Jefferson County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, NY 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 averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in New York
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 77% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 115,039 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 62.0 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.28% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.2 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,605 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County declined by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 115,039 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.4% of residents. That is 4.8 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 29,164 25.4% +4.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 24,488 21.3% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,022 17.4% -3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 16,869 14.7% -2.7 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 New York, 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 47.5% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 52.5%.
- Women 47.5% New York 51.3%
- Men 52.5% New York 48.7%
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 | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,905 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.76% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 23% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $142,083 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,212 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.7% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 9.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,212 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.7 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.5 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,326 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,753 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 408 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New York:
Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min).
Slowest:
Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
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 | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New York:
New York County (0.5), Tompkins County (0.4), Westchester County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Hamilton County (0.2).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New York:
Tompkins County (0.8), Nassau County (0.8), New York County (0.8).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.8), Montgomery County (0.8), Cattaraugus County (0.8).
Jefferson County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, NY is typical in size for this group, 115,039 residents against a local median of 117,951, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Jefferson County, NY's median home price, at $142,083, runs 18% above the $120,390 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $55,064 on median home price, so Jefferson County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, NY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, NY | 115,039 | $66,905 #5/6 | $142,083 #3/6 | 16.7 min #1/6 |
| Oswego County, NY | 117,951 | $69,374 | $105,390 | 22.6 min |
| Lewis County, NY | 26,603 | $68,475 | $120,390 | 18.4 min |
| Oneida County, NY | 229,092 | $70,832 | $143,943 | 17.1 min |
| Onondaga County, NY | 470,361 | $77,376 | $150,980 | 18.1 min |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 100,889 | $62,697 | $95,915 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, New York.
How many people live in Jefferson County, New York?
About 115,039 people live in Jefferson County, New York, in 47,605 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Jefferson County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, New York has 62 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jefferson County, New York?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($142,083 against $66,905), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,212 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Jefferson County, New York have a college degree?
22.6% of adults in Jefferson County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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