Most of West Jefferson commutes out: there are 0.4 jobs for every working resident
The average commute takes 28 minutes each way, against 26 across Alabama and 26 nationally. West Jefferson has 45 jobs; 123 of its residents have a job. Working from home is the commute for 4% of workers, next to 9% for Alabama as a whole.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The daily flow of workers through West Jefferson
On a workday 121 residents head out to work, 2 work right here, and 43 people come in from elsewhere.
About 400 people are in West Jefferson on a workday afternoon, 16% fewer than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
23% of working residents work in Birmingham
Where West Jefferson clocks in
23% of workers
12% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
What West Jefferson’s employers do
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in West Jefferson, 2014 → 2024: 52 → 45. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs West Jefferson’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Time on the road from West Jefferson: about 28 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of West Jefferson workers work from home, vs 9% across Alabama. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 212 commuters (the 4% who work from home are left out). Across Alabama: 88% drive alone, <1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Miles to work from West Jefferson
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Work next door: 23% of West Jefferson’s workers
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | West Jefferson workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Jefferson | – | — | — | 28 min | $41,406 |
| Adamsville | under 2% | B | C+ | 35 min | $62,500 |
| Birmingham | 23% | C | A | 21 min | $46,051 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Birmingham. Darker towns draw more of West Jefferson’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in West Jefferson: questions
What is the median household income in West Jefferson?
$41,406 (±$25,986) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $63,999 across Alabama and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in West Jefferson?
13.4%, against 15.6% across Alabama and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from West Jefferson?
28 minutes each way on average, against 26 across Alabama and 26 nationally. 4% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in West Jefferson work?
2% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Birmingham (23%, 17 mi), Bessemer (12%, 21 mi), Homewood (6%, 20 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Can you get around West Jefferson without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 2% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from West Jefferson, from the people who make the trip.
More of West Jefferson
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.