Jefferson County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 82% of counties in Alabama
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 92% of counties in Alabama
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 666,272 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 593.2 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 269,413 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County grew by 0.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 666,272 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 142,771 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 147,144 22.1% +1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 128,871 19.3% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 111,286 16.7% -1.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.6% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 47.4%.
- Women 52.6% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 47.4% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jefferson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jefferson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,976 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.44% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 4% higher than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $122,715 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,193 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 8.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,193 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 185 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.2 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.5 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 185 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,743 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,799 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,493 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is about the same as in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Jefferson County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.9% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.8% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
Jefferson County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, AL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 666,272 residents against a local median of 64,822. Where Jefferson County, AL breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 27% below the local median of 30.3 min at 22.2 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $122,715 against a local median of $147,187, 17% below it. The counties themselves spread 11.7 min on commute, so Jefferson County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, AL has the 2nd lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AL | 666,272 | $66,976 #2/6 | $122,715 #5/6 | 22.2 min #2/6 |
| Shelby County, AL | 230,211 | $98,402 | $260,238 | 30.3 min |
| Walker County, AL | 64,822 | $56,232 | $161,951 | 26.4 min |
| Blount County, AL | 59,518 | $64,592 | $76,817 | 33.2 min |
| Cullman County, AL | 90,566 | $62,709 | $147,187 | 21.5 min |
| Bibb County, AL | 22,130 | $52,304 | $134,375 | 31.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Alabama.
What is the population of Jefferson County, Alabama?
About 666,272 people live in Jefferson County, Alabama, in 269,413 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Jefferson County, Alabama?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Alabama has 593 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jefferson County, Alabama?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($122,715 against $66,976), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,193 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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