Population 64,802 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jefferson County
Household size in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Jefferson County sits right at the national average. The typical household here is bigger than in Arkansas as a whole, where it has 2.53 people. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.71, mirroring the country.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.7 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Jefferson County are younger than 40.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Jefferson County (16.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. Jefferson County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Arkansas counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Jefferson County
Renters in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.9% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.2% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Jefferson County rent their homes (38.2%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 57.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.6 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.1% of the housing in Jefferson County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 5.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Jefferson County was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Arkansas overall, where the median home dates to 1988. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $650 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $676 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $778 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $945 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$295 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Jefferson County pays $945 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $295 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Jefferson County
Bachelor's degrees in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.3% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Jefferson County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.4% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.7% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.9% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Jefferson County have finished high school as nationally: 88.5%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 6.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Jefferson County
| Period | Jefferson County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Jefferson County: 9.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of Arkansas' 75 counties, only four have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.8 points, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Jefferson County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 2.65 | 40.0 | 16.2% | 38.2% | 21.1% | 1978 | $945 | 20.7% | 88.5% | 9.9% |
| Grant County | 2.65 | 39.8 | 9.7% | 19.3% | 12.6% | 1991 | $814 | 22.9% | 90.6% | 4.3% |
| Hot Spring County | 2.52 | 43.0 | 7.8% | 23.5% | 13.7% | 1982 | $813 | 18.3% | 89.9% | 3.5% |
| Coahoma County | 2.38 | 37.9 | 25.1% | 47.9% | 17.0% | 1970 | $757 | 19.2% | 80.6% | 10.6% |
| Pike County | 2.47 | 42.0 | 8.8% | 25.0% | 22.8% | 1984 | $1,036 | 19.2% | 87.6% | 3.6% |
| Quitman County | 2.17 | 40.4 | 19.3% | 35.3% | 12.4% | 1972 | $668 | 17.1% | 81.2% | 11.7% |
| Panola County | 2.71 | 39.2 | 16.3% | 28.9% | 15.3% | 1986 | $939 | 17.2% | 83.5% | 6.0% |
| Lafayette County | 2.77 | 34.7 | 9.0% | 36.2% | 32.5% | 1999 | $1,101 | 52.4% | 93.5% | 2.1% |
| Pontotoc County | 2.65 | 36.4 | 11.3% | 30.2% | 16.1% | 1989 | $880 | 18.6% | 78.9% | 3.1% |
| Lee County | 2.57 | 38.2 | 12.2% | 29.2% | 13.3% | 1987 | $960 | 27.7% | 87.0% | 5.2% |
| Pushmataha County | 2.44 | 44.1 | 12.3% | 25.1% | 20.5% | 1981 | $712 | 15.4% | 87.8% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Hamblen County, TN · Troup County, GA · Tooele County, UT · Toa Baja Municipio, PR · Toa Alta Municipio, PR · Tipton County, TN · Tehama County, CA · Surry County, NC · Starr County, TX · Stanly County, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Jefferson County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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