Jefferson County, Pennsylvania


Jefferson County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,492. Its county seat is Brookville. The county was established on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and later organized in 1830. It is named after President Thomas Jefferson. It is home to Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog that predicts when spring will come every February 2 on Groundhog Day. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It has a warm-summer humid continental climate and average monthly temperatures in Brookville range from 24.8 °F in January to 68.8 °F in July, while in Punxsutawney they range from 25.7 °F in January to 69.6 °F in July. Jefferson County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

Adjacent counties

There are many named streams flowing through Jefferson County, far too many to list here. An exhaustive list is presented in a separate article. All those streams eventually flow to the Allegheny River except for Bear Run,, in the southeast which flows into the Susquehanna River. The principal streams and the area of their watersheds that lie within the county are:
  • Clarion River:
  • * Little Toby Creek:
  • * Clear Creek:
  • * Cathers Run:
  • * Mill Creek:
  • Redbank Creek:
  • * North Fork Creek:
  • ** Clear Run:
  • ** Pekin Run:
  • * Sandy Lick Creek:
  • ** Wolf Run:
  • ** Soldier Run:
  • ** Trout Run:
  • ** Mill Creek:
  • ** Fivemile Run:
  • ** Falls Creek:
  • * Little Sandy Creek:
  • Mahoning Creek:
  • * East Branch Mahoning Creek:
  • * Stump Creek:
  • * Big Run:
  • * Canoe Creek:
  • * Elk Run:
  • * Pine Run:

    Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 44,492, and the median age was 45.0 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.3% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents comprised 0.9% of the population.
26.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 18,726 households in the county, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.3% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 22,005 housing units, of which 14.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.5% were owner-occupied and 25.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 45,32044,26442,31798.66%97.92%95.11%
Black or African American alone 491471250.10%0.32%0.28%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 6472450.13%0.15%0.10%
Asian alone 94911000.20%0.20%0.22%
Pacific Islander alone 4380.00%0.00%0.01%
Other race alone 158920.03%0.01%0.20%
Mixed race or Multiracial 1983401,4080.43%0.75%3.16%
Hispanic or Latino 1882753970.40%0.60%0.89%
Total45,93245,20044,492100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 45,932 people, 18,375 households, and 12,862 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 22,104 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 98.97% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.1% were of German, 13.4% Italian, 10.8% American, 9.2% Irish and 7.8% English ancestry.
There were 18,375 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

Law and government

Jefferson County is a very safe county for the Republican Party, which has won the vote of all but two presidential elections.

Voter registration

As of July 22, 2024, there are 27,731 registered voters in Jefferson County.

Colleges and universities

Two Pennsylvania state parks are in the county.
The Jefferson County Fair is held annually in July.

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Jefferson County:

Boroughs