Jefferson County, Kentucky
Among the top 1% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 23% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 6% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 100% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 94% of US counties
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 3% for walkability
- bottom 2% for natural disaster risk
Jefferson County is a county in Kentucky with about 779,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and sales tax. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and natural disaster risk.
- The median home value in Jefferson County is $222k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Jefferson County is $66k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Jefferson County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Jefferson County has a violent crime rate of 1746/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Jefferson County is 22 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
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68%40%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.0 in3.7 in
muggy 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$66k66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$48kbetter than 27% of US counties
Home Value$222k74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 20% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$202kbetter than 2% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.86%better than 49% of US counties
Income Tax4.50%better than 62% of US counties
Sales Tax6.00%better than 84% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.35%better than 52% of US counties
Unemployment5.1%better than 43% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)35°F53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation50.0 in73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall12.6 inbetter than 50% of US counties
Sunny Days208 daysbetter than 21% of US counties
Summer Humidity67°Fbetter than 41% of US counties
Comfortable Days76 daysbetter than 41% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk98.3better than 2% of US counties
Air Quality55 AQIbetter than 3% of US counties
School Quality73.4better than 77% of US counties
Violent Crime1746/100kbetter than 10% of US counties
Property Crime2968/100kbetter than 4% of US counties
Community
Population779,23297th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age38.524th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4978th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9515th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+218th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)65.1%29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)21.7%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.3%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.0%89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.9%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 66% of US counties
Walkability11.3/20better than 97% of US counties
Airport Distance3 mibetter than 100% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.1%better than 83% of US counties
Amenities Nearby5.72better than 71% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 79% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Jefferson County an affordable place to live?
- Jefferson County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $48k, better than 27% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Jefferson County safe?
- Jefferson County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1746/100k (better than 10%). Property crime is 2968/100k.
- What is the weather like in Jefferson County?
- Jefferson County averages 79°F in July and 35°F in January, with 50.0 in of annual precipitation and about 208 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Jefferson County?
- Public-school quality in Jefferson County is above average, scoring better than 77% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Jefferson County?
- The average one-way commute in Jefferson County is 22 min.