Jefferson City, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson City, MO 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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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,243 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 856.2 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.01% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,222 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson City grew by 5.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,243 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson City is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.5% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,581 23.5% +2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,940 21.5% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,969 18.5% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,288 16.4% -1.5 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 Missouri, 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 51.6% of the people living in Jefferson City and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.4% Missouri 49.3%
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Economy
Jefferson City has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,032 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson City is about 7% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $171,276 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $780 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.9% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson City is about 18.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $780 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson City spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.5 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.0 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,484 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,499 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,507 | 923 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Jefferson City is 13 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 City has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Health
Jefferson City has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson City | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.8% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson City, Missouri.
How big is Jefferson City, Missouri by population?
About 32,243 people live in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 14,222 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Jefferson City, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson City, Missouri has 856 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 9.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Jefferson City, Missouri?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($171,276 against $66,032), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $780 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Jefferson City, Missouri?
Unemployment in Jefferson City, Missouri is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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