Jefferson County, Wisconsin

County in WI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

86,003

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

41.5

years ∙ half population younger than 41.5, half older

Diversity Index

23.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.7%

foreign-born population

96.3%Native

3.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Jefferson County is a county in Wisconsin, United States.

Location

County in WI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.013804° N, 88.773985° W

DMS43° 00′ 49.69″ N, 88° 46′ 26.35″ W

Population Density & area

154.5/sq mi (59.67/km²)

Total Area

582.7 sq mi (1,509.3 km²)

Land Area

556.5 sq mi (1,441.3 km²) · 95.5%

Water Area

26.2 sq mi (68 km²) · 4.5%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50% male

Male 50%

Female 50%

males per 100 females

Jefferson County 100

Wisconsin 100.3

United States 98

Nativity

3.7%

foreign-born population

96.3%Native

3.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Jefferson County 3.7%

Wisconsin 5.2%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.5

years ∙ half population younger than 41.5, half older

Jefferson County

41.5

Wisconsin

40.2

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Jefferson County 62

Wisconsin 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.7%	21.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	61.8%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	18.5%	18.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	62	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	32	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	30	30.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

87%

Black

0.9%

Asian

0.6%

Hispanic

8.5%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

23.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Jefferson County 23.5%

Wisconsin 37%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Jefferson County population

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Hispanic or Latino	8.5%	8%	19.3%
Mexican	6.4%	5.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.8%	1.1%	1.8%
Cuban	0.3%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	91.5%	92%	80.7%
One race	88.8%	88.3%	76.4%
White	87%	78.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.9%	5.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.5%	0.5%
Asian	0.6%	2.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.7%	3.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.7% family

Family 62.7%

Non family 37.3%

% family households

Jefferson County 62.7%

Wisconsin 60.5%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.37

persons per household

Jefferson County

2.37

Wisconsin

2.33

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Jefferson County population

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Total households	34,873	2,479,480	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.37	2.33	2.53
Family households	21,853	1,500,296	82,990,528
Average family size	2.98	2.95	3.14
Married couple family	17,445	1,161,326	60,637,388
Other families	4,408	338,970	22,353,140
Male householder	1,468	112,650	6,572,819
Female householder	2,940	226,320	15,780,321
Non-family households	13,020	979,184	46,236,968
One-person households	10,719	781,452	37,140,836
Male householder	4,811	373,428	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	1,663	109,743	5,225,110
Female householder	5,908	408,024	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	3,035	210,915	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	2,301	197,732	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

36,890

housing units

Jefferson County 36,890

Wisconsin 2,778,572

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

94.5% occupied

Occupied 94.5%

Vacant 5.5%

vacancy rate

Jefferson County 5.5%

Wisconsin 10.8%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

75.4%

Single family houses

75.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

21%

Mobile homes

3.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1974

Half of houses were built before 1974, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

24.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

21.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

34.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

20%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.7%	13.2%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	50.8%	52%	51.6%
7+ rooms	41.5%	34.9%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.7%	2.1%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.3%	10%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25%	27.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	46.2%	40%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	20.9%	20.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1974	1975	1981
Total housing units	36,890	2,778,572	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

73.1% owners

Renter-occupied 26.9%

Owner-occupied 73.1%

homeownership rate

Jefferson County 73.1%

Wisconsin 67.8%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.51

Owner-occupied

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Jefferson County 2.51

Wisconsin 2.49

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Total occupied units	34,873	2,479,480	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17.5%	23.1%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	39.9%	38%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.6%	17.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	25%	21.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.7%	98.3%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.1%	1.2%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.6%	6.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	30.5%	33%	33.1%
2 vehicles	40.5%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	24.4%	21.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	78%	76.6%	51.4%
Electricity	16.6%	17.8%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.2%	1.4%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.7%	3.5%	2%
No fuel used	0.4%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$274,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Jefferson County

$274,100

Wisconsin

$266,500

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

23.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.1%

Owners without a mortgage

11.4%

Renters

38.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Property value
Median Value	$274,100	$266,500	$332,700
Under $100,000	6.2%	9.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	21.2%	23%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	28.9%	25.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	31.2%	29.4%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	10.5%	11.4%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2%	1.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	62%	61.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	38%	38.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,730	$1,689	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$691	$659	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,035	$1,087	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

28.5%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Jefferson County 28.5%

Wisconsin 33.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Jefferson County 7%

Wisconsin 6.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

19,338

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.9%

K–12

65%

College / Undergraduate

25.6%

Graduate / Professional

3.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

48.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Jefferson County

48.3%

Wisconsin

39.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	19,338	1,356,381	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.9%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	65%	69.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.4%	5.5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.9%	20.2%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	19.8%	21.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.9%	22.3%	21.7%
College or graduate school	29.1%	25.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	25.6%	20.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.5%	4.7%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	48.3%	39.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84%	82.4%	82%
Private school	16%	17.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

60,143

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.9%

HS graduate

33.3%

Some college no degree

20.4%

Associates degree

10.6%

Bachelors degree

19.7%

Graduate or professional degree

8.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

52.7% · 47.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

50.2% · 49.8%

HS graduate

54.3% · 45.7%

Some college no degree

50.7% · 49.3%

Associates degree

45.2% · 54.8%

Bachelors degree

43.1% · 56.9%

Graduate or professional degree

44.7% · 55.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Population (25+)	60,143	4,099,973	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.1%	2.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.9%	4.1%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	33.3%	29.4%	26%
Some college, no degree	20.4%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.6%	11.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.5%	33.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	19.7%	22%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.9%	11.4%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.9%	93.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$52,022

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$41,328

HS graduate

$43,266

Some college or associates

$51,429

Bachelors degree

$63,006

Graduate or professional degree

$75,172

Poverty Rate

2.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

19.3%

HS graduate

9.4%

Some college or associates

6.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$52,022	$53,060	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$41,328	$36,585	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$43,266	$42,367	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$51,429	$49,438	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$63,006	$66,239	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$75,172	$79,916	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	19.3%	22.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	9.4%	12.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	6.1%	7.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.3%	3.7%	4.5%

Insights for Jefferson County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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