Jefferson County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jefferson County, TN 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 averageHealthier than 77% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jefferson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,834 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 180.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.84% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.1 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,817 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jefferson County grew by 12.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 56,834 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jefferson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.6% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,011 19.4% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,714 18.9% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,848 22.6% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,192 21.5% +4.1 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 Tennessee, 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 50.9% of the people living in Jefferson County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.1% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,976 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.48% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jefferson County is about 4% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Jefferson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $118,803 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $904 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jefferson County is about 11.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $904 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jefferson County spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 231 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.5 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 231 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,163 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,432 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,128 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Jefferson County is 28 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.3% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Jefferson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jefferson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.0% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Jefferson County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, TN is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 56,834 residents against a local median of 36,809. The measure that sets Jefferson County, TN apart most is median home price: $118,803, 56% below the local median of $272,561.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $66,976 against a local median of $55,786, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 20% above the local median it puts Jefferson County, TN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $258,671 on median home price, so Jefferson County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, TN has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, TN | 56,834 | $66,976 #1/6 | $118,803 #5/6 | 27.7 min #3/6 |
| Grainger County, TN | 24,266 | $50,783 | $212,931 | 31.1 min |
| Hamblen County, TN | 65,669 | $55,786 | $105,027 | 18.1 min |
| Sevier County, TN | 99,652 | $62,889 | $363,698 | 23.9 min |
| Cocke County, TN | 36,809 | $47,750 | $272,561 | 31.4 min |
| Union County, TN | 20,431 | $63,970 | $294,999 | 33.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jefferson County, Tennessee.
How big is Jefferson County, Tennessee by population?
About 56,834 people live in Jefferson County, Tennessee, in 21,817 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Jefferson County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jefferson County, Tennessee has 181 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jefferson County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($118,803 against $66,976), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $904 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Jefferson County, Tennessee?
19.3% of adults in Jefferson County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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