Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
1% of working residents work locally in Jefferson, against 29% in South Dakota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. St. Peter's Catholic Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jefferson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Jefferson beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 90 in 1880, 475 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1963 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Since 2013, Jefferson has lost 97 jobs, to 22 in 2023. 4.9% of Jefferson residents live below the poverty line, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are North Sioux City (20%), Sioux City (15%) and Dakota Dunes (15%).
| Jefferson | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Jefferson home is worth about $395,000, up 3.8% in a year, 24% above the South Dakota typical home. 91% of households own their home in Jefferson.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jefferson has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 10° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3 crimes were reported in Jefferson in 2024: 3 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Jefferson is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Jefferson tracks South Dakota closely on all 26 CDC measures. 19% of Jefferson adults binge drink.
| Jefferson | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the South Dakota average. Jefferson has lost 5.3% of its people since 2020, down to 448 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Dakota.
| Jefferson | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 33% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.6 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
Somewhere between 27% and 66% women
The Census survey reached too few of Jefferson’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±19.4 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Jefferson | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 23.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.5% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.7% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.4% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.1% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.6% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jefferson Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
4 within 15 miles of the center of Jefferson
About 1 of every 100 Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Jefferson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in South Dakota, United States
Jefferson is a city in Union County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 475 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jefferson was founded in 1859. Every year the citizens of Jefferson and surrounding area celebrate the founding of Jefferson during "Jefferson Days", a festival that includes a movie in the park, a car show, fireworks and parade. The city has the name of President Thomas Jefferson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jefferson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Dave Bernard and Jug Thesenga.
