Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, PA 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 averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Pennsylvania
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 86% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,864 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 66.8 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.20% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,344 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County declined by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,864 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,917 18.1% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,168 18.6% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,354 21.3% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,577 21.8% +2.8 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 Pennsylvania, 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 50.2% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.8% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,953 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.73% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 25% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $76,944 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $750 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.9% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 8.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $750 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 155 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.2 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 155 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,810 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,418 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 453 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.4% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.1% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Jefferson County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 43,864 residents against a local median of 57,881. The measure that sets Jefferson County, PA apart most is median home price: $76,944, 19% above the local median of $64,561.
The counties themselves spread $84,493 on median home price, so Jefferson County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, PA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, PA | 43,864 | $58,953 #5/5 | $76,944 #3/5 | 18.6 min #2/5 |
| Clarion County, PA | 37,179 | $62,370 | $105,859 | 20.1 min |
| Elk County, PA | 30,506 | $65,302 | $21,366 | 15.4 min |
| Indiana County, PA | 83,041 | $60,208 | $91,691 | 18.9 min |
| Clearfield County, PA | 78,582 | $63,193 | $37,431 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.
How big is Jefferson County, Pennsylvania by population?
About 43,864 people live in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, in 18,344 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Jefferson County, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania has 67 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, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($76,944 against $58,953), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $750 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania?
16.1% of adults in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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