Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
West Jefferson gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $267K, 3.3 years of the Columbus metro’s $82K median household income. It grades B overall, 427th among Ohio's 987 graded towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. 12% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in West Jefferson, below both Ohio’s towns (24%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Where West Jefferson beats most towns.
Where West 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 Ohio), ordered by how far West Jefferson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 436 in 1850, 4,137 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1907 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Jefferson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaOhio Stadium
16 mi Stadium & arenaScottsMiracle-Gro Field
18 mi Stadium & arenaHistoric Crew Stadium
18 mi Zoo & aquariumColumbus Zoo and Aquarium
16 mi Stadium & arenaValue City Arena
36 mi MountainCampbell HillOhio Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · ScottsMiracle-Gro Field: Nova Crystallis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Historic Crew Stadium: Rick Dikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Adolphus79 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Value City Arena: Nick81aku at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Campbell Hill: Analogue Kid (talk)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in West 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 West Jefferson.
West Jefferson draws workers from Columbus and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
8,125 jobs are based in West Jefferson, 3.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 2,338 in 2013 to 8,125.
Most working residents leave West Jefferson for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in West Jefferson grew to 8,125 in 2023, 5,787 more than in 2013. West Jefferson’s median household income is $64,000.
| West Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Jefferson has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 81 to 28 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in West Jefferson is 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
| West Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.2 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical West Jefferson home is worth about $267,000, about the same as a year ago, 9% above the Ohio typical home.
| West Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $969 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 77% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 9,755 U.S. towns with household incomes like West Jefferson’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
West Jefferson beats the Ohio average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 26% of West Jefferson adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| West Jefferson | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 26% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | West Jefferson | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.6% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Converse Park | 0.2 mi | 19 |
| 2. Garrette Park | — | 11 |
| 3. Westwood Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of West Jefferson
About 4 of every 100 West Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Village in Ohio, United States
West Jefferson (established 1834) is a village in Madison County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,137 at the 2020 census. Located along U.S. Route 40, the village has a fairly close relationship with the surrounding township. West Jefferson boasts many amenities, such as three parks, a municipal swimming pool, a public library (Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library), and a commerce park (Park 70 at West Jefferson).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with West Jefferson.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Jefferson | #427 | B | A− | B | B− | B− |
| Jefferson Township | #476 | B | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Lake Darby | #740 | C+ | C− | — | B− | B+ |
| Prairie Township | #361 | B+ | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Brown Township | #569 | B− | C− | — | B | A |
Jefferson Township, Lake Darby, Prairie Township and Brown Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare West Jefferson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. West Jefferson grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #427 of 987 in Ohio. It grades B− for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
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 A−.
