Jefferson County, MT

County

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2024 Population

12,774

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.1

0.423% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

5.72%

9.1% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$95,490

24.7% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$446,900

9.53% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

6,175

5.79% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Jefferson County, MT 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.

99.8% of the residents in Jefferson County, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Jefferson County, MT was $446,900, and the homeownership rate was 84.2%.

Most people in Jefferson County, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Jefferson County, MT was 3 cars per household.

Jefferson County, MT borders Broadwater County, MT, Deer Lodge County, MT, Gallatin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Madison County, MT, Powell County, MT, and Silver Bow County, MT.

United States Montana Helena, MT

Population & Diversity

Jefferson County, MT is home to a population of 12.8k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1% of Jefferson County, MT residents were born outside of the country (128 people).

In 2024, there were 24.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.6k people) in Jefferson County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 466 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 174 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

99%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Jefferson County, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jefferson County, MT was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jefferson County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.6k ± 60
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
466 ± 93
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
174 ± 86

2.97%

Hispanic Population

380 people

2.97% of the people in Jefferson County, MT are hispanic (380 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jefferson County, MT 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 Montana.

Most Common Origin

Canada
3,832 ± 1,517 people
Mexico
2,638 ± 1,259 people
Germany
1,932 ± 1,078 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,832 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,638 and Germany with 1,932.

Foreign-Born Population

2024 Foreign-Born Population

128 people

2.16%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

270 people

As of 2024, 1% of Jefferson County, MT residents (128 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, MT was 2.16%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
321 ± 82
Gulf War (2001-)
315 ± 126
Gulf War (1990s)
274 ± 110

Jefferson County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.02 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Jefferson County, MT employs 6.18k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jefferson County, MT were Public Administration (939 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (888 people), and Construction (723 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($164,375), Finance & Insurance ($140,426), and Wholesale Trade ($78,068).

Employment

Occupations

6.18k

2024 Value

± 490

5.79%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, MT grew at a rate of 5.79%, from 5.84k employees to 6.18k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jefferson County, MT, are Management Occupations (864 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (690 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (491 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jefferson County, MT.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Montana (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

6.18k

2024 Value

± 490

5.79%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, MT grew at a rate of 5.79%, from 5.84k employees to 6.18k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jefferson County, MT, are Public Administration (939 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (888 people), and Construction (723 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jefferson County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Jefferson County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,740

Median earning men ± $2,302

$38,591

Median earning women ± $3,924

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($78,068), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($76,734), and Public Administration ($72,099).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,766), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,917), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,821).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.24%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 508k people employed in Montana. This represents a 2.24% 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 Montana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

75
Construction
27
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
19
Accommodation and Food Services

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

$25.5k
Manufacturing
$17.2k
Construction
$9.21k
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 Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing the state of Montana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Montana is currently represented by 2 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, MT. Showing the available data for Montana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.4%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.96%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

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

Steve Daines

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Tim Sheehy

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing Montana.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Jefferson County, MT was $446,900 in 2024, which is 1.34 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $408,000 to $446,900, a 9.53% increase. The homeownership rate in Jefferson County, MT is 84.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jefferson County, MT have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jefferson County, MT is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.5%.

Housing

Property

$446,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$22,371

$4,206

Median Property Taxes

±$352

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

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

Rent vs Own

84.2%

Homeownership

2024

68.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 84.2% of the housing units in Jefferson County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 83.1%.

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

$95,490

Median Household Income

± $18,478

Number of Households

± 436

In 2024, the median household income of the 5k households in Jefferson County, MT grew to $95,490 from the previous year's value of $76,576.

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, MT 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, MT is from Montana.

0.46

2023 Wage GINI in Montana

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2023, the income inequality in Montana was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.635% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.6%)
Worked At Home (12.7%)
Carpooled (9.39%)

In 2024, 74.6% of workers in Jefferson County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.7%) and those who carpooled to work (9.39%).

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

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jefferson County, MT have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.72% of the workforce in Jefferson County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jefferson County, MT have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.5%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

5.72% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jefferson County, MT (715 out of 12.5k 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 Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jefferson County, MT 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, 9.6% of the children was living in poverty in Jefferson County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.8%.

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 318 in Jefferson County, MT. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 158 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

94.2% of the population of Jefferson County, MT has health coverage, with 45.5% on employee plans, 12.5% on Medicaid, 15.7% on Medicare, 18.6% on non-group plans, and 1.82% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, MT see 1,559 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,559 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2138 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 768 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,559 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, MT

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, MT see an average of 1,559 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,559 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.3% under 18 years, 14.6% between 18 and 34 years, 41.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.85%

Uninsured

45.5%

Employer Coverage

12.5%

Medicaid

15.7%

Medicare

18.6%

Non-Group

1.82%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jefferson County, MT grew by 14.3% from 5.11% to 5.85%.

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