Jefferson County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, GA 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 averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in Georgia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Georgia
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,341 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.0 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.68% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,751 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County declined by 6.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,341 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.1 points above Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,169 20.7% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,980 19.4% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,185 20.8% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,786 18.2% +3.4 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 Georgia, 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 51.9% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 48.1% Georgia 48.8%
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 | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,102 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.22% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 32% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $145,394 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $730 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $730 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 194 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,001 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,345 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 249 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Georgia:
Chattahoochee County (8.6 min), Ben Hill County (12.7 min), Tift County (15.8 min).
Slowest:
Talbot County (40.8 min), McIntosh County (37.7 min), Paulding County (36.4 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.7% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Georgia:
Oconee County (0.4), Fulton County (0.4), Forsyth County (0.4).
Lowest:
Quitman County (0.1), Hancock County (0.1), Taliaferro County (0.1).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.8% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.6% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Georgia:
Forsyth County (0.8), Oconee County (0.8), Fayette County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clinch County (0.7), Clay County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7).
Jefferson County, GA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jefferson County, GA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, GA | 15,341 | $53,102 #3/3 | $145,394 #1/3 | 23.2 min #2/3 |
| Burke County, GA | 24,470 | $53,563 | $24,090 | 25.4 min |
| McDuffie County, GA | 21,716 | $57,549 | $99,998 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Georgia.
How big is Jefferson County, Georgia by population?
About 15,341 people live in Jefferson County, Georgia, in 5,751 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Jefferson County, Georgia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Georgia has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 34% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jefferson County, Georgia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($145,394 against $53,102), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $730 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Jefferson County, Georgia?
9.7% of adults in Jefferson County, Georgia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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