Jefferson County, WV

County

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2024 Population

59,260

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

8.69%

1.36% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$98,806

3.44% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$350,800

8.1% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

29,880

2.97% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Jefferson County, WV reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.4% of the residents in Jefferson County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Jefferson County, WV are American Public University System (15,140 degrees awarded in 2023), Shepherd University (594 degrees), and Catholic Distance University (29 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Jefferson County, WV was $350,800, and the homeownership rate was 80.3%.

Most people in Jefferson County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 37.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Jefferson County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Jefferson County, WV borders Washington County, MD, Clarke County, VA, Frederick County, VA, Loudoun County, VA, and Berkeley County, WV.

United States West Virginia Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Population & Diversity

Jefferson County, WV is home to a population of 59.3k people, from which 97.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.08% of Jefferson County, WV residents were born outside of the country (3.01k people).

In 2024, there were 14.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (47.1k people) in Jefferson County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.32k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.53k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.4%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.4% of Jefferson County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jefferson County, WV was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Jefferson County, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jefferson County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
47.1k ± 367
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.32k ± 288
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
2.53k ± 372

7.81%

Hispanic Population

4.63k people

7.81% of the people in Jefferson County, WV are hispanic (4.63k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jefferson County, WV as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

India
2,277 ± 1,171 people
Mexico
2,211 ± 1,154 people
Germany
1,987 ± 1,094 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was India, the natal country of 2,277 West Virginia residents, followed by Mexico with 2,211 and Germany with 1,987.

Foreign-Born Population

5.08%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.01k people

4.83%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.83k people

As of 2024, 5.08% of Jefferson County, WV residents (3.01k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Jefferson County, WV was 4.83%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Jefferson County, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,631 ± 291
Vietnam
996 ± 176
Gulf War (1990s)
904 ± 189

Jefferson County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Jefferson County, WV.

Economy

The economy of Jefferson County, WV employs 29.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jefferson County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,454 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (3,179 people), and Retail Trade (3,135 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($116,667), Public Administration ($101,190), and Information ($95,656).

Employment

Occupations

29.9k

2024 Value

± 1,222

2.97%

1 Year growth

± 5.61%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, WV grew at a rate of 2.97%, from 29k employees to 29.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jefferson County, WV, are Management Occupations (3,724 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,659 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,623 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jefferson County, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

29.9k

2024 Value

± 1,222

2.97%

1 Year growth

± 5.61%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, WV grew at a rate of 2.97%, from 29k employees to 29.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jefferson County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,454 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (3,179 people), and Retail Trade (3,135 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jefferson County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Jefferson County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$65,602

Median earning men ± $3,426

$43,553

Median earning women ± $2,774

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($128,157), Public Administration ($116,905), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,077).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($76,570), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,688), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($62,354).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Y-Axis

0.583%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 690k people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 0.583% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in West Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

83
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
65
Other Services (except Public Administration)
65
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$120k
Educational Services
$83.9k
Accommodation and Food Services
$59.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Jefferson County, WV awarded 15,763 degrees. The student population of Jefferson County, WV in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 33,485 male students and 20,191 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Jefferson County, WV are White (8,350 and 53.7%), Black or African American (2,356 and 15.1%), Hispanic or Latino (2,236 and 14.4%), and Unknown (1,269 and 8.16%).

The largest universities in Jefferson County, WV by number of degrees awarded are American Public University System (15,140 and 96%), Shepherd University (594 and 3.77%), and Catholic Distance University (29 and 0.184%).

The most popular majors in Jefferson County, WV are General Business Administration & Management (3,036 and 19.3%), General Studies (1,774 and 11.3%), and Other Health Professions & Related Clinical Sciences (864 and 5.48%).

The median tuition costs in Jefferson County, WV are $8,280 for private four year colleges, and $6,288 and $15,774 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Jefferson County, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 95.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 33%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 53,676 (62.4% men and 37.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 53,676 students enrolled in Jefferson County, WV, 62.4% men and 37.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 25,958 records, of which 35.5% were women and 64.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
469 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,485 degrees awarded
General Intelligence
473 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Jefferson County, WV was Criminal Justice - Safety Studies with 469 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Jefferson County, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

American Public University System
15,140 degrees awarded
Shepherd University
594 degrees awarded
Catholic Distance University
29 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was American Public University System with 15,140 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 10,037 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jefferson County, WV, which is 1.75 times more than the 5,726 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 8,350 degrees mean that there were 3.54 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,356 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($8,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,354) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,175) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Jefferson County, WV was $350,800 in 2024, which is 1.05 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $324,500 to $350,800, a 8.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Jefferson County, WV is 80.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jefferson County, WV have an average commute time of 37.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jefferson County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.71%.

Housing

Property

$350,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,238

$18,305

Median Property Taxes

±$863

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Jefferson County, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Jefferson County, WV compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

80.3%

Homeownership

2024

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 80.3% of the housing units in Jefferson County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jefferson County, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$98,806

Median Household Income

± $4,916

22.8k

Number of Households

± 975

In 2024, the median household income of the 22.8k households in Jefferson County, WV grew to $98,806 from the previous year's value of $95,523.

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, WV distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Jefferson County, WV is from West Virginia.

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.39% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in West Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (69.5%)
Worked At Home (17.3%)
Carpooled (9.21%)

In 2024, 69.5% of workers in Jefferson County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.3%) and those who carpooled to work (9.21%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

37.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jefferson County, WV have a longer commute time (37.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.98% of the workforce in Jefferson County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Jefferson County, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jefferson County, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.71%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.69% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jefferson County, WV (5.02k out of 57.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jefferson County, WV is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 10% of the children was living in poverty in Jefferson County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 187 in Jefferson County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 48.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94% of the population of Jefferson County, WV has health coverage, with 54.3% on employee plans, 12.6% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 2.07% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, WV see 1,717 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,717 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3277 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 729 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,717 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, WV

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, WV see an average of 1,717 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,717 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Jefferson County, WV in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 41.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.98%

Uninsured

54.3%

Employer Coverage

12.6%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

12.6%

Non-Group

2.07%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jefferson County, WV declined by 2.09% from 6.1% to 5.98%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Jefferson County, WV changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 37.4 in Jefferson County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jefferson County, WV.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.8% in Jefferson County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jefferson County, WV.