Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety55#420/924
Economy86#133/925
Housing95#50/925
Health67#302/925
Healthcare39#567/923
Environment70#280/917
Education66#314/925
Infrastructure60#373/925
Community72#263/925
Leisure & amenities49#472/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Jefferson City, MO metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Severe housing problems · low8.1%
99/100Missouri 12.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low23.0%
97/100Missouri 28.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low35.4%
95/100Missouri 45.6%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Social associations · high16.8 /10k
95/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low8.6 /100k
90/100Missouri 18.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high53.8%
84/100Missouri 49.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high10.9 mi
14/100Missouri 6.6 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high96 mi
19/100Missouri 40 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low61.5%
23/100Missouri 76.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low1.3 /1k
24/100Missouri 3.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Dentists · low46 /100k
27/100Missouri 64 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.5 /10k
32/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Homicide rateWorsening
1.6 /100k (2021) → 3.9 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+147%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 25% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+25 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.5% (2015-2019) → 88.4% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
7.5 /1k (2020) → 13.2 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
19.8 /100k (2021) → 8.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−57%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
19.0% (Dec 2021) → 28.7% (Aug 2026)
+9.6 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Jefferson City, MO metro area improved on 13 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 7 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Libraries+16%0.4 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Broadband+17 points71.5% → 88.4%
Real income+39%$48,869 → $67,755
Weekly wage+29%$882 → $1,135
New businesses+77%7.5 /1k → 13.2 /1k

Declined3

Inequality+0.0180.410 → 0.428
Firearm deaths+13%13.6 /100k → 15.4 /100k
Price / income+0.3×2.7× → 2.9×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Jefferson City, MO metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.8 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	79%
Average commute time	21.2 min2015-2019	21.2 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$8822020	$1,1352025	+29%	Improved	88%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.7%2015-2019	31.1%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Improved	65%
Broadband subscriptions	71.5%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	94%
Child poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	12.7%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Distance to an airport	96 mi2020	96 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	90%
Drug overdose deaths	15.9 /100k2020	8.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−46%	Improved	75%
Effective property tax rate	0.77%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	36%
Firearm deaths	13.6 /100k2020	15.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+13%	Declined	31%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	41%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	34%
High school diploma or higher	89.5%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	71%
Homicide rate	4.5 /100k2020	3.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−13%	Improved	35%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,8692019	$67,7552024	+39%	Improved	87%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4102015-2019	0.4282020-2024	+0.018	Declined	17%
Median household income	$59,1862015-2019	$74,0302020-2024	+25%	Improved	39%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	13.2 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	85%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	64%
Poverty rate	10.3%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+16%	Improved	94%
Public transit commuters	0.3%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Rent as share of income	23.8%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Rent-burdened households	36.6%2015-2019	35.4%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Restaurants and bars	7.6 /10k2020	8.1 /10k2025	+6.5%	Improved	70%
Suicide rate	17.9 /100k2020	18.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.3%	Little change	56%
Traffic deaths	13.5 /100k2015-2019	13.8 /100k2020-2024	+2.5%	Little change	57%
Unemployment rate	4.4%2020	3.3%2025	−1.1 points	Improved	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.5%2015-2019	9.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	73%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Jefferson City, MO metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jefferson City, MO metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Jefferson City, MO metro area itself moved +3.8 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

150,437 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

58,587 households (±612)

Jefferson City, MO metro area
United States share

Under $25k15%8,698
$25k–50k18%10,502
$50k–75k18%10,613

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

58,587 households (±612)

Jefferson City, MO metro area
United States share

Own72%42,282
Rent28%16,305

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

71,274 workers (±1,010)

