Jefferson County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21111 Democrat

Located in Kentucky, Jefferson County has a population of 783,022 residents and a median age of 38.4 years, making it the #84 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.3%. The median home value is $248,400, and the median household income is $69,866, which is 7% below the national median.

783,022
Population
#84 of 3,222
$69,866
Median Income
-7.0% #1,205 of 3,222
38.4 years
Median Age
-1.3% #2,503 of 3,222
14.3%
Poverty Rate
+13.4% #1,817 of 3,222

Demographics

Jefferson County has a population of 783,022, making it the #84 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.0%
Native Born
10.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Jefferson County is $69,866, ranking #1,205 out of 3,222 counties — 7.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.3% and unemployment stands at 5.2%.

Income#1,205
$69,866
-7.0%
vs nation
63th percentile
Per Capita#625
$42,087
+2.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poverty#1,817
14.3%
+13.4%
vs nation
44th percentile
Unemployment#2,117
5.2%
-2.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jefferson County is $248,400 (-11.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,149/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.1%.

Home Value#907
$248,400
-11.9%
vs nation
72th percentile
Rent#626
$1,149
-1.2%
vs nation
81th percentile
Homeownership#2,898
62.1%
-3.5%
vs nation
10th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jefferson County, 37.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.9% above the national average, ranking #376 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
37.0% +9.9% vs nation
Rank #376 of 3,222
88th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 73.3 years. 19.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,153
73.3
-2.5%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,813
19.9%
+1.7%
vs nation
42th percentile
Diabetes#2,108
12.0%
+7.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,062
39.2%
+5.1%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#717
5.2
-7.8%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,449
4.4
-2.2%
vs nation
54th percentile
Uninsured Rate#557
6.3%
-39.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,129
24.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,193
13.1%
-9.1%
vs nation
62th percentile

Substance Use

17.0% of adults in Jefferson County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 70.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,278
17.0%
-5.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,194
37.2%
-1.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Excessive Drinking#398
16.2%
-18.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,028
70.6
+118.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Jefferson County is 17.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,412
17.5
+119.2%
vs nation
8th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,102
17.2
-12.7%
vs nation
57th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,177
27.4
+53.2%
vs nation
12th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#818
14.0
-30.9%
vs nation
71th percentile

Families & Children

21.6% of children in Jefferson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 19.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#621
6.2
-9.1%
vs nation
55th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,425
19.6
-10.2%
vs nation
53th percentile
Child Poverty#2,130
21.6%
+13.7%
vs nation
32th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jefferson County is 67.8%. The mean commute time is 24.4 min, which is 11.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.4 min −11.8% vs nation
Rank #2,077 of 3,222
36th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jefferson County voted Democratic with a margin of 16.5%. The vote was 57.4% Dem / 40.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +16.5%
57.4% 40.9%
Dem 353,609 votes Rep
2020 DEM +20.1%
59.1% 39%
Dem 386,629 votes Rep
2016 DEM +13.3%
54.1% 40.8%
Dem 352,778 votes Rep
2012 DEM +11.1%
54.8% 43.7%
Dem 339,500 votes Rep
2008 DEM +12.0%
55.5% 43.5%
Dem 353,892 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jefferson County, Kentucky

Jefferson County, Kentucky has a total population of 783,022, making it the 84th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jefferson County is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jefferson County is $69,866, which ranks #1,205 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.2%.

The median home value in Jefferson County is $248,400, 11.9% below the national median. Renters in Jefferson County pay a median gross rent of $1,149 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jefferson County, 37.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.4 min.

Jefferson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 62.0% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (20.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.6%).

All data for Jefferson County, Kentucky 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.