County profile

Jefferson County

Wisconsin · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
86,003
Median household income
$83,750
People below poverty
8.1%
Median home value
$274,100

Income

The median income of households in Jefferson County, Wisconsin was $83,750. An estimated 4.7% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 7% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 4.7
$10,000 to $14,999 2
$15,000 to $24,999 4.5
$25,000 to $34,999 5.7
$35,000 to $49,999 9.6
$50,000 to $74,999 17.6
$75,000 to $99,999 15.6
$100,000 to $149,999 23.2
$150,000 to $199,999 10.1
$200,000 or more 7

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 62877
Female 50903

An estimated 76.1% of households received earnings. An estimated 34% of households received Social Security and an estimated 27.7 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $25,389. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 76.1
Social Security 34
Retirement income 27.7
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 3.1
Cash public assistance income 1.4

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 8.1 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 9.8% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8.2% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 7.5% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 8.1
Children under 18 years below poverty 9.8
People 65 years old and over below poverty 8.2
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 7.5

In 2020-2024, 9.2 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 44.6% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 36.2% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 34.5% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024, 95.2% had health insurance coverage and 4.8% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 77.5% and public coverage was 33.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 3.2%.


In 2020-2024, Jefferson County, Wisconsin had a total population of 86,003 - 43,005 (50%) females and 42,998 (50%) males. The median age was 41.5 years. An estimated 19.7% of the population was under 18 years, 30.1% was 19 to 44 years, 27.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 18.5 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 2061 2005
5 to 9 2435 2260
10 to 14 2498 2290
15 to 19 3465 3477
20 to 24 2855 2514
25 to 29 2302 2583
30 to 34 2476 2370
35 to 39 2769 2843
40 to 44 2671 2586
45 to 49 2721 2615
50 to 54 2887 2812
55 to 59 3157 2961
60 to 64 3186 3271
65 to 69 2509 2539
70 to 74 2277 2371
75 to 79 1371 1643
80 to 84 933 1040
85 and over 425 825

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 88.6% were White; 0.9% were Black or African American; 5.6% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.7% were Asian; 0.4% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 6.5% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 8.5% of the people in Jefferson County, Wisconsin were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 87% of the people in Jefferson County, Wisconsin were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 34,873 households in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. The average household size was 2.37 people.

Married-couple households made up 50% of the households in Jefferson County, Wisconsin while cohabiting couple households made up 8.3% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 24% of all households, while 17.6% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 13.8% of households were male householders living alone, and 16.9% were female householders living alone, for a total of 30.7% of all households.

In Jefferson County, Wisconsin, 24.8% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 32.6% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 50
Cohabiting Couples 8.3
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
17.6
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
24

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 51.9% of males and 48.8% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 34.9 29.2
Now married, except separated 51.9 48.8
Separated 0.6 0.7
Widowed 2.5 8.4
Divorced 10.1 12.9

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Jefferson County, Wisconsin, 1,119 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 45% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 96.3% of the people living in Jefferson County, Wisconsin were U.S. natives. 75.7% of the Jefferson County, Wisconsin population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 3.7% of Jefferson County, Wisconsin residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 30.6% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 66 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Jefferson County, Wisconsin come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Jefferson County, Wisconsin.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 65
Asia 13.9
Europe 15.8
Africa 2.1
Northern America 2
Oceania 1.4

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024, 6.3 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 5% of people at least five years old; 2.4% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 5
Other Indo-European languages 0.9
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.4
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 90.3 % of the people at least one year old living in Jefferson County, Wisconsin were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 90.3
Different house, same county 3.6
Different county, same state 4.7
Different state 1.2
Abroad 0.2

Education

In 2020-2024, 92.9 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 28.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 7% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Jefferson County, Wisconsin was 19,338 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 1,135 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 12,566. College or graduate school enrollment was 5,637.

Educational Attainment of People in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 7
High school diploma or equivalency 33.3
Some college, no degree 20.4
Associate's degree 10.6
Bachelor's degree 19.7
Graduate or professional degree 8.9

Disability

In Jefferson County, Wisconsin, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 12.8 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 5.3% of people under 18 years old, to 11% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 26.7% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Jefferson County, Wisconsin, 65.8 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 31.7% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 80.8% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 13.3% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 5.7 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 37,898 80.8
Federal, state, or local government workers 6,225 13.3
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 2,677 5.7

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Jefferson County, Wisconsin worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 2.1
Construction 7.3
Manufacturing 20.7
Wholesale trade 2.6
Retail trade 11.5
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 4.2
Information 1.7
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 4.5
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 7.8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 22.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 7.4
Other Services, except public administration 4.8
Public administration 3.2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 16,313 34.8
Service occupations 7,842 16.7
Sales and office occupations 8,455 18
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 4,670 10
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 9,602 20.5

Commuting to Work

An estimated 76.9% of Jefferson County, Wisconsin workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 8.1% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 24.8 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 76.9
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 8.1
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.4
Walked 3
Other means 1.2
Worked from home 10.5

In 2020-2024, Jefferson County, Wisconsin had a total of 36,890 housing units. Of these housing units, 75.4% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 21% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 3.6% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 75.4
Apartments in multi-unit structures 21
Mobile homes 3.6
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

6.5% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 24.3% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Jefferson County, Wisconsin was 6 rooms, and of these housing units 67.1% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Jefferson County, Wisconsin had 34,873 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 2,017 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 73.1% while renters occupied 26.9%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.51 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.

2.6% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 12.7% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 4.6% and another 24.4% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Jefferson County, Wisconsin:

House Heating Fuel Used in Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 78
Electricity 16.6
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 1.2
All other fuels 3.7
No fuel used 0.4

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Jefferson County, Wisconsin was $274,100.

Of the owner-occupied households, 62 % had a mortgage. 38% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,730 and for owners without a mortgage it was $691.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Jefferson County, Wisconsin was $1,035. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.