Jefferson County, Georgia Income Statistics
Jefferson County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
D
Jefferson County Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Georgia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $53,102 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $41,640 | $55,999 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 8.2% | 5.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 4.8% | 12.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.6% | 11.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 32% lower than in Georgia. Income has been growing faster in Jefferson County (8.2%/yr) than in Georgia (5.3%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Jefferson County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Georgia average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Jefferson County, Georgia grew by 82.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $53,102 in 2024. That's an average of about 8.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Jefferson County
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.562 | 0.561 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $54,076 | $65,087 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $40,399 | $53,213 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 25.3% | 18.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Jefferson County, it is 0.562, about the same as Georgia's 0.561, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 34% more than women's income in Jefferson County, Georgia. Over a 35-year career, a 34% wage gap accumulates to roughly $478,695 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Jefferson County, Georgia has narrowed from about 26% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 30% in 2013, and was narrowest at 24% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,232 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Jefferson County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 3.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 402 people are unemployed in Jefferson County, Georgia.
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 23 minutes, about the same as in Georgia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Jefferson County, Georgia has fallen from 14.1% to 5.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 18.2% in 2014 and fell as low as 4.5% in 2022.
Jefferson County, GA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, GA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 15,341 residents against a local median of 19,849. Jefferson County, GA's income growth, at 8.2%/yr, runs 45% above the 5.7%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.8% against a local median of 5.0%, 17% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Jefferson County, GA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 2.7%/yr on income growth, so Jefferson County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, GA has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, GA | 15,341 | $53,102 #4/6 | 8.2%/yr #1/6 | 5.8% #4/6 | 0.562 #2/6 |
| Glascock County, GA | 2,932 | $56,259 | 3.5%/yr | 1.6% | 0.577 |
| Washington County, GA | 19,849 | $45,662 | 3.0%/yr | 8.0% | 0.591 |
| Burke County, GA | 24,470 | $53,563 | 5.7%/yr | 5.0% | 0.561 |
| Johnson County, GA | 9,190 | $51,095 | 5.7%/yr | 7.4% | 0.576 |
| McDuffie County, GA | 21,716 | $57,549 | 5.7%/yr | 1.9% | 0.565 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Georgia has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Georgia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Jefferson County, Georgia.
How Rich Is Jefferson County, Georgia?
Jefferson County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $53,102, about 32% lower than the Georgia average of $77,523.
Are incomes growing in Jefferson County, Georgia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Jefferson County, Georgia rose 83%, from $29,040 to $53,102. Over the same years, income here outpaced Georgia as a whole: +83% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Jefferson County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Jefferson County, Georgia was $47,397, up 1% from $46,887 in 2022. The Georgia median that year was $74,682.
What was the median household income in Jefferson County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Jefferson County, Georgia was $37,438. By 2024 it had risen 42% to $53,102.
What is the Gini coefficient in Jefferson County, Georgia?
The Gini coefficient in Jefferson County is 0.562. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Jefferson County, Georgia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Jefferson County, Georgia has narrowed from about 26% to 25% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 30% in 2013, and was narrowest at 24% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,232 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →