Jefferson County, New York
Located in New York, Jefferson County has a population of 115,040 residents and a median age of 33.7 years, making it the #549 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.7%. The median home value is $188,200, and the median household income is $66,301, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Jefferson County has a population of 115,040, making it the #549 most populous county in the US. The median age is 33.7 years, which is 13.4% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Jefferson County is $66,301, ranking #1,497 out of 3,222 counties — 11.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.7% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Jefferson County is $188,200 (-33.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,213/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Jefferson County, 26.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.5% below the national average, ranking #1,062 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 77.3 years. 17.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.9% of adults in Jefferson County smoke , 37.4% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Jefferson County is 1.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.8% of children in Jefferson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 28.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Jefferson County is 53.3%. The mean commute time is 21.2 min, which is 23.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Jefferson County voted Republican with a margin of 23.6%. The vote was 38.2% Dem / 61.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County, New York has a total population of 115,040, making it the 549th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jefferson County is 33.7 years, which is 13.4% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Jefferson County is $66,301, which ranks #1,497 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Jefferson County is $188,200, 33.2% below the national median. Renters in Jefferson County pay a median gross rent of $1,213 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Jefferson County, 26.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.2 min.
Jefferson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
All data for Jefferson County, New York 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.