Jefferson County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, OR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 86% of counties in Oregon
-
D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Oregon
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 77% of counties in Oregon
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,203 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.1 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.54% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,813 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County grew by 25.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,203 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.1% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,953 19.7% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,857 19.3% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,062 20.1% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,318 21.1% +3.1 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 Oregon, 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 48.5% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 51.5%.
- Women 48.5% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 51.5% Oregon 49.9%
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,058 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.24% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 9% lower than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $289,999 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $941 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.0% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 25.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $941 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.5 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,229 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,377 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 409 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is about the same as in Oregon.
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.7% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Jefferson County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, OR is typical in size for this group, 25,203 residents against a local median of 26,415, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Jefferson County, OR breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 24% below the local median of $381,021 at $289,999.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.2 min against a local median of 16.4 min, 23% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% above the local median it puts Jefferson County, OR at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $394,011 on median home price, so Jefferson County, OR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, OR has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, OR | 25,203 | $76,058 #4/5 | $289,999 #4/5 | 20.2 min #4/5 |
| Wasco County, OR | 26,553 | $64,105 | $333,688 | 13.1 min |
| Deschutes County, OR | 206,229 | $93,904 | $619,015 | 16.9 min |
| Crook County, OR | 26,277 | $82,119 | $225,004 | 20.9 min |
| Hood River County, OR | 23,904 | $90,888 | $428,354 | 15.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Oregon.
How big is Jefferson County, Oregon by population?
About 25,203 people live in Jefferson County, Oregon, in 8,813 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Jefferson County, Oregon urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Oregon has 14 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 16% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jefferson County, Oregon an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($289,999 against $76,058), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $941 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Jefferson County, Oregon?
Unemployment in Jefferson County, Oregon is 8.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Jefferson County, Oregon?
19.1% of adults in Jefferson County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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 →