Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Population 86,003 · Watertown, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson
- Overall cost of living: −10.4% vs the US average, higher than 56% of US counties.
- On-time high school graduation: 95.3%, higher than 89% of US counties.
- Unemployment rate: 2.9%, lower than 88% of US counties.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−10.4% | higher than 56% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for all of Wisconsin outside its metro areas. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $274,100 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Median rent | $1,035 | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $163/mo | lower than 61% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $10,920/yr | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 1.46% | higher than 87% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 5% | lower than 66% of US counties |
| State income tax | 5.3% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $4,005 | higher than 92% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $83,750 | higher than 86% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | lower than 88% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +0.6% | lower than 51% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 367.5 | higher than 78% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈191 days | lower than 77% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 82°F | lower than 81% of US counties |
| January low | 11°F | lower than 85% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈36 in | higher than 76% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Ft Atkinson, WI, 10 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | 12 days | lower than 77% of US counties |
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | 143 days | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Severe drought | 3.4% of weeks | lower than 80% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈60.5°F | lower than 65% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 36.6 in | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $106/yr | lower than 72% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $81/yr | lower than 52% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0.01/yr | lower than 67% of US counties |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $0.66/yr | lower than 78% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $13/yr | higher than 64% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $0.1/yr | lower than 69% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 9 µg/m³ | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 41.1 mi | lower than 85% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈229.4 ft | lower than 82% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 92.9% | higher than 74% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 28.5% | higher than 72% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 8.9% | higher than 64% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 7 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 12.6:1 | lower than 68% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 95.3% | higher than 89% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 8.83 | higher than 83% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 8.25 | higher than 72% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.11 | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 3.8 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 36/100k | lower than 62% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 9 | higher than 88% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 4★ | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 78.3 yrs | higher than 78% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 5.5% | lower than 89% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 121/100k | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 64/100k | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 45.4/100k | higher than 88% of US counties |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 74.9% | higher than 68% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 55 min | lower than 52% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 64 min | lower than 78% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 25 min | higher than 53% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 90.6% | higher than 78% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0.4% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 10.5% | higher than 66% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 54 min | lower than 88% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 35 per sq mi | higher than 65% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 1.5 per 1k | lower than 63% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 5.4 per 1k | lower than 67% of US counties |
| Population | 86,003 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Median age | 41.5 | lower than 50% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | -0.3 per 1k/yr | lower than 64% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 41.1% Dem | higher than 76% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 57.5% Rep | lower than 76% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 1.4% | higher than 55% of US counties |
| % White | 87% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 8.5% | higher than 68% of US counties |
| % Black | 0.9% | lower than 66% of US counties |
| % Asian | 0.6% | lower than 49% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | lower than 50% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 2.7% | lower than 72% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0.3% | higher than 46% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 168 parks | higher than 73% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 15 | higher than 53% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 4.8 | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | 71 min | higher than 80% of US counties |
| Lakes & rivers | 4% | higher than 83% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 3 | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 81 | higher than 93% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 61 | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 732 km | higher than 80% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 28 km | higher than 83% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 140 | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 274 | higher than 95% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 7 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Museums within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 6 | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 3 | higher than 77% of US counties |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 64 | higher than 85% of US counties |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 4 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 11 | higher than 88% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 69 | higher than 81% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 127 km | higher than 88% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data