Jefferson, WV Demographics

Population 553 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Jefferson, WV map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Jefferson

Household size in Jefferson

Household size, people per household
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–102.682.442.68
2010–142.452.452.73
2015–192.492.442.71
2020–243.092.432.65
Change+0.41−0.01−0.03
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Jefferson is a place of big households: 3.09 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.68 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.

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

Median age, years
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1041.641.437.7
2010–1443.942.238.6
2015–1944.843.139.6
2020–2435.243.240.1
Change−6.3+1.9+2.3
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With a median age of just 35.2, Jefferson is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.

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

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–109.9%9.7%12.3%
2010–1415.2%10.4%12.3%
2015–1910.9%10.6%11.6%
2020–2425.9%10.4%11.6%
Change+16.0 pts+0.6 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are common in Jefferson: 25.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.

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

Renters in Jefferson

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1019.9%25.4%33.3%
2010–1423.9%27.0%35.6%
2015–1932.8%26.8%36.0%
2020–2411.1%25.1%34.8%
Change−8.9 pts−0.3 pts+1.5 pts
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Jefferson is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.

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

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1012.4%15.1%11.4%
2010–1414.5%15.0%11.4%
2015–1920.7%16.8%11.1%
2020–2414.9%14.9%9.6%
Change+2.5 pts−0.1 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy is high in Jefferson: 14.9% of homes are empty, 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. The picture is much the same across West Virginia.

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

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–10196619701974
2010–14196719731975
2015–19196719741977
2020–24195919761980
Change−7+6+6
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Jefferson is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.

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

Rent, per month
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–10$574$578$965
2010–14$924$657$1,040
2015–19$683$759$1,213
2020–24$1,339$905$1,571
Change+$765+$327+$606
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Rent in Jefferson runs $1,339 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in West Virginia overall ($905). Rent takes 37.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.

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

Bachelor's degrees in Jefferson

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–106.6%18.4%28.4%
2010–1410.9%19.7%29.6%
2015–1915.5%21.4%32.1%
2020–244.3%25.0%35.6%
Change−2.3 pts+6.6 pts+7.2 pts
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Fewer adults in Jefferson have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 4.3%, against 35.6% nationally.

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

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1075.2%82.5%84.9%
2010–1471.4%84.8%86.1%
2015–1984.1%87.2%87.7%
2020–2482.4%89.4%89.3%
Change+7.3 pts+6.9 pts+4.3 pts
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Just over one in six adults in Jefferson never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.

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

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodJeffersonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–106.7%7.2%8.1%
2010–1415.2%8.2%9.4%
2015–1916.7%6.7%5.6%
2020–241.2%5.5%5.4%
Change−5.5 pts−1.6 pts−2.7 pts
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The job market in Jefferson has been strong: just 1.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.

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 compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Jefferson3.0935.225.9%11.1%14.9%1959$1,3394.3%82.4%1.2%
Institute2.3929.716.8%37.7%20.2%1984$78530.5%92.3%5.1%
Dunbar2.1142.59.9%36.5%12.7%1963$91029.0%94.1%4.0%
St. Albans2.3845.314.3%29.6%15.4%1963$1,04121.7%91.6%5.6%
Tornado2.8944.16.7%6.9%7.8%1980$87923.6%91.6%4.8%
Upper Falls2.5442.410.3%19.8%12.9%1976$82827.2%89.5%2.4%
South Charleston2.1546.711.5%28.9%14.5%1961$1,26735.8%94.9%8.6%
Nitro2.4044.716.7%25.4%18.2%1958$1,02121.4%91.7%6.2%
Cross Lanes2.1643.28.7%26.0%14.9%1975$95132.0%96.8%3.2%
Alum Creek2.9743.94.3%20.5%18.1%1983$77015.6%86.5%7.3%
Loudendale2.8738.611.8%12.5%10.2%1991$76231.1%82.5%8.6%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Swisshome, OR · Cross Keys, SC · Cross Timber, TX · Darvills, VA · Dellwood, OR · Stepstone, KY · Sturges, MO · Sturkie, AL · Sundown, MO · Swan, IN

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. 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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