Jefferson County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48245 Republican

Located in Texas, Jefferson County has a population of 253,878 residents and a median age of 37.0 years, making it the #283 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.5%. The median home value is $169,500, and the median household income is $60,026, which is 20% below the national median.

253,878
Population
#283 of 3,222
$60,026
Median Income
-20.1% #2,081 of 3,222
37.0 years
Median Age
-4.9% #2,755 of 3,222
19.5%
Poverty Rate
+54.7% #2,623 of 3,222

Demographics

Jefferson County has a population of 253,878, making it the #283 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.0 years, which is 4.9% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

87.9%
Native Born
12.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Jefferson County is $60,026, ranking #2,081 out of 3,222 counties — 20.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.5% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.

Income#2,081
$60,026
-20.1%
vs nation
35th percentile
Per Capita#2,086
$32,101
-22.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poverty#2,623
19.5%
+54.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Unemployment#2,621
6.3%
+18.6%
vs nation
19th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jefferson County is $169,500 (-39.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,117/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.5%.

Home Value#1,818
$169,500
-39.9%
vs nation
44th percentile
Rent#680
$1,117
-4.0%
vs nation
79th percentile
Homeownership#2,878
62.5%
-2.9%
vs nation
11th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jefferson County, 19.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.4% below the national average, ranking #2,044 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.7% −41.4% vs nation
Rank #2,044 of 3,222
37th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 73.4 years. 24.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 20.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,134
73.4
-2.4%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,650
24.4%
+24.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#3,015
15.5%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,610
41.2%
+10.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,859
5.8
+2.3%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,860
4.6
+2.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,027
20.5%
+95.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,921
34.3%
+30.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,635
17.8%
+23.6%
vs nation
16th percentile

Substance Use

18.8% of adults in Jefferson County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 19.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,936
18.8%
+4.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,467
38.1%
+0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,377
19.5%
-2.0%
vs nation
56th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#944
26.0
-19.7%
vs nation
55th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Jefferson County is 12.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,300
12.9
+61.5%
vs nation
15th percentile
Suicide Rate#609
14.3
-27.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,641
19.8
+10.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,275
17.4
-13.9%
vs nation
55th percentile

Families & Children

23.6% of children in Jefferson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 31.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,141
8.8
+28.8%
vs nation
16th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,450
31.8
+45.8%
vs nation
18th percentile
Child Poverty#2,383
23.6%
+24.3%
vs nation
24th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jefferson County is 54.5%. The mean commute time is 23.7 min, which is 14.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.7 min −14.3% vs nation
Rank #2,212 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jefferson County voted Republican with a margin of 8.9%. The vote was 45.1% Dem / 54% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +8.9%
45.1% 54%
Dem 86,272 votes Rep
2020 REP +1.6%
48.6% 50.2%
Dem 94,739 votes Rep
2016 REP +0.5%
48.5% 49%
Dem 87,363 votes Rep
2012 DEM +1.6%
50.4% 48.8%
Dem 88,548 votes Rep
2008 DEM +2.2%
50.8% 48.6%
Dem 88,296 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jefferson County, Texas

Jefferson County, Texas has a total population of 253,878, making it the 283rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jefferson County is 37.0 years, which is 4.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jefferson County is $60,026, which ranks #2,081 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.

The median home value in Jefferson County is $169,500, 39.9% below the national median. Renters in Jefferson County pay a median gross rent of $1,117 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jefferson County, 19.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.7 min.

Jefferson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 36.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (32.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (24.1%).

All data for Jefferson County, Texas 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.