ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Jefferson County, Missouri

FIPS 29099 · St. Louis, MO-IL · Population 229,458
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$82,851
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.7%
Unemployment
4% national
$6.9B
GDP
24.7%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$82,851
Per Capita
$39,160
Mean Household
$98,813
Poverty Rate
9%
Median Income Comparison
Jefferson County$82,851
Missouri$70,702
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 16.7% (38,261 residents) 55-64: 14.5% (33,288 residents) 35-54: 26.5% (60,769 residents) 18-34: 19.8% (45,507 residents) Under 18: 22.5% (51,633 residents) 40 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 22.5%
18-34 · 19.8%
35-54 · 26.5%
55-64 · 14.5%
65+ · 16.7%
Race & Ethnicity
White89.3%
Black or African American1%
Asian1%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)2.6%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +2.4 pts
24.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 11.0 pts
8%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 6.1 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
229,458
Population
121,479
Labor Force
Employed
117,199
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.7% ▲ +0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.6 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.5%
Key Takeaways
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 11.0 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$6.9B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Jefferson County, Missouri, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
7,672 20.0%
$37,062
2Health Care and Social Assistance
7,089 18.5%
$57,097
3Accommodation and Food Services
6,455 16.9%
$22,584
4Construction
4,389 11.5%
$74,540
5Manufacturing
4,175 10.9%
$71,957
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management
2,238 5.8%
$49,277
7Other Services (except Public Administration)
2,090 5.5%
$45,642
8Wholesale Trade
1,529 4.0%
$77,861
9Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,526 4.0%
$69,196
10Finance and Insurance
1,105 2.9%
$73,840
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 7,672 workers (20% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $37,062.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $6.9B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $77,861 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $22,584, a 3.4x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
4.48x
591
Primary Metal Manufacturing
3.36x
388
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.75x
917
General Merchandise Retailers
2.39x
2,464
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
2.34x
1,063
Repair and Maintenance
2.34x
1,086
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.20x
959
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.86x
3,080
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
1.83x
689
Telecommunications
1.80x
341

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
4,340
Cluster Employment
2.75x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
4.48x 591
Primary Metal Manufacturing
3.36x 388
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.75x 917
General Merchandise Retailers
2.39x 2,464
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
2.34x 1,063
Repair and Maintenance
2.34x 1,086
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.20x 959
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.86x 3,080
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
1.83x 689
Telecommunications
1.80x 341

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.12x
Food Manufacturing
66 employed
0.12x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
96 employed
0.16x
Educational Services
170 employed
0.19x
Securities, Commodity Contracts, Investments
66 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing concentrates at 4.48x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
  • Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Jefferson County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$237,200
Median Home Value vs 2019
$979
Rent/Mo
82.2%
Owner-Occ
6%
Vacancy
2.9x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$955/mo
1 Bedroom
$995/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,218/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,568/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,812/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,071/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.9x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 82.2% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,071/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
139,564
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.6 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.5%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
84.8%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 68.3% of working-age population (18-64) 68% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
24.7%
HS Diploma+
92%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
31,975/yr
University of Missouri-Columbia 9,503/yr
Washington University in St Louis 6,224/yr
Missouri State University-Springfield 5,730/yr
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City 3,677/yr
University of Missouri-Kansas City 3,445/yr
Saint Louis University 3,396/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
23.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
36.4%
Service
14.4%
Sales & Office
21.9%
Construction / Maint.
13.4%
Production / Transport
13.9%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 117,199 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 23.9% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 21,457 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Jefferson County shows meaningful potential for nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing attraction, with a 4.48x concentration and 591 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 23.9% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing, primary metal manufacturing, and gasoline stations and fuel dealers creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Jefferson County, Missouri, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Jefferson County, Missouri?

229,458 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Jefferson County, Missouri?

$82,851 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Jefferson County, Missouri?

3.7% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Jefferson County, Missouri?

$6.9B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).