Jefferson City, MO metro area
United States share

Drive alone77%55,015
Carpool9.6%6,813
Public transit0.5%†389

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Jefferson City, MO employ 16,140 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Jefferson City, MO by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
General and Operations Managers2,280 jobs	2,280	$76,170US $105,770	−28%	1.26×
Registered Nurses1,910 jobs	1,910	$85,010US $97,550	−13%	1.1×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1,880 jobs	1,880	$40,980US $47,540	−14%	2.14×
Cashiers1,650 jobs	1,650	$29,420US $32,880	−11%	1.04×
Office Clerks, General1,600 jobs	1,600	$39,640US $45,010	−12%	1.26×
Retail Salespersons1,540 jobs	1,540	$30,400US $35,410	−14%	0.76×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,430 jobs	1,430	$34,980US $37,330	−6%	0.98×
Customer Service Representatives1,360 jobs	1,360	$38,990US $44,770	−13%	1.02×
Cooks, Fast Food1,320 jobs	1,320	$28,600US $30,890	−7%	3.98×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,170 jobs	1,170	$31,830US $35,800	−11%	0.53×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Jefferson City, MO.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Jefferson City, MO has 3,606 employer establishments, 239 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), with 55,768 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,263. The Census Bureau also counts 11,019 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,606; 11,019 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 239; US 248
Paid employees: 55,768
Average annual pay: $52,263; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Jefferson City, MO by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	334	22.1	1.43×More than typical	2,818	$67,176	1,061
Restaurants and other eating places	232	15.4	0.84×About typical	4,603	$18,876	48
Ambulatory health care services	189	12.5	0.60×Fewer than typical	2,590	$67,337	274
Religious organizations	138	9.2	1.65×More than typical	1,060	$24,372	—
Construction of buildings	123	8.2	1.08×About typical	667	$55,840	515
Building equipment contractors	115	7.6	1.27×More than typical	1,468	$69,658	146
Services to buildings and dwellings	112	7.4	1.10×About typical	1,032	$38,154	747
Limited-service restaurants	106	7	0.88×About typical	2,512	$16,885	20
Full-service restaurants	102	6.8	0.88×About typical	1,868	$21,792	8
Lessors of real estate	100	6.6	0.54×Fewer than typical	260	$39,627	1,152
Insurance agencies and brokerages	88	5.8	1.33×More than typical	509	$78,151	227
Banks and credit unions	87	5.8	1.79×More than typical	1,938	$65,691	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 150,794 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $7.6M on contracts performed in Jefferson City, MO metro area: $49.54 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $7.6M; −12% vs FY2025
Per resident: $49.54; US $1,994
Sole-source: 45%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.8%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$2M27%
Public Buildings Service$1.5M20%
Social Security Administration$1.1M15%
Food and Drug Administration$967.5K13%
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission$699K9.2%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$373K4.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$366.5K4.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs$320.5K4.2%

Top recipients

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES$2.2M30%
HOF CONSTRUCTION INC$960K13%
T47 INTERNATIONAL, INC.$954.6K13%
STATE OF MISSOURI COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS$699K9.2%
OCCI INC$451K6.0%

Spending by fiscal year

13.7MFY2017
11.4MFY2018
21.2MFY2019
30.7MFY2020
8.7MFY2021
5.8MFY2022
14.7MFY2023
34.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Data processing, hosting, and related services · 5182$1.5M19%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.4M19%
Administration of human resource programs · 9231$1M13%
Office administrative services · 5611$954.6K13%
Social advocacy organizations · 8133$699K9.2%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$498.4K

Largest awards

LAGRANGE L&D PHASE 1$24.5M
OCCI INC· Callaway County, MO· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 24, 2024 – May 18, 2026· W912EK24C0033
47QFWA22F0035 HHS/OIG/OAS MEDICAL RECORD REVIEW AND CONSULTATION SERVICES$5.4M
MAXIMUS FEDERAL SERVICES, INC.· Cole County, MO· Health & medical· Sep 23, 2022 – Sep 24, 2026· 47QFWA22F0035
EO14042. PERFORM MEDICAL SUPPORT SERVICES IAW THE PWS FOR APPROXIMATELY 9,500 SOLDIERS IN MISSOURI ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE SERVICES INCLUDE NONCLINICAL CASE MANAGEMENT, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CASE MANAGEMENT AND MEDICAL RECORDS ADMIN.$4.7M
T47 INTERNATIONAL, INC.· Cole County, MO· Health & medical· Nov 15, 2021 – Jun 8, 2026· W912NS22C0001

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Jefferson City, MO metro area: $6,818 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1B; −10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,818; US $12,955
Loan face value: $196.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$590.5M57%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$101.4M9.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$88.2M8.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$49.3M4.7%
93.959 · Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse$29.5M2.8%
93.788 · Opioid Str$26.6M2.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$25.5M2.5%
93.958 · Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services$16.4M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

MENTAL HEALTH, MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF$87.4M8.4%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY$24.9M2.4%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$15M1.4%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI FAMILY HEALTH COUNCIL, INC$7.9M0.8%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$753.5M72%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$112.4M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration$87.6M8.4%
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Education$18.6M1.8%
Federal Highway Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

943.7MFY2021
934.6MFY2022
1.1BFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.2BFY2025
1BFY2026

County aggregates

84%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Jefferson City, MO

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Jefferson CityPrincipal city42,488

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Areas based in Missouri, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Jefferson City, MO metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Jefferson City, MO

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type