West Jefferson, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
1,436
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
43.4
0.459% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
20.8%
36.4% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$46,827
13.8% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$232,400
6.65% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
562
13.4% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in West Jefferson, NC 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.

93% of the residents in West Jefferson, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in West Jefferson, NC was $232,400, and the homeownership rate was 54.4%.

Most people in West Jefferson, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.5 minutes. The average car ownership in West Jefferson, NC was 3 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaAshe County, NCBoone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

West Jefferson, NC is home to a population of 1.44k people, from which 93% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.31% of West Jefferson, NC residents were born outside of the country (105 people).

In 2024, there were 10.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.13k people) in West Jefferson, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 106 Other (Hispanic) and 67 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93%
2024 Citizenship
99.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93% of West Jefferson, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Jefferson, NC was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Jefferson, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.13k ± 328
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    106 ± 107
  3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    67 ± 52
12%
Hispanic Population
172 people

In 2024, there were 10.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.13k people) in West Jefferson, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 106 Other (Hispanic) and 67 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

12% of the people in West Jefferson, NC are hispanic (172 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

7.31%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
105 people
1.72%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
27 people

As of 2024, 7.31% of West Jefferson, NC residents (105 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 West Jefferson, NC was 1.72%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    37 ± 31
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    4 ± 21
  3. Korea
    3 ± 15

West Jefferson, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 9.25 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in West Jefferson, NC.

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Economy

The economy of West Jefferson, NC employs 562 people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Jefferson, NC were Retail Trade (116 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (82 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (62 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($97,000), Educational Services ($60,625), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,422).

Employment

Occupations

562
2024 Value
± 194
−13.4%
1 Year decline
± 55.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Jefferson, NC declined at a rate of −13.4%, from 649 employees to 562 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Jefferson, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (143 people), Management Occupations (69 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (68 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Jefferson, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

562
2024 Value
± 194
−13.4%
1 Year decline
± 55.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Jefferson, NC declined at a rate of −13.4%, from 649 employees to 562 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Jefferson, NC, are Retail Trade (116 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (82 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (62 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Jefferson, NC, though some of these residents may live in West Jefferson, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$35,878
Median earning men ± $6,979
$33,547
Median earning women ± $2,794

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,406), Manufacturing ($46,131), and Construction ($43,021).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($44,000), Retail Trade ($33,514), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($29,948).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Y-Axis
3.04%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in West Jefferson, NC was $232,400 in 2024, which is 0.699 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $217,900 to $232,400, a 6.65% increase. The homeownership rate in West Jefferson, NC is 54.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Jefferson, NC have an average commute time of 15.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Jefferson, NC is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$232,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$20,829
$301
Median Property Taxes
±$91

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 West Jefferson, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

54.4%
Homeownership
2024
68.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 54.4% of the housing units in West Jefferson, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 56.3%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$46,827
Median Household Income
± $20,727
553
Number of Households
± 127

In 2024, the median household income of the 553 households in West Jefferson, NC declined from $46,827 from the previous year's value of $54,306.

The following chart displays the households in West Jefferson, NC 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 < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West Jefferson, NC is from North Carolina.
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (76.3%)
  2. Worked At Home (10.1%)
  3. Carpooled (9.56%)

In 2024, 76.3% of workers in West Jefferson, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.1%) and those who carpooled to work (9.56%).

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.

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Commute Time

15.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Jefferson, NC have a shorter commute time (15.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in West Jefferson, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

3 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Jefferson, NC (283 out of 1.36k 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 5, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Jefferson, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

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.

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Health

84.9% of the population of West Jefferson, NC has health coverage, with 31.6% on employee plans, 23.5% on Medicaid, 16.1% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 0.589% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 32.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

15.1%
Uninsured
31.6%
Employer Coverage
23.5%
Medicaid
16.1%
Medicare
13%
Non-Group
0.589%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Jefferson, NC grew by 49.8% from 10.1% to 15.1%.

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

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