Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A regional job hub with 1,891 jobs.
The best of Jefferson’s subject grades are a B+ for schools and a B for history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 30% of residents are 65 or older in Jefferson, against 18% in North Carolina’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On incomes, just 16 of North Carolina’s 448 towns do worse. On the outdoors, just 37 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do worse. Jefferson has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Ashe County Courthouse and William Weaver House. Jefferson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Jefferson beats most towns.
Where Jefferson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Jefferson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 128 in 1860, a low of 128 in 1860, 1,622 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 5 maps from 1889 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jefferson. Close and well known come first.
7 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
17 mi MountainMount Rogers
29 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain20 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad
15 mi State parkGrayson Highlands State Park28 mi Theme parkLand of OzBlue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Mount Rogers: USDA-FS, Public domain · Grandfather Mountain: Original uploader was KyleAndMelissa22 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Grayson Highlands State Park: Ken Thomas, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jefferson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Jefferson.
Most working residents leave Jefferson for work: only 16% work in town. 23% of Jefferson residents live below the poverty line, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jefferson’s median household income is $41,000.
| Jefferson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The July high in Jefferson is 79°F. Jefferson has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jefferson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jefferson's reported crime rate is below North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2024.
| Jefferson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 15.3 per 1,000 residents | 24 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
The typical Jefferson home is worth about $368,000, up 4.5% in a year, 11% above the North Carolina typical home. 45% of Jefferson households own their home.
| Jefferson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $748 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jefferson beats the North Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of adults have high blood pressure in Jefferson.
| Jefferson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Jefferson | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 12.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.6% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Jefferson; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
2 places in Jefferson on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Jefferson is a town in and the county seat of Ashe County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,622.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Jefferson.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| West Jefferson | — | — | A− | D | B+ | C |
Jefferson and West Jefferson have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Jefferson reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Jefferson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 6.5 years of the area's median household income ($56,866 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
