Housing data for Jefferson, NC

Jefferson, NC has an estimated 1,864 residents and 881 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a town in Ashe County.

55.1% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $748 a month.

Figures last updated on .

Residents
1,864 (±367)
Housing units
881 (±181)
Households that rent
55.1%
Median gross rent
$748
Residents since 2015–2019
+29.4%

What stands out in Jefferson

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 35.9% (±11.2 points) in Jefferson, higher than in Ashe County (3.0%).

Households that rent: 55.1% (±10.1 points) in Jefferson, higher than in Ashe County (20.6%).

Households that moved in since 2020: 31.2% (±10.3 points) in Jefferson, higher than in Ashe County (18.3%).

Median real estate taxes: $1,582 (±$237) in Jefferson, higher than in Ashe County ($1,190).

Housing in Jefferson at a glance

Jefferson against Ashe County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
JeffersonAshe CountyNorth CarolinaUnited States
Residents1,864 (±367)26,950 (exact)10,730,404 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units881 (±181)17,218 (±32)4,895,668 (±642)143,775,355
Households that rent55.1% (±10.1 points)20.6% (±2.9 points)33.4% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$748 (±$159)$859 (±$59)$1,228 (±$5)$1,413
Median household income$40,590 (±$12,413)$56,866 (±$4,577)$72,388 (±$324)$80,734
Median home value$236,000 (±$42,479)$243,100 (±$17,299)$288,900 (±$1,086)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$1,582 (±$237)$1,190 (±$76)$1,896 (±$8)$3,119
Built before 198050.2% (±12.4 points)44.8% (±3.7 points)33.9% (±0.2 points)49.7%
Average commute19.7 minutes (±3.4)25.3 minutes (±1.7)25.1 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband82.0% (±7.0 points)85.2% (±2.2 points)90.1% (±0.2 points)91.0%
Median age of residents41.6 years (±8.0)49.8 years (±0.3)39.1 years (±0.2)38.9 years

Jefferson covers 2.1 square miles of land, about 882 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Jefferson has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents1,441 (±314)1,864 (±367)+29.4%Not a measurable change
Housing units772 (±141)881 (±181)+14.1%Not a measurable change
Median gross rent$550 (±$71)$748 (±$159)+36.0%No measurable change after inflation
Median home value$154,400 (±$32,239)$236,000 (±$42,479)+52.8%No measurable change after inflation
Median household income$30,994 (±$4,357)$40,590 (±$12,413)+31.0%No measurable change after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$953 (±$149)$1,283 (±$190)+34.6%No measurable change after inflation
Median real estate taxes$1,018 (±$177)$1,582 (±$237)+55.4%Up after inflation
Households that rent54.3% (±8.5 points)55.1% (±10.1 points)+0.8 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate2.6% (±4.0 points)0.0% (±9.4 points)−2.6 percentage pointsNot a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Crime reported to police in Jefferson

In 2025, the Jefferson Police Department reported 242 violent and 1,875 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

Across Ashe County, the departments that report recorded 80 violent and 868 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.

Places near Jefferson

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
West Jefferson2.8 mi$484$232,40045.6%
Lansing5.9 mi$954$169,40045.3%
Boone18 mi$1,111$411,10073.8%
Mountain City19 mi$516$216,30043.1%
Troutdale19 mi—$109,4002.5%
Cove Creek20 mi$1,601$295,70018.1%
Sparta20 mi$563$209,60041.8%
Millers Creek20 mi$695$227,20026.3%

Places in North Carolina most like Jefferson

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Wilkesboro$764$223,700$40,90752.0%
Dobson$528$173,900$43,75051.3%
Liberty$742$194,500$39,66356.5%
Asheboro$906$188,100$47,19754.5%
High Shoals$968$230,400$53,33359.5%
Clinton$759$212,000$44,95351.4%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.

HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson, fiscal year 2027

Ashe County, NC, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$769$774$1,012$1,325$1,330

HUD income limits for Jefferson, fiscal year 2026

Ashe County, NC, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$16,450$27,450$43,900
2 people$21,640$31,350$50,150
3 people$27,320$35,250$56,400
4 people$33,000$39,150$62,650
5 people$38,680$42,300$67,700
6 people$44,360$45,450$72,700
7 people$48,550$48,550$77,700
8 people$51,700$51,700$82,700

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Ashe County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $77,000.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Jefferson

What is the average rent in Jefferson, NC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Jefferson is $748 (±$159) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Jefferson?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Jefferson, NC is $646 (±$595) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in Jefferson rent-burdened?

47.9% of renting households in Jefferson pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many renters are there in Jefferson?

Jefferson has an estimated 429 (±136) renting households, 55.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in Jefferson?

The median household income in Jefferson is $40,590 (±$12,413) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in Jefferson, NC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $236,000 (±$42,479) for owner-occupied homes in Jefferson (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Jefferson growing?

In Jefferson, the number of residents went from 1,441 in 2015–2019 to 1,864 in 2020–2024 (+29.4%), not a measurable change.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Jefferson town, North Carolina (place:34440, in state:37).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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