Town · North Carolina
Jefferson, North Carolina
Jefferson, town, in Ashe County, North Carolina. Jefferson had 1,680 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,622 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,864 (±367). GEOID 3734440.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,680
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,622 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,864 ±367
Median household income
$40,590
±$12,413 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$236,000
±$42,479 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$748
±$159 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Jefferson and what county is it in?
Jefferson is a town in Ashe County, North Carolina. It covers 2.1 square miles of land, 768 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Jefferson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,680 people lived in Jefferson on July 1, 2025, up 3.3% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 1,622 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,864 (±367).
| Measure | Jefferson | Ashe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,864 ±367 | 26,950 | no clear change |
| Households | 779 ±165 | 12,201 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.10 ±0.27 | 2.17 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 881 ±181 | 17,218 | no clear change |
Jefferson's population since 2000
From 1,422 in 2000 to 1,680 in 2025: up 18.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Jefferson as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Jefferson?
The median resident of Jefferson is 41.6 years old; 21.2% are under 18 and 30.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.8%.
| Measure | Jefferson | Ashe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.6 ±8.0 | 49.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.2% ±5.9 pts | 16.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 30.2% ±5.5 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Male | 48.0% ±4.4 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.8% ±5.7 pts | 6.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.8% ±6.0 pts | 90.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.1% ±5.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.2% ±5.1 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.9% ±2.5 pts | 6.6% | – |
| With a disability | 18.4% ±5.4 pts | 20.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.4% ±6.6 pts | 9.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.4% ±6.6 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.9% ±4.0 pts | 25.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.5% ±2.5 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.1% ±3.8 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.8% ±2.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Jefferson earn?
Half of Jefferson's 779 households earn less than $40,590 a year (±$12,413), against $56,866 in Ashe County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $38,144 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 22.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jefferson | Ashe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,590 ±$12,413 | $56,866 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $48,333 ±$7,340 | $73,848 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,347 ±$3,119 | $33,675 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 22.9% ±8.9 pts | 13.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 37.7% ±17.2 pts | 15.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.1% ±10.6 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.8% ±6.2 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.0% ±7.0 pts | 85.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Jefferson?
Owners occupy 44.9% of Jefferson's occupied homes and renters 55.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $236,000 by its owner (±$42,479). The median renter pays $748 a month including utilities, and 39.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Jefferson | Ashe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $236,000 ±$42,479 | $243,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $748 ±$159 | $859 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.4% ±13.6 pts | 33.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,283 ±$190 | $1,337 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 44.9% ±10.1 pts | 79.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 55.1% ±10.1 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Housing units | 881 ±181 | 17,218 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.2% ±9.6 pts | 76.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.2% ±3.4 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.1% ±5.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.7% ±5.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.5% ±6.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Jefferson work and get to work?
80.1% of Jefferson's workers drive alone and 9.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.7 minutes.
| Measure | Jefferson | Ashe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.7% ±6.3 pts | 52.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% ±2.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.1% ±10.6 pts | 79.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.9% ±10.5 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.3% ±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.3% ±4.3 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.7 min ±3.4 | 25.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Jefferson?
No census tract lies mostly in Jefferson; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9705.02Ashe County | 3,044 | $50,543 |
| Tract 9705.01Ashe County | 3,217 | $68,611 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Jefferson) · Census block assignment files
How does Jefferson compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jefferson is the 8,337th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 276th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Jefferson ranks 383rd of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 276th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 199th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 276th | 443 |
| Median household income | 383rd | 434 |
| Per capita income | 403rd | 443 |
| Median home value | 233rd | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 343rd | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 80th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 393rd | 421 |
| Median age | 200th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 415th | 443 |
| Work from home | 206th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 364th | 439 |
Jefferson's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Jefferson with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Jefferson?
19 of the 57 figures for Jefferson on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Jefferson are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Jefferson.