Jefferson City is a city located in the state of Missouri, in Cole County, where it is the county seat. It is also the state capital. A small portion of the city is found in Callaway County. Jefferson City is known for being the “Most Beautiful Small Town” in the U.S.
Jefferson City in 2010 had a population of 43,079, according to the last census, which makes it the 15th most populous city in Missouri. Recent estimates show that the population has dropped slightly to 42,895. The city has a total area of 37.58 square miles with a population density of 1,100 people per square mile.
There are more men than women living in Jefferson City, with males accounting for 51.2% of the total population.
People between the ages of 25 and 44 make up the largest age group of Jefferson City or 28.6% of the population. Almost 21% of residents are under age 18, while 13.4% are at least 65 years old. Approximately 11.5% of the population lives below the federal poverty line.
Jefferson City has seen its population grow at a steady rate since the mid-19th century. However, recent estimates show that the population has dropped for the first time in many years, falling 0.2% since the 2010 census. However, there is nothing to indicate that this will be an ongoing trend, and hopefully, with citywide efforts, the population of this Missouri city will continue to grow again.
Jefferson City, Missouri's estimated population is 42,838 according to the most recent United States census estimates. Jefferson City, Missouri is the 15th largest city in Missouri based on official 2017 estimates from the US Census Bureau.
The population density is 1187.28 people/mi² (458.41 people/km²).
The overall median age is 37.8 years, 37.2 years for males, and 39.1 years for females. For every 100 females there are 108.6 males.
Based on data from the American Community Survey, in 2017 there were 18,789 households in the city, with an average size of 2.29 people per household. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.7%, with a median rent of $614/month. The median house has 5.8 rooms, and has a value of $140,200.
The median income for households in Jefferson City, Missouri is $48,132, while the mean household income is $63,777.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Jefferson City was:
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
| 2018 | 42,838 | -68 | -0.16% |
| 2017 | 42,906 | -125 | -0.29% |
| 2016 | 43,031 | -182 | -0.42% |
| 2015 | 43,213 | 42 | 0.10% |
| 2014 | 43,171 | -148 | -0.34% |
| 2013 | 43,319 | 61 | 0.14% |
| 2012 | 43,258 | -85 | -0.20% |
| 2011 | 43,343 | 140 | 0.32% |
| 2010 | 43,203 | 3,567 | 0.87% |
| 2000 | 39,636 | 4,155 | 1.11% |
| 1990 | 35,481 | 1,862 | 0.54% |
| 1980 | 33,619 | 1,212 | 0.37% |
| 1970 | 32,407 | 4,179 | 1.39% |
| 1960 | 28,228 | 3,129 | 1.18% |
| 1950 | 25,099 | 831 | 0.34% |
| 1940 | 24,268 | 2,672 | 1.17% |
| 1930 | 21,596 | 7,106 | 4.07% |
| 1920 | 14,490 | 2,640 | 2.03% |
| 1910 | 11,850 | 2,186 | 2.06% |
| 1900 | 9,664 | 2,922 | 3.67% |
| 1890 | 6,742 | 1,471 | 2.49% |
| 1880 | 5,271 | 851 | 1.78% |
| 1870 | 4,420 | 1,338 | 3.67% |
| 1860 | 3,082 | 0.00% |
| Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
| 2018 | 151,520 | 222 | 0.15% |
| 2017 | 151,298 | -62 | -0.04% |
| 2016 | 151,360 | 458 | 0.30% |
| 2015 | 150,902 | 198 | 0.13% |
| 2014 | 150,704 | 66 | 0.04% |
| 2013 | 150,638 | 285 | 0.19% |
| 2012 | 150,353 | -15 | -0.01% |
| 2011 | 150,368 | 404 | 0.27% |
| 2010 | 149,964 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population |
| White | 32,244 |
| Black or African American | 7,994 |
| Two or More Races | 1,128 |
| Asian | 939 |
| Some Other Race | 593 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 166 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 28 |
37.8
37.2
39.1
There are 34,181 adults, (6,401 of whom are seniors) in Jefferson City.
Female
20,659
47.94%
Male
22,433
52.06%
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
| All | 16,723 | 2.29 | 57.5 |
| Non Family | 7,095 | 1.28 | 43.8 |
| Married | 6,670 | 2.95 | 79.9 |
| Female | 2,180 | 3.38 | 38.8 |
| Male | 778 | 2.74 | 42.2 |
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 773 | 2.59% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,938 | 6.50% |
| High School Graduate | 9,022 | 30.28% |
| Some College | 6,588 | 22.11% |
| Associates Degree | 2,113 | 7.09% |
| Bachelors Degree | 6,252 | 20.98% |
| Graduate Degree | 3,107 | 10.43% |
| Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
| White | 23,579 | 21,974 | 7,924 |
| Black | 4,289 | 3,520 | 692 |
| Hispanic | 711 | 524 | 123 |
| Asian | 632 | 582 | 504 |
| Multiple Races | 385 | 348 | 92 |
| Other Race | 226 | 160 | 33 |
| Native American | 149 | 92 | 24 |
| Islander | 28 | 28 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 79.75%.
$33,741
Average Earnings
$36,589
Average Male
$31,751
Average Female
94.29% of Jefferson City residents speak only English, while 5.71% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.41% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
| White | 28,615 | 3,173 | 11.09% |
| Black | 6,051 | 1,987 | 32.84% |
| Multiple | 1,005 | 348 | 34.63% |
| Hispanic | 1,324 | 277 | 20.92% |
| Other | 488 | 179 | 36.68% |
| Asian | 900 | 35 | 3.89% |
15.59%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.24%
Male Poverty Rate
14.99%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Jefferson City is Other, with 36.68% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Jefferson City is Asian, with 3.89% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.39%. Among those working part-time, it was 22.77%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.74%.
41.2%
Overall Marriage Rate
40.5%
Male Marriage Rate
42.0%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
| White | 2,640 | 9.95% |
| Black | 244 | 4.08% |
| Hispanic | 108 | 12.57% |
| 2 or More | 76 | 13.67% |
| Asian | 11 | 1.65% |
| Indian | 11 | 7.38% |
8.87%
Veteran Poverty Rate
27.42%
Veteran Disability Rate
58.5%
Labor Force Participation
55.8%
Employment Rate
4.2%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
96.06%
Native Born
3.94%
Foreign Born
1.72%
Non Citizen
96.06% of Jefferson City residents were born in the United States, with 70.39% having been born in Missouri. 1.72% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.