Jefferson City, Callaway County, Cole County, Missouri Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Jefferson City, Missouri, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Jefferson City, Missouri. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Jefferson City, Missouri. The estimated population of Jefferson City, Missouri is 43,076 people, with a median age of 37.8.

We can look at the total population in Jefferson City over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
43,076
+0.95%
-0.04%
2020
42,670
-0.58% -
2019
42,919
-0.22% -
2018
43,013
-0.18% -
2017
43,092
- -

Population of Jefferson City, Missouri by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
72.1%
72%
+0.14%
Black/African American
18.8%
18.4%
+2.17%
Native
0.2%
0.3%
-33.33%
Hispanic
3.2%
3.5%
-8.57%
Asian
2.5%
2.2%
+13.64%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0.1%
-100.00%
Two Or More Races
2.4%
2.5%
-4.00%
Other
0.7%
1%
-30.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Jefferson City, Missouri by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 37.8 -0.53% 37.5 0% 38.4 -2.04%
2020 38 +0.26% 37.5 +0.27% 39.2 +0.77%
2019 37.9 +0.53% 37.4 +1.36% 38.9 -0.26%
2018 37.7 -0.26% 36.9 -0.81% 39 -0.26%
2017 37.8 - 37.2 - 39.1 -

The median age of Jefferson City, Missouri gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 2,513 +2.77% 2,466 +6.57% 2,543 2,622
10 to 19 2,670 -13.33% 2,631 -0.16% 2,330 2,621
20 to 29 3,635 +0.39% 2,830 +4.62% 3,646 2,954
30 to 39 3,560 +1.71% 2,585 -6.71% 3,609 2,411
40 to 49 2,909 +9.8% 2,371 -0.46% 3,186 2,343
50 to 59 3,212 -9.48% 2,665 -8.4% 2,915 2,445
60 to 69 2,212 +15.46% 2,277 +13.3% 2,573 2,589
70+ 1,722 -0.72% 2,834 -8.53% 1,692 2,597

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Jefferson City, Missouri is $56,781.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Jefferson City.

  • Under 25
    $30,956.00
  • 25 to 44
    $58,235.00
  • 45 to 64
    $71,086.00
  • 65 and over
    $46,107.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Jefferson City, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Jefferson City, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Jefferson City, Missouri is currently $76,822.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

4.08% of households in Jefferson City are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Jefferson City against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    20.25%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.58%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.38%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.86%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    15.30%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.55%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.08%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Jefferson City is $31,249.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Jefferson City by the total population of Jefferson City.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Jefferson City, Missouri, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Jefferson City to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    15.18%
  • Bachelor's degree
    35.86%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    9.57%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    36.60%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.79%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Jefferson City that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Jefferson City over the age of 16 is 35,072.

Of those people, a total of 61.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Jefferson City is 59.60%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 2,112 45.10% 8.20%
20 to 24 years 3,080 74.60% 2.50%
25 to 29 years 3,520 80.80% 3.20%
30 to 34 years 2,961 71.50% 4.70%
35 to 44 years 6,141 76.00% 0.90%
45 to 54 years 5,191 73.60% 4.20%
55 to 59 years 2,616 76.80% 2.30%
60 to 64 years 2,946 52.00% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 3,864 30.90% 4.70%
75 years and over 2,641 6.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Jefferson City. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 26,767 62.70% 2.60%
Black or African American 6,362 59.40% 4.80%
American Indian and Alaska Native 106 46.20% 0.00%
Asian 766 64.20% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 100.00% 0.00%
Other 261 41.00% 2.80%
Two or more races 804 45.50% 4.10%
Hispanic or Latino 963 68.20% 11.10%
Not Hispanic or Latino 26,100 62.30% 2.20%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Jefferson City as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Jefferson City is 20,891, with median earnings of $37,153.00.

