Farm near Juda, 2016
Jefferson’s story
Jefferson in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 4 maps from 1920 on.
Explore the history →JeffersonWI
A town of 1,152. 26% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Population
1,152
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Median home value
$231K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
181
A commuter town
Is Jefferson a good place to live?
Jefferson’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a C for incomes. No town among the 363 in Wisconsin we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Jefferson. Homes are within reach, about $231K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the Madison metro’s $89K median household income. Jefferson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Jefferson stand out
Where Jefferson beats most towns.
Small town
1,152 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
SylvesterSpring GroveOneco TownshipRock Grove TownshipClarnoJefferson
How Jefferson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Jefferson is from typical.
Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & income$70K median household incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →SchoolsC+Open →HealthThe Monroe Clinic 6.1 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryBOpen →Civic life4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jefferson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jefferson, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jefferson’s trash rules yet
SchoolsJuda School DistrictMonroe School District2 districts serve Jefferson; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Jefferson ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes53550, 5356653550 68% · 53566 32%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Jefferson.
SchoolsC+
Jefferson’s schools rank behind 59% of Wisconsin districts
Its public schools are run by the Juda School District. Its two schools are below.
41%of WI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juda ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 178 | C− |
| Juda HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 80 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Jefferson’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Jefferson for work: only 2% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Jefferson, against 6.4% in Wisconsin’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Jefferson fell to 181 in 2023, 119 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Jefferson2%
Monroe34%
Madison9%
Fitchburg3%
Clarno3%
13 mi
median commute distance
181
jobs based in Jefferson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 38% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Jefferson
Jefferson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring37–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall40–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Jefferson faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC+
Jefferson is less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Jefferson beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 42% of adults have obesity in Jefferson, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 38% and U.S. towns at 35%. 29% of Jefferson adults feel lonely.
44%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Jefferson | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 6.5% |
The Monroe Clinic
6.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.1%conserved
| Jefferson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.1%
conserved · 22 of 24,633 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Juda Community Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jefferson
18pages on Jefferson
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jefferson; the nearest are
Highland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Freeport, IL19.9 mi$4,936 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity or college · Public · Madison36.7 mi$11,603 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Jefferson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Jefferson for work
Where Jefferson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
181jobs based in Jefferson
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Jefferson
Town in Wisconsin, United States
There are a few other places named Jefferson in Wisconsin. Jefferson is a town in Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,170 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Juda is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Twin Grove is also located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 39 sq mi
- Elevation
- 997 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Jefferson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jefferson, WI a good place to live?
26% more nonprofits per person than the typical Wisconsin town.
Is Jefferson, WI expensive?
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+.