which is 13.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jefferson County is $81,278, which ranks #530 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.4%.

The median home value in Jefferson County is $216,900, 23.1% below the national median. Renters in Jefferson County pay a median gross rent of $835 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jefferson County, 24.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.8 min.

Jefferson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.5%).

All data for Jefferson County, Kansas 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.