Jefferson County Demographics

A map of Jefferson County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	14,447	15,005	57.3%	61.2%
Hispanic	5,372	5,002	21.3%	20.4%
Native American/Other	3,020	3,065	12.0%	12.5%
Multiracial	2,104	1,165	8.3%	4.8%
Black	142	134	0.6%	0.5%
Asian	118	131	0.5%	0.5%

Jefferson County, Oregon has an estimated population of 25,203, a slight increase from the 24,502 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 57.3% White, 21.3% Hispanic, 12.0% Native American/Other, 8.3% Multiracial, 0.6% Black, and 0.5% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Jefferson County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Jefferson has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Oregon overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Jefferson County, that probability was 56.5% in 2020 and 60.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Jefferson County is ranked the 25th most populous county in Oregon, out of 36 counties. Jefferson County was ranked the 25th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Jefferson County's White Population

14,447 residents of Jefferson County, or 57.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Jefferson County is considerably lower than in Oregon overall, where 71.4% of the population is White. Jefferson County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.7%. White residents' share of Jefferson County's population has decreased from 61.2% to 57.3%.

Jefferson County is less White than neighboring Wasco County (70.8% White), Deschutes County (83.5% White), Sherman County (85.4% White), Crook County (85.8% White), and Hood River County (61.8% White).

Jefferson County's Black Population

142 residents of Jefferson County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Jefferson County is comparable to the share in Oregon overall, where 1.8% of the population is Black. Jefferson County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Black population has grown by an estimated 6.0%. Black residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Jefferson County is more Black than neighboring Wasco County (0.4% Black), Deschutes County (0.3% Black), Sherman County (0.5% Black), and Crook County (0.5% Black). Jefferson County is less Black than neighboring Hood River County (0.8% Black).

Jefferson County's Asian Population

118 residents of Jefferson County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Jefferson County is slightly lower than in Oregon overall, where 4.4% of the population is Asian. Jefferson County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 9.9%. Asian residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Jefferson County is more Asian than neighboring Sherman County (0.3% Asian), and Crook County (0.3% Asian). Jefferson County is less Asian than neighboring Wasco County (0.7% Asian), Deschutes County (1% Asian), and Hood River County (0.8% Asian).

Jefferson County's Hispanic Population

5,372 residents of Jefferson County, or 21.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Jefferson County is higher than in Oregon overall, where 14.7% of the population is Hispanic. Jefferson County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Jefferson County's population has increased from 20.4% to 21.3%.

Jefferson County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wasco County (20.6% Hispanic), Deschutes County (9.2% Hispanic), Sherman County (4.4% Hispanic), and Crook County (7.9% Hispanic). Jefferson County is less Hispanic than neighboring Hood River County (30.6% Hispanic).

Jefferson County's Native American/Other Population

3,020 residents of Jefferson County, or 12.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Jefferson County is considerably higher than in Oregon overall, where 1.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Jefferson County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 1.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Jefferson County's population has decreased from 12.5% to 12.0%.

Jefferson County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Wasco County (2.3% Native American/Other), Deschutes County (1.1% Native American/Other), Sherman County (0.7% Native American/Other), Crook County (1% Native American/Other), and Hood River County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Jefferson County's Multiracial Population

2,104 residents of Jefferson County, or 8.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Jefferson County is slightly higher than in Oregon overall, where 6.1% of the population is Multiracial. Jefferson County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 80.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Jefferson County's population has increased from 4.8% to 8.3%.

Jefferson County is more Multiracial than neighboring Wasco County (5.2% Multiracial), Deschutes County (4.9% Multiracial), Crook County (4.5% Multiracial), and Hood River County (4.8% Multiracial). Jefferson County is less Multiracial than neighboring Sherman County (8.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.