Jefferson is a city and the county seat of Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,233 at the 2020 census, up from 9,432 at the 2010 census. As of 2024 the estimated population was 16,459.
History
Jefferson was founded in 1800. That same year, the seat of Jackson County was transferred to Jefferson from Clarkesboro. Jefferson was incorporated as a town in 1806 and as a city in 1896. The city was named after Thomas Jefferson.
Geography
left|thumb|View of the north side of the city's central square
Jefferson is located in central Jackson County at (34.126736, -83.590297). It is bordered to the northwest by Pendergrass and to the southeast by Arcade. U.S. Route 129 passes through the southwest side of the city, leading northwest to Gainesville and southeast to Athens. Interstate 85 runs through the northern end of Jefferson, northwest of the center of town, with access from Exits 137 and 140. I-85 leads southwest to Atlanta and northeast to Greenville, South Carolina.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Jefferson has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.53%, are water.<br> 2025
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Jefferson had a population of 13,233. The median age was 34.5 years. 32.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.1 males age 18 and over.
75.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 25.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,324 households in Jefferson, including 2,885 family households. Of all households, 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 61.5% were married-couple households, 11.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|10,240
|77.38%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|1,087
|8.21%
|-
|Native American
|22
|0.17%
|-
|Asian
|269
|2.03%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|3
|0.02%
|-
|Other/mixed
|572
|4.32%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|1,040
|7.86%
|}
2023 estimate
In a 2024 report, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Jefferson, GA was the fastest growing micropolitan statistical area in the country from 2020 to 2023. The population increased by an estimated 16.24% in that period.
Education
Jackson County School District
right|thumb|275px|View of the southeast side of the square with shops and parking
The Jackson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and one charter school. As of March 2024, the district had a total of 10,646 students, not including enrollees of EMPOWER College and Career Center.
- East Jackson Elementary School
- Gum Springs Elementary School
- Maysville Elementary School
- North Jackson Elementary School
- South Jackson Elementary School
- West Jackson Elementary School
- Heroes Elementary School
- East Jackson Middle School
- West Jackson Middle School
- Legacy Knoll Middle School
- East Jackson High School
- Jackson County High School
- EMPOWER College and Career Center (charter school)
Jefferson City School District
The Jefferson City School District holds preschool to grade twelve, and consists of one preschool, two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. As of March 2024, the district had 4,218 students.
- Damon Jesse Gause, World War II war hero
- Brantley Gilbert, country music singer, songwriter
- Crawford W. Long, physician who first used ether for surgical anesthesia
- Brandon Mosley, former Auburn University and former New York Giants offensive lineman
- Corey Smith, country music singer, songwriter
- Malaki Starks, former safety for the Georgia Bulldogs current safety for Baltimore Ravens
References
External links
- City of Jefferson official website
- The Jackson Herald, local newspaper
- Builder of the Nation historical marker