Jefferson County, KY

County

Add Comparison
2024 Population
783,022
US Senator
Mitch McConnell
Republican Party
US Senator
Rand Paul
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
14.3%
1.62% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$69,866
2.97% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$248,400
4.72% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
388,766
0.125% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Jefferson County, KY 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.

94.1% of the residents in Jefferson County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Jefferson County, KY are University of Louisville (5,914 degrees awarded in 2023), Jefferson Community and Technical College (4,318 degrees), and Galen College of Nursing-Louisville (1,544 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Jefferson County, KY was $248,400, and the homeownership rate was 62.1%.

Most people in Jefferson County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Jefferson County, KY was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Louisville, KY
Photo by The Pug Father
United StatesKentuckyLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

Population & Diversity

Jefferson County, KY is home to a population of 783k people, from which 94.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.67% of Jefferson County, KY residents were born outside of the country (75.7k people).

In 2024, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (485k people) in Jefferson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 161k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 36.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.1%
2024 Citizenship
94.7%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.1% of Jefferson County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jefferson County, KY was 94.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jefferson County, KY
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    485k ± 1.29k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    161k ± 2.11k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    36.2k ± 2.33k
8.59%
Hispanic Population
67.3k people

In 2024, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (485k people) in Jefferson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 161k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 36.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

8.59% of the people in Jefferson County, KY are hispanic (67.3k people).

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

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    34,091 ± 4,516 people
  2. Cuba
    20,475 ± 3,505 people
  3. India
    12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

9.67%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
75.7k people
9.2%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
71.6k people

As of 2024, 9.67% of Jefferson County, KY residents (75.7k 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, KY was 9.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    11,151 ± 732
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    8,157 ± 919
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    6,870 ± 713

Jefferson County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

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

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Jefferson County, KY employs 389k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jefferson County, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (58,345 people), Manufacturing (47,948 people), and Retail Trade (40,710 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($85,833), Utilities ($79,417), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($72,934).

Employment

Occupations

389k
2024 Value
± 5,281
0.125%
1 Year growth
± 1.95%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, KY grew at a rate of 0.125%, from 388k employees to 389k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jefferson County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (44,208 people), Management Occupations (41,051 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (34,184 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jefferson County, KY.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (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.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

389k
2024 Value
± 5,281
0.125%
1 Year growth
± 1.95%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, KY grew at a rate of 0.125%, from 388k employees to 389k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jefferson County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (58,345 people), Manufacturing (47,948 people), and Retail Trade (40,710 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jefferson County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Jefferson County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,583
Median earning men ± $849
$41,849
Median earning women ± $675

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,502), Public Administration ($67,221), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($63,174).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,056), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,988), and Public Administration ($50,522).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
Y-Axis
2.51%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% 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 14.4%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,470
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 1,138
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. 1,113
    Retail Trade

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.

View Data
Save Image

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $4.37M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $3.55M
    Manufacturing
  3. $3.22M
    Transportation and Warehousing

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

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Jefferson County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (33.9%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
Mitch McConnell
Senator from Kentucky2
Assumed office on January 3, 1985
Rand Paul
Senator from Kentucky3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Jefferson County, KY awarded 15,559 degrees. The student population of Jefferson County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 21,715 male students and 30,995 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Jefferson County, KY are White (10,145 and 67%), Black or African American (2,235 and 14.8%), Hispanic or Latino (1,056 and 6.98%), and Asian (646 and 4.27%).

The largest universities in Jefferson County, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of Louisville (5,914 and 38%), Jefferson Community and Technical College (4,318 and 27.8%), and Galen College of Nursing-Louisville (1,544 and 9.92%).

The most popular majors in Jefferson County, KY are Registered Nursing (2,096 and 13.5%), General Computer & Information Sciences (896 and 5.76%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (748 and 4.81%).

The median tuition costs in Jefferson County, KY are $21,729 for private four year colleges, and $12,632 and $28,978 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, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 84.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 52,710 (41.2% men and 58.8% 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.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 52,710 students enrolled in Jefferson County, KY, 41.2% men and 58.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 31,071 records, of which 56.7% were women and 43.3% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Registered Nursing
    1,529 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    347 degrees awarded
  3. Speech Communication & Rhetoric
    187 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Jefferson County, KY was Registered Nursing with 1,529 degrees awarded.

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

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Louisville
    5,914 degrees awarded
  2. Jefferson Community and Technical College
    4,318 degrees awarded
  3. Galen College of Nursing-Louisville
    1,544 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Louisville with 5,914 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 6,814 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jefferson County, KY, which is 0.779 times less than the 8,745 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 10,145 degrees mean that there were 4.54 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,235 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($21,729) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($750) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($3,586) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Jefferson County, KY was $248,400 in 2024, which is 0.747 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $237,200 to $248,400, a 4.72% increase. The homeownership rate in Jefferson County, KY is 62.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jefferson County, KY have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jefferson County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

Housing

Property

$248,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$2,496
$205,981
Median Property Taxes
±$3,302

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, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

62.1%
Homeownership
2024
63.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 62.1% of the housing units in Jefferson County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.8%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$69,866
Median Household Income
± $1,228
332k
Number of Households
± 4,744

In 2024, the median household income of the 332k households in Jefferson County, KY grew to $69,866 from the previous year's value of $67,849.

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, KY 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 $75k - $100k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Jefferson County, KY is from Kentucky.
0.449
2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky
0.452
2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

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

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (72.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (14.2%)
  3. Carpooled (8.36%)

In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Jefferson County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.2%) and those who carpooled to work (8.36%).

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.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

22.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jefferson County, KY have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.42% of the workforce in Jefferson County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jefferson County, KY (110k out of 769k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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.

View Data
Save Image

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 21.6% of the children was living in poverty in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.4%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 612 in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 32 per 100,000 population.

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

View Data
Save Image

Health

94.3% of the population of Jefferson County, KY has health coverage, with 48.1% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, KY see 1,093 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,093 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 944 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 246 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,093 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, KY

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, KY see an average of 1,093 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,093 patients).

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

View Data
Save Image

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 22% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

5.7%
Uninsured
48.1%
Employer Coverage
21.1%
Medicaid
12.7%
Medicare
11.3%
Non-Group
1.17%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jefferson County, KY grew by 2.45% from 5.57% to 5.7%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 75.4 in Jefferson County, KY.

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

View Data
Save Image

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 37.2% in Jefferson County, KY.

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

View Data
Save Image

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 6.3% in Jefferson County, KY.

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

View Data
Save Image