Jefferson County Demographics

A map of Jefferson County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	92,242	96,047	36.3%	37.4%
Black	83,053	83,856	32.7%	32.7%
Hispanic	61,240	58,915	24.1%	23.0%
Asian	9,581	9,943	3.8%	3.9%
Multiracial	6,586	6,210	2.6%	2.4%
Native American/Other	1,176	1,555	0.5%	0.6%

Jefferson County, Texas has an estimated population of 253,878, a slight decrease from the 256,526 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 36.3% White, 32.7% Black, 24.1% Hispanic, 3.8% Asian, 2.6% Multiracial, and 0.5% Native American/Other. 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 is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than Texas 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 69.8% in 2020 and 70.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Jefferson County is ranked the 22nd most populous county in Texas, out of 254 counties. Jefferson County was ranked the 21st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Jefferson County's White Population

92,242 residents of Jefferson County, or 36.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Jefferson County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 39.1% of the population is White. Jefferson County ranks 204th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's White population has declined by an estimated 4.0%. White residents' share of Jefferson County's population has decreased from 37.4% to 36.3%.

Jefferson County is less White than neighboring Orange County (76.8% White), Hardin County (82.4% White), Chambers County (61.5% White), Liberty County (48.7% White), and Galveston County (54% White).

Jefferson County's Black Population

83,053 residents of Jefferson County, or 32.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Jefferson County is significantly higher than in Texas overall, where 11.9% of the population is Black. Jefferson County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 32.7%.

Jefferson County is more Black than neighboring Orange County (7.6% Black), Hardin County (5.6% Black), Chambers County (7.5% Black), Liberty County (7.5% Black), and Galveston County (11.9% Black).

Jefferson County's Asian Population

9,581 residents of Jefferson County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Jefferson County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 5.5% of the population is Asian. Jefferson County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. Asian residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.8%.

Jefferson County is more Asian than neighboring Orange County (1.1% Asian), Hardin County (0.5% Asian), Chambers County (1.5% Asian), Liberty County (0.6% Asian), and Galveston County (3.4% Asian).

Jefferson County's Hispanic Population

61,240 residents of Jefferson County, or 24.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Jefferson County is significantly lower than in Texas overall, where 39.7% of the population is Hispanic. Jefferson County ranks 158th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Jefferson County's population has increased from 23.0% to 24.1%.

Jefferson County is more Hispanic than neighboring Orange County (9.6% Hispanic), and Hardin County (6.8% Hispanic). Jefferson County is less Hispanic than neighboring Chambers County (26.5% Hispanic), Liberty County (39.6% Hispanic), and Galveston County (26.4% Hispanic).

Jefferson County's Native American/Other Population

1,176 residents of Jefferson County, or 0.5% 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 comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Jefferson County ranks 153rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 24.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Jefferson County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Hardin County (0.2% Native American/Other), Chambers County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Liberty County (0.3% Native American/Other). Jefferson County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Orange County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Galveston County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Jefferson County's Multiracial Population

6,586 residents of Jefferson County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Jefferson County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 3.1% of the population is Multiracial. Jefferson County ranks 164th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Jefferson County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 6.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Jefferson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.

Jefferson County is less Multiracial than neighboring Orange County (4.2% Multiracial), Hardin County (4.5% Multiracial), Chambers County (2.7% Multiracial), Liberty County (3.4% Multiracial), and Galveston County (3.7% 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.