Jefferson County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,091 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.4 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.87% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.3 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,751 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County grew by 8.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,091 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.2% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,622 17.4% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,852 18.9% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,645 24.2% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,459 22.9% +3.3 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 Florida, 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 46.7% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 53.3%.
- Women 46.7% Florida 51.0%
- Men 53.3% Florida 49.0%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,677 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.23% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 16% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $34,687 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $897 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.9% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 3.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $897 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 260 hours, about 10.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.2 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.5 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 260 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,070 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,064 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 418 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 31 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Florida.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.8% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.0% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Jefferson County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, FL is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 15,091 residents against a local median of 40,582. Where Jefferson County, FL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 80% below the local median of $169,509 at $34,687.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.2 min against a local median of 17.6 min, 77% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 77% above the local median it puts Jefferson County, FL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $173,274 on median home price, so Jefferson County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, FL has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, FL | 15,091 | $62,677 #3/5 | $34,687 #5/5 | 31.2 min #4/5 |
| Leon County, FL | 297,542 | $66,521 | $219,644 | 18.8 min |
| Thomas County, GA | 45,777 | $60,927 | $251,563 | 16.5 min |
| Taylor County, FL | 21,503 | $48,581 | $119,374 | 13.8 min |
| Wakulla County, FL | 35,387 | $79,935 | $78,289 | 31.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Florida.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Florida?
About 15,091 people live in Jefferson County, Florida, in 5,751 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Jefferson County, Florida?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Florida has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jefferson County, Florida?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($34,687 against $62,677), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $897 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Jefferson County, Florida?
Unemployment in Jefferson County, Florida is 7.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Jefferson County, Florida?
18.6% of adults in Jefferson County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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