Scores by category

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

Safety91#86/924
Economy94#54/925
Housing87#124/925
Health76#225/925
Healthcare12#811/923
Environment32#626/917
Education48#482/925
Infrastructure64#330/925
Community15#784/925
Leisure & amenities7#864/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

New homes permitted · high17.9 /1k
100/100Georgia 5.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.392
99/100Georgia 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Child care cost burden · low17.6%
98/100Georgia 23.0%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low7.3%
98/100Georgia 12.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Child poverty rate · low7.0%
98/100Georgia 16.9%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Violent crime rate · low66 /100k
97/100Georgia 297 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-6.9%
1/100Georgia 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Average commute time · high31.3 min
2/100Georgia 28.3 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Access to exercise opportunities · low45.1%
4/100Georgia 74.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · low70 /100k
5/100Georgia 201 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low5.1 /10k
7/100Georgia 8.5 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low2.0 /10k
11/100Georgia 4.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
76,765 (2020) → 99,265 (2025)
+29%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 58% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+58 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Job growthWorsening
8.4% (2021) → -6.9% (2026 Q1)
−15 pts5 yearsUS 3.4% → 0.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.3% (2015-2019) → 94.0% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
1,398 /100k (2020) → 464 /100k (2025)
−67%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
7.3 /100k (2021) → 3.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−59%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k

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, GA micropolitan area improved on 20 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 4 moved within the margin of error and 3 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.

Improved20

Restaurants+36%3.8 /10k → 5.1 /10k
Weekly wage+35%$767 → $1,034
Grocery stores+35%1.0 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Inequality−0.0370.429 → 0.392
High school++4.6 points84.1% → 88.7%

Declined4

Libraries−34%1.0 /10k → 0.6 /10k
Price / income+1.0×2.9× → 3.9×
Suicides+22%13.0 /100k → 15.8 /100k
Pharmacies−17%1.7 /10k → 1.4 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Jefferson, GA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.7 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	72%
Average commute time	30.9 min2015-2019	31.3 min2020-2024	+0.3 min	Within the margin of error	53%
Average weekly wage	$7672020	$1,0342025	+35%	Improved	99%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.7%2015-2019	27.8%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Improved	92%
Broadband subscriptions	79.3%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	90%
Child poverty rate	13.9%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−6.9 points	Improved	88%
Distance to an airport	59 mi2020	59 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	16.9 /100k2020	11.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−33%	Improved	60%
Effective property tax rate	0.93%2015-2019	0.79%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	58%
Firearm deaths	13.0 /100k2020	12.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−4.6%	Little change	57%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+35%	Improved	95%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	+16%	Improved	67%
High school diploma or higher	84.1%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Improved	94%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	13%
Homicide rate	3.7 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Improved	42%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,5832019	$68,9232024	+34%	Improved	63%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4292015-2019	0.3922020-2024	−0.037	Improved	97%
Median household income	$65,3852015-2019	$89,5442020-2024	+37%	Improved	91%
New business applications	11.5 /1k2020	16.6 /1k2025	+44%	Improved	48%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	28%
Poverty rate	11.3%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	−4 points	Improved	93%
Property crime rate	1,398 /100k2020	464 /100k2025	−67%	Improved	98%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−34%	Declined	1%
Rent as share of income	28.0%2015-2019	25.8%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Rent-burdened households	45.7%2015-2019	40.9%2020-2024	−4.9 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Restaurants and bars	3.8 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	+36%	Improved	98%
Suicide rate	13.0 /100k2020	15.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+22%	Declined	24%
Traffic deaths	27.7 /100k2015-2019	16.5 /100k2020-2024	−40%	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	4.8%2020	3.0%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	16%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.7%2015-2019	13.5%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Violent crime rate	155 /100k2020	66 /100k2025	−57%	Improved	97%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; 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, GA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jefferson, GA micropolitan 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, GA micropolitan area itself moved +8.9 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

84,757 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

28,402 households (±389)

Jefferson, GA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k8.5%2,419
$25k–50k16%4,585
$50k–75k17%4,884

Homes

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

Owners and renters

28,402 households (±389)

Jefferson, GA micropolitan area
United States share

Own79%22,532
Rent21%5,870

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

41,147 workers (±1,071)

Jefferson, GA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%31,515
Carpool8.2%3,369
Public transit0.4%†171

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Jefferson, GA micropolitan area.

