Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jefferson gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $232K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income. It grades B− overall, 640th among Ohio's 987 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Jefferson’s median age is 49.3 years, against 41.7 years in Ohio’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Jefferson's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 84% of U.S. towns.
Where Jefferson beats most towns.
Giddings, Joshua Reed, Law Office
Giddings, Joshua Reed, Law Office is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 439 in 1850, 3,226 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 5 maps from 1905 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Jefferson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
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 Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Jefferson.
Jefferson draws workers from Ashtabula and beyond, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
1,940 jobs are based in Jefferson, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Jefferson for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Jefferson is 29 minutes. Jobs based in Jefferson fell to 1,940 in 2023, 186 fewer than in 2013.
| Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jefferson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,890 U.S. towns with household incomes like Jefferson’s, it is less healthy than 60%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
42% of adults have obesity in Jefferson. Jefferson beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Jefferson.
| Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 28% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Jefferson | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 8.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (38% statewide). Jefferson has lost 2.2% of its people since 2020, down to 3,148 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio.
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.1 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Jefferson | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.3% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.1% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points
The Dorset weather station, 7 miles away, records that 90 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Jefferson has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Jefferson’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 50 to 18 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Typical home values rose 7.1% in the year to September 2026.
| Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $963 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 77% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Giddings Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Jefferson
About 6 of every 100 Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
Where Jefferson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Jefferson on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Jefferson.
Village in Ohio, United States
Jefferson is a village in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan Area, 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Cleveland. Modern-day Jefferson sports the world's only perambulator museum and a historical complex including several restored 19th-century buildings. Joshua Giddings' law office has also been restored as a museum. Annual village events include the Ashtabula County Fair, the Strawberry Festival, Jefferson Days, and the Covered Bridge Festival.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jefferson grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #640 of 987 in Ohio. It grades C− for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
10 notable people were born here, including George Pake and Marcus E. Jones.
