Jefferson County, KY

County

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    2024 Population
    783,022
    US Senator
    Mitch McConnell
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Rand Paul
    Republican Party
    2024 Poverty Rate
    14.3%
    1.62% 1-year decrease
    2024 Median Household Income
    $69,866
    2.97% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $248,400
    4.72% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    388,766
    0.125% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Jefferson County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    94.1% of the residents in Jefferson County, KY are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Jefferson County, KY are University of Louisville (5,689 degrees awarded in 2024), Jefferson Community and Technical College (4,834 degrees), and Galen College of Nursing-Louisville (1,707 degrees).

    In 2024, the median property value in Jefferson County, KY was $248,400, and the homeownership rate was 62.1%.

    Most people in Jefferson County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Jefferson County, KY was 2 cars per household.

    About the photo: Louisville, KY
    Photo by The Pug Father
    United StatesKentuckyLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

    Population & Diversity

    Jefferson County, KY is home to a population of 783k people, from which 94.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.67% of Jefferson County, KY residents were born outside of the country (75.7k people).

    In 2024, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (485k people) in Jefferson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 161k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 36.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    94.1%
    2024 Citizenship
    94.7%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 94.1% of Jefferson County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jefferson County, KY was 94.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Jefferson County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jefferson County, KY
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      485k ± 1.29k
    2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      161k ± 2.11k
    3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      36.2k ± 2.33k
    8.59%
    Hispanic Population
    67.3k people

    In 2024, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (485k people) in Jefferson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 161k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 36.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    8.59% of the people in Jefferson County, KY are hispanic (67.3k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jefferson County, KY as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      34,417 ± 4,537 people
    2. Cuba
      21,613 ± 3,601 people
    3. India
      11,987 ± 2,684 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,417 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 21,613 and India with 11,987.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    9.67%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    75.7k people
    9.2%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    71.6k people

    As of 2024, 9.67% of Jefferson County, KY residents (75.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Jefferson County, KY was 9.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Jefferson County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      11,151 ± 732
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      8,157 ± 919
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      6,870 ± 713

    Jefferson County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Jefferson County, KY.

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    Health

    94.3% of the population of Jefferson County, KY has health coverage, with 48.1% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.17% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, KY see 1,093 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,093 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 944 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 246 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    1,093 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, KY

    Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, KY see an average of 1,093 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,093 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Jefferson County, KY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 22% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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    Uninsured People

    5.7%
    Uninsured
    48.1%
    Employer Coverage
    21.1%
    Medicaid
    12.7%
    Medicare
    11.3%
    Non-Group
    1.17%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jefferson County, KY grew by 2.45% from 5.57% to 5.7%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Jefferson County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.2 in Jefferson County, KY.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jefferson County, KY.

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    Health Behaviors

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.2% in Jefferson County, KY.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jefferson County, KY.

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    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 6.3% in Jefferson County, KY.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Jefferson County, KY.

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    Economy

    The economy of Jefferson County, KY employs 389k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jefferson County, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (58,345 people), Manufacturing (47,948 people), and Retail Trade (40,710 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($85,833), Utilities ($79,417), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($72,934).

    Employment

    Occupations

    389k
    2024 Value
    ± 5,281
    0.125%
    1 Year growth
    ± 1.95%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, KY grew at a rate of 0.125%, from 388k employees to 389k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jefferson County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (44,208 people), Management Occupations (41,051 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (34,184 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jefferson County, KY.

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    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    389k
    2024 Value
    ± 5,281
    0.125%
    1 Year growth
    ± 1.95%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jefferson County, KY grew at a rate of 0.125%, from 388k employees to 389k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jefferson County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (58,345 people), Manufacturing (47,948 people), and Retail Trade (40,710 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jefferson County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Jefferson County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $51,583
    Median earning men ± $849
    $41,849
    Median earning women ± $675

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,502), Public Administration ($67,221), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($63,174).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,056), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,988), and Public Administration ($50,522).

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    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
    Y-Axis
    2.51%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 1,470
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    2. 1,138
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    3. 1,113
      Retail Trade

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $4.37M
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $3.55M
      Manufacturing
    3. $3.22M
      Transportation and Warehousing

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

    Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Jefferson County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (33.9%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Kentucky

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
    Mitch McConnell
    Senator from Kentucky2
    Assumed office on January 3, 1985
    Rand Paul
    Senator from Kentucky3
    Assumed office on January 3, 2011

    Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Jefferson County, KY awarded 16,338 degrees. The student population of Jefferson County, KY in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 22,344 male students and 33,004 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Jefferson County, KY are White (10,303 and 64.9%), Black or African American (2,249 and 14.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1,251 and 7.88%), and Two or More Races (689 and 4.34%).

    The largest universities in Jefferson County, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of Louisville (5,689 and 34.8%), Jefferson Community and Technical College (4,834 and 29.6%), and Galen College of Nursing-Louisville (1,707 and 10.4%).

    The most popular majors in Jefferson County, KY are Registered Nursing (2,230 and 13.6%), General Computer & Information Sciences (1,120 and 6.86%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (776 and 4.75%).

    The median tuition costs are $22,404 for private four year colleges, and $12,940 and $29,286 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Jefferson County, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 81%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 55,348 (40.4% men and 59.6% women).

    The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 55,348 students enrolled in Jefferson County, KY, 40.4% men and 59.6% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 31,489 records, of which 57.4% were women and 42.6% men.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. Registered Nursing
      1,679 degrees awarded
    2. General Psychology
      300 degrees awarded
    3. General Business
      188 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Jefferson County, KY was Registered Nursing with 1,679 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Jefferson County, KY according to their major.

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    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. University of Louisville
      5,689 degrees awarded
    2. Jefferson Community and Technical College
      4,834 degrees awarded
    3. Galen College of Nursing-Louisville
      1,707 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Louisville with 5,689 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 7,333 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jefferson County, KY, which is 0.814 times less than the 9,005 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 10,303 degrees mean that there were 4.58 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,249 degrees awarded.

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    Awarded Degrees over Time

    The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($22,404) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($870) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Private for-profit, 2-year ($3,622) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

    The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Jefferson County, KY was $248,400 in 2024, which is 0.747 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $237,200 to $248,400, a 4.72% increase. The homeownership rate in Jefferson County, KY is 62.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Jefferson County, KY have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jefferson County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

    Housing

    Property

    $248,400
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$2,496
    $205,981
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$3,302

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Jefferson County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Jefferson County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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    Rent vs Own

    62.1%
    Homeownership
    2024
    63.2%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 62.1% of the housing units in Jefferson County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.8%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jefferson County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $69,866
    Median Household Income
    ± $1,228
    332k
    Number of Households
    ± 4,744

    In 2024, the median household income of the 332k households in Jefferson County, KY grew to $69,866 from the previous year's value of $67,849.

    The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Jefferson County, KY is from Kentucky.
    0.446
    2024 Wage GINI in Kentucky
    0.449
    2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky

    In 2024, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.446 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.585% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (72.4%)
    2. Worked At Home (14.2%)
    3. Carpooled (8.36%)

    In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Jefferson County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.2%) and those who carpooled to work (8.36%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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    Commute Time

    22.2 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Jefferson County, KY have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.42% of the workforce in Jefferson County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Jefferson County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Jefferson County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jefferson County, KY have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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    Poverty & Diversity

    14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jefferson County, KY (110k out of 769k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jefferson County, KY is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 21.6% of the children was living in poverty in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.4%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 612 in Jefferson County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 32% per 100,000 population.

    The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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