Women in Jefferson City, Missouri earning approximately 71.20% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 20,891 $37,153.00
Male 10,966 $44,580.00
Female 9,925 $31,758.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,623 $56,721.00
Business and Financial 1,687 $55,524.00
Computer and Mathematical 747 $64,965.00
Architecture and Engineering 322 $64,760.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 191 $59,293.00
Community and Social Service 366 $40,769.00
Legal 341 $53,813.00
Educational and Library 1,212 $36,250.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 612 $45,938.00
Healthcare Practitioners 982 $52,292.00
Healthcare Support 609 $22,532.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 212 $37,625.00
Law Enforcement 363 $43,405.00
Food Preparation and Serving 941 $15,898.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 922 $22,561.00
Personal Care and Service 544 $17,373.00
Sales 2,032 $25,342.00
Office and Administrative Support 2,529 $32,440.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,136 $52,994.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 576 $42,738.00
Production 1,100 $32,788.00
Transportation and Material Moving 892 $39,205.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 685 $71,563.00 938 $44,026.00
Business and Financial 756 $67,286.00 931 $45,244.00
Computer and Mathematical 602 $67,967.00 145 $49,861.00
Architecture and Engineering 322 $64,760.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 139 $58,207.00 52 $76,000.00
Community and Social Service 214 $53,302.00 152 $35,804.00
Legal 189 $67,232.00 152 $51,767.00
Educational and Library 258 $42,656.00 954 $33,220.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 292 $47,917.00 320 $41,250.00
Healthcare Practitioners 231 $126,691.00 751 $47,109.00
Healthcare Support 7 $0.00 602 $22,442.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 190 $38,313.00 22 $0.00
Law Enforcement 323 $42,883.00 40 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 393 $18,494.00 548 $13,491.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 616 $25,260.00 306 $16,250.00
Personal Care and Service 46 $42,788.00 498 $17,034.00
Sales 1,099 $34,375.00 933 $14,957.00
Office and Administrative Support 655 $31,292.00 1,874 $32,583.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,118 $53,045.00 18 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 567 $43,274.00 9 $0.00
Production 721 $37,756.00 379 $29,370.00
Transportation and Material Moving 784 $44,948.00 108 $28,125.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 16,655 households in Jefferson City, with an average household size of 2.3 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 9,364 families in Jefferson City with an average family size of 3.06 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 6,861 604 1,899 7,291
Average Household Size 3.14 3.17 3.2 1.22
Total Families 6,861 604 1,899 0
Average Household Size 3.11 2.82 2.97 0

Poverty

Of the 9,364 families in Jefferson City, 10.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Jefferson City:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 18,982 housing units in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 16,655 87.74%
Vacant 2,327 12.26%

35.06% of the total 18,982 housing units in Jefferson City are rental units. This is approximately 6,655 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 9,715 are occupied by the owner - or 51.18% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Jefferson City is $671.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Jefferson City that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    285
  • Less than $500
    1,206
  • $500 to $999
    4,479
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    788
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    167
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    15

Property Value

The median value of a property in Jefferson City is $168,300.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Jefferson City that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    414
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,087
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    2,419
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2,471
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,138
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    885
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    245
  • $1,000,000 or more
    56

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Jefferson City. The chart below shows the number of properties in Jefferson City that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,214
  • 1940 to 1949
    1,141
  • 1950 to 1959
    2,197
  • 1960 to 1969
    2,107
  • 1970 to 1979
    2,922
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,193
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,992
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,198
  • 2010 to 2013
    986
  • 2014 or later
    32

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Jefferson City that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    1,159
  • 1 vehicle available
    6,783
  • 2 vehicles available
    6,020
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,693

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Jefferson City get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Jefferson City that commute to work in a particular way.

15.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Jefferson City.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    915
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    4,435
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    6,097
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    3,919
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,370
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    590
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    936
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    342
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    394
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    312
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    81
  • 90 or more minutes
    329

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Jefferson City, Missouri in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.