Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jefferson is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, ranked 300th of 357 in Wisconsin, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $79K. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its police reported 18 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 62% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $345K, 4.1 years of the Watertown area’s $84K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. Only 37 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score lower on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Jefferson Public Library and Richard C. Smith House. 16% of working residents work locally in Jefferson, above both Wisconsin’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (8%).
Where Jefferson beats most towns.
Richard C. Smith House
Census counts: 550 in 1850, 7,793 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 4 maps from 1891 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), 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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Jefferson.
Jefferson trades workers with Fort Atkinson and other neighbors and is safe by national standards but not by Wisconsin’s; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Wisconsin (mostly inland flooding).
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lubahn Park | 0.3 mi | 14 |
| 2. River Front Park | 0.2 mi | 18 |
| 3. Tensfeldt Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Jefferson High, with 603 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 349 | B− |
| Jefferson HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 603 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of Wisconsin towns, with expected losses of about $685 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Jefferson’s FEMA risk score is 70 of 100. Since 1979, 30 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jefferson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 12°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 89% of Wisconsin places with climate records; July afternoons average 82.7°.
Jefferson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Jefferson is 12°F. About 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 12°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 83°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jefferson has about as many jobs (3,817) as working residents, but only 626 people both live and work here.
4.9% of workers work from home in Jefferson. The top destinations are Fort Atkinson (11%), Madison (5%) and Johnson Creek (5%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 4.9% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 24.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 83% of Wisconsin’s graded towns.
Jefferson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 62% report less.
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.9 per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026. 67% of Jefferson households own their home.
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,071 a month | $1,080 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jefferson tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jefferson. Close and well known come first.
31 mi Stadium & arenaCamp Randall Stadium
5 mi State parkAztalan State Park
26 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
30 mi Stadium & arenaKohl Center
17 mi Theme parkLittle Amerricka
39 mi Zoo & aquariumMilwaukee County ZooCamp Randall Stadium: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Aztalan State Park: Joshua Mayer - Flickr user wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kohl Center: Pbrown111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Little Amerricka: Dklompmaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Milwaukee County Zoo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Jefferson
About 4 of every 100 Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
9 places in Jefferson on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Jefferson.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Jefferson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It lies at the confluence of the Rock and Crawfish rivers. The population was 7,793 at the 2020 census. The city is partially bordered by the Town of Jefferson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Jefferson.
Aztalan and Jefferson have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Aztalan and Jefferson report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Jefferson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jefferson grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #300 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Wisconsin has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Jefferson sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
6 notable people were born here, including Alden Sanborn and Robert Kirkland Henry.
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