Jefferson County, MO

County

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2024 Population

229,458

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.3

0.249% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.03%

5.57% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$82,851

2.89% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$237,200

8.41% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

117,199

0.639% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Jefferson County, MO 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.

99.4% of the residents in Jefferson County, MO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Jefferson County, MO are Jefferson College (737 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Jefferson County, MO was $237,200, and the homeownership rate was 82.2%.

Most people in Jefferson County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Jefferson County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Jefferson County, MO borders Monroe County, IL, Franklin County, MO, Ste. Genevieve County, MO, St. Francois County, MO, St. Louis County, MO, and Washington County, MO.

Photo by Jimmy Emerson, DVM

United States Missouri St. Louis, MO-IL

Population & Diversity

Jefferson County, MO is home to a population of 229k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.29% of Jefferson County, MO residents were born outside of the country (5.27k people).

In 2024, there were 20.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (203k people) in Jefferson County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.1k Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 4.73k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Jefferson County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jefferson County, MO was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jefferson County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
203k ± 1.68k
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
10.1k ± 1.64k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.73k ± 514

2.64%

Hispanic Population

6.07k people

2.64% of the people in Jefferson County, MO are hispanic (6.07k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jefferson County, MO 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 Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
41,951 ± 5,011 people
India
23,410 ± 3,749 people
China
17,257 ± 3,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 41,951 Missouri residents, followed by India with 23,410 and China with 17,257.

Foreign-Born Population

2.29%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.27k people

2.24%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.11k people

As of 2024, 2.29% of Jefferson County, MO residents (5.27k 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, MO was 2.24%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,688 ± 441
Gulf War (2001-)
3,160 ± 476
Gulf War (1990s)
1,861 ± 423

Jefferson County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.48 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Jefferson County, MO employs 117k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jefferson County, MO were Health Care & Social Assistance (17,678 people), Manufacturing (14,478 people), and Retail Trade (13,650 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($98,968), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($80,096), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($74,750).

Employment

Occupations

117k

2024 Value

± 2,924

0.639%

1 Year growth

± 3.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, MO grew at a rate of 0.639%, from 116k employees to 117k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jefferson County, MO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (15,008 people), Management Occupations (11,248 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,616 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jefferson County, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (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

117k

2024 Value

± 2,924

0.639%

1 Year growth

± 3.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, MO grew at a rate of 0.639%, from 116k employees to 117k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jefferson County, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (17,678 people), Manufacturing (14,478 people), and Retail Trade (13,650 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jefferson County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Jefferson County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,008

Median earning men ± $1,718

$40,105

Median earning women ± $1,220

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($86,019), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,664), and Public Administration ($77,276).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,321), Wholesale Trade ($57,088), and Construction ($54,180).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.17%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% 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 11.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

443
Construction
275
Other Services (except Public Administration)
244
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$285k
Manufacturing
$271k
Construction
$268k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Jefferson County, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.1%)
Democratic Party
Chase Oliver (0.797%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Josh Hawley

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Eric Schmitt

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

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 Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Jefferson County, MO awarded 737 degrees. The student population of Jefferson County, MO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,546 male students and 2,223 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Jefferson County, MO are White (607 and 82.6%), Unknown (63 and 8.57%), Hispanic or Latino (30 and 4.08%), and Two or More Races (20 and 2.72%).

The largest universities in Jefferson County, MO by number of degrees awarded are Jefferson College (737 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Jefferson County, MO are Liberal Arts & Sciences (356 and 48.3%), Registered Nursing (49 and 6.65%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (45 and 6.11%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2015 in Jefferson County, MO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 93.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,769 (41% men and 59% 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 3,769 students enrolled in Jefferson County, MO, 41% men and 59% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,217 records, of which 59% were women and 41% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
356 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
49 degrees awarded
Teacher Education & Professional Development
31 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Jefferson County, MO was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 356 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Jefferson College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

737 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Jefferson College with 737 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 292 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jefferson County, MO, which is 0.656 times less than the 445 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 607 degrees mean that there were 9.63 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 63 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

Public, 2-year ($5,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($900) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($912) 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, MO was $237,200 in 2024, which is 0.713 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $218,800 to $237,200, a 8.41% increase. The homeownership rate in Jefferson County, MO is 82.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jefferson County, MO have an average commute time of 30.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jefferson County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.26% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.44%.

Housing

Property

$237,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,773

$72,617

Median Property Taxes

±$2,125

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, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

82.2%

Homeownership

2024

64.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 82.2% of the housing units in Jefferson County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jefferson County, MO 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.

$82,851

Median Household Income

± $2,327

88.3k

Number of Households

± 2,451

In 2024, the median household income of the 88.3k households in Jefferson County, MO grew to $82,851 from the previous year's value of $80,522.

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, MO 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Jefferson County, MO is from Missouri.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.455

2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2023, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.848% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Worked At Home (11.5%)
Carpooled (7.21%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Jefferson County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.5%) and those who carpooled to work (7.21%).

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

30.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jefferson County, MO have a longer commute time (30.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.76% of the workforce in Jefferson County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Jefferson County, MO 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, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jefferson County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.26% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.44%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

9.03% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jefferson County, MO (20.5k out of 227k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jefferson County, MO 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, 10.9% of the children was living in poverty in Jefferson County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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 192 in Jefferson County, MO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 70.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.4% of the population of Jefferson County, MO has health coverage, with 56.3% on employee plans, 10.7% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 10.4% on non-group plans, and 1.63% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, MO see 3,927 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,927 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2364 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 866 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,927 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, MO

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, MO see an average of 3,927 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,927 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.8% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 41.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.61%

Uninsured

56.3%

Employer Coverage

10.7%

Medicaid

14.4%

Medicare

10.4%

Non-Group

1.63%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jefferson County, MO declined by 9.95% from 7.34% to 6.61%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Jefferson County, MO 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 46.3 in Jefferson County, MO.

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

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 39.1% in Jefferson County, MO.

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