Jefferson County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Missouri had an estimated 231,888 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 226,569, across 657 square miles. County output reached $6.91 bn in 2024, 3,956 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 137 7(a) approvals worth $62.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024229,458
- Households88,309
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$82,851
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$979 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$237,200
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over160,812
- Population under 1851,633
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over38,261
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64139,564
- Civilian labor force121,069
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.1 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties7th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included311th of 3,222
Jefferson County is the 7th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024231,888
- Census 2020 base population226,569
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.35 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024733
- Births, 20242,103
- Deaths, 20242,330
- Natural change, 2024-227
- Net domestic migration, 2024832
- Net international migration, 2024121
- Total net migration, 2024953
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,406
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1057th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.35 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Jefferson County
Where are people moving to Jefferson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,824
- People arriving, from those returns10,447
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,046
- Net household movement778
- Adjusted gross income arriving$354.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$60.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$60,779
- Average income of a leaving household$58,095
- Largest single originSt. Louis County (2,408 households)
- Largest single destinationSt. Louis County (1,758 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 2,408 | 4,150 | $155.2 m |
| St. Louis city | 560 | 968 | $32.8 m |
| St. Charles County | 270 | 466 | $17.5 m |
| Franklin County | 239 | 432 | $13.8 m |
| St. Francois County | 213 | 401 | $12.2 m |
| St. Clair County | 129 | 226 | $10.3 m |
| Madison County | 106 | 227 | $6.6 m |
| Ste. Genevieve County | 84 | 175 | $4.3 m |
Households arriving report $2,684 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is St. Louis County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Jefferson County
What is the Jefferson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$6.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.55 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.5 percent
- GDP change over five years22.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Missouri areas BEA publishes11th of 115
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes593rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$30,095
Output grew 5.5 percent in the latest year and 22.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Jefferson County
Employment by industry in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average49,458
- Establishments reporting4,597
- Average annual pay$49,615
- Average weekly wage$954
- Retail trade, employment7,630
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,215
- Health care and social assistance, employment7,044
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$55,815
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,433
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,809
- Construction, employment4,282
- Construction, average annual pay$70,068
- Manufacturing, employment4,221
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,432
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 7,630 | 489 | $35,215 |
| Health care and social assistance | 7,044 | 974 | $55,815 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,433 | 292 | $21,809 |
| Construction | 4,282 | 652 | $70,068 |
| Manufacturing | 4,221 | 163 | $68,591 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,432 | 306 | $44,884 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,060 | 363 | $43,114 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,515 | 168 | $75,766 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 7,630 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
- Establishments, all industries3,956
- Employment at those establishments41,900
- Annual payroll$1.97 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Jefferson County
Building permits in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024811
- Declared construction value permitted$233.0 m
- Single family units authorized695
- Multifamily units authorized116
- Multifamily share of units14.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$287,290
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.2
Single-family homes are 85.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
SBA loans in Jefferson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded137
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$62.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$453,931
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$23,600
- 90th percentile approval$1,211,200
- Largest single approval$4,665,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,285
- Jobs per approval9.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active42
- Distinct industries receiving approvals83
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms22
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter106
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals7.3 percent
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (32)
- 504 approvals recorded43
- 504 gross approval dollars$19.4 m
- Average 504 approval$451,535
- Median 504 approval$285,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval9.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.8
- Most active CDCEconomic Development Corporation of Jefferson County, MO (19)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$81.6 m
The average approval of $453,931 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded39
- Paid in full37
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans5.1 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure79
- Status: Paid in full37
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 39 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
SBA lending by place in Jefferson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending19
- Arnold, approvals28
- High Ridge, approvals16
- Imperial, approvals14
- House Springs, approvals14
- De Soto, approvals10
- Festus, approvals9
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Arnold | 28 | $14,039,100 |
| High Ridge | 16 | $4,967,000 |
| Imperial | 14 | $13,035,800 |
| House Springs | 14 | $5,748,100 |
| De Soto | 10 | $3,656,400 |
| Festus | 9 | $1,845,600 |
| Cedar Hill | 8 | $2,070,700 |
| Fenton | 7 | $4,617,400 |
| 11 other borrower cities | 31 | $12,208,400 |
Arnold accounts for 28 approvals against 16 in High Ridge. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
How large is Jefferson County?
- Land area657 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties39th of 115
- Width, east to west28.6 mi
- Height, north to south34.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land349
- Establishments per square mile6.02
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Jefferson County
Flood risk in Jefferson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Jefferson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 290808
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book13
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate92.3 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Jefferson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Jefferson County (community 290808), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Jefferson County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 92.3 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Jefferson County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024229,458
- Households88,309
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$82,851
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Missouri?
The Census Bureau estimates 231,888 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 229,458, in 88,309 households, ranking 7th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.35 percent since the 2020 census base of 226,569, to 231,888 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 2,103 births against 2,330 deaths, with net migration of 953. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$82,851. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,200, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $979 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
3,956 establishments, employing 41,900 people with an annual payroll of $1.97 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Jefferson County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 7,630 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 49,458 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,615, or $954 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
137 7(a) approvals totaling $62.2 m since FY2020, across 42 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 43 504 approvals worth $19.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
Of the 39 loans that have reached a final outcome, 37 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 5.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Jefferson County?
811 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $233.0 m. Multifamily was 14.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is St. Louis County, with 2,408 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,779 against $58,095 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jefferson County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Jefferson County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Jefferson County
Cities and places in Jefferson.
26 Census places lie wholly or partly in Jefferson County. All 26 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold | city | 20,956 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Festus | city | 13,201 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Eureka | city | 13,081 | 2 | 4.4 percent here, 95.6 percent St. Louis County |
| Murphy | CDP | 8,285 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| De Soto | city | 6,470 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Pevely | city | 6,055 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Barnhart | CDP | 5,785 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Imperial | CDP | 5,488 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Herculaneum | city | 5,071 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Crystal City | city | 4,718 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| High Ridge | CDP | 3,714 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Hillsboro | city | 3,500 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Byrnes Mill | city | 3,189 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Raintree Plantation | CDP | 2,047 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| LaBarque Creek | CDP | 1,457 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Hill | CDP | 1,261 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Summer Set | CDP | 1,236 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Horine | CDP | 781 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Olympian Village | city | 694 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Briarwood Estates | CDP | 307 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Hill Lakes | village | 284 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Scotsdale | town | 216 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Parkdale | village | 204 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Tekakwitha | village | 202 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Peaceful Village | village | 117 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kimmswick | city | 112 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 29 of the county's 137 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Jefferson County, the largest being House Springs (14), Fenton (7), Dittmer (4). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.