Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetOH-JEFFERSON-OH · Jefferson, OH 3,347 pop · income 16th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Jefferson
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Jefferson on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Mill Creek · lowest
47,457
Mill Creek · lowest
47,457 median HH income
38.7% of the leader · rank #1
Lucerne · near
47,460
Lucerne · near
47,460 median HH income
38.7% of the leader · rank #2
Hooker · near
47,461
Hooker · near
47,461 median HH income
38.7% of the leader · rank #3
Monticello · near
47,464
Monticello · near
47,464 median HH income
38.7% of the leader · rank #4
Jefferson · this city
47,469
Jefferson · this city
47,469 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #5
Soda Springs · near
47,480
Soda Springs · near
47,480 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #6
Robins · highest
122,500
Robins · highest
122,500 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Jefferson on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,347.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Jefferson - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Jefferson lands in the 16th percentile for household income and the 70th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
16th
percentile, household income
40th
percentile, home value
22nd
percentile, median rent
70th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Jefferson, OH
Ohio's Jefferson is a small town, with 3,347 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Jefferson report a median income of $47,469 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.4%. Jefferson's housing stock carries a median value of $189,500, and the median resident age is 55.2 years. About 14.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Jefferson reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 850.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Ohio run below the national norm: the state registers 92.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,092 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Ohio run around $228, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 55.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Jefferson's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to reported crime to comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Jefferson, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Jefferson?
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 14.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Jefferson?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 850.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 63% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Jefferson?
Within Ohio, the closest population matches are Gallipolis (3,352 residents, $50,631 income); Dillonvale (3,354 residents, $81,591 income); Hartville (3,355 residents, $65,625 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Williamsburg, IA (3,347 residents); Mount Oliver, PA (3,347 residents); Petersburg, AK (3,346 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Is Jefferson growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -65 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.0% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Jefferson?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 88.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
2.4%
Drive alone
88.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,598 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Jefferson?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 4.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$47,469
Home value
$189,500
Value / income
4.0×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B+
92.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C+
5.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime D
189 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
14.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$47,469
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Jefferson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 75/100 (B+) · 92.8 index
Poverty rate: 63/100 (C+) · 5.4%
Violent crime: 49/100 (D) · 189 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 20/100 (F) · 14.8%
Household income: 17/100 (F) · $47,469
Where Jefferson sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Jefferson's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Jefferson highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Jefferson, OH (this city): home $189,500, crime 851/100k
Williamsburg, IA : home $194,000, crime 1,075/100k
Mount Oliver, PA : home $84,700, crime 4,036/100k
Petersburg, AK : home $298,500, crime 808/100k
Newcastle, WY : home $173,500, crime 935/100k
Robins, IA : home $370,500, crime 334/100k
Nesquehoning, PA : home $105,400, crime 927/100k
Gallipolis, OH : home $119,800, crime 4,062/100k
Hartville, OH : home $254,500, crime 941/100k
Lordstown, OH : home $161,900, crime 753/100k
How does Jefferson compare to other US cities?
Where Jefferson sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income16% higher than other cities
Home value40% pricier than other cities
Median rent22% pricier than other cities
Safety70% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Ohio, Jefferson ranks #99 of 281 Ohio cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Jefferson against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Ohio only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Ohio-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Jefferson near the bottom of Ohio's cities
Among the 1,196 Ohio cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Jefferson ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Jefferson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#968 of 1,145
15th percentile in Ohio
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,196
0th percentile in Ohio
Median Home Value
#347 of 1,164
70th percentile in Ohio
Poverty Rate
#672 of 1,196
43rd percentile in Ohio
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#727 of 1,196
39th percentile in Ohio
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Ohio only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
16th percentile nationally for median household income · 70th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Jefferson's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Jefferson's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Jefferson's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$189,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 60% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Jefferson's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,687 of 15,516
More affordable than 31% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#8,356 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 4.0×, Jefferson sits in the moderate band:
national rank #10,687 of 15,516 and #8,356 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$47,469Jefferson, OH median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Jefferson, OH median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Jefferson, OH.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)14.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,347
Median Income
$47,469
Median Home Value
$189,500
Median Age
55.2
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
850.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
189.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
661.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Jefferson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,213 residents
2021
3,205 residents
2022
3,180 residents
2023
3,171 residents
2024
3,163 residents
2025
3,148 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
88.2%
Carpool
6.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
2.4%
Other
1.3%
Based on 1,598 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Ohio statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $228
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Ohio at $228 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Ohio statewide averages, not a meter reading for Jefferson. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Ohio's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.8 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Jefferson is $1,092/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Ohio statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Ohio statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Jefferson sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Jefferson compares to similar-size Ohio cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.