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, GA has 1,673 employer establishments, 188 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248), with 47,394 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,234. The Census Bureau also counts 9,892 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,673; 9,892 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 188; US 248
Paid employees: 47,394
Average annual pay: $46,234; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	170	19.1	1.24×About typical	1,178	$68,641	954
Restaurants and other eating places	100	11.2	0.61×Fewer than typical	1,481	$22,192	46
Ambulatory health care services	92	10.3	0.50×Fewer than typical	641	$59,212	329
Lessors of real estate	76	8.5	0.69×Fewer than typical	166	$38,114	725
Building equipment contractors	73	8.2	1.36×More than typical	623	$75,432	220
Construction of buildings	71	8	1.06×About typical	217	$83,189	439
Truck transportation	62	7	1.38×More than typical	921	$56,428	295
Clothing and accessories stores	56	6.3	1.74×More than typical	675	$17,390	87
Services to buildings and dwellings	56	6.3	0.93×About typical	224	$38,714	794
Religious organizations	54	6.1	1.10×About typical	269	$29,167	—
Limited-service restaurants	49	5.5	0.69×Fewer than typical	821	$19,363	13
Full-service restaurants	39	4.4	0.57×Fewer than typical	605	$25,942	19

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 88,891 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 $95.5K on contracts performed in Jefferson, GA micropolitan area: $0.96 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $95.5K
Per resident: $0.96; US $1,994
Sole-source: 16%; US 30%
Single offer: 15%; 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

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center$39.9K42%
Bureau of Land Management$26.7K28%
Offices, Boards and Divisions$15K16%
U.S. Geological Survey$13.9K15%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

686.9KFY2017
87.7KFY2018
294KFY2019
389.5KFY2020
675KFY2021
447.5KFY2022
215.7KFY2023
267.1K

Top industries (NAICS)

Building equipment contractors · 2382$39.9K42%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$26.7K28%
Legal services · 5411$15K16%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$13.9K15%

Largest awards

BENCH PRESS EO 14222 SEC 3(D)(I) S1 APPROVED ACTION EO EXEMPTION CALL 0N SECTION 2(D)$39.9K
CARDINALCR LLC· Jackson County, GA· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 29, 2026 – Sep 29, 2026· 70LGLY26PGLB00319
2026 WFO UTV PURCHASE$26.7K
AMIGO IMPLEMENT COMPANY, INC.· Jackson County, GA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 4, 2026 – Sep 4, 2026· 140L4326F0149
L. SORROW - NEW SC$13.9K
LINCOLN MICHAEL SORROW· Jackson County, GA· Professional services· Sep 15, 2026 – Sep 15, 2026· 140G0226P0233

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 $502.9M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Jefferson, GA micropolitan area: $5,066 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $502.9M; +0.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,066; US $12,955
Loan face value: $50.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$326.7M65%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$73.1M15%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$40.8M8.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$29.1M5.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$11.4M2.3%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$4.5M0.9%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$3.5M0.7%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$2.5M0.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$2.4M0.5%
ATLANTA, GA
1 ACCORD TECHNOLOGIES LLC$688.8K0.1%
EATONTON, GA
JEFFERSON HOUSING AUTHORITY$582.4K0.1%
JEFFERSON, GA
PC SOLUTIONS & INTEGRATION, INC.$316.1K0.1%
MIAMI, FL
ZAYO EDUCATION, LLC$305.5K

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$408M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$83.7M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Railroad Retirement Board$3.5M0.7%
Federal Highway Administration$2.4M0.5%
Department of Transportation
Federal Communications Commission$1.9M0.4%

Assistance by fiscal year

460.6MFY2021
367.9MFY2022
416.3MFY2023
447.9MFY2024
500MFY2025
502.9MFY2026

County aggregates

99%

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, GA

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

Jackson CountyCentral county6799,265

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

JeffersonPrincipal city14,990

Largest cities and towns

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

Other metro and micro areas in Georgia

Areas based in Georgia, 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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27600

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved20

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Jefferson, GA micropolitan 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

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, GA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Georgia

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved20

Declined4

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

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